A Graduated Level of Study as Provided by Elearning

The entire premise of elearning is generally though of as something which is new, cutting edge, and ultimately being one of the most cost effective solutions in learning and training in both the academe and in professional applications.  All of these beliefs are true, except for the first one.  Despite what people think, elearning is not really all that new, it has been, in fact, been used for decades now, although it was not previously known as it is now and actually had no allusions to learning at all.  It was primarily used to train members of the various industries needing special skills and applied knowledge, and was initially called a simulation.  A simulation was given during training to replicate a situation wherein a mistake would potentially prove to be quite disastrous, such as in aviation applications, wherein a miscalculation of the pilot could prove potentially fatal to the pilot and crew of the flying vessel, the passengers of the vessel should it be a commercial vessel, and if the vessel happened to crash in a populated area, the people who happened to be at the crash site.  These simulations were often given using large, unwieldy, and often clunky machines designed to emulate certain environments and stimulus so as to acclimate the senses and appropriate bodily response of the trainee, although mostly, they were limited to one specific scenario, a few at the most.  The simulations were often designed with only the basic knowledge and skill component, and in some cases a minimal contingency scenario, often the worst case scenario, although sometimes the gravity of the worst case scenario is not communicated enough by the training exercise, resulting in a trainee that is not really equipped with appropriate response to the grave scenario presented.  This inability to realize the gravity of the situation may still result in the trainee being unable to respond properly, potentially leading to disasters, despite the fact that the trainee actually has hours of training on the situation.

e Learning presents a more focused and refined yet comprehensive approach compared to the previous incarnations of simulations, since simulations would typically be limited to one scenario, two or three at the most.  A very useful feature of learning innovation  is unlike its predecessor the simulation, it can be taken simultaneously by an enter group, much like a class.  Unlike simulations, however, the necessary sensory stimulus is still delivered even without the benefit of big, clunky equipment.  All that is needed is a personal computer equipped with a high resolution monitor and headphones, and in some cases, specialized equipment to stimulate the other sensory input.  It also presents a unique opportunity in that training exercises are not only limited to bodily responses to specific situations, but now these reactions can altogether be precluded since preventive measures can be further studied by the entire group, and not only those normally tasked to deal with the contingency, allowing a team effort in dealing with the contingency.