Imagining the Future of Elearning Software and Technology

The traditional classroom setup of learning is increasingly going obsolete. More and more education institutions are employing elearning software and technologies. Online learning courses are popping up everywhere. According to surveys, the billions of those enrolled in online courses every year is nearly doubling in number every five years. This exponential growth does not even count the number of companies employing this new method for employee training purposes. In fact, electronic learning is fast becoming strong global industry firmly rooted in the U.S. and is currently spreading through the major European countries. Studies forecast more growth in the future and see the business of electronic learning moving on to Asia. People are slowly realizing the many benefits of electronic learning which is more accessible and cheaper than the traditional kind. Also, studies show that more students and trainees in electronic courses get higher grades than those in classrooms. It seems that there is no stopping progress of technology based education and training. So just how would this new force shape the future?

The Future of Elearning
According to Bill Zucker, author of various books on electronic education, we might be looking at a scenario where the science fiction images that have been conjured up in our minds by movies will actually come true. “It’s not really far from happening. Most great science fiction is based on actual scientific developments that are now slowly taking shape if not in hardware, at least in theoretical studies.”

When we look at the pace of information technology’s growth in the digital age, what we see are not small baby steps but leaps and bounds. Development is rapid; its pace is exponential and is supported by the ultra consumerism market of modern society. This is clear in the production of technology devices we can see in the market.

Specialized Laptops
Specialized laptops that run on operating systems that are primarily designed to accommodate electronic learning software are now being produced. There are especially a lot of these kinds of devices designed for children below high school level.

Tablet Devices
Tablet devices are a popular new trend. This has become even more popular with the release of apple’s iPad. The design of tablet computers is actually very suited to electronic learning since the interactivity of the touch screen interface has limitless potential. Some smaller tablet devices specifically designed for math related elearning courses are already prevalent in the market.

The great thing about these developing mobile technologies is that they are able to connect people from whatever location. This makes up for elearning’s lack in terms of human interaction. Since most of these devices, along with smart phones for example, already have video sending and recording capabilities, an online classroom can incorporate video or audio interaction between students and teachers. As internet connection speeds get faster and faster and cheaper communication technologies such as VOIP are produced, futuristic elearning software development is definitely becoming inevitable. We may see the virtual classroom take over the educational institution sooner than we think.