An Introduction to Online Learning

Many definitions describe online learning as learning or education that is delivered via the internet or personal computer. However, your online learning experience can be much more. Online learning websites can come in various diverse flavors. There are variants of online learning that offer different levels of interactivity from pointing and clicking, or viewing videos, to hands-on experimentation.

E-Learning

These include web-based multimedia courseware including videos, podcasts, etc.

Mobile learning or m-learning

These include tablet or mobile performance support, apps, audiocasts, e-books, etc.

Video conferencing or telepresence

These include online lectures, webcasts, webinars, tutorials, etc.

Web or browser-based virtual worlds, serious games, and simulations

These include experience-based simulations, games and activities for learning.

Massively Open Online Courses (MOOC)

Such websites usually contain simple or complex, integrated, highly-diverse and comprehensive courses.

Virtual reality and augmented reality

These focus on experiential learning or on-the-job performance support

The blog post, titled 5 Advantages Of Online Learning: Education Without Leaving Home is a very quick read and lists 5 advantages to basic online learning:

1. Ability to learn practically whatever you want,
2. Comfort and convenience,
3. Enhanced professional skills with certificate training,
4. Self-paced learning, and
5. Low cost or free when you audit. As an example of free cost, one can review Class Central's guide on How to Sign up for Coursera Courses for Free as a starting point.

Listed below are some of the popular online learning sites. You can get started by entering your area of interest in the search field of the suggested sites below:

• TED
• ACM Queue
• Coursera
• Udacity
• edX
• FutureLearn