What is E-Learning?
E-learning is the process of allowing a student or teacher to educate or be educated on any subject, from anywhere, at any time. This is usually done via the Internet, with students being able to receive, complete, and then turn in assignments through various means such as email or through a school's own online system.
E-learning is related, but not completely, to that of distance learning - where by students receive their materials through the mail or email system and are taught through the use of tapes, CDs, DVDs, and other means. It can be considered part of or a subdivision of distance learning, in which students and teachers do not have a traditional type of classroom setting.
How Does E-Learning Work?
E-learning is able to work by the use of the Internet; many colleges and universities can now offer online classes for students who may not be able to go to a traditional class or classroom. Students are given a student number and choose a password; this allows them to sign into their portal, where they register for classes, see their financial aid statements, pay any bills that are occurring, and can view their class schedule and grades.
Classes are flexible, so there are no set times as with a traditional class. However, many teachers will have office hours at certain times and will have scheduled discussions that students are required to attend. These are set up via the time zone that the university or teacher is set in, so students will need to deduce the correlation with their own time zones.
Homework assignments are given out, usually with a week timeline. Students are usually directed to turn in their assignments through an online email system provided by the school. This is usually set up so that a student's class can be selected and then will list the emails of both the instructor and every student in the class.
E-learning schools usually don't take as long as that of a traditional school system. Some majors can be completed as little as one year, though most take two years.