3 e-Learning Technologies to Watch
February 2, 2010
In his recent predictions for the development of learning technologies in 2010, Clark Quinn—a U.S.-based independent consultant with a PhD in applied cognitive science, and (full disclosure) on the advisory board of this web site—suggests that "several technologies are poised to cross the chasm: social tools, mobile technologies and virtual worlds. Each has reached critical mass in being realistically deployable and offers real benefits. . . The need is for learning to break out of the 'event' model and start becoming more timely, more context-sensitive and more collaborative."
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| e-Learning Optimism, by Bob Little |
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Both Quinn's predictions and his readers' responses to them identified some key learning technologies trends:
Three technologies "on the rise" are social tools, mobile technologies, and virtual worlds.
Buyers often opt for a basic, free tool or system in order to take their first steps in these technologies but, once they have proved that technology's usefulness, they look for a more commercially robust solution and solution provider.
These trends were largely confirmed at the U.K.'s Learning Technologies conference and exhibition, which took place in London's Olympia 2 facility at the end of January.
Close on the heels of companies promoting mobile technologies and virtual worlds, headed by (but by no means exclusive to) Italy's Giunti Labs, came the rapid authoring tools developers and resellers, including Omniplex, Atlantic Link, CM Group, and Trainer1. These companies have reported seeing increased interest from organizations wanting to bring control of their e-learning development in-house where it is controlled by subject matter experts who, therefore, need to have access to—and skills in using—standard, simple authoring tools.
Meanwhile, as if in confirmation of this trend, the traditional bespoke and generic content providers—from the public sector specialist XOR to generalists like Epic, e2train, LINE Communications, and Tata Interactive Systems—found increasing competition in an already keenly contested market from relative newcomers to the U.K. market, such as the Mumbai-based WITS Interactive and Gatlin International, from Dallas, Texas.
About the Author
For more than 20 years, Bob Little has specialized in writing about, and commentating on, corporate learning—especially e-learning—and technology-related subjects. His work has been published in the U.K., Europe, the U.S., and Australia. Contact Bob at bob.little@boblittlepr.com.
