Categories
Archives
E-Learning Advances, And I Finally Understand Economics….
Sometimes I wonder how previous generations functioned without the technological advancements of the 21st century. That might sound a bit naive perhaps, but if you take a look at the dearth of information at our fingertips these days on the internet it’s almost mind blowing. Simply Google the information you’re seeking, and voila! There it is.
Take the credit crisis for example. If it were 20 years ago and you got curious as to why the economy was behaving as it was (humor me here) you’d have a couple of choices. You could either ask your uncle Milton to explain it to you, which would inevitably lead to him reminiscing with you about the war and “when he was your age.” Or…you could head to the library and spend a couple hundred hours scouring economics books chock full of fun words like “contagion” or “Ricardian equivalence.” Sheesh.
Nowadays, everything you’d ever want to know is available electronically with a few keystrokes and clicks. Not only is the internet making the process of learning quicker, but the net result is often more effective learning (more is retained) and drastically reduced costs. Case in point, Crisisofcredit.com. It’s the work of a student at the Art Center College of Design and it does a brilliant job of taking a very complex and multi-faceted topic and turning it into something where the information can be easily understood by folks like me without a degree in economics. I totally “get it” now (ok, I get it, but still don’t know how to fix it…).
If you have time, you should check out the entire video. I have to warn you, it’s a slow load! But if you’re at all interested in the art and science of e-learning or distance learning like we are, it’s totally worth it.
by
Comments
Posted on February 23rd, 2009 at 2:33 PM
Maybe I'm an idealist but I think the quality content wins by market demand. I hope, anyway.
by Wendy
Posted on February 23rd, 2009 at 2:29 PM
You've got that right, Wendy. That's the other side of the coin that I didn't discuss. With new tools like Moodle, Dim Dim, and even SlideRocket, the barriers to entry into E-learning have also become smaller, meaning that quality can suffer. I tend to hope that the quality providers will rise to the top as a way of weeding out the bad ones.
by Garret Ohm
Posted on February 23rd, 2009 at 2:22 PM
Being in the research business, I have watched the abundance of information that is accessible grow and change. While some are terrific, concise and accurate, some are still overwhelming. I watch as the kids learn how to integrate learning with online tools and resources and I am constantly amazed at their ability to assess quality - a skill that some of the more traditional learners and researchers are still working to acquire! When a person or company takes the time to put a clear and complete resource together, it benefits so many - and this example is a terrific one! Thanks!
by Wendy