Category: Online Courses

The massive explosion in online learning platforms and finding alternative ways of presenting teaching courses has meant a greater reliance on VLE software for many providers.   The term just means virtual learning environment and generically describes a totally integrated system allowing learners, parents, teachers and other providers involvd in education to participate via the web based applications.   The resources are designed to enhance an revolutionise delivery of education and the management of it.    It has streamlined what could often be seen as a hotchpotch of systems within one area.  So VLE software is a tremendously powerful tool to allow the administation of learner engagement – giving them managed access to learner information to track progress and achievements.   The ability to integrate with external networking technologies is a truly exciting and promising step forward.   As more VLEs are becoming established in educational institutions as a means to structure and deliver content and learning activities.

We hear a great deal about virtual reality in the gaming and entertainment arena.  This wizardry has really taken the world by storm in the last four or five years and instead of being the preserve of the ultra rich and savvy, it’s now open and available to every Tom, Dick and Harry in the high street.   However there is another virtual environment that has evern more impact.  Indviduals can register with very good providers of VLE, virtual learning environment to convey all the modules needed for say a hospital nutritional screening programme, the training of staff to be able to operate within those disciplines is immense and a dedicated learning environment is essential.   The use of a VLE is usually allied to an existing MLE – managed learning environment and again these are tailored and finely honed to suit the industry area – be it medical or educational.  A MLE is a secuire web based system which is completely managed by the supplying team and it takes a huge chink of organisation out of the buyers system.

There are so many different ways of learning.  The old fashioned having just teacher at the front of the class with the chalk board, or blackboard as it was known originally, has a tendency to turn students right off learning.  The dullness of some teacher presentations is a problem – that monologue can seem like a long stream of being talked at rather than to.  The beauty of online e-learning is the variety of presentations, be it a click and respond or simultaneous one to one engagement over video – there is something happening all the time to encourage thought processes whilst emphasising the subject matter.   Virtual learning enviornment is a set of teaching tools which have been developed to really boost the learner’s experience by involving all sorts of other facilities such as computers, curriculum mapping and means of breaking down the curriculum to be able to track and assess.  Online support for and from teachers via email, threaded discussions.  The teacher has additonal user rights and will create or modify the curriculum contemt so as to enhance and track the student performance and result.

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development.  It is the intentional maintenance and development of knowledge and skills which are needed to perform your job successfully.  This might mean brushing up on current skills, or increasing the knowledge you have, or even learning new skills which will allow you to progress up the career ladder.

Most professions require their employees to take part in CPD courses to ensure their staff are fully trained in the necessary skills they require.

A good CDP structure gives employees a clear path to success with their current role and shows the potential progression to future jobs.  If you work in a regulated industry such as the healthcare, accountancy or legal industries, employers can get in a lot of trouble if they do not keep their staff up with their CPD!

CPD activities could include formal educational activities like instructor led training courses, workshops and seminars, or CPD could include self directed learning through online courses and structured reading.

The world of learning is so vast these days.  No longer do we just go through juior then senior school and if we’re very bright, get a place at University.  Everyone has the opportunity to study at university and get that batchelors or masters degree in almost any subject we care to study.    However it is not always necessary, in fact, rarely absolutely necessary, for the student to up sticks to move right away to study.  There are so many absolutely fantastic onlune learinng resources.  Almost every university of note will have a massive online presence these days.  They offer everything that lecture room based learning offers but with no need to travel and a chance to learn in your own time, at your own pace.   The online learning tools are vast now.  They have been developed to enhance the learning experience and to ensure you benefit from the craft of the course designers.  Video conference gives distance learning students equal high quality tutoring, connecting staff and students at any and all of their campuses or elsewhere – worldwide.

Oh how I remember the days of the typing lessons in school.  Way before anyone had produced the exciting e-learning and online training courses we can all take part in these days.  No, back then it was a case of listening to the tutor and then carrying out her instructions with her marching up and down the lines of typists.  We did not have the benefit of software – VLE or otherwise.  The only soft thing in that room was the cushion we popped on our rock hard chairs to soften the otherwise numbing effect of the hard wood.  Those lessons come flooding back to me with joy.  Rossini’s William Tell Overture floods to mind and of course, every time I hear that music, I am transported back to those halcyon days.  Just the start of it reminds me of a, s, d, f, g, f etc. etc.  Ah where would all the wonderful programmers and software folk be without the genius of a well trained keyboard operator.  Online courses with typing keypads involved are still the bet way to get accurate and well constructed pieces of work out there for all to learn from!