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IT Enabled Education CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 Introduction to the subjects 3 Purpose of the study 5 Objectives 5 Research Methodology 6 Scope 9 Limitations 9 CHAPTER 2 Concepts of E-learning 11 CHAPTER 3 Company Profile 39 CHAPTER 4 Analysis and Findings 51 CHAPTER 5 Summary of main findings 70 Suggestions/ Implication of the study 72 Babasabpatilfreepptmba.com Page 1
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A project report on it enabled education

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A project report on it enabled education
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IT Enabled Education

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

Introduction to the subjects 3

Purpose of the study 5

Objectives 5

Research Methodology 6

Scope 9

Limitations 9

CHAPTER 2

Concepts of E-learning 11

CHAPTER 3

Company Profile 39

CHAPTER 4

Analysis and Findings 51

CHAPTER 5

Summary of main findings 70

Suggestions/ Implication of the study 72

Conclusion 73

Scope for future research 73

Questionnaire

References

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Introduction to subject

Rapid change in information and communication technologies and a parallel growth in

the deployment of these technologies for education is a hallmark of the early 21st century. We

had just come to grips with the Internet age when along came e-business and e-education. And

with every change in technology has come a transformation in educational pedagogy and learning

paradigms.

Historically, the E-learning process has taken place within the infrastructure of

institutions such as schools, university campuses, technical colleges, etc. The need to be part of

such institutions was driven by the notation that to access information and knowledge, a learner

had to be present where the teacher was. The first separation between the teacher and the student

occurred with correspondence education which offered information and knowledge mediated by

some format of media usually print.

The world is changing rapidly in all areas – in the environment, in the economy, in

technology and in education. While it is important to spend time pondering the implications of

such change, perhaps it is more important to consider the implications of the changes to

education. The education system should be the key platform that enables young people to develop

the necessary skills required to prepare for the changing world.

As companies digitally transform their businesses, knowledge and training become

rapidly obsolete, just-in-time training becomes a basic survival need, and identification of cost-

effective ways of reaching diverse global workforce becomes critical .Additionally, new learning

models are needed given the skills gap and demographic changes, and flexible access to lifelong

learning is highly desired. Stated differently, the use of e- Learning within an operating entity

forces organization to change the traditional learning paradigm. To coincide with this change,

new strategies for managing and developing their employees are a must. Companies who do not

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react in such a manner or fail to use the technology to their advantage may find themselves losing

to their competitors. In contrast, for those companies who do capitalize on this change, will have

the potential to build and develop a workforce that performs at rates higher than their current

workforce; in turn, reaping benefits that enhance their organization’s bottom line.

The emergence of a post-industrial information age and the explosive growth and

distributed nature of new knowledge , the demand for greater access to tertiary education fuelled

by rapid changes in the economy, the need to maintain and update skills for employment, and

industry’s demand for “work ready” graduates.

This report is prepared in regards to E-learning. We have a large market who are unable

to their desired job or expected job due to the lack of knowledge or education. The best way one

can now get a degree and without giving up his job is by “E-Learning”. This is a key word in

education sector today where we have no barriers to age, sex, geographical area, etc. This report

deals in knowing the interested sectors in education, subjects that could be offered, cost of the E-

learning course, duration of these courses, etc. The study is to find out the potential market to.

provide E-learning courses for the people who have already employed.

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Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study was to provide an external perspective to the development and

delivery of e-Learning activities within the private sector. To achieve this purpose, the study

examined the events that propelled the implementation of e-Learning courses within the corporate

sector.

E-learning is going to boom in the near future. Especially in India, e-learning is not a

popular concept but slowly people / organizations / students etc. are moving towards e-learning.

Learnet India, a company in Bangalore wants to know the potential market for e-

learning, where in the company is interested to know which fields of education are the learners

interested in and which subjects would drag more people to join the e-learning courses. Learnet

wants to come up with offering e-learning courses and is interested to study the market regarding

the same.

Objectives

- To study the profile of customers willing to undergo IT enabled education.

- To identify the different courses that can be offered through e-medium.

- To identify the factors which the respondents would give importance while selecting a

online course.

- To identify the duration of the above identified courses.

- To identify the Cost involved i.e. fee structure.

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Research Methodology

Sample

For this study 200 employees of call centers from six different call centers are surveyed.

The call centers surveyed are ICICI one source , Dell, America Online, 24/7 Customer, IBM and

Transworks. Sampling method was non- probability method as the samples was picked as per the

convenience. Due to the time constraint the sample constituted a very small percentage of only

2% of the total call center population of 1,00,000.

Data collection Approach

Data collection was done through both secondary and primary sources.

Primary data

- Information gathered from the sample respondents.

- Conversation with the Head Business Development ( Mr. C. K. Dwarkanath ).

Secondary Data

- E-learning Sites

Measurement technique :

- Questionnaire.

The questionnaire contains 22 questions and is designed in a sequencial manner

to fulfill the objectives. The first set is used to collect the personal profile of the respondents a

question is asked regarding their job satisfaction and these two questions are used to get the

objective ; profile of customers willing to go for E-learning. There are two questions which

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are designed to get the interested fields and subjects to be offered by e-learning. This covers

the next objective of different courses to be offered. There is a question to get the duration of

the course which satisfies the next objective of course duration. There is a question to get the

cost of the course which satisfies the next objective of course fee. A 5 scale point question is

used to collect the preference of the respondents while selecting an e-learning course. Finally

a question regarding their internet skills and years of using computers is asked.

Sampling method : Convenience sampling method is used for surveying and respondents

were selected randomly.

Sample size : 200 from 6 call centres,

The Measures

The respondents are surveyed through questionnaire that is by means of personal

interview. The respondents were explained the purpose of the survey and were helped in case if

they had any queries. The questionnaire had questions which collected relevant information for

the study.

Profile of respondents and their willingness:

For getting the profile of the respondents, personal profile questions were asked like

Name, Age, Address, Education qualification, Organization they work in, Income and

Designation.

Age helps us to know that the average age of these employees were 22 years which

represents they are pretty young. Educational qualification helped to know whether they hold a

diploma or a degree or a master’s degree wherein this helps to know whether the employees are

working below their capabilities. In a call centers an employee who has done his master’s degree

(post graduation) earns the same salary as an employee with diploma. This job is irrespective of

their education qualification. This education qualification graph can represent the % of employees

working below their capabilities.

Income:

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The average income a call center employee earns is good which represents they are

financially good. This indirectly indicates the cost that the respondents can afford to pay for en e-

learning course.

Willingness to undergo IT enabled education:

This was got from the questions asked whether they were satisfied with the current job

and there view of a better job with an additional degree. Awareness and interest in E-learning

courses were also asked.

Courses for E-learning:

Area of interest was collected by providing broad fields likes IT, Management,

Technical, Commerce and others. The respondents were advised to select a particular field and

then specify the subject of interest in that field if any.

Duration of the Course:

A straight forward or direct question was hosted to get the desired duration of an e-

learning course. Four options were given like 1 month or 3 months or 6 months or 1 year.

Importance for selecting e-learning course:

A set of factors which they would give importance for when selecting an e-learning

course were listed down and a five liquored scale is used to rate each factor and then all the

factors were ranked according to there preferences.

Even support structures for an e-learning course were listed down and the respondents

were asked to tick the support structure they prefer.

Cost:

An open ended question is asked to determine the cost, the respondents are ready to pay

for an e-learning course.

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Scope

The scope of the project is limited to Bangalore city. And only six call centers are

covered .

Limitations

- Sample size is very small & it represents only 2 % of the total population.

- The data collected can’t be 100 % accurate because the data was collected during the

respondents logout period they had very little time to fill the questionnaire . So in a hurry

they may not have given their all the correct data.

- The learning style of the respondents is not studied.

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Concepts of E-learning

Different terminologies have been used for online learning, a fact that makes it difficult

to develop a generic definition. Terms that are commonly used include e-learning, Internet

learning, distributed learning, networked learning, tele-learning, virtual learning, computer-

assisted learning, Web-based learning, and distance learning. All of these terms imply that the

learner is at a distance from the tutor or instructor, that the learner uses some form of technology

(usually a computer) to access the learning materials, that the learner uses technology to interact

with the tutor or instructor and other learners, and that some form of support is provided to

learners

E-learning is defined as “instructional content or learning experiences delivered or

enabled by electronic technology.” It is also viewed as “technology-enabled learning designed to

increase workers’ knowledge and skills so that they can be more productive, find high-quality

jobs, advance in their careers

The term “e-Learning” is derived from “electronic learning” and refers to technology-

based learning or the “electronic” delivery of learning. It covers a wide range of distributed

knowledge applications and processes, including computer-based learning, web-based learning,

virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. Thus, e-Learning includes the delivery of content

via all electronic media, including the Internet, intranets, extranets, satellite broadcast,

audio/video tape, interactive TV, and CD-ROM

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The term “Online Learning,” although sometimes used interchangeably with e-Learning,

more precisely refers to web-based learning, which constitutes just one part of the technology-

based learning spectrum: learning via Internet.

“Distance Learning,” on the other hand, is a broader and less precise term that

encompasses non-electronic as well as technology-based methods of distributing knowledge.

Distance learning includes correspondence study such as mailing training manuals and

videotapes, “on-demand” computer-based training (CBT) using pre-recorded lessons on diskette

or CD-ROM, and live point-to-multipoint delivery of instruction to geographically dispersed

locations, including teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and business television (BTV)

broadcasts. Like its business counterpart, e-commerce, the meaning of the term e-Learning is

evolving as the scope, application, and power of the technologies it describes develop and expand

to encompass increasingly high levels of multimedia-rich content and interactivity among

presenters and participants.

The first generation of distance education, the correspondence model , was based solely

on print technology, the second, the multimedia model; was based on print , audio and video

technologies; the third, the tele-learning model , involved the application of telecommunication

technologies to provide opportunities for synchronous communication; and the fourth, the

flexible learning model, is based on online delivery via the internet. Even though this fourth

generation of distances education is still gathering momentum , a fifth generation is beginning to

emerge. It will use automated response system that scan the text of incoming e-mail and response

intelligently without human intervention, thereby decreasing the cost of online tuition and

increasing access learning opportunities on a global scale.

Originally, interactivity was added to distance learning using standard telephones and fax

machines in classrooms. This was not effective, however, as students using telephones were not

easily identified, and the cost of keeping students on hold was often excessive. Fax machines, on

the other hand, did not offer a real-time information exchange between the presenter and all

audience participants.

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Interactivity is now added to e-Learning by giving students at geographically remote sites

the means to communicate verbally and/or electronically with their presenters in real-time.

Interactive e-Learning variously incorporates telephony, broadcast video, computer hardware and

software, and multimedia content to create an interactive learning experience.

E-learning tools and practices will continue to grow in importance during the coming

decade. There are many reasons why e-learning is entering the workplace. Firms view it as a new

way to deliver instruction, boost worker productivity, creating better job prospects, broaden

training opportunities, reduce costs, eliminate instructors, stay competitive, improve motivation

and morale, and implement strategic initiatives. Travel costs are supposedly reduced since

training is now locally available for off-site personnel, instructors are not held to certain

geographic boundaries, and more students can view presentations simultaneously .There are also

cost savings from fewer hours away from the workplace and lower internal training expenses.

While creating opportunities for learning, online learning environments also create

demands on learners for new skills in managing their own learning. Being successful in such

learning environments requires learners to possess the ability to organize, evaluate, and monitor

the progress of their learning. Not all learners possess these skills, and have to be taught how to

take advantage of the opportunities that online learning environments afford.

Features of e-Learning

"Good teaching is good teaching, no matter how it's done."

The old adage still rings true, and e-Learning brings with it new dimensions in education. Some

of the unique features of e-Learning are listed below.

Features

Learning is self-paced and gives students a chance to speed up or slow down as necessary

Learning is self-directed, allowing students to choose content and tools appropriate to

their differing interests, needs, and skill levels

Accommodates multiple learning styles using a variety of delivery methods geared to

different learners; more effective for certain learners

Designed around the learner

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Geographical barriers are eliminated, opening up broader education options

24/7 accessibility makes scheduling easy and allows a greater number of people to attend

classes

On-demand access means learning can happen precisely when needed

Travel time and associated costs (parking, fuel, vehicle maintenance) are reduced or

eliminated

Overall student costs are frequently less (tuition, residence, food, child care)

Potentially lower costs for companies needing training, and for the providers

Fosters greater student interaction and collaboration

Fosters greater student/instructor contact

Enhances computer and Internet skills

Draws upon hundreds of years of established pedagogical principles

Has the attention of every major university in the world, most with their own

online degrees, certificates, and individual courses

Benefits of e-Learning

There are many significant advantages for the student who learns online. Here are just a few to

consider:

Convenience and Portability

Courses are accessible on your schedule

Online learning does not require physical attendance

Learning is self-paced (not too slow, not too fast)

You're unbound by time - courses are available 24/7

You're unbound by place - study at home, work, or on the road

Read materials online or download them for reading later

Cost and Selection

Choose from a wide range of courses to meet your needs

Degree, Vocational, and Certificate programs

Continuing Education

Individual courses

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Wide range of prices to fit your budget

Flexibility

Online learning accommodates your preferences and needs - it's student-centered

Choose instructor-led or self-study courses

Skip over material you already know and focus on topics you'd like to learn

Use the tools best suited to your learning styles

Higher Retention

Online learning will draw you to topics you like and enjoy. Studies show that because of

this and the variety of delivery methods used to reach different types of learners,

retention is frequently better than in a traditional classroom.

Greater Collaboration

Technology tools make collaboration among students much easier. Since many projects

involve collaborative learning, the online environment is far easier (and often more

comfortable) to work in since learners don't have to be face-to-face.

Global Opportunities

The global learning community is at your fingertips with online learning. The

technologies used give online instructional designers the ability to build in tools that take

you to resources you may never see in a traditional classroom.

Learning Styles

Knowing a little bit about learning styles can help you determine if online learning is for

you. The interaction and delivery methods used in online classes are dramatically different from

traditional classes, so understanding how you learn is a good part of the decision-making process.

The knowledge can help you improve your study habits and be successful in any educational

setting, regardless of what type of learner you are.

The three predominant learning styles are visual, auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic.

Broken down further, people learn by:

Reading (visual)

Listening (auditory)

Seeing (visual)

Speaking (auditory)

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Doing (Tactile/Kinesthetic)

The first three on the list are passive types of learning, while the last two are active types of

learning. How much we tend to remember is a function of the type of learning we prefer and our

level of involvement in the learning. People often learn through a combination of the ways

described above. To a lesser degree, environment is a factor too.

The Active Learning Modes

Given a good learning environment (be it online or traditional), most people tend to

remember best that which they do - practicing the real thing. Next, a combination of doing and

speaking about what we learn produces a high retention rate, followed by speaking alone. These

levels of involvement are all active learning modes.

The Passive Learning Modes

The passive learning modes - seeing and reading - fall just below the active learning

modes on the retention ladder. After speaking, the combination of listening and seeing produces

the next best retention results, then listening, then seeing, and then reading.

How it all relates to Online Learning

In an online class there is a lot of passive learning done through reading text, listening to

audio clips, and seeing graphics, but the active "speaking" mode is done very much through

writing, email, and chatting. Online learners are often self-directed and/or working in their chosen

fields, so a lot of doing happens in the way of applying their newfound knowledge to the

workplace, hobby, or home. For this reason many online learners say they learn more in online

classes than traditional settings, and have better retention, too.

As you consider online learning, recognize that everyone learns differently and attempt to

zero in on the particular style you use best. Maximize your online learning by choosing the

courses suited to your learning styles - and be sure to talk about and apply what you learn.

The Illinois Online Network says one of the best things you can do as an online learning student

is become a true advocate of its merits through discussion. If you ". . .truly believe in its potential

to provide quality education which is equal to, if not better than the traditional face-to-face

environment", you'll strengthen the habits you need to succeed.

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Assessing learning outcomes is concerned with determining whether or not learners have

acquired the desired type or level of capability, and whether they have benefited from the

educational experience (i.e., have they learned, and how their performance has changed). A

measure of learning outcomes requires learners to complete tasks, which demonstrate that they

have achieved the standards specified in the learning outcomes. In order to ascertain the most

realistic and valid assessment of performance, these task(s) have to be as similar to on-the job

conditions, that is, as authentic as possible. A major purpose of assessment in education is

learning improvement. When focusing on learning improvement, it is essential to bear in mind

the relationship between the objectives of a course and the measures of learning achievement.

Without a clear goal, it is difficult to present the criteria for judging whether we have arrived at

the place we set out for. While some skills are easy to assess, others are quite ambiguous and

therefore, very difficult to assess and mark with an objective criterion. In this case, the only fair

form of assessment is one that is very transparent, with explicitly tated criteria for all those

involved. This is not only fair, but a useful instructional device as well. If teachers clearly

communicate the basis for their assessment criteria, they will find that they also have a powerful

teaching tool.

In any learning context, certain methods for determining whether learners have reached a

specified level of performance are more appropriate than others. These may include: Actual

performance, which is examining learner performance on actual on-the-site conditions or

situations.

* Simulation is measuring learner performance in an artificial or controlled environment.

* Demonstration is measuring performance while the learner is actually conducting or carrying

out the task.

* Oral responses comprise measuring performance via oral responses or presentations the learner

gives to specific questions.

* Written responses comprise assessing learner performance through written responses to

questions or test items.

Types of e-Learning

e-Learning is comes in many variations and often a combination of the following:

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Purely online - no face-to-face meetings

Blended Learning - combination of online and face-to-face

Synchronous

Asynchronous

Instructor-led group

Self-study

Self-study with subject matter expert

Web-based

Computer-based (CD-ROM)

Video/audio tape

Delivery Methods

E-Learning is done over the WORLD WIDE WEB or by CD-ROM, and some variations

(distance learning) incorporate traditional media. Here are common delivery methods used in e-

Learning:

Print

e-text

textbooks

e-zines

Video

streaming video

video tape

satellite transmission

cable

Audio

streaming audio

audio tape

Review and Exams

electronic

interactive

paper

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Communication

Asynchronous

email

listservs

threaded discussion, weblogs

forums

Synchronous

chat

videoconferencing

teleconferencing

The delivery modes are termed in 3 phases as follows :

Distance Learning: Emerged in response to the need of the learners who were unable to

access campus-based institution because of geographical distance and/or work and personal

commitments.

Open learning : While also responding to the problems of distance, is primarily focused

on meeting the needs of those who disadvantaged in terms of entry qualifications and, therefore,

need to be served through “ second chance “ enrolment policies and alternative programs and

delivery models.

Flexible learning: is less about distance or disadvantage than about providing “more”

education to “more” students (anywhere, anytime) at less cost. Flexible delivery modes using

CD-ROMS and the internet are being used as much as solutions to on-campus problems as they

are to off-campus access.

Levels of E-learning

E-learning falls into four categories, from the very basic to the very advanced. The

categories are:

Knowledge databases -- While not necessarily seen as actual training, these databases are the

most basic form of e-learning. You've probably seen knowledge databases on software sites

offering indexed explanations and guidance for software questions, along with step-by-step

instructions for performing specific tasks. These are usually moderately interactive, meaning that

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you can either type in a key word or phrase to search the database, or make a selection from an

alphabetical list.

Online support - Online support is also a form of e-learning and functions in a similar

manner to knowledge databases. Online support comes in the form of forums, chat

rooms, online bulletin boards, e-mail, or live instant-messaging support. Slightly more

interactive than knowledge databases, online support offers the opportunity for more

specific questions and answers, as well as more immediate answers.

Asynchronous training - This is e-learning in the more traditional sense of the word. It

involves self-paced learning, either CD-ROM-based, Network-based, Intranet-based or

Internet-based. It may include access to instructors through online bulletin boards, online

discussion groups and e-mail. Or, it may be totally self-contained with links to reference

materials in place of a live instructor.

Synchronous training - Synchronous training is done in real-time with a live instructor

facilitating the training. Everyone logs in at a set time and can communicate directly with

the instructor and with each other. You can raise your cyber hand and even view the

cyber whiteboard. It lasts for a set amount of time -- from a single session to several

weeks, months or even years. This type of training usually takes place via Internet Web

sites, audio- or video-conferencing, Internet telephony, or even two-way live broadcasts

to students in a classroom.

Driving forces

There are many identifiable drivers E learning, and these may be classified as technical

innovation, organizational and business developments, and the needs and demands of the

individual learner. Often it is a combination of these three components that brings about change.

Although the rate of development in each of the areas differs, they are clearly not mutually

exclusive, and developments are invariably led by the advent of new technologies. The

capabilities of hardware and the technical infrastructure to support it move ahead rapidly and

often lead to development in other areas. For example, technologies such as wireless access to

high bandwidth and web enabled mobile phones are released to a market and initially adopted by

enthusiasts. Business then experiments with possible viable models for the efficient use of the

technologies and methods for integrating them into organizational practices and culture. Finally,

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as end users become accustomed to the technology and the demographic profile shifts, they will

more readily recognize its benefit and the technology becomes a part of their lives, and the cycle

is complete.

A similar cycle exists within educational technologies. Educational applications leverage

off base technologies and tend to lag significantly behind in their maturity cycles, not least

because of the complexity of integrating them into organizational practices and culture, and in

gaining broad acceptance from their users. For an educational technology to be mature, it must be

firstly a stable technology, secondly it must be integrated into the business and provide a Return

On Investment (ROI), and thirdly it must conform to workflow and practices of its core users,

namely teachers and learners. They are the ultimate consumers of e-learning,

In terms of the broader uses of IT, organizations are well on the way in harnessing

developments to more effectively meet organisational goals. Businesses are realizing efficiencies

through the introduction of integrated knowledge management systems to handle business

processes. At present, e-learning is still an add-on to the business’ fundamental usage of IT; in

many instances e-learning has not yet become an integrated part of the knowledge management

and HR functions of businesses. The knowledge economy places a premium on innovation,

customization, new business models, and new ways of organizing work. In order to succeed and

survive in this new environment, individuals and organizations must continually acquire new

skills and new ways of managing knowledge and information As technology drives many of the

revolutionary changes that are occurring in the work world, it also holds the potential of helping

people and organizations keep pace with change. In other words, there is a range of complex

incentives for business to invest in e-learning beyond the immediate desire to create efficiencies

in training.

E-learning is efficient because it shortens the time required to update workers on new

products, methods, and processes. Proponents of e-learning suggest that it provides real-time

learning of critical or just-in-time knowledge. With state-of-the-art e-learning management

systems, training costs can be traced to individual learners and costs can then be measured against

results. Advocates believe that online training is better, faster, and cheaper than conventional

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training. E-learning is becoming an integral part of organisational training. E-learning may be

delivered via numerous electronic media, including the Internet, intranets, extranets, satellite

broadcast, audio/videotape, interactive television, and CD-ROM.

Learner needs are also driving forces in e-learning. In today's new economy characterized

by industrial change, globalization, increased intensive competition, knowledge sharing and

transfer, and information technology revolution, traditional classroom education or training does

not always satisfy all the needs of the new world of lifelong learning.

Learner-centre learning is replacing instructor centered learning. Such learning is

initiated in homes offices, shops and factories as well as classrooms. E-learning provides people

with a flexible and personalized way to learn. It offers learning-on-demand opportunities and

reduces learning cost. At its best, e-learning is individual, customized learning that allows

learners to choose and review material at their own pace. At its worst, it can disempower

and demotivate learners by leaving them lost and unsupported in an immensely confusing

electronic realm.

Technology has been a strong catalyst for educational innovation and improvement,

especially when the World Wide Web is involved. Drivers for e-learning continue to be a mixture

of the advent of new technologies; the expectations of users growing up with new technologies

and increasingly using them for productivity; the quest for efficiencies in the delivery of training;

organisational initiatives to maintain currency with developments in technology; and policy

initiatives. Best practices that enhance the business ROI for e-learning by improving its

effectiveness will gradually overtake the passion for new technology for its own sake.

E-learning appears to be growing out of these directions:

1. From within educational institutions, which have offered open and distance learning

programs either in a single, dual, or mixed mode. These institutions generally have a great deal of

expertise and infrastructure to support learning and teaching in the distance mode. For them, the

integration of information and communications technologies in their educational programs is a

natural progression as access to these technologies improves.

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2. From conventional educational institutions that have never been involved in open and

distance learning. These institutions are applying information and communications technologies

to support and enrich their campus-based face-to-face learning and teaching experiences. Their

goal, in most cases, is to increase flexibility and efficiency in the belief that doing so will enable

them to tap into niche markets and student populations, which were previously out of their reach.

3. From the corporate sector, many of which are favoring e-learning over residential

workshop-based approaches to staff training and development. The corporate world is

increasingly finding e-learning to be an attractive model as it searches for flexible and "just-in-

time" learning opportunities.

Forces driving the growth and development of e-learning seem to include:

1. The increasing accessibility as well as the decreasing costs of information and communications

technologies.

2. The need for flexible access to learning opportunities from distributed venues such as the

home, workplace, community center, and the conventional educational institution.

3. The demand from isolated and independent learners for more equitable access to educational

opportunities and services.

4. The need, among educational institutions, to be seen to be "keeping up with the times" in order

to attract the attention of parents, students and other funding donors.

5. The belief and the expectation that online learning will reduce costs and increase productivity

and institutional efficiency.

The number of e-learning programs is growing, and many more institutions plan to

establish such programs. Surveys reveal that major challenges confronting organizations in this

regard include;

a) Getting teachers to integrate technology into their teaching.

b) Resource implications of adequate user support.

c) Poor financial planning for information and communications technology applications.

An increasing number of organizations are, into their teaching and learning activities.

Students and faculty alike are spending an increasing amount of their study time on the Internet.

Across all sectors of higher education, a growing number of institutions are using the WWW to

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provide students access to admission forms, financial aid applications, course catalogs, and other

related material.

The right kind of system is highly necessary to support E learning .So the attributes of a

good conferencing system there is no single perfect solution for all people and for all purposes.

Nevertheless, a few generalizations about what seems to work well in computer mediated

conferencing can be made. Several of these are briefly reviewed in the following.

Separate conferences for broad subject areas

This is a nearly universal feature. Whether the discussion areas are called conferences,

forums, or newsgroups, they provide a basic level of organization. Besides enabling a focus on

different subjects, different conferences allow you to establish small discrete communities who

are enthusiastic about particular subjects. These communities grow to cement their interests and

relationships after communicating online for some time.

Threaded discussions within conferences

Most conferencing software applications enable posting of messages in response to other

messages such that a line of reactions can be traced to the original comment. This is called

threading and it takes the form of a tree structure, in which the topic is the starting point for a

branching of responses that follow. Most conferencing systems offer this capability for up to

three or four responses to an original thought. Threads can get lost after that which is one of the

reasons why it is very important to impress upon participants to keep their comments focused on

the topic.

Informative topic list

A good moderator is able to guide a discussion online with astute use of topics and leading

questions. A conference participant should be able to easily see the list of the topics in a

conference and the questions or issues that need a response. At the minimum, the list of topics in

a conference should show each topic's title and some indication of the amount of activity in the

topic: the number of responses, date of the last response, or both. The topics should be able to be

sorted both by topic start dates and by last response dates. Participants should always be able to

go back to the beginning of a topic and follow it all the way through to the most recent responses.

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In a newsgroup type conference, moderators may decide to occasionally delete obsolete material

to avoid clutter, especially after certain topics have fallen into disuse.

Support for both frequent readers and casual browsers

A computer conference should support both, frequent reading and casual browsing.

Those who wish to browse should be able to choose a conference manually and scroll through the

list of topics, dipping in here and there, moving backward or forward sequentially through topics,

returning repeatedly to the topic list. A frequent reader, on the other hand, should be able to cycle

automatically through a customized list of conferences, skipping topic lists entirely and getting

immediately to the new, unread messages. Moreover, readers should be able to search messages

by date, author, or keyword. Frequent readers should also have tools for controlling what they

see; for example, a way to 'forget' topics so that any subsequent responses on past topics are

skipped automatically. I have not seen many conferencing systems that afford that kind of

capability.

Access control

Both public and private conferences are useful in different situations. A conference host

or moderator should have flexible control over who can access the conference and what level of

access each participant has. For example, it should be possible to give some participants read and

write permission, and others read only access. The host of a conference should have good tools

for managing a conference discussion, for the purposes of weeding out obsolete topics, archiving

those that are worth saving but no longer active, and moving a divergent thread of a topic to a

new topic of its own.

Forming

The first task in the moderation of an e-learning environment comprises orientation of

participants for conferencing. This can be achieved either synchronously or asynchronously. At

this early stage, several skills are necessary for the formation of the group. It is more than likely

that your students will not know each other. It will be important to provide them with an

opportunity to introduce themselves to others in the group. This will comprise explaining their

academic and other interests but more particularly their specific interest in the subject. Some

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students will be familiar with the e-learning technology and with computer mediated

communications and its conventions. Others will not be as familiar with the technology and its

conventions. Some students are in fact irritated by many of the conventions of this mode of

communications. It may be useful for the group to agree on some common ground rules for

communicating online. At this early stage the development of respect, tolerance and trust among

the group is very important. The moderator can set the tone of the communication, and try to

model those sorts of behaviors for the group to emulate. These would include things like, how

much to write in each message, how frequently, and the tone of the language that might be

appropriate. Some agreement at this stage on the etiquettes of communicating on the net (known

as “netiquette”) would be appropriate.

Functioning

This comprises ensuring that the group is on track for completing the assigned tasks.

Foremost, it will include making clear the goals and objectives of the computer mediated

communication. In addition to this, providing some structure and direction for the ensuing

discussions will lead to a coherent conversation on the assigned topic. Participants should be

encouraged to contribute responsibly, and equitably to ensure that everyone is contributing their

fair share to the discussions Participants should also be encouraged to share their ideas and

opinions with group members in good faith. They ought to feel free to ask questions, and seek the

opinions and support of others in the group members.

Formulating skills

By this stage, participants are ready to use cognitive skills to build a deeper level

understanding of the learning tasks. These will include: At regular points, summarizing the ideas

and thread of the discussion. Asking students to assist and check each other's understanding of

complex ideas. Linking theory with practice and elaborate current material with previously

learned material.

Fermenting

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This is starting to happen when participants are engaging more readily in debate and

discussion about the central issues, challenging each other's ideas, meanings, reasoning and

concepts. Any controversies need to be handled carefully by the moderator, and students should

be taught the skills to manage debates. Criticizing ideas without criticizing people is an important

but difficult skill to learn. It is important to challenge the ideas of others but it is essential that

students learn not to alienate other group members in this process. For example, ideas can be

challenged in subtle ways by asking questions, by suggesting alternatives, by asking for the

reasoning and justification of arguments. A critical cognitive skill is being able to differentiate

the ideas and reasoning of group members. Students could be encouraged to find out how the

thinking and reasoning of group members' differ and how the different ideas about issues could

be integrated into a smaller set of propositions on the subject. At the end of this process, the

moderator must bring the discussion to some sort of a close.

Issues for developing E learning courses

Contemporary e-learning environments are characterized by a growing use of

asynchronous online collaborative learning activities, online assessment, and interactive course

materials. Online educators are realizing that sound online learning requires careful planning.

Some of the strategies used as part of this include breaking large numbers of students into smaller

groups, providing them direction and specific tasks, such as searching for answers to specific

questions in readings or Web-based resources, and setting timelines for discussion. They are very

aware that an open, unguided asynchronous online discussion can be ineffective. Such

discussions have been abandoned for serious teaching purposes, although they continue to

flourish in social and professional settings.

E-learning environments continue to make greater use of collaborative learning activities

to support small group work. In many cases, a learning management system acts as the platform

within which these activities are supported using course-specific materials and the resources of

the Web itself. Students are often asked to work together in groups. Peer commenting on work

that normally would have been seen only by the teachers, is an area of group activity that is well

supported by contemporary learning management systems. Students can submit their work to an

area in these systems so that other students on the course can read and comment on it. Naturally,

this kind of practice makes student work more visible and open to critique just as the online

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learning and teaching environment breaks down the barriers to the lecture room walls and makes

the teacher and the teaching more visible and open to critique.

Some of the operational and administrative issues that are central to developing and

implementing a successful e-learning course include:

Adopting successful cost-effective learning management systems that are scalable, and

hopefully customizable in order to cope with large numbers of students, and serve the needs of a

wide variety of approaches to teaching and learning.

Setting up administrative systems to handle a rolling intake, which is appealing to learners and

administrators because it can support just-in-time learning.

Adopting learning and teaching designs that maximize the input of the teachers and tutors, and

do not leave students floundering in an open and flexible learning space.

Offering incentives to students for participating in online learning more actively and

supporting them in taking responsibility for their own learning.

Breaking down the distinctions between 'teacher' and 'taught' as computer conferencing

enables students to take on a tutorial role as they learn how to learn from each other.

E-learning environments, with their wide range of resources, separate conferences for

group interaction, experts to contact, and places for small group work forms the backdrop against

which an online learning community comes together. These learning communities are not very

different from those that exist in conventional educational settings. They are, however, different

in the way they emerge, and nurture themselves. Many of these learning environments are the

result of a team effort, which brings together a wide range of expertise including subject matter

experts, web developers, graphic artists, and systems engineers to produce one or more courses.

Not always the most successful approach, the team approach has been widely used especially by

distance education institutions. There are less collaborative approaches as well, in which a single

subject matter expert might be able to do everything.

The choice of a particular approach to the development of an e-learning course is based

on several fact ors including the academic tradition and resources available to the organization.

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Institutions that are dedicated to the provision of online and distance education have tended to

adopt a more collaborative course team approach, while conventional campus-based educational

providers have tended to adopt a lesser collaborative approach. The development of an e-learning

course comprises a new experience for many. It calls for new skills and some de-skilling as well

(i.e. shedding off of old habits). Old habits die hard, and when faced with circumstances that

render some of one's previous experience “irrelevant” there is quite a lot of uneasiness, loss of

confidence, disillusionment, hostility, and at times withdrawal from the activity altogether.

Shaping the future

Forces that are aligning to shape the future for e-learning may be categorized as

technical, teaching and development practices or organisational initiatives. Dramatic changes in

hardware and software and the continued mainstreaming of technologies into our lives through e-

commerce and entertainment are providing a powerful and unstoppable force for the growth of e-

learning. A new generation of learners is growing up with technology and will increasingly

expect it to be deployed in undertaking training. Organizations, including schools, are developing

better IT infrastructure and systems for efficient business and will be seeking to leverage off

those efficiencies for the delivery of training. Businesses are seeking more skilled and flexible

workers who can ‘hit the ground running’ and already possess some of those attributes thought

once only achieved through experience. The only certainty is change, and the only way to

effectively accommodate change is through having sound processes. These are processes for

identifying the needs of the learner, for designing experiences that efficiently meet learning

objectives, for choosing appropriate technologies and creating motivating learning designs, and

for measuring learning outcomes.

E-LEARNING terminologies

Action learning

This is learning that is derived from doing, and reflecting in and on that activity.

Approaches to learning

Refers to how one goes about the process of engaging in a learning task or activity, such as in a

serial or linear versus a holistic manner.

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Appropriate learning technologies

These are technologies that have been carefully selected in light of the nature of the subject

matter and skill that is being taught, the learning context, the nature of the learners, and the

relative costs of comparable technologies.

Assessment

This is the measurement of the achievement of learning outcomes by students.

Assessment tasks

These are activities that learners complete in order to demonstrate their knowledge and

competencies.

Assessment tools

These are instruments such as examinations, quizzes and IQ tests, which are designed to assess

particular student competencies.

Asynchronous communication

This refers to all forms of verbal and non-verbal exchanges between and among participants in

contiguous and non- contiguous settings, who are separated temporally from one another.

Authentic assessment

This refers to assessment that closely reflects reality and situations that the learner is most likely

to encounter in professional practice.

Authentic learning environments

These are learning and teaching arrangements that reflect reality and situations that the learner is

most likely to encounter in professional practice.

Authentic learning tasks

These are educational activities that closely mirror activities that learners are likely to encounter

in real-life.

Automated feedback

This refers to feedback that is provided to all learners in some standard format. This kind of

feedback is normally prepared in advance and stored such that the learner is able to receive it

almost immediately.

Cognition

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This refers to the capability of the learner to understand and derive meaning from any stimulus

such as reading, viewing, observing, or doing something.

Cognitive apprenticeship

This refers to a model of training and education in which learning and understanding is derived

from being immersed in relevant cognitive tasks.

Cognitive flexibility theory

Largely the work of Rand Spiro, Paul Feltovich, and Richard Coulson, cognitive flexibility theory

is an attempt by these authors to reflect the interconnectedness of subject matter especially that in

ill-structured domains, and its implications for learning and teaching.

Cognitive skills

These refer to our mental capabilities and our abilities to perform tasks that draw upon memory

and thought.

Cognitive skills development

This refers to the empowerment of our mental capabilities, our memory, and our ability for

rational thought.

Collaboration

Refers to the act of working or doing something together, towards the accomplishment of

common or divergent goals.

Collaborative inquiry

This refers to group-based efforts in the pursuit of information or new knowledge.

Collaborative learning

This refers to group-based learning activities that are usually focused on the accomplishment of

common learning goals.

Computer-supported collaborative learning

This refers to all collaborative learning activities that are supported and managed via computers.

Collaborative learning tools

These are learning aides, instruments, and strategies that are designed to optimize engagement in

group-based learning activities.

Communication

This refers to the act of passing information from one source to another.

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Computer mediated communication

This refers to all electronically supported communication between individuals or among groups.

Computer conference

This is an electronic environment that is able to simultaneously host a number of large and small

group activities and discussions.

Communities of practice

These refer to groups of people who are identifiable by their common interests, profession, or

work.

Computer-based assessment

This refers to the assessment of learning achievement that is managed via a computer.

Computer-based learning

This refers to learning activities that are managed via a computer.

Computer-mediated learning

This refers to all learning activity that is delivered and supported via a computer.

Constructivist learning activities

These are activities that situate learning in authentic learning tasks, and which enable learners to

derive understanding by being immersed in these tasks.

Courseware

This refers to all “wares”, i.e., educational resources that are directed at or associated with

learning and teaching in a subject or course.

Courseware design and development

This refers to the planning and production of all educational resources that are directed at or

associated with learning and teaching in a subject or course.

Distance learning

This refers to all organized learning activities under the influence of an educational organization

that are carried out by learners who are separated in time and space from their educational

organization.

Distributed learning

This refers to all organized learning activities under the influence of an educational organization

that are carried out by learners in a number of educational locations, and who may be separated in

time and space from their

educational organization.

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Distributed problem-based learning

This refers to problem-based learning activities carried out by learners in educational settings

where they are separated in time and space from their educational organization.

E-mailing lists

Commonly known as “mailing lists”, these are text-based electronic communication channels that

support group-based discussion.

Educational design

This refers to the planning of all educational activities that are associated with the pursuit of

particular intended educational outcomes.

E-learning

This refers to all organized learning activities under the influence of an educational organization

that are carried out with the help of information and communications technologies.

Educational objectives

These are statement of outcomes of planned educational projects or programs.

Educational systems design

This refers to the planning of educational projects and programs that are associated with the

pursuit of particular educational outcomes.

Evaluation

This refers to the systematic acquisition of information and feedback on the use, worth and

impact of some object, program or process in relation to its intended outcomes.

Experiential learning

This refers to all organized learning activities that are grounded in the experience of learners or

the organization.

Feedback

This refers to information that is gathered or received on the impacts of some object, program, or

process.

Flexible learning

This refers to learning arrangements that allow learners access to learning opportunities and

resources at a time, place and pace that is convenient to them.

Formative assessment

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This refers to the measurement of learning achievement during the educational process in order

to monitor the progress of students through the process.

Formative evaluation

This refers to the measurement, during the implementation process, of the use, worth and impacts

of some object, program, or process in relation to its intended outcomes in order to monitor its

progress.

Information and communications technology (ICT)

These refer to computer and telephonic technologies, usually working in an integrated mode.

Information commons

These are learning arrangements in educational settings where space and resources are made

available to learners in a flexible and user-friendly manner.

Information design

This refers to the arrangement and presentation of information in a user-friendly and pleasant

manner.

Information literacy

This refers to one's awareness of relevant information and resources, their ability to know where

to locate it, and know how to use it efficiently and effectively.

Instructional design

This refers to the planning of learning and teaching activities that are associated with the pursuit

of particular intended learning outcomes.

Instructional systems design

This refers to a widely recognized and iterative process, which incorporates the analysis, design,

development, and valuation of any educational or training activity.

Interactivity

This refers to all forms of transactions between and among learners, as well as the learners and

the learning resources.

Interactive multimedia

This refers to computer-based software that suitably integrates audio-video, text, and animation to

engage and motivate its users.

Learning

This refers to the acts of deriving meaning from some object or process, following which there is

a demonstrable change in the learner's cognition and behavior.

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Learning by designing

This refers to the utilization of the act of designing some object or process as an anchor for

situating and engendering learning

Learning communities

These are groups that develop because of shared concerns and interests, and which thrive on the

pursuit of these shared goals.

Learning Content Management System (LCMS)

This is an electronic environment that serves as a content repository, which stores, manages, and

maintains the learning content. The purpose of a LCMS is to manage the students' learning

content and often times the development of that content. The LCMS separates the content from

its delivery and look, and feel.

Learning designs

These are plans and models for approaching the acts of learning in uniquely different ways.

Learning journal

This is a record of one's learning. It reflects significant changes in the views and perceptions of

the journal keeper about the subject matter and the learning experience.

Learning Management System (LMS)

This refers to an electronic environment, which serves as a front-end portal that interacts with the

student to register and manage all learning interventions. The purpose of a LMS is to manage the

students' learning transcript and support services.

Learning object

Broadly defined, this refers to any discrete resource (such as a book, subject or a course) that can

be put to educational use. More specifically and more commonly, however, a learning object is an

electronic resource with educational potential that can be stored, catalogued, searched, and

reused.

Learning Resource Catalogue (LRC)

This is a database of learning resources catalogued according to meta-tags.

Learning portfolios

These are files or folders, which contain students' work, including evidence of their learning.

Multimedia

This refers to computer-based software that suitably integrates audio-video, text, and animation

into a single product.

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Multimedia design and development

This refers to the planning and production of computer-based software that suitably integrates

audio-video, text, and animation into a single product.

Online assessment

This refers to measurement of learning achievement that is conducted in an electronic networked

environment, such as an intranet or the Internet.

Online collaboration

This refers to collaborative activities that are carried out over an electronic networked

environment, such as an intranet or the Internet.

Online learning

This refers to all learning activities that are carried out over an electronic networked environment,

such as an intranet or the Internet.

Online pedagogy

This refers to unique approaches to learning and teaching that are particularly suitable for an

electronic networked earning environment, such as an intranet or the Internet.

Online socialization

This refers to all forms of communication in an electronic networked environment, such as an

intranet or the Internet that leads to cohesion and community building in a group.

Open learning

This refers to all organized learning activities under the influence of an educational organization

that are accessible to learners in many ways such as the time, pace and place of study.

Pedagogy

This is the science of teaching.

Peer feedback

This refers to all forms of responses and reactions, on a group member's work, from fellow

members of the group.

Problem solving

This is the process of identifying the causes of a problem and seeking for solutions to that

problem.

Problem-based learning

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This refers to an approach to learning in which a problem situation serves as the focus and anchor

of all learning activities.

Professional practice

This refers to one's engagement in all activities that are consistent and congruent with a particular

profession.

Project-based learning

This refers to an approach to learning in which a project serves as the focus and anchor of all

learning activities.

Role-play

This refers to the enactment of particular roles, usually in a contrived situation, for the purposes

of learning and teaching, and entertainment.

Scaffolding learning

This refers to supporting students in their learning, and gradually withdrawing that support as

they become more adept and proficient at learning.

Self-assessment

This refers to attempts at ascertaining learning achievement by oneself, usually with the help of

automated marking schemes and feedback.

Simulation & modeling

This refers to the articulation of real-life scenarios, processes, and objects with artificial forms,

representations and models of the same.

Situated learning

This refers to learning wherein the situation serves as the focus and anchor of all learning

activities.

Social presence

This refers to evidence of being and existence in communal or group-based settings. In the

context of electronic conferencing environments, for instance, social presence refers to the

visibility of participants with the use of emoticons and other textual means.

Socialization

This refers to the process of community building among groups.

Student support

This refers to all forms of assistance that is provided to students to support their learning.

Student-centered learning

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This refers to all educational activities, which considers the students, their needs, and

circumstances at the center of the process.

Summative assessment

This refers to the measurement of learning achievement at the end of the educational process as

an indicator of students' final achievement in the course or program.

Summative evaluation

This refers to the measurement, at the end of the implementation process, of the use, worth and

impacts of some object, program, or process in relation to its intended outcomes, in order to

ascertain its total impacts.

Synchronous communication

This refers to all forms of simultaneous verbal and non-verbal exchanges between and among

participants in both contiguous and noncontiguous settings.

Technology enhanced learning

This refers to all learning activities that are in some way empowered by the use of any form of

electronic media such as audio-video and various combinations of information and

communications technology.

Tele-mentors

These are academic advisors, and other student support staff who are temporally and spatially

separated from those they advise.

Virtual learning

This refers to all learning activities that occur in non-contiguous educational settings where the

learners and their teachers are separated temporally and spatially.

Virtual worlds

These are artificial environments that are designed to reflect real-life situations.

Web-based learning

This refers to all learning activities that are managed on the World Wide Web.

Web-based role-play simulation.

This refers to role-play activities that are carried out on the World Wide Web.

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Company Profile

About Learnet

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“ONLY THE LEARNERS SURVIVE AND NOT THE LEARNED”

Learning never stops. Because the need to know can never be static. Precisely why, at the Learnet

Workout Station, there are always new things to discover and fresh ways to evolve. Put another

way, Learnet India Limited epitomises the best in the business of e-learning and technology-

based training solutions. Across a spectrum of learning segments, from corporate training to

school education.

Corporate profile

At Learnet, the key to success lies in their ability to cater to evolving customer needs.

The company’s competency lies both in creating content and developing innovative e-learning

solutions and products. They are one of the world's leading e-solution providers, committed to

providing their customers enhanced business performance through the strategic application of

their e-learning products and solutions, tailor-made to individualised learning requirements.

With development processes of international standards and an ISO 9001:2000

certification, Learnet is one of the world's most predominant players in the field of custom e-

learning solutions.

The company’s strong e-learning orientation enables them to deliver knowledge in the

most efficient, interactive and engaging way to meet the needs of both, the learner and the

enterprise.

Learnet India Limited is part of the US$ 1 Billion IL&FS Limited, one of the largest

infrastructure companies in India, with equity participation from International Finance

Corporation (Washington), Orix Corporation (Japan), Govt. of Singapore, Unit Trust of India

(UTI), Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), Central Bank of India, State Bank of

India (SBI), Investment Corporation & Commercials de France.

People

Enthusiasm, versatility, eagerness, and dedication - hallmarks of the Learnet team. A

team that strives to make the unfamiliar familiar, and to transform the mundane into something

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magical.

The Learnet team, are a contingent of formidable minds, some that prefer to remain in the

clouds and be called by a convenient euphemism, 'Creative'; for whom Flash and Shockwave are

reason enough to exist. And then there are those of them that thrive on number crunching,

analysing systems and creating software. Someone for practical purposes chose to demarcate

them into two separate divisions, Content and Software Technology. Eventually, no matter what

their labels, they are a family of over 200. Who said anything about the great Indian family

tradition dyingout?

Belonging to the Content side of the family are the Executive Producers, Instructional

Designers, Visual Designers, Graphic Designers, Media Experts, Content Experts, Writers and

Administrators. The more staid and sober branch of the family tree, the Software Technology

team, consists of Project Managers, Systems Analysts, Software Engineers and Networking

Experts. Both divisions have separate dedicated Quality Assurance teams.

No matter what the task, their impeccable pedigree assures every client quality software

solutions for a diverse set of needs. Every job is treated with utter professionalism and laced with

their special brand of expertise and self-pride. Professional dedication and tremendous self-

motivation drive each one of them to keep abreast of the latest developments and innovations in

their respective fields.

Empowering technology

"In the present global technology marketplace, the factor that separates the

men from the boys is the ability to construe domain knowledge along with technical

competence."

At Learnet India Limited, this philosophy has been in practice all along.

Excellent infrastructure combined with outstanding complementary services has made

them leaders in the learning management products and services arena.

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Today Learnet operates a high speed LAN running on MS Windows NT high

availability RAID 5 server. Its two development centers are connected on a 128 KBPS

VPN through ISDN. The nodes are typically Pentium III with dedicated 512 KBPS Internet

connectivity on a Cisco 2610 router.

Their enterprise messaging runs on an IBM Lotus domino server version 5.0.6, on a high

availability server. Learnet's LAN rests secure behind a Gauntlet firewall. Their dedicated

Systems Administrator manages to keep their server's downtime to 0.40%. Their library, stacked

with the latest in technical periodicals and books, helps them keep abreast of the latest

developments in the field of technology. Learnet is a Technical Affiliate of NCST that provides

them with an ocean of technical resources. Their Developers use tools varying from Microsoft

Visual Studio to Forte for Java, for technical architectures ranging from two, three to n-tier

models. They have developed skills ranging from VB, VC++, ASP, COM, MTS, and COM+ to

Java, JSP, Servlets, Java Beans and EJB. Their animators are well versed with tools such as 3D

Studio Max, Maya, Director and Flash. Their graphic designers realize their visualizations with

Photoshop.

Vision & Mission

As a company they believe that in the new connected world, knowledge and information

are disseminated instantly and effectively across geographic and demographic segments. They

define themselves as a Learning Technology Organisation and their core strengths lie in being an

Applications Solution and Service Provider (ASSP), in the e-learning sector.

They strive to:

- Use technology to revolutionize the learning process.

- Create engaging teaching-learning products that delight the end use.

- Impart personalized training designed for higher retention and less intimidation.

- Bring learning to people instead of people to learning.

- Make learning accessible anytime, anywhere and to anyone.

- Improve collaboration and interactivity and nurture specialist online communities.

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Products & Services

Their learning-training products and services cover a wide digital array. These comprise

innovative software, multimedia and web-enabled solutions that deliver customized content. You

choose the level of complexity you want. Simple skipping runs? Light weight workouts? Heavy

routines? Enter. Work out. Exit.

Enterprise product

Their range of sophisticated products also includes Content Authoring Tools that not only

hasten the development of multimedia projects, but can also be utilized by novice users to create

interactive content

e- LMS

AOL

Athena

OPMS

Library management system

School track

Technology based product

From robust guided information delivery tools to learning management systems their

experts have created customized, niche products to help you optimally utilize your management

systems.

Power Tools

Content Authoring Tool

Professional services

They, at Learnet, offer various professional services to corporate clients. These include

conversions of legacy courseware to interactive formats. Apart from this, they also reengineer

software to run on different platforms.

Hosting and Consulting - Learnet India has set up a state-of-the-art Internet Data Centre,

which is equipped with extremely reliable, scalable, and high-availability servers and

infrastructure, in Bangalore.

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As part of the hosting services companies are provided with:

Technical architecture consulting.

Application design, development, customization.

Hardware, OS, database installation and customization.

Hosting and database fine tuning for performance management.

24 x 7 system administration for web security, anti virus, backups, disaster

Recovery, and uptime monitoring.

Helpdesk and tech support.

So far their hub has provided hosting services to:

Schoolnet India's portal, www.schoolnetindia.com

The portal set up by Health & Wellness Foundation, www.hnwindia.com

IVC

Orix BBS

Orix India

ACC Limited

www.nalandainstitute.org

Architecture

Their e-Com hub is equipped with RISC and CISC based architecture with built in

redundancy for high availability.

Network High Availability

To facilitate high availability of the network, routers, switches and firewall with fail

over option have been set up in the hub.

RISC Architecture

The RISC architecture contains IBM SP6000 nodes with a single processor

(scalable up to 4 processors), and 1 GB RAM (can be upgraded up to 16 GB). All SP

Nodes have dual SMPS, redundant Ethernet cards and mirrored internal hard disk.

Data is stored in an external storage array, which has RAID-5 and can store data up

to 7 TB (existing usage is less than .5 TB). Node 1 has a high availability with Node

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3, a dedicated Node to take over all the applications if Node 1 fails. All the Nodes are

effectively backed up using Tivoli Storage Manager and Tape Library.

This architecture is robust and capable of handling TB of data with numerous

concurrent users. RISC based systems run on an IBM AIX operating system and DB2

database.

CISC Architecture

IBM Netfinity 7100, 5600 and 5100 series servers all form a part of the CISC

architecture. All the servers have duel SMPS and redundant Network cards. The

Netfinity 7100 server has a single Xeon processor (scalable up to 4) having 2 GB

RAM (scalable to 16GB), and 9x3 GB HDD on RAID-5 (scalable upto 734GB).

Netfinity 5600 servers have single PIII processors (scalable up to 2), 1 GB RAM

(Upgradeable up to 4 GB). CISC based systems run on Microsoft technology and

Oracle 8i Database.

Legacy Conversion - They can help repurpose or convert existing material for deployment as

an interactive online/ and offline course. Some of the clients, for whom they have undertaken

legacy conversion projects, are listed below:

Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy for Administration

ICICI Prudential

Carrier

Schoolnet

Mahindra Holidays Resorts India Ltd.

Reengineering - As part of their reengineering services, they offer complete conversion

management services that include:

Data/Content conversion

Database redesign

System migration and maintenance

User Interface redesign

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Knowledge management

In today's Information Age, when intellectual capital and human resources are the

most critical assets of many organizations, leading companies are developing practices and

strategies for managing knowledge and information. Executives and management teams are

discovering that companies that reward collaboration and information sharing are

outperforming companies that discourage these practices due to their corporate culture or the

technologies they use.

Knowledge workers are faced with escalating amounts of information and increasing

demands for their expertise. Consequently, they are looking constantly for the information

they need to assess the changes that are shaping the marketplace.

For years, professionals have promised executives access to a wealth of information

from many sources, but they have delivered more data than workers can assimilate. With this

onslaught of information, the need is for better tools to filter the information and customize it

to meet their needs.

Inadequate management of its knowledge assets, prevents a company from operating

profitably or growing effectively. Information is lost, trends go unnoticed, and completed

jobs are re-created. Knowledge-management processes and technologies help organizations

respond to constantly shifting business dynamics by ensuring that workers have the

information they need to assess and act upon business opportunities.

Knowledge Interface :

Today companies needs a customized solution for knowledge workers that

consolidates personal, team, corporate, and external information and provides single-click

access to analytical and collaborative tools. It brings an integrated view of a company's

knowledge sources to an individual's desktop, enabling better decision making by providing

immediate access to key business information.

A Knowledge Interface consists of reusable components that can contain any kind of

enterprise information. It can consist of simple components that display a user's favorite Web

site, or it can be a sophisticated component that integrates existing systems with the analytical

and collaborative tools in products such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange Server, and

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Microsoft SQL Server. By creating customized components we can tailor a Knowledge

interface solution to meet the specific needs of an enterprise.

A successful Knowledge Interface deployment is designed with the following goals

in mind:

- Focus on Critical Information

With so much information coming from so many sources; knowledge workers often

spend hours sorting through various materials to find one key point. A Knowledge

Interface helps solve information overload by delivering focused, vital business data

through the use of filters, user-specified categories, and summaries. Users can access

high-level information in relevant business reports directly from the Knowledge

Interface.

- Integrate Information from a Variety of Sources

Unlike some browser-only portal solutions that deliver information solely from the

Web or an intranet, a Knowledge Interface integrates information from a variety of

sources. Key business data from corporate applications, Internet and intranet sites,

team folders, and personal files can all be organized and viewed easily on a

Knowledge Interface.

- Use Company Knowledge Fully

Knowledge Interface will enable knowledge workers to make use of each other's

knowledge. As corporations become more multi-location, it becomes increasingly

difficult for workers to collaborate. Whether they are in the office next door or on

another continent, workers can use a Knowledge Interface to locate and communicate

with experts, collaborate on projects, and research corporate presentations and

documents. The Knowledge Interface is based on Active Server Pages and XML

technology, enabling companies to incorporate real-time tools into their Knowledge

Interface solutions, such as Microsoft NetMeeting® conferencing software and

Microsoft Windows Media™ Player, which enables people to access dynamic

streaming media content such as company communications, online training materials,

and business broadcasts from the Internet or intranet. Knowledge Interface allows

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users to integrate unstructured and structured data alongside rich collaboration and

communication tools.

- Work With the Same Information, in the Office Or On the Move

Knowledge Interface will enable workers to make efficient and effective business

decisions no matter where they are. Nearly 44 million people travelled for business in

1998, up 14 percent from 1994, and the average business trip lasted about 2.5 days.

Knowledge workers are often away from their desks but still need to access their

company's networks, the World Wide Web, and communicate with their teams and

their customers. Using a Knowledge Interface, knowledge workers can view

information from any source-including messaging and company applications, public

folde rs, and favourite Web sites-from a Web browser, through a synchronised

Outlook 2000 view, or with a Personal Digital Assistant with wired or wireless

access.

A Powerful Tool for Change

As workers increasingly use Knowledge Interface to view their daily activities, share

information with co-workers, and get feedback on company performance, these systems have

a profound effect on workers' priorities. For example, if a Knowledge Interface provides

regular notifications of customer-satisfaction ratings, workers become more sensitive to the

needs of their customers. In this way, you can use Knowledge Interfaces to direct corporate

focus.

Learnet's Involvement

Knowledge Interfaces can host virtually any type of information. It is because of this,

much of the time designing Knowledge Interfaces is spent analyzing the needs of users,

assessing the information resources within the company, and ensuring the cultural acceptance

of the tool.

Learnet will initiate the Knowledge Interface development process through four key steps:

- Choosing the pilot group

- Conducting the needs assessment

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- Tapping the information resources

- Developing and implementing the system

Content

They have contributed extensively in keeping those grey cells vigorously active! Their

team has developed a series of educational CD-ROMs, applications and utilities to support and

supplement the Schoolnet K-10 Program.

Process Flow

Content

-Brief

-Analysis

-Design

-Prototype

-Development

-Testing & Review

-Training

-Final Sign off

Software

-Scope

-Analysis

-Design

-Development

-Testing

-Training

-Pilot

-Deployment

-Post Implementaton

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Clients

They action for their clients the three most powerful verbs in today's knowledge

economy. Collaborate. Innovate. Activate. Every project they take on is modular, interactive,

personalized and custom-specific. Once visited, we'll keep returning to the Station.

Schoolnet, India

LBSNAA India

Carrier Aircon India

ICICI Prudential life Insurance India

Club Mahindra Holiday Resort

HDFC Standard life Insurance Corporation, India

Mind Lever, USA

Dorling Kindersley, UK

Global Knowledge Network, USA

The American Research group, USA

ICL, USA

CSX Transportation, USA

Ingenuity Works , Canada

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Analysis and Findings

Profile of customers willing to undergo E-learning courses.

The following five graphs show the general profile of the respondents surveyed.

Gender

Gender

67%

33%

Male

Female

Age :

The age of the respondents was between 18 years to 36 years.

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Age Groups

16

163

182 1

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

<21 21-25 26-30 31-35 >35

Education Qualification :

Education Qualification

020406080

100120140160

Diploma Degree Masters Others

No

of

Re

sp

on

de

nts

Income :

The salary earned by call center employees ranged between Rs. 7,000 to

Rs.55,000 monthly.

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0 20 40 60 80 100

No. of Respondents

<11,000

11,000-15,000

16,000-20,000

>20,000

Sal

ary

Income Groups

Designation:

Designation

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

No

Of

Re

sp

on

de

nts

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The above graphs shows the various designations of the respondents been

surveyed.

Interest and Willingness for e-learning courses :

142

58

0

200

Yes No

Interested in E learning Mode of Education

Yes

No

The above graph shows the number of respondents that are interested & that are

willing to go for an E-learning course.

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The following graphs show the profile of only those respondents that have

shown interest in E-learning courses:

Gender

Gender

63%

37%Male

Female

Age :

The age of the respondents was between 18 years to 32 years.

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Age Groups

13

119

131 0

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

<21 21-25 26-30 31-35 >35

While many respondents were interested in E learning technology, 119 out of 147

respondents were in the age group of 21-25 yrs . Of course, the younger respondents were

more likely than older respondents to have received at least some of their college training

via the Internet.

Education Qualification :

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Education Qualification

12

102

2670

20

40

60

80

100

120

Diploma Degree Masters Others

No

of

Re

sp

on

de

nts

We have varied levels of educational attainment. While just 5 percent had not

advanced beyond the level of a high school and 8 percent had there diplomas,. In

addition, respondents with bachelor’s or master’s degrees as their highest degree were 69

and 18 percent, respectively. From this graph we see that even degree & Master holders

are interested in E-learning .Seven of the respondents are just 12 th std pass/fail students

and an E learning course could strongly help them in there career as they need to compete

degree & master holder in there work place.

Income :

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0 20 40 60 80

No. of Respondents

<11,000

11,000-15,000

16,000-20,000

>20,000

Sal

ary

Income Groups

The average salary respondents are earning is 11,500/m. This shows that they are

financial good. & stable.

Designation:

Designation

05

1015202530354045

No

Of

Res

po

nd

ents

This graph shows the various designation of the respondents who are willing to go

for E- learning..28 percent of respondents are Consultants, !6 percent of the respondents

indicated that they were Agents, while 19 percent were in Officers,8 percent were

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technical support, 1 percent were team learders, 11 percent were representatives, merely

1 percent were managers, and another13 percent were executives.. Finally, 3 percent

pointed out that their title was not listed among the survey options. Among the selections

not listed were Knowledge analysis, Verifier, E relations officer, etc

Job Satisfaction

Job Satisfaction

Satisfied81%

Dissatisfied19%

The pie chart shows that 81 % of the respondents are satisfied with there jobs & only

19 % are dissatisfied. During the survey the reason for there satisfaction or dissatisfaction

was asked. Few respondents are really happy with the jobs of call center but a large group

of people from these respondents are not happy with the work they are doing but only

reason they want to stick to this job is because they earn a very good salary. Respondents

who are dissatisfied with the job feel that a different job can help them better for future

prospects, because number of years working in a call center is not been counted as his

work experience if he wants to do any different job.

It is inferred that any good course that will help that to get a better job in future is

want the call center employees are looking for.

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Better job prospects with an additional degree

Better job prospects with an additional degree

50%

34%

9%

5%

2%

S Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

S Disagree

The pie chart indicates that 50 % of the respondents strongly agree that an

additional degree will help them for there better job prospects in future. And 34 % just

agree to the same.9 % of the respondents are sure whether an additional degree will help

them in any means. Only 7 % totally disagree to the concept of an additional degree for

there job growth.

So it can be implied from the above graph that there is a large market from the call

center employees who will are willing to go for a additional degree for there better job

prospects . As these respondents are working , they cannot go to regular colleges to get

there degree so E-learning will be a right platform for them to get their degree as they can

study along with their job.

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Different fields for E-Learning

Area Of Interest

0

20

40

60

80

100

No of respondents 66 90 40 19 4 9

IT Mgnt Techn Com Medic Other

Five board fields were provided and respondents selected there field of interest for an

E-learning course. Findings indicate 29% respondents are interested in Information

technology field, 39% of respondents are interested in management studies, 18% are

interest in Technical field, 8% of respondents are interested in Commerce field, 2% are

interested in Medical field and 4% have mentioned others.

As most of them have opt for management studies followed by information

technology, we should come out with courses relating to these fields. Learning

management has become a need for the hour and information technology keeps on

changes every now and then & we need to study the latest in IT to compete in the world

of technology.

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Subjects of interest for E-learning courses

Rank No of respondents

specifying the

subject

Subjects

1 43 Human Resource Management

2 14 Finanace

3 11 Management, Networking

4 10 Marketing

5 9 Business Management, Java,

Artificial Intelligence

6 8 Accounts,

7 5 .NET, Advertising, E commerce,

Economies, Hardware,

8 4 C++, Embedded systems, J2EE,

Programming,

9 3 Administration, Banking,

Graphics

10 2 Entertainment, investment

management, linux, main frame,

mechanical, media, C lang. ,

consumer behavior, data

structures, Operating systems,

operations, public relation,

retailing, software management,

theatre, tourism.

11 1 Aerospace engg. , animation,

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applied art, applied software,

ASP, astronomy, bio information,

branding, charted accounting,

company law, coral, database,

digital communication,

Entrepreneurship, event

management, foreign trade,

history, industrial relation,

international management,

journalism, law, mass

communication, MIS, neural

science, painting, quantum

computation, security analysis,

Sports commentary, stress

management, system

administration, SAD, team

handling, Unix, VB dot net, Web

designing.

The above subjects are ranked according to the highest mean average for subjects

opted by the respondents .An open ended question was kept to get the subject of interest of

the respondent. Examining the different subjects listed above, it becomes apparent that these

give employees the opportunity to improve their performance on the job either directly or

indirectly.

While the trend in e-learning is to focus on tangible topics, such as computer

applications or IT-related topics Currently, e-learning courses for the most part focus on soft

skill training ,management topics, such as Human resource management topics (39 percent),

followed by topics specifically related to computer or IT-related (29percent), and technical

training skill (18 percent).

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Time Duration for an E-learning course

12

4752

40

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

No of respondents.

1 month 3 months 6 months 1 year

Duration of Courses

Number of different courses require different durations of its completion. However

this graph is to indicate the general time duration of an E-learning course expected by the

respondent.

8 percent of the respondents want an crash course of one month, 31 percent

respondents want to go for a short 3 month course, a major of the respondents of 36 percent

want an half year course, where as 26 percent feel that 1 year is right time duration for a full

length course.

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Cost ( Fee Structure )

According to the various institutions that are offering E learning courses in

India and in Abroad, the fee structure of these courses is slightly at the higher side. The

approximate fee that are charged by various institutions is around $ 50 per hour/credit.

Fee Structure

31%

69%

The respondents were asked to specify the amount that they would be willing to pay for a

course of E learning. The above graph indicates that only 69 percent of the respondents were

in a condition the specify the amount they would be ready to pay for the course. But 31

percent of the respondents had no idea what could be the fee structure of such courses and

also the strongly believed that the fee structure would depend upon the contents of the course

offered & the institute that will offer the course. 69 percent respondents that have specified

the amount starting from 500Rs – 100000 Rs per month. Majority of the respondents are

willing to pay within the range of 2000-5000.

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Importance for the factors while selecting an online course.

A list of factors were given to the respondent and these factors are ranked depending

on the mean average

Flexibility (e.g. access the Web anytime,

anyplace)

4.395 1

Having direct contact with the instructor 4.07 2

Equality (e.g. opportunity to contribute) 3.81 3

Communicating with many students at

once

3.795 4

Fee structure 3.76 5

Location of the office 3.74 6

Having direct contact with other

students

3.7 7

Sharing ideas and answers with others 3.68 8

Sharing resources with others (e.g. Web

links)

3.65 9

Image of the institution 3.45 10

Participants respond quickly 2.38 11

Enhancing student to instructor

communication

2.4 12

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The main reason why people go for E learning course is because of the flexibility. Therefore

the most important factor while selecting a online course is Flexibility. Factors following

flexibility are arranged in ascending order of there average means.

Preference of Support Structure for E learning course

All the support structures were provided to the respondent in the questionnaire and

the support structure are ranked depending on the highest selected support structure

a Printed material (e.g. course materials) 20%

b Web-based material (e.g. course materials) 15%

c CD-ROM 15%

d Television programs 7%

e Face to face contact with instructor (e.g.

asking questions, etc.)

5%

f Face to face contact with students (e.g.

studying, collaborating)

4%

g Telephone contact with instructor 7%

h Telephone contact with students 5%

i E-mailing instructor & students 11%

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j Participating in chat rooms 11%

The inference from the above table indicates that printed material is the most

preferred support structures. In course designed should have printed material as it ranked

the highest among the other support structures. Importance to other support structure

should be given in the above order from top to bottom.

Internet skills & no of yrs comp:

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The above two graphs show the internet skills & his years of computer experiences. The

below two graph will check whether the respondents who have said no to E learning is

because of there low internet skills & low experience using a computer.

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The above two graph show that the respondent is not depending on his/her internet skills & no of

years he / she is using computers. It is inferred from the above graphs that majority of the

respondents who have said no to E learning have intermediate & experienced skills in internet

which indicates that they may not have problems with e learning mode of education & similarly

no of years the respondents is using computers is comparatively low as compared with the graph

of the all the respondents.So Since they don’t have much experience working with the computer

might be the reason for not showing interest in E learning.

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Summary of Main Findings

The finding of the study is obtained from a sample size of 200 respondents from six

different call callers.

-- 71 percent of the respondents were willing and 29 percent were not interested in E learning

Respondents who have said yes

-- 37 percent of women & 63 percent of man who are willing to go for E learning course.

-- Majority of these respondents lie in the age group of 21-25 as 80 percent respondents are in this

age. Their average age was 23 yrs

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-- Educational qualification : 69 percent were bachelor degree holders with various different

degrees like Bachelor of Computer application, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor

in commerce, Bachelor in Science, Engineering, …. & so on. !8 percent were masters degree

holder who had in them Masters in Business Administration & Masters in Computer Application.

8 percent were diploma holders & finally only 5 % were others( like passing 12th std only )

-- The respondents had various designation like 28 percent of respondents were Consultants, !6

percent Agents, while 19 percent were in Officers,8 percent were technical support, 1 percent

were team leaders, 11 percent were representatives, merely 1 percent were managers, and

another13 percent were executives.. Finally, 3 percent pointed out that their title was not listed

among the survey options. Among the selections not listed were Knowledge anaylsis, Verifier, E

relations officer, etc.

-- 19 percent of the respondents are not satisfied with their job and 81 percent are satisfied. In

regard to a better job 50 percent strongly agree that an additional degree can help them for better

job prospects followed by 34 percent who agree, 9 percent are who are neutral, 5 percent disagree

& 2 percent strongly disagree to the same.

-- that management field is the most opted one with 39 percent respondents interested in it.

Information technology is the second opted with 29 percent respondents interested. Technical

field has 18 percent, Commerce field has 8 percent , Medical field has 2 percent and 4 percent

have mentioned others. There are a number of subjects that the respondents are interested to study

through E learning courses. Few of the most rated subjects in the survey are Human Resource

Management, Finance, Economics, Networking, Software development, Marketing, Accounts,

Advertising and many more.

-- The respondents have specified there expected duration the course and the findings are 8

percent would like to have 1 month duration of the course, 31 percent respondents for 3 months

course duration, 36 percent respondents for 6 months & 26 percent respondents for 1 year course.

-- The cost that the respondents are ready to pay for the course on an average is 2000-5000 Rs per

month.

-- Flexibility, Having direct contact with the instructor, Equality, Communicating with many

students at once, Fee structure, Location of the office, Having direct contact with other students,

Sharing ideas and answers with others, Sharing resources with others, Image of the institution,

Participants respond quickly & Enhancing student to instructor.

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--. The most important support structure for any course is printed material as it has been rated the

highest as compared to the other support structures provided.

-- respondents saying no for E learning, their internet skills and number of years using computers

was checked and majority of the respondents have intermediate & experienced skills in internet

which indicates that they may not have problems with e learning & similarly no of years the

respondents is using computers is comparatively low .So since they don’t have much experience

working with the computer might be the reason for not showing interest in E learning.

Suggestions / Implications of the Study

Since 81 % are willing to go for E-learning. It is advisable to satart designing the

contents of the course because the contents will play an important role to attract

more learners.

The cost that is suggested is within the range of Rs 2000 per month to Rs 5000

per month.

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Courses should be designed such that, it should be management field related and

Information Technology related. In management Human Resource Management,

Marketing and Finance were the two specific subjects which had highest score

and in information technology networking and software development are the two

subjects which had highest score.

The ideal duration of the course from the findings of this project could be three

months course or a six months course.

If any course is provided using E-learning then print based material should be

provided as many of the respondents have given that as a support structure

followed by CD-ROM.

Conclusions

A positive response is being collected from respondents as large number of

respondents have shown interest and are willing to go for E-learning education. This sector of call

center employees is the right potential market for a company to provide E learning courses to

them because been the employees of call centers they have unusual working hours which in turn

requires flexibility in studying if they are pursuing any course . And an additional degree would

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certainly provide them with new opening or better job promotions which is also strongly agreed

by them .

The respondents also feel that the additional degree would help them because they do

not see much of job prospects in future and even this experience (working in call centers ) is not

considered as work experience in many other work places.

Therefore we can conclude that E learning can enter into the market for providing

courses to the call center employees.

Scope for future Research

Finding out the potential market for E learning for corporate training.

Study the learning style (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic) required for E learning.

Questionnaire for “ IT enabled Education ”

1. Name : ________________________________________________________2. Address : ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

3. Gender: Male Female

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4. Age : ____________________

5. Education Qualification: Diploma in ________________________________ Graduation in ______________________________ Masters in _________________________________

Others (specify) ___________________________6. Occupation : _________________________________7. Income (monthly) : ____________________________8. Organization : ________________________________9. Designation : ________________________________

10. Are you satisfied with the present job? Yes No

11. Do you agree that an additional degree would help you in better job prospects? Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

12. Are you aware of learning using the electronic medium? Yes No

13. Are you interested in learning some courses on the net along with your job? Yes No

14. Which field are you interested in : IT Management Technical Commerce Medical Others ______________________

15. Specify the subjects you would be interested to learn in the above selected field:a)______________b)______________c)______________d)______________e)______________

16) From where do you usually access internet?

□ Home □ Work □ Internet café □ Public Library

□ Other (Specify) _____________

17) What duration of the course do you prefer?

□ 1 month □ 3 months □ 6 months □ 1 year

18) What would be the fee you can afford to pay for these programmes?

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_________________________________________________________

19) Factors that you give importance for while selecting a online course:

StronglyAgree

Agree Neutral Disagree StronglyDisagree

Flexibility (e.g. access the Web anytime, anyplace)Communicating with many students at onceLearning from others' contributionsSharing ideas and answers with othersSharing resources with others (e.g. Web links)Having direct contact with the instructorHaving direct contact with other studentsEnhancing student to instructor communicationParticipants respond quickly Equality (e.g. opportunity to contribute)Fee structureLocation of the officeImage of the institutionOther (describe):

20) What is your preference for the following support structures?

□ Printed material (e.g. course materials)

□ Web-based material (e.g. course materials)

□ CD-ROM

□ Television programs

□ Face to face contact with instructor (e.g. asking questions, etc.)

□ Face to face contact with students (e.g. studying, collaborating)

□ Telephone contact with instructor

□ Telephone contact with students

□ E-mailing instructor & students

□ Participating in chat rooms

21) Which of the following terms categorize your internet skill

□ Beginner □ Intermediate □ Experienced □ Expert.

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22) Total no of years you are using computers-

□ Less than 1yr □ 1-3 yrs □ 4-6 yrs □ 7-10 yrs □ 11-15 yrs □ more than 15 yrs

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