General Information

• What are the benefits of online learning?
• Will students learn as much using e-Learning courses as they would in a traditional, face-to-face course?
• Can learners take the class from any computer? What about location?
• Can I start and stop a course whenever I need to? Do you provide a bookmark function?
• How much time does it take to finish a course?
• Do I get a Certificate of Completion for an e-Learning course?
• What are the software/hardware requirements?
• How do I evaluate what an e-Learning solution should cost?
• Can I demo an e-Learning course?
• How do I get more information?

Distance Learning Terms

• What is Asynchronous Learning?
• What is Blended Learning?
• What is Computer Based Training (CBT)?
• What is Distance Learning?
• What is e-Learning?
• What is Instructor-led Training (ILT)?
• What is Online Learning or Online Training?
• What is Pedagogy (pèd-e-go´jê)? Andragogy (and-rè-go´jê)? Why do I care?
• What is Peer-to-peer Learning?
• What is Synchronous Learning?
• What is Web Based Training (WBT)?

General Information

Q: What are the benefits of online learning?

There are many recognized benefits to be gained from online learning for both the employer and the learner. Organizations who implement quality e-Learning solutions often save significant costs over traditional learning due to such things as reduced travel expenses, lower instruction costs, less time off the job, automated record keeping, simplified administration, and more. In addition, they often improve the consistency of their training message and their coverage across the entire organization. Well-designed, interactive courseware can also improve comprehension and retention levels for many learners.

Students benefit from a more flexible learning environment where they have more control over how and when they learn. They can set their own schedule and pace, starting and stopping as needed to accommodate individual needs. Learners can interact more comfortably with the material and exercise more direction in how they approach learning concepts. acrosspublishing courses incorporate a significant degree of learner-directed control in the instructional design that would be hard to accomplish with traditional learning. Recognizing that adults learn best by doing, we design courses that are rich in opportunities for active engagement. Students typically also benefit through improved attention and higher retention rates.

Q: Will students learn as much using e-Learning courses as they would in a traditional, face-to-face course?

Online learning is not a “silver bullet” for all training needs. Some subjects and some learning objectives will require face-to-face instruction and live one-on-one evaluation. In other cases, a blended learning approach may be the most appropriate solution. For most cognitive concepts, however, e-Learning can produce outstanding results that match or exceed those provided by the typical traditional classroom course. Studies done by the U.S. Office of Technology Assessment have show that e-Learning students do as well or better in courses and on tests than traditional students. Other studies support that e-Learning can often produce better understanding and retention than conventional learning environments.

Q: Can learners take the class from any computer? What about location?

Yes, as long as the computer meets the system requirements for the e-Learning platform and has the appropriate network connection. The only exception might be some CBT courseware that is designed with links to files or systems on your organization’s internal network (Intranet) in the case where you may be using a computer that does not have security access to that Intranet site.

Q: Can I start and stop a course whenever I need to? Do you provide a bookmark function?

Yes, your progress and position in a course are automatically tracked by the Learning Management System (LMS) and your position is “bookmarked” whenever you exit a course. Upon reentering the course, you will have to option of starting where you left off (at the bookmark) or entering the course at another point. Most courses also allow you to easily navigate to any part of the course at any time by using the contents page.

Q: How much time does it take to finish a course?

Completion times vary by course subject and student experience. Everyone wants training to be as short as possible and many administrators are rightfully concerned about attention spans being limited and learners being easily distracted. However, designers must make certain that courses will adequately cover the material needed to achieve the learning objectives of the course. This is especially critical for some compliance and certification training. In fact, some regulatory requirements actually specify a minimum duration for training time on specific topics. Our subject matter experts and instructional designers are careful to evaluate the balance between achieving the required learning objectives and keeping the course as short as practical. Unlike some vendors, we don’t short change the learning objective just to make a more marketable course length. Our courses range from under 30 minutes to several hours depending on what is needed to effectively cover the material. However, we are careful to divide courses into easily digested modules with short Knowledge Demonstrations after each module. Typical modules are less than 15 minutes in duration and are optimized for the adult learner’s attention and patience.

Q: Do I get a Certificate of Completion for an e-Learning course?

Yes, a Certificate of Completion is available once you have completed the entire course and passed all of the Knowledge Demonstrations. You must complete all modules (sections) of the course with a satisfactory score on the Knowledge Demonstration. Most of our courses allow you to print the certificate directly from your computer. Some courses will require us (or your training administrator) to email you the certificate.

Q: What are the software/hardware requirements?

You can use either of the following web browsers:

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or above
• Netscape Navigator 7.0 or above
• You must have Macromedia Flash Player (included with most browsers and available for free download).
• Your computer must be a Pentium II or above, should support audio, and must support at least 800x600 256 colors.
• Your internet connection should support 40Kbps or higher for good performance.

Q: How do I evaluate what an e-Learning solution should cost?

License and delivery costs for e-Learning solutions vary widely and depend on many variables. The cost of a given solution reflects such things as the length, quality, and instructional effectiveness of the content, along with the power, flexibility, and reliability of the learning management system included in the solution. Costs also depend on the size and duration of your commitment to the e-Learning supplier and things like how many people need training over how many subjects and how much customization needs to made to the starting content. Even when creating your own content, the size of the training job influences what investment you should make.

The important thing to remember about the cost of e-Learning is that, like most things in life, “you get what you pay for.” It takes significant investment to create and support quality learning-solutions. Vendor’s who have made that investment and are delivering the top quality solutions are not going to be doing so at fire-sale prices (unless they are on their way out of business). So, be skeptical of solutions that seem to be significantly cheaper than the market pays for the quality you seek. Look closely at the instructional effectiveness of the courseware and the support and stability of the vendor. When you consider what it costs you to take a person off the job for even a few hours of training (or the cost impact if the training is ineffective), the cost of good content is a fraction of the total “real cost of training”. No one was ever sorry they paid more for better quality in training content. However, plenty of people have learned to regret having paid too little. Invest in the good stuff and you won’t be sorry.

Q: Can I demo an e-Learning course?

Yes, we you can have access to full versions of our courses. sign-up HERE to have free access to 25 of our courses right now!

Q: How do I get more information?

For more information on any of our e-Learning solutions, e-mail us at info@acrosspublishing.com or complete the information request form in the contact us section.

Distance Learning Terms

Q: What is Asynchronous Learning?

Asynchronous Learning is self-paced, on demand, individual learning that allows learners to participate according to their schedule. Delivery is not in synchronous time with other learners or the instructor. The classical example is a correspondence course and a more contemporary example is an asynchronous e-learning course.

Q: What is Blended Learning?

In the broadest use of the term, blended learning refers to using multiple approaches to teaching. Examples might include combining technology-based instruction and traditional print materials or combining group and individual study. To some extent, classroom teachers have used blended learning techniques for years by combining multiple approaches like group exercises and self-study or video viewing and lectures.

Today, most people use blended learning to describe the combining of e-Learning instruction (in any of its various forms) with more traditional forms of training such as “class room" training. Blended learning can be delivered in a variety of ways and is often designed to achieve a wide range of objectives. A common approach uses e-Learning to provide background, theoretical, or “cognitive” training prior to having learners attend an ILT program to practice putting the "theory" to use. Conversely, a blended approach might use e-Leaning following the traditional ILT instruction as a means of reinforcing or assessing what was covered in the ILT course. Among the significant advantages of blended learning programs is the ability to provide individualized, hands-on instruction and still achieve some of the economies and efficiencies provided by technology-based instruction. A well-designed e-Learning prerequisite course can greatly improve the participation rate and effectiveness of an ILT training event.

Q: What is Computer Based Training (CBT)?

Computer Based Training is a generic term describing any form of instruction where the student learns by executing training programs through a computer. CBT courses can technically be run from CD-ROM, LAN, WAN, or Internet. However, it has become common to distinguish learning delivered through a Web browser interface over Internet or intranets as Web-based Training (WBT). Hence, CBT is now more commonly limited to describing CD-ROM or network delivered training not involving online or Web browser delivery.

Q: What is Distance Learning?

Distance Learning is learning where the instructor and the students are in physically separate locations. It can be either synchronous or asynchronous. The term is most commonly applied to college-level programs where students work on their own at home or at the office and communicate with faculty and other students via e-mail, electronic forums, videoconferencing, chat rooms, bulletin boards, instant messaging and other forms of computer-based communication. Most distance learning programs include a computer-based training (CBT) system and communications tools to produce a virtual classroom.

Q: What is e-Learning?

Any learning that uses electronic applications and processes to learn. Common e-learning applications and processes include WBT, CBT, virtual classrooms and digital collaboration. Content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or videotape, satellite TV, and CD-ROM over a network and learning can be synchronous, asynchronous, instructor-led, or a combination.

Q: What is Instructor-led Training (ILT)?

As the term implies, Instructor-led Training (ILT) refers to learning events that are led by an instructor. ILT courses are most often synchronous events and they are typically held in a physical location such as a classroom. Technology is sometimes employed to broadcast the live event via a network, satellite TV, or collaborative meeting software to learners who are at different locations from that of the instructor (referred to as distance learning). The event may also be recorded and made available to learners in an asynchronous mode.

Q: What is Online Learning or Online Training?

Both these terms are used to describe e-Learning delivered over the Internet (as opposed to a local or wide area network).

Q: What is Pedagogy (pèd-e-go´jê)? Andragogy (and-rè-go´jê)? Why do I care?

Pedagogy is the study of the methods and application of educational theory to create learning contexts and environments. The word literally means the art and science of educating children and is used somewhat synonymously with teaching. More accurately, pedagogy embodies the traditional teacher-focused education where teachers assume responsibility for making decisions about what will be learned along with how and when it will be learned.

In contrast, Malcom Knowles used “Andragogy” in 1973 to refer to the set of conditions that he asserted are required in order for adults to learn. Thus, Andragogy was initially defined as "the art and science of helping adults learn." It has since taken on a broader, more vital meaning in defining the modern alternative to teacher-focused learning - that is, “learner-focused” education (regardless of age).

The andragogic model asserts that effective learning must address five issues: 1) telling learners why something is important to learn (what’s in it for them), 2) showing learners how to direct themselves through information, 3) relating the topic to the learners' experiences (we call this contextual learning), 4) recognizing that people will not learn until they are ready and motivated, and 5) helping learners overcome inhibitions, behaviors, and beliefs about learning that would impede their success.

We share the belief of many influential educators that facilitating the move from teacher-centered to learner-centered learning models is central to enhancing workers’ ability to learn new technology and gain competitive advantage.

Q: What is Peer-to-peer Learning?

Peer-to-peer Learning refers to learning methods that rely upon the strength of collaborative learning in groups with one’s peers.

Q: What is Synchronous Learning?

Synchronous Learning refers to any learning event where interaction between teacher and student happens simultaneously in real-time, for example, in face-to-face classroom situations, synchronized chat rooms (Internet Relay Chats) or in live videoconferencing or webcasts.

Q: What is Web Based Training (WBT)?

Web-based Training (WBT) is a generic term for training or instruction delivered over the Internet or an intranet using a Web browser. The term is typically used to refer to self-paced courseware (asynchronous learning). However, some people include synchronous events such as live webcasts. WBT may utilize collaborative communication via e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, and discussion threads and it may involve an instructor or facilitator.