What is an innovation in e-learning?

These are the initial ideas about innovation in e-learning from my current experience:

My favorite e-learning tool during our stay in China was: Chinesepod. It provides little podcasts on various topics and on several levels to learn every day Mandarin. There are transcripts of the dialogs and exercises online.

It provides perfect input for direct use.

Second life seems to me interesting an area for some e-learning/e-teaching experience. But I have no experience with it.

Webinars are interesting as well.

What makes an innovation in e-learning for me:

Distance learning was as lonesome act of learning. You got a package of books to work with and a schedule. Sometimes the paper part was augmented with CD’s and video tapes (DVDs) and a tutor group or residential schools.

This kind of learning style is not appropriate for all people. It supports people who prefer to work on their own and prefer reading as their main learning style.

The challenge of distance learning is to provide for options of group interaction as well as interactive audio-visual input to support a larger variety of learning styles.

Another challenge of distant learning or learning in general is the adaptability of the theories presented. Distance learning coincides with teacher and students not being in one place. Asynchronous interaction is common. This prohibits real experiences in class.

These are the criteria for innovative e-learning for me today:

Concepts that include innovations in…

· ... supporting different learning styles:

Reading, audio, visual, interaction among students,

· …Transferability of concepts to real life for real experiences

· …Including new tools for e.g. social networking, wikis

· … Including new electronic media devices

·… recognizing and reflecting behavioral changes in using ICT

· …. Catering for diversity aspects (culture, gender, age, handicaps, language)

…. Ok, these are my first thoughts. Now I will check for more insight in the literature...