AMERiCA LEARNiNG MEDiA

Overview of the main trends in the virtual education industry for the next few months. Integration, development of innovative applications that will ensure distribution of know-how in current training scenarios, content migration, video learning, social learning, cloud learning, augmented reality, Tin Can API and MOOC. The key: follow the person, not the job position

by Carlos Biscay, CEO, e-ABC Learning

One of the major challenges for the e-learning industry in 2013 is integration: the capability of relating learning management systems with other IT applications which contribute to performance and operational development in companies, on a level that will effectively help organizations to solve their most complex needs.

The key issue will be to develop customized software applications and programs that integrate as modules both into the proprietary and the open source platforms which have the widest distribution in the market (Moodle, Blackboard, SABA, SumTotal, Dokeos, Chamilo, eFront, ATutor, Mahara, Joomla or Drupal), upgrading and expanding some of their specific functionalities, considering that one of the differentials that distinguishes us is our specialty is: complexity.

The expanding development of e-learning solutions (also based on proposals related to mobile learning, video learning, u-learning, social learning and augmented reality, amongst others), will have a central role during 2013. These technologies are capable of ensuring the adequate and timely distribution of learning contents at whatever site the user may be located (workplace, home, customer facilities, public transport, or others), just at moment they are required.

The key is and will be: follow the person, not the job position. In other words, it is crucial to have the capability of accessing any site where the individual happens to be located, thus ensuring that he or she is provided with the means to deploy an instance of learning activity (whether it may be at the doctor's waiting-room or on public transport, for example).

Another of the trends is that e-learning providers will be requiring that we ensure the capability of migrating courses from any platform to any other, as long as it is technically feasible (i.e. as long as the platforms have the necessary technology for this). Generally speaking, this includes all web resources as well as PDF, Flash, HTML, SCORM packages, Tin Can API, AICC, and others.

Furthermore, video learning or access to learning activities through audiovisual contents will continue to expand in e-learning projects, as a result of enabling corporations, universities, schools and governments to consolidate synchronic training procedures on a large scale, simulating a face-to-face environment.   Forbes has found that 60% of executives prefer watching videos rather than reading texts on internet; whilst in the educational environment, a Video Arts survey found that video resources are increasingly being adopted by academic institutions, to attract students and enhance their performance.

Additionally to this, we need to closely monitor the progress of cloud learning, bearing in mind that SaaS, or software as service, already covers more than 90% of LMS space worldwide.

Social Learning will continue to grow and expand, with the strong boost that the current context is providing, as a result of new social behaviors of communication and interaction, as well as new job and communication dynamics at the workplace.

Tin Can API will continue its growth as a new specification for the e-learning market. Blackboard, Docebo, Litmos, Dominknow, Articulate, Adobe, OpenSesame, Rustici, RapidIntake and Questionmark are some of the 44 Tin Can API adopters worldwide, among providers of virtual learning services and technological applications, and e-ABC America is one of the companies included in the Tin Can API Adopters.  During 2013 the specification will be evolving until a stable version is achieved, and from then on the process of its becoming a standard will begin. That is the reason why this year will be crucial.

Finally, we must respond to the interest that universities are beginning to show in the possibility of implementing MOOC courses, and to the challenge that this will imply for those of us who are e-learning solutions providers. Although I do not believe there will be a widespread adoption of this model, it is also worth pointing out that LMSs change and evolve in time, adapting to learning contexts; and learning management systems will have to find ways of relating to this new reality, in order to provide adequate responses to the needs that are constantly arising, in terms of the Open Access and Open Courses movement, which contribute to the enhancement of culture and education.