eLearning after four decades : what about sustainability?.
Max Mühlhäuser · TUbilio (Technical University of Darmstadt) · 2004
Abstract: After four decades of eLearning, we find a wide gap between the academic state of the art and commercially successful, broadly used eLearning in practice. To narrow this gap, we advocate a focus on sustainability in eLearning. To this end, the paper and keynote take the following steps: i) a brief review of the four decades of eLearning; ii) a rough categorization of eLearning concepts as a preparation of step three; iii) a strategy for realizing sustainability; iv) an inspection of the three top categories “augmented learning”, “distance learning”, and “ambient learning ” with a focus on sustainability. Only the first of the three categories is treated in more detail as an example. Summary of the Keynote With four decades passed, we look back to the history of eLearning as an alternation of high hopes and deep depressions, frequently accompanied by deplorable gaps between “exciting success in the lab ” and “way too little market penetration in the sequel”. Therefore, a look forward must put sustainability in focus: R&D and, in particular, deployment strategies, must emphasize evoluationary and re-usabe approaches that exhibit broad coverage, high quality, and economic feasibility. Organizations and Universities can not afford expensive eLearning projects any more, they need truly sustainable eLearning strategies and programs.