I’ve spent the last month or so delving through enough information on e-learning practices and options to make most people go insane. I considered myself well versed to start with, but it seems that at least once a week there is a new technology or method for e-learning available. In one of the books I just finished, the authors report the minimum cost you’re looking at to provide an e-learning solution is in the “thousands”.  That’s just nuts. Sure, if you’re going to hire an e-learning consultant and buy an expensive commercial e-learning application you’re looking at thousands, but there are several ways you can get the benefit of e-learning without the cost (sometimes it’s free!). Here are a few examples:

  • Blogs
  • Wikis
  • Open source learning management systems (LMS)
  • PowerPoint published as an html document
  • Instant Messaging and Whiteboard software
  • Video Conferencing
  • Remote desktop solutions like GoToMyPC or GoToMeeting

If you’re new to e-learning , you may want to take time and Google search to get the basics.  Keep in mind that these are only a few of the options that are available to everyone.  We will begin expanding on them in the upcoming months so that you will have a resource guide on where to look, what to look for, and which ones we think are best.