| Twenty years ago a typical college classroom had | | | | entire degree program online. These comprehensive |
| very little technology. Maybe there were a few | | | | courses of study allow a more diverse student |
| computers, but for the most part students turned in | | | | population to have access to the education they seek. |
| assignments written from a typewriter. Ten years ago | | | | Another environmental trend in elearning is the way |
| technology began to seep into the college academic | | | | classes are conducted. Classes are administered |
| setting. For example, Professors started simple | | | | through software programs such as Blackboard and |
| WebPages containing course information and perhaps | | | | WebCT. These web-based programs allow students |
| links to reference resources. | | | | to login to a virtual classroom. They can access |
| In the late 1990's, however, college academia took a | | | | course materials such as lecture notes, assignments, |
| giant step forward in elearning by introducing courses | | | | and tests. They can communicate with the instructor |
| that could be taken entirely online. The environmental | | | | and other classmates through email messages and a |
| trends in elearning have changed dramatically from the | | | | class message forum. |
| infrequent use of the Internet and elearning to relying | | | | Professors, teachers, and instructors also have an |
| on the elearning for an entire course. | | | | array of options. There are calendar, email, and |
| This environmental trend in elearning opened up the | | | | syllabus tools. Electronic grade books are a nice |
| opportunity to study at the college level to many more | | | | feature of elearning software programs. Electronic |
| students. Technical colleges, for example, are home to | | | | grade books are more than just a repository of |
| many nontraditional older students. These students | | | | grades. They can actually calculate final grades based |
| have full time jobs, families, and little free time. It is | | | | on specific classroom grading criteria and policies. This |
| difficult to miss work to attend class during the day. | | | | is a welcome addition for many teachers that are |
| Night classes are possible, but that means less time | | | | technologically savvy. Plus students can view their |
| with family. That is when an online course can save | | | | grades online throughout the semester and track their |
| the day and allow these types of students to work on | | | | progress. |
| their degree. | | | | As technology progresses so will the elearning |
| Online courses are available at many four-year and | | | | environment. The academic options are far different |
| two-year colleges and universities. In the last few | | | | from what they were even ten years ago. Imagine |
| years, online colleges have emerged that offer an | | | | what the options will entail ten years from now. |