E-learning

How to Implement eLearning In an Effective Manner?

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This post is provided by guest blogger, Darryl Barrios, graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Training and Development program

Despite the growth of eLearning, for most, education continues to mean classroom sessions with teachers.  As the world continues to evolve, so does education.  While most organizations are onboard with eLearning, it takes time to learn to skills and techniques to make it successful.  Implementing eLearning requires three basic steps:  Planning, implementation itself, and evaluation.  During implementation, it is important to keep common challenges, such as lack of student engagement and technological hurdles, at the forefront.  Assessing your needs, planning your courses and goals, and communicating with all parties throughout the process are all key to a successful launch.

Sergi Movchan’s (2025) article How to Implement eLearning In an Effective Manner? provides a straightforward explanation of the process of identifying the process for implementing an eLearning system.  He begins by identifying the common challenges that organizations face during this process.  This is followed by outlining basic tips that any organization can follow to ensure a successful launch.  Throughout the article, he links to other articles that help expand on many of the steps that are required.  This article is a great primer for anyone who is looking to begin the process of implementing an eLearning program.

Reference: Movchan, S. (2025, February 28).  How to implement eLearning in an effective manner?  Racoon Gang. Retrieved from https://raccoongang.com/blog/how-implement-elearning-effective-manner/

Take Control of Your Education 

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This post is provided by guest blogger, Edith Peña, graduate student at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, MS in Talent and Development program.

In the article, “Student Choice in Virtual Learning: Empowering Autonomy Online”, Pustka (2024) states that online education offers students more autonomy through choice. This not only empowers students to make decisions about learning it also builds skills like self-regulation, critical thinking and motivation. The article illustrates the benefits of incorporating student choice into virtual classrooms. Pustka mentions that when students have a say they are deeply engaged, develop independence, and their retention of the information improves.  Overall, student choice is transformative in the virtual learning space because it provides students an opportunity to be creative, engage, and grow. 

This article is published by the National Virtual Teacher Association, which is an association that offers certification for virtual teachers. The association’s mission is to inspire virtual teachers to provide excellent instruction. The association also consist of an advisory board with extensive knowledge in virtual instruction. I think this website and articles provided by the association are great tools for virtual teachers. 

Reference

Pustka, B. (2024, November 30). Student choice in virtual learning: Empowering autonomy online. National Virtual Teacher Association. https://virtualteacherassociation.org/student-choice-in-virtual-learning-empowering-autonomy-online

Instructional Design Strategies for eLearning

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This post is provided by guest blogger, Darryl Barrios, graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Training and Development program

Instructional design strategies play an important role in creating effective courses, and eLearning courses are no exception. When it comes to online learning you need more than engaging content, you need a strategic approach. Instructional Design helps you to create structured, engaging, and personalized learning experiences. To create an effective instructional design strategy there are five components that you need to consider. They are content, visuals, media, assessments, and technical aspects.  If these five items are considered alongside your core instructional design principles, you should be able to create a strategy that provides an engaging experience for your learners.

Dr. Sandhya Johnson’s (2025) article Instructional Design Strategies for eLearning [What, Why, & How] contains not only an exploration of how instructional design strategies serve as the key to creating impactful eLearning courses, but it also includes important background information, such as the differences between instructional design models and instructional design strategies, that help those who may be approaching these concepts for the first time a clear explanation of how the discussed concepts fit together.  She also provides examples of some of the most popular instructional design strategies.  My only criticism would be the lack of analytics regarding the chosen examples.

Reference: Johnson, S. (2025, March 18). Instructional design strategies for eLearning [What, Why, & How]. CommLab India. https://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning-design/instructional-design-strategy-importance-in-elearning

What do you prefer?

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This post is provided by guest blogger, Stephanie DeFrancesco, graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Training and Development Program. 

Online learning has become very popular in the past few years, but is it what students prefer? In the article, Ong et al. (2024) discusses the seven reasons why students prefer in-person classes rather than online classes. The classroom gives students a sense of “togetherness,” and they find it easier to stay focused and motivated. Student also appreciate the sense of routine. Going to class and being able to ask questions and communicate in that moment. The article discusses how online learning seems to impede learning and social interaction. 

I do recommend this article, because I feel that we are always looking for the positives of e-learning. We assume many students prefer e-learning, but there is a great percentage that still prefer in-person classes. E-learning is becoming more available for classes, because they are easy to access from anywhere and can be done at any time, but some students still feel that attending class gives them a sense of belonging and interacting with instructors and students. I find that I prefer in-person learning for certain classes, because I feel I am able to stay focused and get more from the class. 

Ong, J. et al. (2024, November 16). 7 missing pieces: Why students prefer in-person over online classes. University Affairs. https://universityaffairs.ca/features/7-missing-pieces-why-students-prefer-in-person-over-online-classes-2/ 

Enhancing Engagement in Virtual Synchronous Classrooms

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This post is provided by guest blogger, Rachel Dobrich Ruffetti, a graduate student at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, working towards the Talent Development Certificate.

The article, “Identifying Pedagogical Design and Implementation of Synchronous Virtual Classrooms” by Karabey and Karaman (2024), analyzes 53 instructional activities categorized into 11 themes based on Robert M. Gagne’s teaching framework. The study evaluates technical and environmental control, clarity, introductory activities, technological tools, course materials, interaction, feedback, time management, summarization, and self-assessment. It emphasizes how these themes enhance cognitive processing, student engagement, and instructional effectiveness. Recommendations include optimizing technology use, minimizing distractions, fostering interaction through collaboration tools, summarizing key points, providing timely feedback, and managing time efficiently. Implementing these recommendations can improve virtual learning experiences by making lessons more structured, engaging, and effective.

This peer-reviewed study is valuable for higher education instructors designing synchronous virtual courses. It offers research-supported recommendations to enhance student engagement and instructional quality. By integrating interactive tools, instructors provide opportunities for students to engage directly with learning materials. They can utilize these platforms to provide meaningful feedback and tailor instruction to students’ unique needs. As technology advances, educators must refine their virtual teaching strategies to remain effective. These efforts will create inclusive learning environments that enhance participation, interaction, convenience, and efficiency. Karabey and Karaman’s compilation of activities and applications provides a practical guide for instructors to conduct virtual classrooms effectively. 

References

Sinem Cilligol Karabey, & Selcuk Karaman. (2024). Identifying pedagogical design and implementation of synchronous virtual classrooms. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 25(2), 132–154. https://research-ebsco-com.ezproxy.stfrancis.edu/linkprocessor/plink?id=6bb4edba-b6f3-3c25-9aa6-60cfbcf9df09 

The Importance of Student Management in E-learning Environments

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This post is provided by guest blogger, Gerald Edwards Jr., graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Training and Development program.

The emergence of e-learning as a streamlined education and training platform has created the need for the development of management and support methodologies. As more learning institutions and organizations include digital learning platforms as part of their normal learning environments, the need to manage the platforms and support the stakeholders exists. This includes providing a framework for assessing both the technology itself as well as its effects on a variety of areas including development, training, students, the organization, and other participants. In the area of student achievement, managing the student’s experience becomes an important part of student success.

The article “Managing university e-learning environments and academic achievement in the United Arab Emirates: An instructor and student perspective”, Fernandez et al., (2022) explores the effect of different e-learning student management approaches on student outcomes. The research focuses on how to enhance students’ e-learning experiences and academic achievement using an integrated student management approach. It utilizes literature reviews of previous research and expands on these findings. The findings suggest that using an e-learning approach that engages both the student and the instructor in meaningful ways positively affects student achievement. The importance of taking into consideration the entirety of the students’ needs is a key finding of the research. This information is useful for university leaders and instructors when considering the success of their e-learning programs.

Category: E-learning, Instructional Design/Development, Teaching Strategies

Reference:

Fernandez, A.I., Radaideh, A., Sisodia, G., Mathew, A., Jimber del Río, J. A. (2022). Managing university e-learning environments and academic achievement in the United Arab Emirates An instructor and student perspective. PLoS ONE, 17(5). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268338

Unlocking Student Success with Digital Learning Logs 

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This post is provided by guest blogger, Samerah Saad, graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Talent Development program. 

Arizmendi et al. (2023) highlights how Learning Management Systems and utilization of digital logs can provide insights to student performance and outcomes. This would be utilized to assess e-learning environments and their ability to understand the unique interaction patterns for the student. Moreover, this would also be used to analyze the data to calculate trends among all class members. This will be helpful to see how long each student is spending on coursework in comparison to the grades they are earning. The authors highlight how essential it is to enhance the learning experience through diverse learning approaches, standardization, instructional strategies, and proper use of technological tools/resources. 

I recommend this article’s approach to put into practice many of the theories circling successful approaches to e-learning. However, there are concerns on how these digital logs can gather information to be utilized effectively in an ethical manner. I am concerned about how thoroughly they will need to dive into student data without privacy concerns. Additionally, just because an individualized student demographic is inputted into the algorithm, I worry about overcoming any stereotypical notions and assess the student fairly. Personalized education was a major selling point but, unfortunately, there was no data supporting the same results for diversified in-person learning. 

Reference:

Arizmendi, C. J., Bernacki, M. L., Raković, M., Plumley, R. D., Urban, C. J., Panter, A. T., Greene, J. A., & Gates, K. M. (2022). Predicting student outcomes using digital logs of learning behaviors: Review, current standards, and suggestions for future work. Behavior Research Methods, 55(6), 3026–3054. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-022-01939-9Links to an external site. 

What’s Trendy with eLearning?

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This post is provided by guest blogger, Edith Peña, graduate student at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, MS in Talent and Development program.

In 2025, we are seeing some eLearning trends gain more momentum and usage. The trends are gaining momentum due to people in the corporate world needing to reskill or upskill to stay competitive in the current market. Some of the trends we are seeing are the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), mobile learning (mLearning), and Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) (Peck, 2025). With the use of these technologies employees are now able to learn from anywhere, anytime and at times faster than they would with in-person trainings. Employees also feel more confident when getting trained through these mediums. 

The article, “Top eLearning Trends: The Ultimate Guide in 2025” by Devlin Peck (2025) contains valuable information for individuals in the learning and development industry. The author provides statistics and information published by firms that specialize in gathering data and from sources that are nationally recognized. The information in this article could be used by individuals who are needing to stay current on how to train their employees. This article will also help employers stay competitive in the learning space. 

Reference

Peck, D. (2025, January 3). Top eLearning trends: The ultimate guide in 2025. Delvin Peck. 

https://www.devlinpeck.com/content/elearning-trends

Innovations Shaping Our Future

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This post is provided by guest blogger, Hailey Kaddatz, graduate student at the University of St Francis in Joliet, MS in Talent and Development program.

Today’s technology refers to rapid developments in AI, renewable energy sources, and communication tools, among others. These innovations are changing daily life and many sectors. For example, different industries like healthcare, finance, retail, and manufacturing help AI to make better decisions, and customer experiences (Feldman, 2024). Solar and wind energy technologies are solving climate challenges while providing sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, tools including video talks and collaboration software are changing how we communicate and work, especially in remote environments. The use of these technologies enhances efficiency. It also opens the door for fresh opportunities for development, training, and innovation in many sectors.

The source is a very dependable one and gives a lot of information about the current technological trends. It uses credible studies and expert opinions. So, it can be helpful for a lot of people, especially the students. Knowing how technology has influenced education can be useful for students. It can also help professionals. They can learn how trends will impact their workspace. This resource is great for anyone who wants to become aware of the latest tech trends. These trends affect their career and personal life.

Reference:

Feldman, K. (2024, December 18). The 9 industries that will benefit the most from AI. isixsigma. https://www.isixsigma.com/artificial-intelligence/the-industries-that-will-benefit-the-most-from-ai/#:~:text=While%20healthcare%2C%20finance%2C%20retail%2C,confined%20to%20these%20sectors%20alone

Data Graphs: Emerging e-learning tool

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Technological Innovations in Data Usefulness

This post is provided by guest blogger, Gerald Edwards Jr., graduate student University of St. Francis, MS Training and Development program

There is a massive amount of digital data available on any number of subjects. AI has pushed the boundaries of big data. Gleaning useful information from endless search parameters is an infinite challenge, especially in the e-learning setting. The use of AI and big data mining makes it nearly impossible for students, in the time frame of semester course work, to make meaningful connections between various subject matters. There is an emerging tool that is indispensable to students and researchers at all levels of education, but specifically in the e-learning setting.

An article published in the journal Heliyon, analyzes the available peer reviewed published research literature on the use of data graphs as an effective search technology which is highly adaptable and suited for the digital learning environment. The authors provide a systematic appraisal of user usefulness and successful research outcomes in the digital learning environment when searching topics using institutionally compiled data graphs. Data graphs allow seemingly independent information variables to interconnect and return more meaningful data to the user through AI and human compiled related data. This information is useful when students and institutions are interested in a comprehensive understanding of a specific topic. Data graphs have been developed in other areas but are emerging as a invaluable tool for higher education students and instructors participating in the e-learning environment.

Abu-Salih, B. & Alotaibi, S. (2024).  A systematic literature review of knowledge graph construction and application in education. Heliyon, (10)3. https://doi.org/10.1016/jheliyon.2024.e25383

e-learning