Just as there are many names for e-learning itself (e.g., online learning, web-based training, technology-based learning, etc.), there are many names for types of e-learning. For an analogy, consider how you might categorize a movie. Is it a blockbuster or an independent film, a psychological thriller or a comedy, a family film or an adult film, a short film or a long film, a good film or a bad film? It may be all, some, or none of these things. In this way, e-learning products are often segmented dependent on some sampling of their characteristics.

A number of fundamental modes of training or instructional models make up the backbone of valid and valuable training. While these can be used as guides no matter what type of technology is chosen, the specific strengths and weaknesses of a particular training mode should be considered in order to maximize learner benefits.

Tutorials

Tutorials are one of the most ancient and commonly used modes of education. A good tutorial presents information and guidance, makes sure the learner has an opportunity to understand the instruction, and only then continues on to new information. Many tutorials basically consist of a linear presentation of content. When implemented poorly, a tutorial can become what is derisively referred to as "an electronic page-turner," or if web-based, a "scroller." This type of program presents content directly without giving the learner any more opportunity to interact other than to call for the next screen. When implemented properly, using the classic principles of instructional systems design, guided tutorials can be engaging and effective. The key to useful tutorials in e-learning are interactions that establish pace, clarify content, provide for practice and instill confidence.

Branching can greatly enhance the effectiveness of a tutorial, allowing it to operate in the way that a skilled teacher does. A question posed following an instructional moment can determine if the student has mastered the content. If mastery is not achieved, one branch is followed and another approach is provided to eliminate confusion. Only after mastery is achieved is the branch containing the next piece of information followed.

Simulations

Simulations are often used to recreate lifelike job situations. Realism is the key to successful simulations but not every element of a simulation has to be realistic in order for it to be instructionally valid. While hearing a telephone ring in the background of an office simulation adds to the depth of the user experience, being able to answer that phone and talk with a customer adds value to the user's learning experience.

The best example of a simulation is the complex flight simulator employed by pilots. More commonly encountered simulations are the scenarios deployed in training classrooms as role-playing exercises within the group.

Current technology enables students to interact with on-screen participants in non-linear, discovery-learning scenarios. Sales calls, customer service scenarios, computer repairs, surgery, and the full responsibility of running a business can all be simulated. Simulations of software functionality are particularly prolific and have well documented learner benefits. Cutting-edge programs now exist using virtual reality that enable students wearing goggles and sensor gloves to actually be immersed in a digitally created environment. The challenge to the trainer is to isolate the elements of a situation that can be controlled and must be mastered by the learner in reality and put the learner in control of these elements in the simulation. All the realism in the world cannot make a simulation a valuable learning tool without the elements of guidance, remediation, or feedback.

True simulations and simulation-based drill and practice exercises have in common the ability to reveal a learner's actions and reactions in a realistic, protected environment where time and distance are collapsed. In sales call simulations learners can try out various sales approaches without the jeopardy of awkward social situations.

Electronic Performance Support Systems

Electronic performance support systems (EPSSs) are created to give an individual the tool they need to perform a required task at the time they need it. A performance support system is in a way the opposite of a tutorial. Where a tutorial instructs the learner and then requires that the learner perform, a performance support system requires the learner to determine when they need assistance and then ask for the required guidance. The most ubiquitous example of a performance support system is the "Help" feature built into Microsoft's Office applications. A simple example of a non-e-learning performance support tool is an inventory checklist created for a grocery clerk.

A growing consensus in the industry is that e-learning should include imbedded support systems that provide instant guidance at the time and place of need. With the advent of Web-based training and the emergence of the hyperlink paradigm, the convergence of e-learning and electronic performance support systems is almost complete. Web-based tutorials can be completed independently as learning exercises for new users and yet be delivered as just-in-time chunks of information and interactive tools at the desktop.

The challenge of creating useful performance support systems obviously consists of determining what tools are needed by a population and providing those tools. In the context of e-learning, the further challenge is creating systems that allow an individual needing a tool to recognize that such a tool exists and then be able to use that tool.

Instructional Games

The inclusion of games has often been a hitch in getting management to agree to e-learning initiatives. Many learning theories contend, though, that games are essential to the learning exhibited by children and can be usefully extended into the realm of adult learning. Games can have great value, possibly greater value than any other mode of instruction, in reducing learner tension and increasing learner engagement. The reluctance toward employing games to teach is becoming less apparent as supervisors are educated in learning theory and many who have experience in gaming for educational purpose move into management roles.

Games in the style of TV game shows have long been used in the classroom to provide a fun and effective method for reinforcement and self-assessment. Instructional games are equally effective using the latest computer technologies. Games can run the gamut from simple speed and accuracy typing exercises to complex business simulators where a student might run an entire factory. Instructional games can also replicate classic, arcade, and game show styles such as tic-tac-toe, auto racing, and Jeopardy(TM).

The defining characteristic of instructional games is a set of goals or a competitor to provide motivation in addition to the learning. For maximum success, the motivational element of the game should run parallel to the overall motivation for the training. The game should have has instructional value aligned with the objectives of the overall course. There is little merit to using games as a reward for completing learning objectives exterior to the games themselves.

Tests, Record Keeping, and Guidance

Automated assessments are another commonly used facet of e-learning. When companies first adopt e-learning initiatives, testing and record-keeping systems are often accepted earlier than programs that integrate multiple training modes, due to their ease of implementation and their quickly recognizable returns.

Online tests can be used for self-assessment purposes, or can be computer graded and reported back to central administration. The explosion of enterprisewide networks now provides the power to assess thousands of individuals and track their progress against specific job competencies throughout their life within an organization. The latest and most sophisticated technology-based tests are tightly linked to learning objectives, which in turn can help create a completely personalized curriculum.

Combining the Modes

Maximum learner benefit can be typically achieved by combining several training modes in one project. The merit of each mode varies with training goals and some modes are ill suited to meet some needs. A solid and frequent model is to use tutorials to teach basic knowledge and concepts, use simulations for reinforcement and application of the knowledge (leading to skills), test or certify the comprehension, and finally provide an on-the-job performance support tool to aid in recall and application.