E-learning

The evolution of an Information Society has transformed many activities in our everyday lives, including how we work, communicate, entertain, teach and learn. More recently widespread Internet connectivity together with the development of new Web-based multimedia technologies, has strongly encouraged educational uses for Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Activities that require network technologies to deliver learning and training programs can be considered forms of “e-learning”. In the not too distant past, before broad use of Internet-based learning technologies became commonplace, a variety of technological solutions had been used to support teaching and learning activities, generally referred as Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). With CAI people started using a computer as a means of teaching, providing tutorials, simulations, or games. CAI was generally learning activities that did not require network connectivity. E learning today more often refers to systems and activities that go well beyond interactions with a single computer.