e-Learning for Luddites
© 2013 Stan Yack

When the term "e-learning" is used today, it almost always refers to educational material accessible via the Internet, usually training available on the World Wide Web.

In this one-hour presentation I recount the history of e-learning, from trivial drill and practice exercises on simple computer terminals and early PCs, to pedagogically sophisticated interactions on modern personal computers, including wide area Web-based access.

I describe how accepted educational guidelines have been adapted for the online environment, to direct the delivery of quality online courses using both commercial Learning Management Systems and open source presentation tools.

I highlight how the online learning environment differs from traditional face-to-face instruction, and show how limits of the online environment, as well as limits of the human mind, can be overcome to create effective e-learning.


I am an instructional designer and computer softsmith, B Math (University of Waterloo). I have implemented application and system software on several computing platforms including IBM mainframes, MS Windows, MacOS, and UNIX. In recent years I have been teaching and developing online courses.

Stan Yack
Instructional Designer and Softsmith