She said e-learning is engaging because it can determine what the students know and focus on teaching what they don't. E-learning will become a routine part of our lives in the future. The lines between traditional education and corporate training are starting to blur as education companies sell to both markets. Distance learning fell out of favor in the United States by the 1950s as colleges expanded their physical plants and top-flight universities became available near all major population centers. Computer technology, and now the Internet, are redefining distance education, with education institutions scrambling to use the technology, build brand names and grab market share.
Corporations see e-learning as an effective and less costly means of training their staffers.
General Electric and some other corporations have switched entirely to e-learning. He expects it will become the largest electronic delivery vehicle for corporate training by next year. He expects busy Americans will take Cardean courses to upgrade their skills. Though his company focuses on the corporate market, Schank plans to develop courses over the next year that will be used to teach high school students. But he noted European countries are moving faster than the United States to adopt e-learning techniques.