E-learning has expanded exponentially during the 1990's, with more colleges and universities offering more distance learning and more students taking advantage of this new avenue to advanced education. According to Kiernan, over one million additional students are availing themselves of this convenient type of college study (Kiernan, 2003, p.A28). Most higher education institutions offer some type of e-learning opportunity, and corporations have quickly adopted the Internet as a viable method of training employees. E-learning has many advantagesùflexibility and round-the-clock access to any number of coursesùhowever astute observers of the business trend from the classroom to the Internet wonder if there is a limit to the success of e-learning. E-learning is seen as an alternative to taking courses in the traditional classroom setting, a convenience that is quite appealing to professionals who work full time, and would otherwise go to night school (Green, 2000, p.32). The president and chief executive officer of HireStrategy, Paul Villela, sees that there is an upturn in the e-learning sector (Moorman, 2002, p.D08).
It is recognized that e-learning is becoming a significant force in education and training. The number of students involved grows and the demand will probably exceed the availability of course material. Colleges and universities will continue to collaborate among themselves and with government institutions to provide non-traditional educational experiences. However, e-learning will not totally replace traditional classroom instruction. It is the purpose of this paper to review relevant literature regarding e-learning and to focus on the business and marketing strategies for e-learning..
According to Kiernan, the effectiveness of e-learning depends very much on the objectives put forth at the outset (Kiernan, 2003, p.A29). The goals have to be tailored somewhat to the medium. For example it would not make muc...