E-learning Tools and Technologies: A consumer's guide for trainers, teachers, educators, and instructional designers

With its ability to both reduce operating costs and train more people, E-Learning is an attractive option for companies that are trying to balance business and educational goals. But in order to implement an E-Learning program, you'll have to wade through hundreds of learning management systems, learning content management systems, authoring schools, and collaboration environments to determine what solution will work best for your situation.

In this in-depth book, recognized E-Learning experts William and Katherine Horton survey the entire field of E-Learning tools for you. They provide you with a systematic way to identify, evaluate, and choose products and services based on different E-Learning scenarios.

In this no-holds barred look at E-Learning tools, the authors:

• Arm you with a complete list of questions to ask vendors before you commit to a product
• Describe product limitations throughout each chapter and include special Rant sections that you must read
• Present tips and tricks as well as common mistakes to avoid
• List potential vendors and contact information by tool category

The companion Web site contains design forms, checklists of features to look for in the various tool categories, spreadsheets, and lists of specific tools and vendors.

The book is divided into the following categories:

Hardware and networks
Tools for accessing e-learning
Tools for offering e-learning
Tools for creating e-learning content
Picking tools and technologies
Evolution, trends, and big ideas

For each tool type, the book addresses the following:

What is the tool?
How does it work?
What else can the tool do?
What are the differences between tools?
How to choose the correct tool
The capabilities to look for

The book is clear and understandable, and helps you comprehend what these tools are, why you might want them, and how to evaluate them. The conceptual information is well presented and informative.

If you've ever found yourself confused about available e-learning technologies, or wondered if you need a particular technology or not, this is the book for you. It not only tells you what the tools do, it puts the technology in perspective for e-learning. William and Katherine Horton have distilled their years of experience into this 592-page book to help you make the right decisions and avoid the pitfalls. Highly recommended.


E-Learning Tools and Technologies   May 29, 2003
Bill Lee (Euless, TX United States)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

The Horton books are always a rich source of information but this one is a huge time-saver. It condenses into one (not too short) source all of the many years of experience that the Hortons have had in dealing with all of the issues involved in designing, developing, implementing, and maintaining e-learning. It is arranged in such a way that if your issue is software, you can get right there. If it's hardware, the same.

This book will help you avoid the pitfalls that so many organizations have encountered in implementing e-learning. Bill and "Kit" demystify the hype. E-learning has been oversold to business, industry, and education, in many ways and there is so much available today to choose from you can end up in "analysis paralysis" and never move in any direction. Another use for the book is as a resource if you work in an organization where someone dictates "moving to the web." "A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing" the adage goes. You can use the information in this book to connect the intracies to show that it's easier to say than it is to do.

This is the most up-to-date and thorough book I have seen on this very complicated, complex, and confusing topic.


Horton answers What and How instead of Who!   June 26, 2003
Dawn Adams (Charlotte, NC USA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

As one of the previous reviewers said Horton books are always a weath of information. This book is that and more. As an experienced practitioner in this space you'd think I'd know this stuff. And I do but it didn't stop me from reading this book cover to cover and enjoying every minute of it.

My favorite part is the Bill, Kit and Curmudgeon cartoons. They really proivde different perspectives about various issues. These are common views in real life and how they are expressed and addressed give this book an edge no other book on this topic has.

All this in addition to Bill and Kit's easily readable writing style and depth of knowledge. You can't lose when you buy this book. It's worth every penny and a lot more.


Very useful, I found support   June 27, 2007
Martha Russo (Caracas, Venezuela)
Easy to learn, easy to use, this book guides you in a very practical way through each step in e.learning instructional design. Besides you may use many of its information for computer based training (CBT)too. Step by step, he develops each chapter with information and examples, it even shows the computer page. Very interesting the way he organized the Activate Learning Chapter and the ideas at Motivate Learners Chapter. Even when it is a thick book you may read it quite fast and find a lot of support and ideas to work with. Very Useful.


Book review   October 15, 2007
Orientaldelight (Boston, MA)
This book gives a good overview to eLearning and standard tools used in the industry. It assumes the reader is a beginner and want to explore opportunities in the eLearning field.

I found this book helpful in explaining the tools and processes used by course developers and training professional. The authors' other book (can't recall name right now) was not as coherent or systemmatic as this book.

I would recommend this book for any beginner or intermediate level trainers or developers to further expand their knowledge of eLearning.