I may be (embarrassingly) dating myself with this literary snapshot of my preadolescence but in 1999, a movie came out on the Disney Channel that I was obsessed with. It was about a 13-year old girl, roughly my age at the time, who was dealing with all the teenage-isms; keeping up with schoolwork, balancing a social life, and doing everything possible to avoid being grounded. I could totally relate to her life except for the small fact that she lived aboard a space station orbiting the Earth in the year 2049. The plot thickened when she is “grounded” by her parents and sent back to Earth to stay with her aunt just after she learned the station is in grave danger of sabotage. This movie had it all – from the futuristic fashion, the character names (Zenon and Nebula were just two to paint that picture), to how they constantly rode around on segways and had almost everything they wanted at the press of a button…it was all so out of this world. I mean, how cool would it be to have gourmet meals zapped instantly for school lunches? How far out would it be to video chat your friend whenever you wanted to, no matter the distance between you? How supersonic would it be to learn math and home economics in a virtual classroom with a hologram teacher?

Fast forward to 2018 and looking back on that teenage version of myself, it’s almost comical that I 1) thought 2049 was so far away, 2) was convinced that the cerulean leather skirts and matching zipper vests with pink nylon leggings and slinky-looking hair ties were totally fashionable, and 3) that there would be no way the technology of handheld video chat or virtual classrooms would ever be commonplace or achievable. But alas, I underestimated all three. The one underestimation that surprises me the most is the last one – video chatting your friend thousands of miles away whenever you want to! Or, learning from a teacher who was not in the same room as you, let alone the same state or same country? What in the world? These are no longer technological miracles – they are “gimmes” in our generation.

Think about it. From online colleges to online K-12 education, it is so incredible how easily accessible it is to earn your bachelor’s degree through online classes, live video chat with your colleagues in a different country, or enroll your child in a homeschool-inspired, virtual elementary school. The availability of virtual educational tools that are at our disposal in our academic and social lives is truly spectacular. Yet, it’s still such an untapped source of advancement and prosperity in our professional lives.

When someone asks me about “online training” or “eLearning”, the first thing that comes to mind is customized learning & development. The second thing that comes to mind is Zenon’s hologram teacher. (Only half-kidding). Having a virtual learning experience in an occupational capacity means it is tailored specifically for you and carefully engineered with your success in mind. At least it should mean that. Without having the real-life contact of talking with an instructor to clarify concepts or reexamine the test review checklist flashed on the screen for 4 seconds, it is imperative that virtual classes, courses, and curriculums are uniquely and purposefully created to speak exactly to your needs, for your comprehension, and most importantly, in your language.

In a time where these technological capabilities are considered ordinary, in no way should their by-products be treated as such. In a society where interactive learning is king, where it is expected to be culturally-conscience, and where one size does not fit all, in no way should the professional world of eLearning fall short of these norms.

I’m excited to be working for a company, Global eLearning, that has struck gold in grasping and executing these concepts. We understand that it is complacent to think that instructional courses of safety standards for a global company will be well-received in an English-only video. We understand that instructor-led training programs have evolved into virtual mediums and are undervalued and underestimated. We understand the criticality of customizing culturally-sound content and effective engagement in the native language for specific users.

In today’s technology-driven, eager to learn, global culture, Global eLearning is making localized learning accessible for customers, prosperous for clients, and unrivaled in the industry. Think of us as the Zenon of eLearning – light years ahead of its time! Wanna know more? Contact us today and we’ll share our past, present, and future concepts!

Brett Packard