We learn most naturally by eXample, eXploration, and eXperience. Hmm...sounds like more like x-learning than e-learning.

The truth is, we humans are natural learning machines from day one. We explore everything around us, and in our experiences, we learn by repetition and practice, what things work and what things don't. As we create our e-learning simulations, we specifically plan for learners to fail, with a conviction that if they don't have a chance to fail, they really don't have a chance to learn.

So, many times, learning is a random, circular, or iterative path, rather than being linear. Which has lead me many times to ask e-learning practitioners "Who died and made the page (and/or PPT) king? The best response I've ever gotten was Gutenberg...which is probably right. And not that people can't learn by reading, but there are obvious differences and value to e-learning, e-reading, and e-listening, all of which we blithely refer to as e-learning.

One thing all of us should do is take a step back, and with a critical eye, decide if what we are producing is more immersive e-learning, or if it's simply some form of online presentation.

Something I do know about natural e-learning is that most of us voluntarily e-learn everyday, when we turn to our favorite search engine. That's also something to think about when we develop courses.

This is the second topic of 8 in the w/ workshop at BYOL eLearning 2010, and will be expanded here, after the workshop on November 11th. To participate before, during and after the workshop, join us on Twitter, using the hash tag: #wbyol2.

We will be live from 12:30 to 2:30, Eastern time on Thursday, November 11th. After the meeting I will be updating this post.