Future of eLearning?

The future of eLearning is a question I've been pondering for a while now, definitely in the last few weeks as the prospect of being a consultant with lots of free time on my hands was looking like a very real reality. How would I market myself? My business? I don't do traditional eLearning. I did some in my master's classes, but my work experience has been a much different adventure.

Therefore, Lisa Neal Gualtieri's article for eLearn Magazine really struck as me as serendipitous in it's timing and content. It brings together the predictions of 30 different experts in the field from around the world on what eLearning will look like in 2009. There's a whole range of opinions from one extreme to the other. If you are involved in eLearning in any way, go read this now.

Of course, with so many opinions that are so diverse, it didn't do much for answering my question, but it gave my thoughts more clarity. It was good to know that non-traditional methods of learning are starting to gain ground. It was also good to know that there will be a large number of instructional designers staying in traditional eLearning. Jay Cross had an interesting comment at the end that I think helped set in my mind where I stand. My thought is that we will always have some form of traditional eLearning. Corporations and other more conservative entities will take a long time to let go of the traditional way of doing eLearning.

But there will be places where change is welcomed; where the traditional way just won't work anymore. I guess that's where I'll be headed when the time comes, whenever and wherever that may be. Maybe it's helping educate the developing countries with content that's available over their cell phones. Or maybe it's doing what I do right now, tutorials of just-in-time content that get people what they need, when they need it and nothing more. Maybe it's something else completely, in some new social network, web 2.? world.

It can be scary looking over the edge to see what's on the horizon, especially in this economy, but, on the other hand, there's also a rush that comes from trying something new, learning something new and being a bit of a pioneer in our own small way. I now see myself leaning over the edge, looking for where I fit in to that "something new" part. My guess is that it won't be easy trying to explain the "something new" to those who don't want to know about changes in eLearning, but judging from some of the experts in the article, there are more places now where "something new" will be just what they are looking for.

So what about you? If you are in instructional design or in eLearning, where do you see yourself in the future of eLearning? There are no wrong answers to this question, just different areas of the spectrum.