Gerenations of content

You can recognize the different generations of content by these features:

Generation 1 (1996 to 2000)

   * Slides
   * Some audio
   * Online and on CD-ROM

Generation 1 content did little more than migrate classroom courses to the
computer — vendors didn't redesign the content to work well on computers.
This content wasn't well-received by workers, which led some companies to
believe that classroom instruction was their only viable option.

Generation 2 (2000 to Mid-2002)

   * Animation and rich content
   * Online, with limited offline delivery
   * Limited live delivery

Generation 2 content added more-sophisticated design and instructional
techniques. Live delivery has proven to be popular, but many companies use
it simply to share slides. Some vendors have packaged courses for live
delivery and received rave reviews. Just as with self-paced courseware, you
need to plot out courses on storyboards and design content for online
delivery.

Generation 3 (Mid-2002 to 2005)

   * Rich course design
   * Support for the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)
standard
   * Online and offline availability
   * Limited use of simulation
   * Live delivery as an option

Many companies use Generation 3 content because they realize that rich
course designs help e-learning programs succeed with users. Courses often
lack flexibility by being hard-coded for online or offline delivery, but
this is slowly changing. SCORM support enables companies to reuse content
and run it on their learning management systems (LMSs), even if the content
is authored with different tools. However, because not all authoring tools
support SCORM, content has not yet become fully interoperable.

Generation 4 (2006 to 2009)

   * Dynamic course designs
   * Multichannel delivery (online, offline, live and mobile or wireless)
   * Consistent use of simulation
   * Just-in-time scheduling

Simulations will become pervasive and more advanced in their design. Some
companies will use simulations for tasks beyond training, such as screening
workers for job advancement. Generation 4 content will also be available at
any time, and links to just-in-time scheduling will connect it to the
business process or application. For example, if an employee leaves
unexpectedly, a colleague can train immediately to take over his or her
duties.


(source : Gartner)