What Is an E-Learning Portal?

A company, school or training center that offers online training may implement an e-learning portal to make course materials and assignments available to students and instructors and to provide a place for interaction. An e-learning portal typically consists of various modules that let users take tests, submit assignments, post messages on a discussion board or via email, and view user profiles and written and multimedia course materials. Although instructors have access to many of the same functions as students, they also usually can edit course materials, score assignments, and post announcements and student grades in an online grade book.

The core function of an e-learning portal is to make course materials available to all users, and materials usually are stored in a database. Each portal has a different way of organizing items for student access, with some portals having all downloadable items stored in a special lessons module and others using weekly modules that contain a mix of audio lectures, video supplements and written lessons. Students usually don't need to download all course materials, because instructors often make use of streaming video and audio technologies and embed this content within a page.

Students also use an e-learning portal to take tests and submit assignments, and portals contain specialized modules or mix tests and assessments with other module materials. Multiple choice tests often automatically get scored upon submission, but essay exams usually need to be graded by the instructor. To submit a project or essay to a portal, the student usually uploads the file from his computer to the portal so the instructor can grade it manually.

Both students and instructors often interact using a portal's discussion board, which allows users to create threads and post replies to existing topics. The discussion board usually has its own module in the portal and contains separate areas to post about each module's topics. An e-learning portal also often implements a private messaging system that lets students send emails to one another and to the instructor.

An e-learning portal often offers additional features that may be included with the portal's software or installed as extensions. Some of these features include integration with social networking websites and collaborative software, customized student profiles, video conferencing software for live lectures and integration with third-party textbook publisher websites. Instructors also can take advantage of special features, such as various reporting tools, to measure student progress.