Tutorom Elearning Beta is Promising

We just got an invite to test Tutorom a new elearning beta being developed by vtc.com. Tutorom is designed to allow anyone to create and deliver elearning content for free. According to VTC, a computer software training site, the developers will be adding a training library of over 55,000 video tutorials and also content for schools and business. 

The premise is interesting in that any user can create an elearning course and either charge for them, restrict access or make the courses public. Advertising for the courses will be split 50/50 between the content owner and Tutorom according to the site's "about" page. Users can also opt to control advertising on their courses by taking advantage of the yearly membership and either going without ads or getting 100 percent of as revenue on their courses.

Tutorom is a promising venture into the elearning venue and similar in ways to ProProfs.com and WiziQ in providing the potential for extended learning and dispersing knowledge from a flexible Web platform. All of the elearning sites have a great idea, but none seem to be taking things to their rather logical conclusion. However, Tutorom has at least provided a system for valuation and control over the learning segments.

As a teaching/learning tool Tutorom is still in its infancy, but the site shows excellent user control, flexibility, navigation and potential for content. The learning channels are slightly limited as is content right now, but this is always the case in early betas. The courses I was able to access on Tutorom were actually quite excellent and helpful. If professional appearance is used as an indicator then this site is better than many others in having made an attractive tool. Without the massive library necessary to qualify a site like this not much can be said outside a cursory look inside and the over use of the word potential.

I think content providers and students of virtually anything will eventually find Tutorom extremely useful. The site is the best one of its kind so far in my view, even though lessons and UI improvement need to be added and enhanced. This is one of the elearning sites I will watch over the course. The only real negative aspect I have for anyone at Tutorom is that if someone is going to charge me for a course, it had better be damned good.

Web 2.0 has the potential to be the greatest teaching and learning tool the world has ever known. Having potential is not enough however, and so much more is possible. Frankly, any site that does not go "whole hog" with an education portal is just missing the boat in my opiion.

Screen of Quicktime inset and the Tutorom UI and channels.