E-Learning: Not Just For E-Normous Companies Anymore - distance education

HR Magazine, May, 2001 by Kathryn Tyler

At Quelsys, trainers can use a "free authoring tool to build a course, and track and manage it. The only time you incur a charge is when a student actually enrolls in the course," says Willen.

Though you may not have quite as much flexibility with templates, they are empowering. You do not rely on an outside consultant to update the course because the system is self-serve. Moreover, says Russell, "It's great for remote de-velopment of content. You can have the writer in one office, the subject matter expert in another and the graphic artist in another, and they are all working on the same course at the same time.

(For more tips on creating your own training content, see "Custom Design Tips" on page 86.)

How to Select a Provider

E-learning providers are as numerous as tulips in the spring. Moreover, there is a vast range of quality among them. How can you choose which is right for you?

One way to winnow the field is to find ASPs that deal with small companies. Many, if not most, e-learning providers cater to large corporations. "Partner with an organization that has experience working with your size organization,"

advises Russell.

Tim Kidder agrees. Kidder, who is vice president of marketing for eMind, an e-learning firm specializing in financial services headquartered in Los Angeles, suggests asking providers for "a case study of how they handled a customer similar in size with similar needs to yours. Ask them for a reference."

The next challenge is to find a provider that meets your training needs. "Who's got the library of content and different vendors that you need?" asks Kidder. "You want a company that has an authoring capability so that you can take your company's specialized product information or new-employee orientation online. You want an authoring tool that is easy-to-use and has a quick publishing turn-around."

Once you have shortened the list of vendors, test drive each. "A significant mistake is not demoing a course from that vendor," says Kidder. "See something they've already developed. Experience that course and the site's functionality. And don't assume because you click on a couple of screens you've seen the whole thing. Simulate the experience your learners will have."

Napoli agrees. She and five committee members thoroughly tested dozens of courses from several providers for Seattle's Chamber of Commerce. "I spent time in every course they set me up with. I looked at how easy it was to navigate, how fast it loaded, if it had quality take-home information," says Napoli. "I also looked at their own web site. How was it integrated? Did it look like it was an afterthought?"

Finally, test out the technical support, which should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. An online course won't be of much use if your employees can't access it or can't get help with it anytime they want. "If you don't have a support function, you are going to have frustrated learners," says Kidder.

Potential Obstacles

You want to ensure that employees will have the hardware and software they need to take full advantage of the courses. For instance, Walker and Associates offered employees a computer-purchase program: an interest-free loan of $1,250 toward the purchase of a home computer. "In addition, I maintain several laptops that are available for checkout purposes if they are traveling or don't have a PC at home," says Turner.