All Aboard the E-Learning Train - electronic business courses

Training & Development, July, 2000 by Darin Hartley

E-learning 101.

You're a great instructor in the classroom.

Your smile sheets reflect it. You've had a running 4.82 average on a 5.0 scale for the past 32 months. And you're actually getting learners to come hear you facilitate. Life is good.

Then, something frightening happens. Linda Lightyear, the new training director who has been brought from a Fortune 500 company, starts babbling some nonsense about being "best of class." This heretic actually has the nerve to challenge the entire training staff to work themselves out of jobs and become disciples of the elearning movement, all in the next 12 to 18 months. You start to panic when you realize that your VCR at home is still flashing the preset 12:00 -- technology isn't your bag. Presenting and facilitating are your core competencies. So, do you submit your resignation and start looking for another haven for bricks-and-mortar instruction? You could, but you'll find out shortly that the same challenge is being sounded in other organizations. Why not face it head-on?

Why e-learning?

One of the most difficult things about being challenged to use e-learning is deciding where to start. Some training and learning functions are embracing the use of technology but without a thorough understanding of the business problems they're trying to address. Some are being asked to implement e-learning for its own sake. That's a great way for e-learning to fail. The person responsible for new technology implementation should have a solid understanding of why e-learning is the preferred medium. Here are some good reasons.

Availability. E-learning can be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Affinity. Some people desire to use, or at least tinker with, new technology as it becomes available.

Relevance. The advent of portal technology, coupled with robust HR data systems and other information management systems, has created a potent weapon in e-learning. Information and knowledge can be pushed to people just before they need to know it, based on job function, time in service, business segment, and so forth.

Efficiency. People can often complete tasks more efficiently if aided by technology. (Try long division on paper instead of using a calculator.)

Sole option. There are times when using technology is the only way to complete a task, such as getting money from an ATM or placing an order from a Web catalogue.

Reinforcement. When people use technology to complete a task correctly on a regular basis, they will probably use the same technology again in a similar situation.

Immediate feedback. When technology is used to complete a task, there's usually immediate (or nearly immediate) feedback. For instance, if someone purchases a book at Amazon.com, an email is sent verifying the order. Or, if you go to mapblast.com and enter your home address and a destination address, you get driving directions.

Involvement. The learning must require you to do more than just read page after page; requesting frequent responses and interaction keeps learners engaged. A picture or short video can say a lot more than words and also hold learners' attention. Being allowed to pick the module you want and in what sequence is a nice option, but it doesn't make the process as interactive as often claimed. Learners need to be more involved.

Appeal. Technology can be more appealing if it's robust and full-color and has graphics (even 3-D), voice recognition, and animation.

Reduced cost. Technology-enabled transactions are generally cheaper than people-enabled transactions. (Trade 1,000 shares of stock with a bricks-and-mortar broker and trade the same 1,000 shares with an online broker and notice the difference in commission -- just as there's less travel cost and away-from-classroom cost with online training.)

Easy to find. People are becoming more familiar with Internet browsers and navigation and other related technology. Courses or learning objects can be made readily accessible. Many applications are building robust help functions, which preclude the need for formal instruction. Online learning must have easy access to what people want to know. The current emphasis on making the interfaces attention-getting and attractive is fine, but if it's difficult to find the vital information in a few clicks, people move on. A comprehensive search routine, Web hot (neuro media.com), or smart search engine such as Ask Jeeves (ask.com) can help.

Less training time.

Effective e-learning solutions can reduce classroom time by as much as two-thirds.

Greater, faster impact.

You're in charge of compliance training at your company with 1,000 managers. Each manager has to get four two-hour sessions from a lawyer every year. If you had an equivalent Web-based learning solution, the entire population of managers could complete the training in as little as two weeks. (Try to schedule 1,000 managers for training with a maximum classroom size of 40 participants for four separate classes in less than two weeks. It won't happen.)