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What is eLearning? |
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New technologies such as the Internet and changing business practices such as the use of more consultants are modifying the way we work. Our current low unemployment rate is making hiring a challenge at every level. Companies, especially those in competitive sectors, will need to use training as one of their most powerful tools. It increases employee productivity, builds stronger and more effective relationships with business partners, and creates greater brand awareness/preference with customers. Training has moved to a critical role because companies need to maintain their competitive edge.
Training needs in the corporate world are definitely growing, and companies need to find ways to make their training more efficient. Traditional classroom training is still a very effective method primarily because it is interactive and it provides a structured environment that encourages for students to complete the courses. However, classroom training has several drawbacks: high cost and difficulty of student access. Arranging for employees located in different facilities to be in the same room at the same time can be very difficult and expensive.
To get around these negatives, companies have provided employees with books and CD-based courses. Books are easy to use, but it is nearly impossible to keep busy employees focused on learning from them - books do not provide any interactivity or methods to force the student to complete the course. It is also very difficult to maintain a book's timeliness. CD-based courses are better because they can include interactive exercises. However, just as books, they are difficult to keep current and they provide low impetus for course completion. Both CD's and books are also expensive to distribute. These limitations force companies to look for methods that are low cost, effective, interactive, accessible, and motivational. eLearning has stepped in as the latest approach to solve the employee training problem.
eLearning is best defined as the category consisting of training and learning over the Web. eLearning is training that can be delivered over an Intranet, Extranet, or the Internet. Since courses can be centrally administrated, it easy to track students (thereby providing motivation to complete courses), control content (for easy updates as material changes), and inexpensive to deploy (since distribution of media is not an issue). Students can access training from their desktop.
There are two popular forms of eLearning: Asynchronous and Synchronous learning. Asynchronous consists of learning that is stand-alone. Asynchronous eLearning can be delivered through the web, via an Intranet, or by way of an extranet. The main feature is that the student takes courses when it is convenient for them. In contrast, synchronous eLearning is carried out at designated dates and times. Delivery is through the web, so that an instructor can take advantage of new technologies such as electronic presentation delivery, chat sessions, and collaborative electronic blackboards. Essentially, the concept of classroom training is extended to distance learning through the use of technology.
Studies have shown that with instructor led eLearning, students finish courses 90 times faster than through stand-alone training. Instructor lead training provides the impetus for completion traditionally found in classroom training. Stand-alone training, augmented by an electronically available tutor provides a blend of Asynchronous and Synchronous training.
In today's market there are three main categories of eLearning products and services:
1. Corporate Learning Management Systems (LMSs); 2. eLearning Training Portals; and 3. Authoring Tools. These three categories, in most cases, work complementarily with each other. Corporate LMSs are software/hardware combinations that host and manage courses, and monitor employee progress. They are usually accessed by the employee through a company's Intranet. Many companies have decided not to host courses within their company but to work with an eLearning training portal. eLearning portals are training web sites accessible via the Internet, where courses are served. They usually include a learning management system, and may include asynchronous and/or synchronous environments. The third category for eLearning is Authoring tools. Authoring tools are software used to create training courses. It is estimated that 80% of all corporate training is produced within the company. Content experts can use an eLearning-authoring tool to turn corporate information into an eLearning course that can then be hosted on their web site, in an internal LMS, or through a portal.
Whichever eLearning route a company chooses, they should be aware that the more complex the training environment the more expensive it will be to serve and support (increasing complexity = increasing costs). It is easy to get caught-up in the enthusiasm of new technology and fancy graphics. The fundamental question that companies should be asking when they decide to invest in eLearning is "Where will content be obtained?" After all, a fancy learning environment without any content is useless.
Most generic training courses have already been produced and can be found on a number of eLearning portal sites. Corporate eLearning is most effective when companies can focus on courses that are specific to their product/services. The goal is to inexpensively and quickly provide employees with access to the latest information. There are several options to produce custom training: hire an outside web training company to develop courses, hire technical developers to port existing content to a web format, or purchase a tool that content experts and classroom trainers can use to create their own courses.
Until recently, there were no tools available that the content experts (as opposed to the power users) could easily use. Now that they are available, there are several issues that should be considered. First, identify the up front costs and cost to develop the training. An important aspect to consider is the trainer's ability to use the environment. A tool that provides trainers with powerful capabilities but takes weeks to learn will most likely not provide a productivity gain. Also, consider:
- The learning curve - how many days of training is required to start using the tool?
- Ability to pour current material into training environment - can material in formats such as Microsoft PowerPoint be poured into your eLearning tool?;
- Is pedagogy inherent in training environment - will you need to hire a team of professional course designers to create training?
- Ease of deployment - will courses produced run easily on your network?
Even large networks can easily be overwhelmed by traffic from heavy graphics. It is best to keep web-enabled applications simple and small so students don't get frustrated. Good graphics are those that help a student learn. The goal is to provide an effective learning environment, not to produce prize-winning videos and graphics. Additionally consider the needs of supporting students working outside the corporate offices, at partner sites, or over the Internet. Courses that can be deployed to the widest possible market will be used the most, and will therefore provide the greatest return on investment. Due to corporate firewalls, most partner and customer environments will not accept courses deployed using specialized plug-ins or macros. This eliminates many types of graphics like video and audio. The best choices are simple courses built as standard web pages.
In conclusion, online training is being used in the corporate world to save money, to provide employees with easy access to information, and to extend the reach of trainers.