E-Learning: A Primer

If your organization is thinking about introducing e-learning into its mix of education and training tools, the points made in this article can give you a checklist for success.

Many organizations are now investigating e-learning as a way to provide state-of-the-art education and training to their employees. Potential benefits of e-learning courses include lower total costs, increased ability to tailor instruction to learners' individual needs, flexible delivery, and more rapid deployment; however, e-learning is not always the best choice. This article addresses several areas to consider before a decision is made to introduce e-learning into your organization.

The American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) defines e-learning as a wide set of applications and processes, such as Web-based learning, computerbased learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. Delivery of the content can occur through the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio and videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive television, and CD-ROM.

Obviously, the term e-learning covers an extremely wide range of educational and training approaches. Additionally, this field is loaded with jargon and specialized terminology, which further complicates planning and decision making related to its use. Before leaders in your organization begin a discussion on e-learning, it's probably a good idea to review basic terms and reach agreement on their meanings.

Strategic Issues

Despite the many benefits of e-learning, the transition from the classroom to technology-based training is not as straightforward as it may seem. In fact, the change is most likely to succeed only if the organization adopts clear goals and strategies to guide the process.

There are three common goals for e-learning established by many organizations:

* Obtain training cost efficienciesThis goal presumes that travel costs and employees' time away from the work site will be reduced and that access to key courses will increase, regardless of the employees' work location.

* Provide training to a distributed work force -This goal presumes that course content can be implemented more rapidly and that content will be presented more consistently.

* Recruit and retain key employees -Not only does e-learning provide more flexible approaches for responding to changing requirements for knowledge and skills, but it also offers a wider range of learning approaches to meet individual styles. This can be a powerful incentive for attracting new employees and keeping them engaged.

One of the most pressing strategic questions is, "How ready is your organization for e-learning?" Before moving forward with the decision to adopt e-learning, investigate the following areas:

* Understanding the advantages and disadvantages e-learning is not a panacea, and it is important that the organization consider both its advantages and disadvantages in light of the organization's unique culture, past experiences, and other strategic issues.

* Reasonable expectations for outcomes-Although the total cost of deployment for e-learning is generally lower, initial development costs and prices for purchased courses are often higher than for classroom-based equivalents. It's also true that content can be deployed across the organization almost instantly; however, it's unfair to assume that all learners will be able to understand and apply what they've reviewed immediately. Finally, delivery of e-learning courses can be fraught with trouble- -despite the best efforts to control hardware and software reliability.

* Leadership involvement - As with any strategic initiative, the organization's leaders must be prepared to explain why e-learning is being adopted and how it will help achieve the vision. Leaders, therefore, must have a thorough understanding of e-learning's purpose and fit in the overall education/training plan. The leaders' willingness to personally participate in e-learning experiences also aids in the transition. As with many other strategic initiatives, leaders need to role model appropriate behaviors if they expect members of the organization to adopt new behaviors.

* Technological capability - Few organizations have the servers, workstations, and other required equipment for e-learning without significant upgrades. Additionally, the variety of potential learning sites (at work, home, and on the road) increases the technological complexity significantly.

The other critical strategic question to consider is, "Where will e-learning fit into your overall plan?" It is unlikely that e-learning will become your sole education and training approach; therefore, it is important to plan exactly how e-learning will integrate with other efforts. Take into account six primary areas using the questions shown below to help your organization determine its best course of action. There are no "right" answers, but different answers should lead to different approaches.

* Scope and pace

Should e-learning be launched at the enterprise level or on a smaller level (business, function, or workgroup)? How quickly should it be implemented?

* Audience and content

What e-learning courses should be offered (versus courses offered in the classroom)? What jobs and positions are served most effectively by e-learning or a combination of e-learning and classroom training?

* Instructional design and delivery

How will existing instructional materials be converted so that they will uniquely fit the eleaming approach? What technology is available and reliable? How comfortable are employees with the technology that they will use? What will be the balance between text, multimedia, simulations, and other design features? How entertaining should the e-learning courses be? How personalized should the content be? Which courses should be developed internally and which should be purchased? What instructional support is necessary before, during, and after participants' review of e-learning materials?

* Cost

How will costs and return on investment (ROI) be measured? How much should instructional content be constrained by cost? How will the cost be balanced against the potential gains in individual and organizational performance (which may be extremely difficult to substantiate)?

* Administration

How will participation in e-learning courses be tracked? How will participants be guided to take appropriate courses? How will course completion be encouraged and verified? How will learning be evaluated? Should a content or learning management system be used?

*Support

Will a help desk be available? If it will, when will it operate? How will it be accessed? How will learners access instructors/coaches to ask questions? How will consistency from instructor to instructor be assured?

E-Trainer Requirements

Although there is some overlap, working as an e-trainer is not exactly the same as serving as a classroom instructor. Many organizations assume that their current group of trainers automatically has the ability to coordinate webinars, serve as coaches, and fulfill other roles associated with e-learning. Unfortunately, this can be a costly, time-consuming, and erroneous assumption. Even with training related directly to e-learning roles, some classroom trainers just aren't cut out for these assignments.

The following characteristics are similar for both classroom and e-trainers:

* Presenting information in an engaging and logical fashion.

* Being committed to helping people learn.

* Having a thorough knowledge of the content and the ability to assess learners' understanding of the content.

* Possessing a willingness to work with individual learners in their own way and at their own pace.

* Challenging learners to work hard to master concepts and skills so they can succeed.

* Seeking opportunities to improve the content and learning process.

On the other hand, the requirements listed below are quite different:

* E-trainers have less opportunity to interact with learners. They receive no visual feedback, and they cannot rely on sharing experiences or giving charismatic presentations.

* E-trainers have the ability to focus the learners' attention on the content, making the technology and distance irrelevant to the learning experience. They must be completely comfortable with hardware and software and use new approaches to keep learners engaged. After all, some course topics can be far less interesting than making your PC sing and dance!

It may be interesting to note that many classroom trainers do not find it as rewarding to conduct an e-learning course. That's probably because they miss the interactions with learners that occur before, during, and after class.

Some people involved in the e-learning field also have noted that role of an e-trainer requires a touch of "Hollywood." There's a different sense of pressure to achieve perfection when you know you're being filmed for or broadcast to a large audience.

And, don't forget that the camera adds 10 pounds; this is enough to unnerve many classroom trainers who depend on quickly building relationships and are not expected to be physically beautiful. For some reason, once a trainer stands in front of a camera, he/she may find that others evaluate him/her using the wrong criteria, or even find that self-doubt undermines his/her performance.

Creating Success

One recent study (Forrester, August 2001) listed seven primary causes of unsuccessful e-learning implementations: low interactivity, cultural resistance, bandwidth, ROI measurement, browser problems, firewalls, and a lack of standards. Some of these involve issues with people, others involve issues with content, and still others are issues with technology. When viewed as a whole, this list makes it clear that there are many ways that things can. go wrong with e-learning courses.

The list below proposes some approaches to use to increase the probability of success:

* Increase interaction - Create collaborative work groups; use online "chats" or live events.

* Ensure security -Establish limits to information on individual learners' progress and results; explain how practice work and evaluations will be used to assess progress and aid coaching; treat practice work and evaluations the same as other confidential HR information.

* Hold learners accountable-Many e-learners start online courses but never finish them. Organizations not only need to keep the instructional materials engaging, but also they need to incorporate e-learning into job responsibilities and performance appraisal.

* Measure competence-Taking the course is never enough; some measure of improved knowledge or skills should be included with the training. An amazing range of self-assessments, tests, and sophisticated electronic assessments can be built directly into e-learning courses to evaluate progress. Wise organizations also provide learners with project opportunities that require them to apply and demonstrate proficiency with the concepts and skills addressed in the course.

* Provide guidance-All learners need access to and interaction with people who have an understanding of and experience with course content. Even the brightest learners need validation. Organizations need to make sure that coaches and other support resources are available to assist learners.

* Keep technology simple - State-of-the-art isn't always better. Use hardware and software with which learners are comfortable; help the learners become familiar with navigation methods and content organization. One critic of e-learning lamented that it took most learners so long to master the process of accessing the content that it was no wonder they abandoned the courses.

* Manage development costs-There's no reason organizations need to reinvent the wheel completely. This doesn't mean that classroom content can be "cut and pasted" into e-learning software, though. What works in the classroom when an interactive instructor is present to adjust the process may be a dismal failure within the e-learning framework. On the other hand, it's possible -and preferable- to build on existing materials. It's also wise to limit multimedia and simulcast events; although these can be lively and entertaining, they may not be the best teaching methodologies for certain topics.

E-learning is a strategic approach to increasing individual and organizational capabilities; therefore, it warrants leadership support and promotion. Commitment and cooperation can be built with managers and supervisors by introducing them to e-learning concepts and practices and having them contribute to the implementation plan. Additionally, it is best to seek frequent feedback from learners and their managers, incorporating appropriate changes into the implementation plan. Then, provide regular updates on the status of e-learning implementation, such as course titles, number of learners who have completed studies, testimonials from satisfied learners, and how feedback has affected the plan. In the end, most organizations that develop formal goals and strategies, as well as manage the change process carefully, will find e-learning an extremely worthwhile part of their overall education/training system.

James J. Rooney is a senior risk and reliability engineer with ABS Consulting's risk consulting division in Knoxville, TN. He earned a master's degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Tennessee. Rooney is a Fellow of ASQ and an ASQ certified quality auditor, quality auditor-HACCP, quality engineer, quality improvement associate, quality manager, and reliability engineer.

William Scott is president of Pioneer Learning, an organization that works with individuals to improve their performance through education, training, and developmental coaching. He has an extensive background in quality management and has been recognized by his peers and subordinates for his coaching abilities. He can be reached at www.pioneerlearninggroup.com.

Copyright Association for Quality and Participation Winter 2003
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