New future of e-learning

Poor quality online learning programmes are damaging the reputation of e-learning as an effective training tool.

Failure to assess the benefits of new e-learning technologies will have long-lasting repercussions for many organisations. Ashley Wearne, managing director, Southeast Asia for Adobe Systems shares her view on how this can be overcome.

THE need to deliver meaningful, cost-effective training programmes to employees, partners and customers has never been greater. Organisations are becoming increasingly disparate – their workforces operate in multiple remote locations and different countries. Mobile working is encouraged, offering employees greater flexibility and work/life balance.

But the need for training hasn’t changed – people still need to be educated about new products and processes, updated working practices, and alternative methods and operations. This needs to happen at a place and time most convenient to the learner, not the trainer. Organisations today face challenges to make training work.

A recent report by the UK-based Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) shows that the majority of employees still receive training in an in-person, classroom environment – 64 per cent compared to 26 per cent of training delivered electronically. The report shows that the majority of learners are happy with this traditional method. But how sustainable is it? Are some people missing out? The report states that nearly a fifth of trainees fail to take up the training courses offered to them. A large number of these (40 per cent) state that they are too busy and training does not accommodate their schedule. Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) also find the classroom method too expensive and unsustainable in training staff.

Low cost, low standard? E-learning has provided an attractive alternative, offering convenience to trainees and managers. But the pay-off has been a perceived decrease in the quality and effectiveness.

Subsequently, too many online training modules are just a “tick in the box” for development departments and add little value to the learning or career of the trainee.

In the past, one of the biggest barriers to e-learning was a flat and dreary output. A poor training session or disappointing user experience can turn the learners off, reducing their morale or perception of a particular company.

This isn’t good enough and as the economy gets worse and businesses become more competitive. Then, every training session, module and activity must deliver bottom line benefits and help the trainee to become a greater asset to the organisation. Retaining, motivating and improving the abilities of the existing workforce are imperative for organisations that want to remain afloat during a recession.

Create engaging experiences The solution lies in creating e-learning programmes that gives an interactive experience for the trainer and trainee.

Trainers must provide appropriate content that meets the needs of organisations and individuals.

Lessons must be easy to apply on-the-job and also easy for the trainee to access. The lessons should also be compelling enough for the user to want to complete the course.

The key to make e-learning more interactive and productive, is the ability for trainers to create, and amend their training materials.

Trainers require a solution which is easy for them to use and modify without having extensive technical knowledge.

Non-technical trainers should be able to pull together content-rich courses that captivate users by making use of interactive simulations, technology demonstrations or scenario-based training.

More importantly, the best e-learning technologies allow users to interact with the lesson using chat or Web video conferencing, assessed in real-time, and provide instant feedback. For the trainers, they benefit from being able to track the progress of participants and update content as often as necessary, which provides total control throughout the entire process.

Online can still be interactive Previously, one of the biggest obstacles to using Web conferencing in place of in-person meetings was the perception that you don’t get the same level of engagement from participants. But with new in-built tools, a Web conferencing host can reach out to participants to gauge their opinions, or just to see if everyone is paying attention.

Hosts can create an online poll, through which they can ask simple questions which are distributed through the user chat channel.

Reuters, for example, has added rich interactivity, such as quizzes and simulations, to make sure training is equally engaging and effective.

E-learning solutions can also create online spaces that replicate informal spaces which exist in real world training. For example, teachers can create virtual breakout rooms to focus discussions and simulate the classroom experience.

The trainer can monitor and move among breakout rooms and communicate with participants. This is a good tool for distance learning students, helping them to build rapport with trainers outside the traditional teaching space.

Invest in better learning experiences In the current economic climate, no organisation can afford to rest on their laurels. They have to get the best out of their workforce.

To do this, organisations need to invest in cost-effective tools and solutions. As e-learning solutions continue to develop, everyone can benefit from the greater collaboration and meaningful online learning experiences that they generate.

Similarly, all training managers must resist the notion from certain camps that e-learning is not an effective tool to get the best out of their workforce. Investment in sophisticated e-learning tools and solutions will make sure businesses are equipped to face the needs of a changing workforce.