online

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online just in time
ltlt overall summary gtgt

• the organisational change implications of
  implementing e-learning solutions in
  organisations
• by peter holmes for networking 2002

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themes overview diagram Click the appropriate
theme to move to that page in the summary
Organisational Change Themes For
Introducing E-learning
- Theme 1 - Information Technology Partnership
- Theme 7 - Accessibility Issues
- Theme 2 - The Learning Environment
- Theme 6 - Trainer Acceptance
- Theme 3 - Fear of Using Technology
- Theme 5 - Management Acceptance
- Theme 4 - Learner Acceptance
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theme 1 partnership with i.t. area

• Issues
• No plug-ins like Flash player
• A key problem for many organisations who are
  thinking of e-learning. Products such as Flash
  and Authorware require plug-ins. If you want to
  do streaming audio you need something like
  Windows Media player, etc
• Learning considered low priority by IT managers
• Many IT areas dont even want to know about
  learning technologies as they are not considered
  core business. Have you found a solution to
  this.. If so post it..
• Bandwidth issues
• Bandwidth is becoming less of an issue but still
  raises its head in large and geographically
  dispersed organisations. Broadband is still
  fairly rare in Australia.
• So many different terminal types and platforms
  that design of materials is difficult
• Many organisations have many different platforms
  and types of terminals
• Have trouble grasping the concept of Enterprise
  Architecture and where learning fits in
• IT areas talk of their enterprise architecture
  and it is important for us to get learning
  technologies included in this architecture

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theme 1 partnership with i.t. area

• Some Solutions
• Involve them early
• We have found that involving IT early on a
  steering group can radically shift their
  willingness to be involved in learning projects
• Workshop with key areas
• If a steering group is not possible then a
  workshop with all key IT stakeholders (eg
  infrastructure, web, lan, etc) present can work
  wonders
• Identify IT needs with them not for them
• Another important point is not to present IT with
  products (eg a particular piece of software) that
  you want but to work with them to develop
  functional specifications for the functions you
  want there may be more than one product..

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theme 2 the learning environment

• Issues
• Raising awareness of others that people are
  learning online
• How do we raise the awareness of work mates and
  managers that people are working when they are
  doing online learning
• Disturbances whilst people are online
• How do we stop people getting disturbed by
  phones, managers, work mates while they are
  online
• How do we give the impression that people are
  occupied and communicating with others when they
  are sitting in front of a terminal with no-one
  around them
• people are playing and not working concept
• There is still a concern voiced that people are
  playing when they are online in the workplace
• Many managers still see being online as a
  productivity issue because they dont understand
  online learning

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theme 2 the learning environment

• Some Solutions
• Learning centres
• Utilise old computer training rooms as learning
  centres where people can book terminals
• Rooms can still be booked for classroom training
  but at other times individual terminals can be
  booked
• Scheduled times
• Schedule times in work places as for classroom
  training
• Block time out in diaries for learning
• Divert phones to voice mail or in call centres
  turn phones off for groups who are engaged in
  learning
• Signage
• Signage for work-points similar to the clock sent
  out by Networking 2002
• A suggestion from the discussion board has been
  to wear a learning hat!
• Organisational Permission
• Issue a memo giving organisational permission to
  block time for online learning

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theme 3 fear of technology

• Issues
• Age or psychological type?
• Is fear of technology based on age or is it based
  on ones psychological type? There are many older
  people who revel in technology and many younger
  people who fear it. What is your experience of
  this issue..
• Will this change as the new generations get older
  or are there as many kids with technophobia?
• How can we get the late adopters to use online
  learning products?
• Its easy to get the early technology adopters to
  learn online but how do we involve the people who
  still dont wish to even use a video player..
• What about different the learning styles about
  which we all know?
• How does online learning cope with different
  learning styles?
• What of those people who still prefer to learn by
  interacting in a classroom setting?
• Are trainers finding teaching online to be very
  difficult?
• What are the new skills needed by trainers to
  enable them to overcome their fears of teaching
  online

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theme 3 fear of technology

• Some Solutions
• Small scale first
• Starting on a small scale has been shown to help
  people. Implementing something small and putting
  a lot of effort into showing people how to use
  the technology can be a good strategy.
• Pull people in rather than pushing them
• Involve the early adopters first and offer
  multiple delivery methods.
• Let the early adopters be champions of this new
  way of learning
• Concentrate where the need is greatest
• Concentrate first on materials where there is a
  high imperative for people to learn something
  quickly eg new procedures and knowledge in a
  call centre environment
• A new system launch where people must know the
  system to do their jobs can be a good vehicle to
  get people used to learning online
• Provide a high degree of support and training
• Develop and skill the trainers in the new skills
  they need to design and present materials online
• Mentoring schemes

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theme 4 learner acceptance

• Issues
• Instructional and Web Design Principles
• The biggest turn off for learners is often the
  lack of consistent navigation and a lack of
  understanding of the learning goals and outcomes
• Support during Implementation
• Have you come across implementations where the
  learners get no support whatever in the early
  stages of implementation. I have and they have
  usually been disastrous.
• The Screen Real Estate
• An understanding of the screen real estate is
  essential to implementation of e-learning. Many
  implementations fail because people cannot use
  the product.
• Person to Person contact
• I have found that people need person to person
  contact at the beginning of an e-learning
  implementation
• They need it to gain confidence using the product
  and getting peer acceptance of the process
• Have you found this to be an issue post your
  stories..

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theme 4 learner acceptance

• Some Solutions
• Train learners how to learn online
• Running sessions in how to use the products is
  very important so that learners become
  comfortable with the screen real estate these
  may need to be upfront courses
• Workplace competitions can help bring along the
  slow adopters
• Provide support
• Run initial sessions in classrooms with trainers
  as tutors
• Gradually shift toward more online learning but
  support people through this change
• Instructional Design and Web Design Principles
• The use of proper instructional design and web
  design principles (eg consistent navigation)
  makes the learning experience a great deal easier
  for learners
• Use of Local Champions
• Early adopters can be skilled up as champions to
  help those who feel less comfortable with the
  technology
• They can take an ongoing mentoring role and act
  as a local help desk for the products

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theme 5 management acceptance

• Issues
• Does your organisation have an e-learning
  strategy which has been endorsed by the
  organisation?
• An e-learning strategy can provide corporate
  direction and provide organisational support for
  going online
• Is fear of using technology rife amongst managers
  or are they just time pressed?
• Many managers are very time pressed and this
  hinders their ability to use online learning
  processes
• Do you use Project Management methodologies to
  develop and implement your online learning?
• Managers usually appreciate knowing what is going
  on and Project Management is a good way of
  documenting the process

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theme 5 management acceptance

• Some Solutions
• Develop an organisational e-learning strategy
• Include intranet learning portal
• Develop a realistic set of Return on Investment
  (ROI) criteria
• Test the products against these criteria
• Have management agree to the criteria
• Develop business cases based on business needs as
  needed
• Include ROI process in business cases
• Specific training and support for managers
• One on one tutor relationships with managers
• Help managers in their use of PIM technology and
  thus lead them to the e-learning packages
• Use Project Management Approach for each learning
  project
• If managers see a project management plan and
  that the process is being properly managed they
  are more likely to support

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theme 6 trainer acceptance

• Issues
• Do trainers think that e-learning will put them
  out of a job?
• This is a primary concern within the
  organisations that I have worked
• A shift in skill requirements and the addition of
  anew delivery methodology is the real scenario
• Are there still many trainers who believe that
  Face 2 Face is the only way?
• Like in any change project it appears that there
  are champions , early adopters and those that
  adopt late
• The secret is to treat this process like an
  organisational change process

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theme 6 - trainer acceptance

• Some Solutions
• Start networks and enlist the champions
• Set up E-learning networks for sharing info and
  enthusiasm with key speakers
• Provide specific support to trainers
• Explain that technology learning is another
  delivery method will not necessarily be out of
  jobs
• Retrain trainers in the new skills that they will
  need eg, instructional design and online
  facilitation
• Develop multimedia instructional design courses
  and make available for those that are interested
• Create a separate online learning and resource
  area for trainers
• Part of the organisations learning portal
• A tool to help trainers decide which delivery
  methodology to use can be useful
• Technology based learning is just another
  delivery methodology so help trainers to decide
  which methodologies to use

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theme 7 accessibility issues

• Issues
• Have you been able to sort through the W3C
  accessibility guidelines?
• There are now requirements to make materials
  accessible not only to people with disabilities
  but also to a range of new devices like Palms,
  Pocket PCs, WAP devices, tablets, etc.
• Have you been threatened with legal action if
  your materials are not accessible many
  organisations have..
• Many organisations have been threatened with
  legal action over their web sites not being
  accessible its only a matter of time until this
  starts occurring in the e-learning field
• Do you use adaptive technologies in your
  organisation to assist eg JAWS, other screen
  readers, etc
• Most large organisations currently use adaptive
  technologies to help people with disabilities to
  use technology and they usually need text based
  sites or materials to work

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theme 7 accessibility issues

• Some Solutions
• There are many tools on the market to help
• The new Macromedia Studio helps to get sites and
  materials to level 1 accessibility
• Compositor (a local Australian product) enables
  Macromedia Flash materials with an automatically
  updated text site. These sites can be updated
  from any web browser by the owner of the
  materials contact t2b for more information.
• There are many testing tools which are available
  as add ons to the Macromedia suite of products as
  extensions
• There are also a growing number of consultants in
  this field
• Contact us for more info