Overview of Technology Related Papers

1
Overview of Technology Related Papers

• Carol Rainsford (Academic Researcher)

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000o
Funding for this project was provided by the
Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment
and the National Training Fund.
2
Papers Reviewed

• Paper 1 The DNA of e-Learning
• Paper 2 Critical success factors to
  implementing e-Learning
• Paper 3 Organizational benefits of e-Learning
• Paper 4 e-Learning return on investment
• Paper 5 Learning management systems
• Paper 6 Blending traditional approaches with
  new techniques
• Paper 7 Blended learning maximizing the
  impact of an integrated Solution
• Paper 8 Technology and telecommunications for
  training Future
  developments.
• Paper 9 The Future of e-Learning

3
Paper 1 The DNA of e-Learning

• Pathway of technology enhanced training
• -gtCBT
• -gt Packaged content
• -gt Enterprise control of CBT
• -gt Web enabled on-line learning
• -gt Learning management systems
• -gtLearning career of each worker.

4
Computer based training

• Standalone CD-ROM training
• Well designed can provide instructional
  performance value BUT
• Very expensive, labor intensive to develop,
  quickly obsolete, difficult and expensive to
  modify.

5
Packaged content

• Cost effective to buy and create.
• Focus on a specific business /professional skill.
  
• IT courses can be quite effective.
• Quick to become obsolete.
• Slow to develop and labor intensive

6
Enterprise Control of CBT

• Enterprise control of CBT administration and
  deployment is good.
• Needs strict standards so that different content
  sources readily plug-and-play on any
  administrative technology platform.

7
Web enabled on-line learning

• Brings administrators, instructors, managers, and
  worker-learners together in a consolidated
  virtual environment
• Mass aggregation of e-learning not designed for a
  specific business need
• Large amount of bland learning content -
  little instructional value or quality

8
Corporate e-Learning

• Based on a business critical need.
• Shaped around its unique business requirement.
• Managed within the framework of the company.
• Develop business critical e-Learning in-house.

9
Learning management systems

• Central platform for managing content and users,
  standard platform easy of integrating new
  courses.
• Do not adapt to company performance requirements
  or business needs.

10
Current trend

• The current trend are a move from learning as
  reactive, isolated events to learning as a
  sustainable, proactive process in the
  organization. They seek to grow and sustain the
  learning career of each worker

11
Paper 2 Critical success factors to implement
e-Learning

• Comprehensive implementation planning and
  execution
• Targeted content
• Robust technology platform

12
Components for successful e-Learning

• Proper analysis and planning
• Business strategies and objectives
• Learning and performance needs analysis
• Technical needs analysis
• Stakeholder and readiness analysis
• Understand its learning and performance needs
• Requirements and functional needs
• Employee Preparation

13
Components for successful e-Learning

• Accountability and Executive Sponsorship
• Ensure learners have necessary skills
• Alignment of internal processes
• Communication Strategy
• Measure success of e-Learning

14
Paper 3 Organizational benefits of e-learning

• Reduced Costs
• Lower cost of delivery
• Less travel time
• lower travel and subsistence costs
• less printing costs
• less distribution costs
• less updating costs
• Reach greater number of people
• Learning Compression
• Improved Performance

15
Organizational benefits of e-Learning

• Learning Compression
• Reduction in training time
• Learners go at their own pace not at pace of
  slowest
• Less start-up and finish time
• Learners only need to look at area that they wish
  to learn.
• Presentation of material is concise
• Avoid irrelevant questions
• Improved
• Less social interaction
• Less travel time

16
Organizational benefits of e-Learning

• Improve Performance
• Faster time to market
• More consistent learning
• More accessible learning
• More controllable learning
• Transform the organization
• Create knowledge and learning networks
• Community based knowledge management
• Improving customer/partner/consumer relations
  through focused learning initiatives

17
Paper 4 e-Learning Return On Investment (ROI)

• The intellectual capital of a business especially
  its people is being increasingly recognised as a
  key asset with learning becoming a key business
  activity.
• Therefore need to
• Predict
• Calculate
• Measure and
• report on the financial benefits of learning
• Companies demand evidence that e-Learning makes a
  measurable difference to performance and
  profitability.

18
Calculating the ROI

• Gather business data
• identify who needs training
• Business SWOT
• Lead to learning need.
• Business Objectives
• Identify the training objectives competencies
  learning methods that will satisfy the business
  objectives

19
Calculating the ROI

• Return on Investment compares the investment in a
  training deliverable with the eventual cost
  benefit over a specific period of time.
• Benefits - Costs
• Costs
• Development costs
• Administration costs
• Delivery costs
• On-line license costs
• Promotional costs

20
Paper 5 Learning management systems

• Knowledge management plays a significant role in
  improving competitive advantage
• Focus now is on human capital development and
  companies are now turning to their training
  departments for effective training

21
A good platform connects

• Employees to the content they need
• Access the on-line learning site
• Locate the best or correct courses
• Access reference material to supplement courses
• Keep track of where they are in certain courses
• Complete assessments prior to starting the course
  so that they can target learning time most
  effectively

22
A good platform connects

• Training administrators to overall business goals
• Student Management
• Create and issue access to system
• Group students for reporting and content
  assignment
• Provide courses using access rights
• Manage class resources

23
A good platform connects

• Training administrators to overall business goals
• Content Assignment
• Deliver on-line instructor lead courses in
  synchronous/asynchronous modes.
• Deliver personalized learning paths
• Target content to correct individuals
• Communication
• Enable communication between learners
• Target specific courses to learners

24
A good platform connects

• Training administrators to overall business goals
• Tracking and Reporting
• Track and report student progress
• Track and report professional development
• Track and report mandatory training has been
  successfully completed
• Determine whether knowledge has been retrained
  after training

25
A good platform connects

• Training administrators to overall business goals
• Training developments
• Develop new courses
• Use templates to speed development
• Conform to industry standards
• Integrate courses into the learning environment
• Improved productivity

26
Technical considerations

• Hosting
• Whether company should purchase LMS themselves or
  select a fully hosted platform.
• Advantage lower s/w h/w costs. Faster
  implementation, little internal support required.
  
• Architecture
• Must be flexible
• Extensible
• Scalable

27
Technical considerations

• Integrate with existing systems
• Based on industry standards
• Protect personal and business data - password
  protection - user profile restrictions

28
Paper 6 Blending Traditional Approaches with New
Techniques to Improve Business

• Lack of success of e-Learning initiatives
• Low retention rates
• Long courses
• Standardised courses
• Lack of interaction
• High dropout rates
• Limited application

29
New approach to learning

• Learning must enhance performance.
• Learning is an ongoing process.
• Learning must be learner-centered.
• Learning must be engaging.
• Learning must be targeted.

30
New approach to learning

• Learning must be integrated to accelerate
• performance.
• Learning linked with knowledge management and
  exchange to optimize performance.
• Each organizations learning strategy must be
  appropriate to its needs and resources.

31
Paper 7 Blended Learning - Maximising the impact
of an integrated Solution

• Blended learning is learning that combines
  multiple delivery methods throughout the learning
  process.
• Array of e-learning delivery combinations - does
  not ensure success.
• The key to blended learning lies in
• Selecting appropriate delivery methods for
  specific learning outcomes
• Effectively combining diverse learning events

32
Paper 8 Technology and telecommunications for
training future development

• Technology - Dramatic change to delivery means
• Broadband removed obstacles to multimedia
  delivery
• New technologies (DSL, cable modems, Wireless
  access) will allow broadband access to homes
• Technology eases access to training material
• Seen as an aid to delivery of the training

33
Paper 9 The future of e-Learning

• Good content is king
• Change will be the primary driver of e-learning
  in organisations, at both strategic and tactical
  levels
• e-learning will happen despite rather than
  because of top management
• Internet connectivity will be a primary
• requirement for any new learning media

34
The future of e-Learning

• Greater access to learning and greater
  flexibility are the chief benefits organisations
  will look to e-learning to provide, rather than
  just cost reductions
• Classroom will be challenged as the dominant form
  of learning delivery in the very near future
• E-learning will be most effectively supported in
  blends by tutoring/ coaching/mentoring
  activities, whether on- or off-line

35
The future of e-Learning

• Asynchronous media will continue to be preferred
  to synchronous media (e.g. virtual classroom)
  no-one wants a re-introduction of classroom
  time-tabling!
• Games consoles have an image problem in learning