E-learning

New technologies present real opportunities for learning, and they get cleverer and cheaper all the time. The ‘traditional’ approach can be labelled ‘Big’ e-learning. This involves the design and delivery of large-scale software applications to replace traditional classroom-based training events and programmes. Such applications are intensively thought-out in advance, to ensure that e-learners have all possible questions answered and all possible approaches met. They need to be exhaustively tested and debugged to be robust in working environments. Big e-learning companies often employ experienced and expert ‘learning designers’ (not just trainers) and web designers, analysts and programmers, as well other specialists who would be just as much at home in a video games company or a film production organisation. All this means that big e-learning has high design and set-up (fixed) costs, although these can be balanced by very low delivery (variable) costs. This makes big e-learning good only for training very large groups (100+).

Recently, Podcasts and Blogs have begun to be used as a cheaper and quicker-to-implement 'Small' alternative to big e-learning. All anybody needs is the ideas they want to get across, a video camera and/or a decent microphone, some simple to use editing software and Internet access, and short video, sound or text training materials can be prepared and delivered to learners by the web. This is resulting phenomenon of ‘Just-in-time’ small e-learning, where for example, a hassled manager can go to YouTube or download a short Podcast on ‘10 important things to do in performance management’(or whatever) immediately before they run an appraisal meeting with a member of their staff.

Links to live-action lectures and presentations (TEDTalks set the standard), simulations and role plays with animation, graphics and sound (like computer games) can all be built into blogs, offering a much more involving and challenging learning experience than traditional book learning. Introvert e-learners can take part in interactive activities without having to present publicly or talk to strangers. And online tests and quizzes can be built into the applications, giving e-learners immediate feedback and giving us Learning Professionals the means to assess, evaluate and manage the learning.

Google, Wikipedia and social networking websites are proving to be invaluable e-learning resources. ‘Google’ is already used as a verb, meaning ‘find out about’. Wikipedia presents information that is ‘self-created’ and ‘peer reviewed’, a little like the contents of an academic journal. Users of Twitter and LinkedIn seem to solve many business problems by seeking and getting input from their networks through ‘crowd-sourcing’. Ning, software that enables the creation of in-company and ‘behind-your-firewall’ social networks that work like Facebook or LinkedIn, can keep colleagues continuously and automatically up-to-date on each other’s activities without the chore of writing weekly or monthly reports.

The advantages of all new technologies mean that e-learning is not tied to particular times or places. E-learners can learn at their workstations, at home, while commuting… anywhere or anywhen they need it. As such it is increasingly replacing book learning: PCs are approaching the portability of paperback books, MP3 players are smaller and lighter, and iPhones, iPads and book readers like Kindle are all blurring the lines between all these machines.

The disadvantages of new technologies seem to be how they can encroach on the work-life balance of workers. Not everyone wants to be listening to learning Podcasts or searching Wikipedia for the solutions to business problems in evenings or at weekends. And working through e-learning applications and assessments at your workstation does not give the same thrill or reward as staying in a four star hotel to attend a training workshop.

But, there are a lot of benefits to be found in new technology learning resources. They can influence knowledge and attitudes. Carefully designed big e-learning and just-in-time small e-learning can also influence behaviour and skills. Like traditional book learning, new technologies tend to be preferred by Reflectors and Theorists, but with careful management the strengths of these e-learning tools mean that they can be useful to all learners and to the organisations that need people to learn. Go on: do a search for what’s already freely available. Maybe even try recording and uploading your own!