Understanding e-learning
Understanding e-learning
Keywords: Information technology, Learning
Introducing a new report on e-learning by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), Director Richard Pearson commented:
"While the concept of e-learning is often confusing, the growing capability of technology has become too important an issue in developing the skills and abilities of individuals for employers to ignore. However, because it seems to have moved training from a people-oriented activity to a technical one,some managers may feel that it has become inaccessible or remote. This report gives a balanced view of where e-learning is, where it is going and how to grasp the issues of its use."
Many organisations are becoming interested in e-learning, but different people mean quite different things by the term. Emma Pollard, IES Research Fellow and co-author of the report, explains:
"E-learning is the delivery and administration of learning opportunities and support via computer, networked and Web-based technology, to help individual performance and development.
"It is more than just 'training on a computer' as it encompasses dissemination of information, performance support and knowledge management. It not only involves access to training materials but also offers the management of learning – providing both content and administration."
E-learning has a range of benefits, not least enabling materials and content to be more accessible, up-to-date, easier to use and cheaper to distribute. The learning experience itself becomes tailored to the individual, making it quicker, more relevant and with learning points more likely to be retained.
However, there can also be disadvantages. E-learning needs to be appropriately supported with technology and also human mentors, thus changing the role of trainers to "e-coaches". E-learning can be expensive,especially in the earlier stages of design and set-up, and may be unsuitable for some types of learning and some groups of learners. Many organisations are trying to balance the best of both the old and the new worlds by "blending"e-learning approaches with their existing course and trainer-based provision.
In order to make the most of modern technological opportunities,organisations need to consider these issues:
how best to blend new e-learning technologies with traditional classroom approaches to training;
whether to buy in new materials off the shelf, or to develop content externally or in-house;
how best to provide learner support;
how trainers will adapt to their new roles as e-coaches; and
how to tell if your e-learning strategy is working.
The IES report sets out what e-learning is all about. It provides practical pointers to the benefits claimed for e-learning, and the potential pitfalls for both organisations and individual learners. It examines all the key issues facing organisations considering and developing e-learning.
The report is for:
those considering using computer-based technology, intranets or the Internet to train their employees;
those considering extending their use of technology-based training or online provision;
those looking for avenues to increase their learning and employability.
It brings together information from an extensive array of current research and commentary from the UK and the USA, from reported case studies of organisations' experiences of training online, and from direct contact with the Institute's member organisations. The study was supported by The IES Research Club which has a membership of 27 leading-edge UK employers.
Further information on the report (Exploring E-learning, by E. Pollard and J. Hillage, IES Report 376, ISBN 1 85184 305 1, £19.95) is available from IES, Mantell Building, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RF. Web site: http://www.employment-studies.co.uk
