Cross blogged from:
http://eduriser.com/blog/2012/03/developing-employee-e-learning/
Has it happened to your organization?
After investing a good deal of time and cost into launching that much needed e-learning course, it bombs. You find a very few takers and the rate of drop-outs among those who do, is very high.
The number of organizations that are embracing e-learning as an advantageous delivery modality to employees is on the upswing. In fact, the projection is that e-learning will soon account for 40 percent of staff learning time.
However in the rush to get e-learning implemented many organizations take unfortunate steps stemming from unfamiliarity with the proper use and requirements of e-learning or even incorrect allocation of resources and expertise for a course’s success. Keeping in mind the relative novelty and complexity of e-learning as a delivery modality, it is little surprise that these mistakes occur. Add a varied mix of e-learning suppliers and dynamic technology variations and the confusion only deepens.
This post explores some of the most common things to remember while developing e-learning courseware to facilitate success:
- Business Need
- Planning
- Marketing & Motivation
- Evaluation
- Mix and Match
Business Need
An e-learning program must be relevant to be accepted and adopted by employees. That means that it must be aligned with a business need, an organization’s values and goals. It must have the visible support of senior management, and be effectively linked to other HR systems, such as performance management. E-learning has value when it offers the knowledge and skills needed to support important change management strategies or organizational initiatives.
Planning
A great e-learning program begins with a sound planning process. This identifies pain areas, establishes a vision, determines objectives, and includes all key players in the ecosystem—learners, managers, IT partners, and e-learning platforms and learning management systems. Organizations must keep users involved in the planning and implementation stages. This will help the success of the e-learning program.
Marketing & Motivation
It is critical for an organization to build excitement and enthusiasm among the staff about the new learning initiative. Marketing the initiative is the first step in keeping learners engaged and motivated.
What will further motivate employees to use the e-learning system? How will they be held accountable for completing training? Motivation plays a crucial role in e-learning. The reality is any training program must answer a real employee question - “What's in it for me?" A complete understanding of the program and its real world benefits engages any learner. The organization must be able to answer these questions if it expects learners to use e-learning.
Evaluation
Many organizations wash their hands once the implementation of an e-learning program is done. Actually it is only the beginning. Once in place, the e-learning system must be evaluated. Organizations must have the systems effectiveness determined, and improvements and refinements should be incorporated on a continuous basis.
Mix & Match
Unique factors involved in human performance development tell us that no single solution is complete in itself for skill development. The magic begins to take shape when an organization does a good job of choosing multiple and right options for its employees based on their needs, preferences and environmental factors.
