Title: Designing world-class e-learning
Author: Roger C Schank
Publisher: McGraw-Hill, 2001
ISBN: 0071377727

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In response to cost cutting and time saving, many organisations have designed and implemented e-learning initiatives. E-learning is the buzzword and the web has become an exciting idea and has persuaded many companies to put their training on the web.

This book focuses on e-learning and considers the many web-based training solutions, many of which, according to the author, are flawed and uninteresting. The author believes that many companies have transferred their existing training onto the internet or intranet, which reads like a training manual, with little interaction or exploration, thus being dull, demotivating and resulting in a high drop out rate.

The message promoted throughout the book is “e-learning by doing”, which the author has demonstrated through case studies of projects he has completed in notable organisations, and by concentrating on interaction through e-learning. The book uses interesting concepts and considers various organisations and learners, from students to Chief Executives. To create e-learning of the highest quality, the author demonstrates how emotions, failure and motivation impact on learning and must be integrated into the learning situation. For example, people want to learn in a safe virtual environment, with an emphasis on storytelling to make the learning real. Learners are more likely to try situations where they may fail when using a computer on their own, and any resulting failure re-enforces the message without costing the organisation money loss or injuries.

I found the book to be exciting in its views, and forward-looking, but feel the author used the book to promote his own work. However, I believe the book is a useful tool to anyone setting up an e-learning initiative, as it provides key concepts to consider when designing effective e-learning.

Karen Legg