Knowledge transfer
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E-learning has come a long way since the days of CD-based tutorials. Vast quantities of educational courseware are now available over the web or the corporate intranet, with collaborative technologies facilitating live, online classrooms led by experts.
E-learning has come a long way since the days of CD-based tutorials. Vast quantities of educational courseware are now available over the web or the corporate intranet, with collaborative technologies facilitating live, online classrooms led by experts. But if the delegates at Information Age's recent roundtable lunch debate on e-learning are representative, there is a huge variation in the degree to which organisations have embraced the new opportunities for online learning.
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The lunch, sponsored by enterprise-learning company NETg and run, as always, under the Chatham House rule so delegates can speak candidly without having their comments attributed, showed an appreciation of many of the advantages of online tuition.
For some, e-learning is primarily a cost-effective way of delivering basic training - IT skills, company policies and so on - to large numbers of employees. Others, however, are examining more innovative ways of using the set of technologies, services and content that enable online learning.
Most recognise that delivering training courses over an intranet is highly effective in terms of cost: the business case is "overwhelming", reported the IT manager of a multinational broadcaster. "With offices spread throughout Europe, we can organise training without the burden and expense of travel," he added.
So because it can be a cost-effective training option, does it follow that it should only be used for broad teaching courses? Some delegates certainly believe so: "I cannot see e-learning replacing the teacher," said the IT manager at a law firm. "Teaching of skilled professionals requires much more interaction: they always question what they are being taught."
However, while it is fair to say e-learning will never replace the trainer entirely, it should be looked at as a complimentary technology, able to add to the learning experience, argued the IT director of a major college. "The most effective way to deliver knowledge is by providing a mixture of learning opportunities that allow students to choose elements that suit their individual learning style best."
Others round the table observed that the universal availability of higher bandwidth was leading to the provision of broadcast-level, interactive courses in which tuition can be provided online by expert instructors using technologies such as instant messaging, whiteboarding and document sharing.
E-learning has other potential benefits, of course, including its flexibility. But this can be a double-edged sword - organisations need to ensure training does not interfere with general business operations, while still encouraging staff to engage in online training when it suits them.
