Many claims have been made for E-learning but even the term itself is interpreted differently by different people.

Train4Business defines E-learning as instructional material delivered by CD/DVD/local network or internet. Sometimes a combination of delivery media are used. This means that effective e-learning should engage the learner. How this is done depends on many factors. Sometimes the goal my be to simply deliver information. In this case, video with a voiceover can be very effective. In other cases more interactivity is called for.

However, many of the early attempts were simply screens of text with a single button for the learner to press once (s)he'd read the page. It would a lot better to give them a book!

The next (and still commonly seen) type of product does involve rudimentary interaction with the learner but it is often little more than picking the correct picture, word or phrase from a group. This seems to indicate that the developers have taken on-board the calls for more interactivity but have 'bolted-on' interactivity rather than designed it into the product from a standpoint of good learning design.

E-learning cannot replace a training session delivered by a tutor in a group setting. It IS possible to produce lectures with video on disc. And often these can include interactive material that would be impractical in a 'live' session - perhaps because of safety concerns. Certainly the quality will be consistent - no matter how many times the session is used. The point is that good e-learning should use interactivity as part of the learning design and not simply as a bolted-on quiz and it should not include interactivity for its own sake.

In fact, research has shown that one to one instruction is much more effective than one to many and it follows that if we could afford it, we should give everyone one to one instruction. Clearly, this isn't possible - unless we use computer based training.

Another factor in classroom based training is that people learn at different speeds. The rate with which the fastest 10 percent of students can learn compared to the rate of the slowest 10 percent varies such that what the best can achieve in a day takes others five days to accomplish. Technology-based instruction can allow the user to vary the pace.

Where distance learning can fall down is when interaction with other people is needed or would be useful. This can be introduced through web based discussion groups or forums, by using 'blended learning', or a combination. 'Blended' means having parts of courses where a group meets in addition to completing the computer based work on their own.

Why bother with E-learning if you have to bring people together anyway?

Well, it's simple; A three-day course could be 'blended' into a part-day meeting after the material has been studied by the participants. Not only can this bring cost savings but it can allow individuals to repeat instruction as much as they need and to learn at their own pace.

Furthermore, in more than 40 assessments performed since the 1960s, the Institute for Defense Analysis in the United States found time savings to average about 30 percent. This seems to have occurred without any particular effort to reduce instructional time. So introducing E-learning can lead to a reduction in the total time needed as well as any on-site time.

Where E-learning can really score is when it is not operationally feasible to bring people together - perhaps because a control line cannot be stopped or where people are widely dispersed geographically. Here, both the employer & employee can benefit in time savings and convenience.

Distance learning has drawbacks where tactile or human feedback is a key, ongoing, part of the instruction. Think, for example, about trying to train someone to use a potters wheel.

E-learning might be able to describe the techniques, to show video examples of & offer solutions for common pitfalls. Obviously the end-user would need access to a wheel, materials & somewhere to practice. BUT trying to learn this way is almost certainly going to take longer than attending a course with other people - and the frustration of trying & not suceeding may well lead to the learner giving up prematurely.

Knowledge based material, informational content and aspects of skill training can be ideally suited to delivery 'remotely'. For example, where practising a skill is too dangerous or too expensive in the real situation, computer simulations can be a safe, cheap & effective way of providing initial & refresher training.

At Train for Business, we have extensive knowledge of training methodology & the psychological factors that underpin effective learning. Why not discuss your situation with us?

T4B- Who are we?

• People with experience of actually working in industry
• People with a pragmatic approach to learning - Results matter.
• People with broad development & software solution knowledge - We use methodology that works best - One size does not fit all
• People with around 20 years experience of teaching adult learners from the shopfloor to post graduates
• People dedicated to leveraging technology of CBT, Multimedia and Video Production at the service of the learner