Learning Technology
e-learning
BY PAULA JANE COX
In many ways, technology advances in the training field have revolutionized the methodology of creating, presenting and evaluating training and development programs. Online learning offers many benefits to both employers and employees, considering factors such as cost, time, convenience, accessibility, and subject matter variety, and enables both a simple delivery system coupled with unfettered geographic boundaries. Leveraging this technology has facilitated organizations abilities to provide new or, expand existing programs and still operate within ever-shrinking budgetary limits.
With global downsizing becoming more of a business practice than a passing fad, and the need to create lean organizations and retain competitive advantage, organizations are consistently looking for areas of promoting efficiency and reducing costs.
While the argument can always be made that cutting training as a cost saving is a bad long-term strategy, the reality still exists that training is usually one of the first “overhead” items to fall under the budgetary axe in many companies.
eLearning can significantly reduce these costs, and while not the total solution to training needs, it can create an affordable and effective alternative to more complex and costly programs.
From the time perspective, eLearning has created a flexibility paradigm that many other training approaches cannot parallel. In a business world of reduced staff and time management concerns, employees can now utilize non-work time to complete their training needs, as well as pursue developmental learning outside the normal work hours and environment.
Many programs are available on a 24/7 timeframe, which allows employees to access online learning during non-work hours, even those on alternate shifts.
Training convenience impacts employee availability, whether the training is conducted during work hours, or personal time. With the increasing demands placed on employees and the need for a more effective work/life balance, scheduling training that is convenient to employers, departments, managers and staff frequently fails in gaining a collective agreement of convenience.
Here again, eLearning activities can be utilized to meet the individual, rather than just the collective need, especially where the training can be asynchronous and therefore flexible for individual participation requirements. Likewise, convenience links with accessibility, offering equal opportunities to all workers whether they are local, national, or global, with access to training on computers, tablets and smart phones.
16 | TRAINING MAGAZINE MIDDLE EAST OCT 2014
a panacea?
BY ALLAN GARDNER