Selecting the right technology for online training may be daunting, but HR managers should spend at least as much time getting the educational content right, argues Matilda Venter
Software Source, 26 Feb 2003
In the buzzword-crazed world of IT, technologies come and go. But e-learning has proved that it’s here to stay and continues to grow as a valuable learning tool in the current economic climate.
Nevertheless, purchasing e-learning software can be an intimidating task. Especially as e-learning is still a relatively new area for HR managers, who did not previously have to select IT systems to support the learning process.
There is a dizzying array of e-learning vendors, whose solutions vary widely in technology. Together with an equal broad selection of content offerings, ranging from learning portals to assessment tools.
To steer your way through this maze, bear in mind three simple rules.
1. Align e-learning with business objectives
E-learning is often looked at in isolation - as a technology issue - rather than being placed at the heart of an organisation’s performance-improvement processes. It is staggering to hear of organisations that buy e-learning software without carrrying out a needs analysis and without mapping their training requirements against corporate objectives.
When it comes to e-learning, HR managers need to know whether they are getting value for money. They must identify the organisation’s needs and understand the benefits that it can expect from introducing e-learning technology. Unless HR can invest in training people in a way that matches business needs, e-learning will become a meaningless technology accessory.
As a result, the focus should not be on the features and functions of the e-learning solution, but on how it fits in with the organisation’s people-performance strategy. The clearer HR managers are about their overall objectives, the more they will understand individuals’ needs and the more effective e-learning will be.
2. Define the benefits you seek
Regardless of the training medium, it is the content of a course that determines its success. HR managers must evaluate e-learning courses to establish whether they will meet the learning needs of their employees. One way to do this is to make incremental changes: start small and expand the e-learning content purchase only when you are persuaded that it is a worthwhile investment.
Compare the progress of a group using web-based training for a particular skill set with a control group being trained in the classroom. Decide which skills imparted by training are most important to the business and appraise both groups on those skills. If the conventional group outstrips the online group, there are good reasons for redesigning their e-learning program.
3. Don’t let the technology cast a spell on you
One widespread problem with e-learning is managers who become engrossed with the technology’s electronic wizardry. People see the "e" in front of the "learning" and forget the most important component of an e-learning solution: content.
Another common fallacy is that the best software should incorporate all available features and functions - leading to the selection of the vendor with the most ticks against a lengthy checklist. This ill-judged approach to software evaluation risks ignoring the needs of the individual learner who should be at the centre of the learning process.
Instead, when evaluating e-learning software, HR managers should consider three key questions.
o How will my organisation benefit from each of these features?
o What value does this feature have for the learner?
o Do I really need all these features?
The ultimate goal: supporting overall performance
Effective e-learning is about ensuring employees have the knowledge that they need to do their jobs better. HR managers who avoid the pitfalls outlined above are the ones who will deliver this – helping it become a means of getting employees to engage in true, integrated, continuous learning across a variety of modes.
Measured response By dramatically reducing the time and money spent on managing human capital, the latest HR software systems are freeing up more time for strategic thinking
