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Introduction
Effective
e-Learning courses
What
works well
What
doesn't work well
Case
Studies and Examples
Summary
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What are the Disadvantages
of E-Learning?
Bandwidth limitations
Limited
bandwidth means slower performance for sound, video, and intensive graphics,
causing long waits for download that can affect the ease of the learning
process. The problem is greater over the public Internet, where more
traffic jams occur, and less on a company's intranet which usually has
greater bandwidth. Future technologies will no doubt help to solve this
problem.
Are computers replacing
human contact?
There's
a general concern that as we move towards more computer usage, a glowing
terminal replaces a friendly face. Decreasing instructor-led training
makes some trainees uneasy. If this is a concern, consider a gradual
introduction of the technology.
Today's e-Learning
programs are too static
As with
any emerging technology, the level of interactivity in e-Learning is
too-often limited. This is gradually improving, and as it does the impact
of the training on performance improves also.
Takes more time and
more money to develop than expected
Like any
first-time challenge, learning about and implementing new technology
takes more resources (and more aspirin) than expected. You can make
it easier by starting with a simple program and building on success.
Also remember that the greater portion of costs associated with e-Learning
are startup costs. Programs can be delivered and reused with fewer costs
than with traditional methods.
Not all courses are
delivered well by computer
Some training
topics are not best served by computer-based training and require a
more personal touch. Team building activities and dealing with emotional
issues such as downsizing come to mind. E-Learning and other technologies
for training are mainly for assisting the learning process and are not
for replacing methods that already work well.
Which Topics Don't
Work Well For E-Learning?
While most
topics can use e-Learning delivery (for at least part of the course),
some topics and situations are best taught using other methods:
- Topics
or situations where there is a very short-term return on investment
(ROI) requirement. As you've already seen, e-Learning development is
much longer than time to develop an instructor-led course. The only
reasonable e-Learning ROI model is one where the course will be offered
long enough to recover the additional development costs.
- Topics
which require a performance test to demonstrate topics. Examples include
learning how to drive a forklift, jet fighter pilot combat training,
running a cash register, or learning how to be a short-order cook.
- Situations
where the learners have no incentive to read
- Topics
or situations where a real-world simulation is needed. Examples include
learning how to be a hiking guide, building demolition, and how to conduct
effective meetings.
- Topics
with language issues among the students. While not impossible to design
multi-lingual e-Learning courses, it is difficult to do well and much
more expensive than other teaching methods
- Topics
or situations where students are unable to read (blindness, illiteracy)
or who are unable to read at an appropriate level to benefit from the
course. Voice-recognition technology and auto-readers may solve part
of this problem in the future.
- Introductory
topics, especially with relatively young or inexperienced employees,
may be most effective if instructor taught even if they would otherwise
be good candidates for e-Learning. This is to allow the instructor to
help deal with student fears about the technology or topic that is being
taught, or to let the instructor help incorporate widely ranging student
backgrounds and skills.
- You may
also prefer to use an instructor when exposing learners to a corporate
culture or ethic, which is very hard to learn at a distance. An example
is new employee orientation.
- Successful
e-Learning, like all self-paced learning, requires that learners be
strongly motivated and self-starting. If your learners don't fit this
profile, consider another learning method.
At this point,
you've seen suggestions for aspects of topics and situations that are
both good and bad choices for e-Learning. Click here
to go to the next page, where you'll get a chance to consider some examples
and choose the better solution.
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