How to develop an effective eLearning strategy?
By Andrés Cabezas
Account Manager
Continuous learning by the workforce is a clear requirement in today’s changing business environment. Studies show increasing numbers of business firms developing corporate universities to meet their employees’ specific training and development needs. There is a modern trend toward “virtual universities” as a part of e-Learning strategies to provide timely information and training through technology, while interacting with experts and workmates..
An e-Learning strategy goes beyond an e-Learning course at the company premises…
It aims at making e-Learning work at the organization to achieve, among other benefits, lower costs, improved times, and higher productivity and profitability.
For such a strategy to be effective, a clear vision of virtual training goals is required. Also, the requirements of the business must be known in advance to tailor training to them. Managerial support for the process is a must, as well as appropriate technological infrastructure, plus an implementation process aimed at managing change.
As a part of this strategy, a large number of companies are now implementing corporate virtual universities to combine e-Learning contents, course and user management, and on-line cooperation tools or learning communities through Learning Management Systems (LMS.) However, care must be exercised to not focus the strategy on LMS.
Technology is just a tool providing access to information and training control. The e-Learning strategy is the complete vision to meet and align training goals with business objectives, so as to maximize and bring the benefits of e-Learning to the entire organization
Common errors and keys to success:
A few common errors made in developing an e-Learning strategy follow:
Lack of a clear vision.
Equating technology to strategy.
Focusing strategy on LMS (Learning Management System).
Focusing on developing on-line supply with traditional content.
Failure to attain consensus.
Lack of executive support.
Considering the e-Learning strategy as a part-time or short-term job.
Ignoring threats and weaknesses.
Failure to manage change.
In contrast with these, key factors leading to successfully developing an e-Learning strategy include:
An effective educational model.
Effective learning.
Appropriate technology.
Management leadership and sponsoring.
Organizational redesign.
Change management strategy.
Awareness of the business needs.
Recommendations
In case you want to implement an e-Learning strategy, first and foremost you must define your vision, i.e., where you want to go. Then you must establish how you will help yourself achieve your corporate goals through e-Learning. Define your strategy on the basis of your business/human resources requirements. Finally, implement it with support from your managers and suppliers. Remember that e-Learning is not just a Human Resources/Training project. Rather, it is a process impacting the entire organization.
If, in addition, you will add a corporate virtual university, choose a suitable LMS allowing controlling and tracking your students’ progress, and providing additional reference material in various formats and with different cooperation tools, such as chats and discussion forums, to share knowledge and experience
