This document provides an introduction to e-learning, including definitions, benefits, models, costs, and considerations for implementation. It discusses how e-learning can provide training to employees without travel, at lower costs than classroom training. Both synchronous learning with instructors and asynchronous self-paced learning are covered. While new technology may be helpful, strong instructional design is more important for effective e-learning. Management support is key to overcoming barriers to change and motivation.

1. Module 1 Introduction to e-Learning

2. Objectives In this lesson you will learn: Definition of e-learning Is e-Learning Something Completely New? How your company might benefit from e-learning Different e-learning models Your employees and e-learning courses Is your company a good candidate for using e-Learning? E-learning as a business tool Company with a small budget and e-learning Classroom courses versus e-learning Web sites and e-learning E-learning cost

3. ROI Typical barriers E-learning and your management team Leading-edge technology and e-learning Classroom training and e-learning Your employees and e-learning Student motivation E-learning instructors Synchronous learning Self-directed learning Asynchronous learning Blended e-learning courses Summary References Objectives (2)

4. Find your group members (2-3 students per group). Together with your group members create a fictitious company. Give me a brief description of your company (1 page).

5. What is E-Learning? E-learning (electronic learning) is a term covering a wide set of applications and processes, such as Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. It includes the delivery of content via Internet, intranet/extranet (LAN/WAN), audio- and videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive TV, CD-ROM, and more.

6. There many different terms which are used interchangeably: technology-based learning , technology-based training , computer-based training , computer-based learning , computer-based instruction , computer-based education , Web-based training , Internet-based training , Intranet-based training , distance education, distance learning, distance training . What is e-Learning? (2)

7. Is e-Learning Something Completely New? Learning at a distance is not new. Apprenticeships, classroom courses, and correspondent courses were used until the middle of the 20th century. From 1960s till today, the new technology started to emerge: Video courses Audiotape courses Computer-based, self-paced training (text-based and with multimedia) E-learning via the Internet.

8. Most Frequently-used Tools What are the most frequently-used tools for creating your computer-based training applications? Dreamweaver 52% PowerPoint 48% Flash 46% Microsoft Word 22% Microsoft FrontPage 21% eLearning Guild report: http:// elearningtech.pbwiki.com/ToolSatisfaction

9. How Can Your Company Benefit from e-Learning? Employees can learn: without traveling to class at their convenience based on their learning styles: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic & Tactile. Determine your learning style .

10. E-learning provides for your company: Cost saving — cost of education can be dramatically reduced. Learning quality – e-learning can be more flexible (learning at a convenient time, learning spread over weeks, etc.) and can even provide a higher quality of learning. Rapid training rollout — e-learning can be delivered quickly across the organization. Copying with shortened knowledge lifecycles — for example, engineers and programmers are expected to learn fundamentally new skills every couple of years. How Can Your Company Benefit from e-Learning?(2)

11. E-Learning Models Technical Training —you can teach how to use Microsoft Access and Excel, or C++, or how to be a Linux System Administrator. This type of training can include: self-study parts, instructor-led parts, and simulation parts. Professional Skills Training —you can teach negotiating, running meetings, coaching, and team dynamics skills to students. This type of training can be self-study (for knowledge transfer) and instructor-led (for skills transfer).

12. New-Job-Role Training —you can teach employees how to perform a new job role. New managers, “new hires” generally require new knowledge and new skills. It can be partly self-study and partly interactive where the students work with an instructor and/or with other students. “ Update” Training – You can update employees who have already been trained on the latest state-of-the-art developments. It can be self-study or instructor-led. “ Tip of the Iceberg” Training – when employee needs to know “a little” about a topic but doesn’t need to become an expert. For example, a technical employee can learn the basics of marketing, a project manager – the basics of database, etc. It can be self-study or instructor-led. E-Learning Models (2)

13. Employees and e-Learning Research shows that e-learning works just as well as classroom learning. Some employees may find it difficult to learn in e-learning environment. Some things can be more effective when done in a classroom environment. For example, lab exercises which need access to real hardware.

14. Is Your Company a Good Candidate for Using e-Learning? You should think about whether your company’s training situations are a good fit with today’s strengths of e-learning. Click here to read an excerpt from Henderson’s book. Try answering the same questions for your fictitious company.

15. E-Learning as a Business Tool Learning for learning's sake doesn’t happen in businesses. Your company is not the university environment, and e-learning training is mainly aimed to support the goals of your business; e-learning has to make your company more competitive.

16. For example: you teach C++ because your employees need it to improve their work skills teaching negotiation skills your employees improves your company’s customer support learning about the new product helps your employees to sell your company’s product better. E-learning as a Business Tool (2)

17. Company with a Small Budget and e-Learning E-learning doesn't always require a large budget. If you have a small budget, you should look at "renting" or "leasing" entire e-learning solution instead of building one. Or you might consider "renting" a part of your e-learning solution and building only part of it. There are many learning vendors who have e-learning courseware available from their web sites. You can contact one of them to deliver e-learning course to your employees.

18. There are different ways to deliver e-learning inexpensive way. For little cost, you can run short correspondence course using e-mail. You can send the assignments to the students as e-mails or as attachments. The students can complete each assignment and e-mail it back to the instructor for comments and feedback . Click here to read an excerpt from Henderson’s book. Company with a Small Budget and e-Learning (2)

19. Classroom Courses vs. E-Learning The traditional learning solution involves gathering everyone in a classroom and presenting the material. It might be a simple presentation-style lecture class or a full-blown class with lectures, hands-on exercises, and group projects. These traditional solutions have drawbacks: The time it takes to gather all employees in a classroom. The high cost of reaching all of the employees.

20. Earlier technologies for learning at a distance included CD-ROMs, audiotapes, and videotapes. However, in recent years the Internet became most popular e-learning delivery solution because of accessibility, familiarity, and convenience. Classroom Courses vs. E-Learning (2)

21. Web Sites and E-Learning E-learning is different from a web site that holds lots of facts. Web sites have traditionally been providing marketing information or technical information. Such web sites can be part of a learning solution but, in most cases, NOT the whole thing. For example, it is the deference between taking piano lessons and reading the encyclopedia about piano playing. The class will focus and arrange the facts, and the instructor will guide you so you can actually play after number of lessons.

22. What Does E-Learning Cost? The cost for e-learning can vary widely. The cost components for e-learning include the courseware, the course delivery expenses (including instructors), marketing/promotional and administration expenses. Perhaps, the biggest thing influencing your e-learning costs is the size of your problem. Click here to read an excerpt from Henderson’s book.

23. What is ROI? You can’t avoid risk, but doing a return on investment (ROI) analysis lets you qualify the risk. ROI (return on investment): Generally, a ratio of the benefit or profit received from a given investment to the cost of the investment itself. In e-learning, ROI is most often calculated by comparing the tangible results of training to the cost of providing the training. Click here to read an excerpt from Horton’s book.

24. What are typical barriers for implementing e-learning? Natural resistance to change — people don’t like change. Some students view traveling to class as a perk or as a vacation from work could be annoyed by online classes. New instructor skills — instructors need to learn new ways of teaching at a distance. New technology – new technology creates more problems, requires constant update of software, hardware, and employees skills. Course availability – sometimes it is difficult to find exact “off the shelf” e-learning courses, and you have to develop your own e-learning solution which requires more time and money. Budget – in many companies, training budgets are set years in advance, and the funding is allocated for traditional training. As you move to e-learning, you’ll find that there are new costs.

25. What does e-learning need from your management team? Realistic expectations –e-learning takes time and effort by each individual student. Leadership – manages should know how e-learning works and the best way to do that is to take several e-learning courses. Support – some students need management encouragement to keep up their motivation.

26. How critical is leading-edge technology to e-learning? Using leading-edge technology is important but not critical. With a strong instruction design, you can make even an e-mail-based correspondence course work effectively. With a weak instructional design, you won’t be able to make the jazziest virtual classroom work effectively. Furthermore, in e-learning and in everything else, fancier things usually cost more than simple things.

27. Do you need to eliminate your classroom training? Classroom training does not conflict with e-learning. You can blend together classroom and e-learning.

28. How will your employees respond to e-learning? E-learning feels different from traditional face-to-face learning experiences. Unfamiliarity –some students will find it difficult to adjust to the new learning situation. Lack of self-motivation –for some people it is hard to stay motivated while they’re learning away from a classroom. Lack of time – one can’t take e-learning course and work. Some companies might expect their employees to take the courses before or after work. Feeling of isolation – students can feel isolated without immediate presence of the teacher and other students. Feeling of going against company culture -- "Let me interrupt you for just a few minutes about an urgent work problem," says the manager while the employee is trying to take an e-learning course at her desk.

29. How does student motivation affect e-learning? Many people are accustomed to learning only in traditional classroom environments and find it hard to learn “on their own.” Some key student motivations include: The course teaches something that is critical to doing the immediate job. The student is working toward a certification or a degree. The student is required by management to prove that they completed a course.

30. How will instructors respond to e-learning? Teaching an e-learning course is harder than teaching a classroom course. You should take into consideration the following global considerations: Language –students from different countries speak different languages. You have two choices – translate your course or adapt it for the foreign students. Time zone -- when it’s 8AM in New York, it’s 9PM in Tokyo. The solution is to emphasize some asynchronous communication: bulletin board messages, e-mail, etc. Cultural differences – for example, humor.

31. What are the basic styles for e-learning? There are 3 basic styles for e-learning depending on how the learning event is scheduled and how interaction with other people occur: 1. Synchronous learning 2. Self-directed learning 3. Asynchronous learning

32. Synchronous learning --a real-time, instructor-led online learning event in which all participants are logged on at the same time and communicate directly with each other. In this virtual classroom setting, the instructor maintains control of the class, with the ability to "call on" participants. In most platforms, students and teachers can use a whiteboard to see work in progress and share knowledge. Interaction may also occur via audio- or videoconferencing, Internet telephony, or two-way live broadcasts. What are the basic styles for e-learning? (2)

33. Self-directed learning --a student works alone based on the material delivered over the Internet. There is no instructor or group of peer students to communicate with. Asynchronous learning --learning in which interaction between instructors and students occurs intermittently with a time delay. Examples are self-paced courses taken via the Internet or CD-ROM, Q & A, mentoring, online discussion groups, and email. What are the basic styles for e-learning? (3)

34. What is a blended course? Learning events that combine aspects of online and face-to-face instruction. Students will spend half the time in a traditional classroom. The other half of the time students will be outside of the classroom using a computer to participate in online learning activities, assignments, discussion and email, and assessments.

35. E-Learning Examples View e-learning examples at http:// www.horton.com/html/elexampleslist.aspx?ExampleID =23

36. Summary E-learning is learning that uses computer technology, usually via the Internet. E-learning enables employees to learn at their work/home computer without traveling to a classroom. E-learning can be a scheduled session with an instructor or it can be an on-demand course. E-learning can help your business so that: Employees can learn without traveling to class—you can save on travel costs. Employees can learn at their convenience. Employees can learn based on their learning styles.

37. Research shows that e-learning works as well as classroom learning. It is safe to say that in 5-10 years all companies are good candidates for using e-learning. The cost of e-learning can vary widely. You could spend hundreds, or you could spend multimillions. The cost components for e-learning include the courseware, the course delivery expenses (including instructors), marketing/promotional communications with the students, administration and support expenses. The size and complexity of your training problem influencing your e-learning costs. You can’t avoid risk, but ROI lets you predict the risk. Summary (2)

38. An e-learning success has to be thought in business terms, not training terms. Barriers in implementing e-learning in you company might include people’s resistance to any kind of change, new technology, and budget constrains. You management should keep realistic expectations, provide leadership and support. Using leading-edge technology is important but not critical. If your e-learning has global reach, you should consider: Language Time zones Cultural differences (humor). Summary (3)

39. References Henderson A. J. (2003). The E-learning Question and Answer Book. New York, NY: American Management Association.

40. Assignment Create your own fictitious company. Give me a brief description of your company (1 page). For example: [your position] I am a CEO. [your company’s name] The Electronic Widgets, Inc. [your company’s brief description] It is a multinational company that sells high-tech widgets in other high tech products. [employees] I have 800 salespeople in 20 countries. The Blue Widget 1000 has been our main product line for the last year-and-a-half. [Why do you need to develop online course for your company? Give me a problem description] We’ve developed a new product line--Red Widget 1100 which has new underlying technology, faster speed, and more competitive price/performance ratio. I have to teach my salespeople about the new Red Widget 1100 product characteristics—features, functions, and fees. [course title] Create your e-learning course title