Could e-learning keep you in the loop?

Many labs now have to consider the implications of regulation and compliance in their everyday work. Could e-learning be the key to successfully keeping scientists informed of changes in their field?

In the internet age e-learning has become a key education tool for many staff in all aspects of their work. E-learning company SkillGate, has recently launched its Internet based ‘push’ training package that allows continuous learning via e-mail. It is designed to deliver bite-size study modules on a pre-set timescale.

SkillGate say that this type of hosted e-mail delivery system will be well suited for regulation and compliance training. “It is usually critical that records of any training of this sort are kept, that way even after any testing has taken place information can still be available. The SkillGate system stores any information on a central library and subscribers can get access to it at any time.” said Ian Page, director of SkillGate.

So, if e-learning is the answer to more efficient regulation and compliance in a laboratory, then how can it be implemented?

Here, Ian Page gives us his five top tips for e-learning solutions in the laboratory environment.

The Chartered Institute of Training & Development (CIPD) forecasts that within three years, up to 25% of training will be delivered by e-Learning.

The most difficult step in implementing e-Learning is the first step. The market is flooded with software, authoring tools and learning management systems, so it is easy to get lost in the maze before you've even started.

It goes without saying that you must first understand your organisation's training requirements and match them to your available resources and current capabilities.

Once you have a blueprint in place, it is worth using the following five key rules to ensure you buy effective e-Learning. This will help you avoid the frustration and pitfalls that can raise their ugly heads when developing new online training.

If you only do five things: 
1. Closely analyse the requirements of your delegates.
2. Make sure you can measure the effectiveness of your e-Learning solution. 
3. Ensure your content wins over design. 
4. Make certain that your e-Learning solution is addressing the problem in hand. 
5. Make sure your e-Learning solution 'blends' all appropriate media. 

Rule 1: Closely analyse the requirements of your delegates
 
This might sound obvious but relevance theory has a lot to say about effective e-Learning. Delegates complete online courses because they feel they are:

• Rewarding - i.e. the delegate feels they will gain some tangible or perceived intangible benefit. For example, a qualification may result in entry to an academic society or lead to improved job prospects and salary.
• Convenient - The method of delivery of learning is straightforward. It must conveniently slot into a learner's daily routine and be convenient.

The more reward the delegate perceives, the more inconvenience they will accept in the delivery method. Or, put another way, the more effort they will make to complete the learning process.

Rule 2: Measure it!
 
Unlike traditional forms of business training, measuring completion rates is an excellent way to assess whether delegates found e-Learning relevant.

The e-learning package can be set up in such a way that compliance officers can monitor the usage of the system by staff. This way if delegates have forgotten to check their e-mail or visit the training website then the compliance officer can inform to do so.

Increasingly companies are focusing on 'solutions' based approaches where e-Learning software is selected for its relevance to a specific learning objective. It is still imperative however that systematic and comparative measurement is part of an e-Learning package.

Rule 3: The problem e-Learning solves is rarely defined by the learner

The big question that needs to be answered in laboratories is: What problem is
e-Learning solving? Individuals are notoriously reluctant to part with their own money to pay for training. Nine times out of ten, it is the company or institute that endorses training spend. However, the return on investment the company expects is usually not the same as that expected by the learner.

It is important to underline who is paying and why, before implementing an
e-Learning programme.

In our experience, e-Learning can have huge benefits in the following areas:
• Technical specialist education - In a fast moving, growing and dynamic industry, keeping abreast of the latest thinking, sources and knowledge can be difficult. e-Learning is an obvious choice to fill the knowledge gap.
• Meeting legal requirements - Many industries and companies are now legally required to educate staff and award competency or knowledge certification for regulation and compliance. e-Learning is an easy and inexpensive ongoing compliancy training solution.
• High speed induction - Industries with high level technical content and/or large numbers of unqualified or inexperienced newcomers need rapid skills induction, especially in terms of regulations and compliance. Formal induction education and technical knowledge improvement paths are delivered in incremental stages or modules - often ending in a formal qualification. The flexibility of e-Learning lends itself well to this arena.

Rule 4: Your success will be measured by how little time delegates spend learning - not how long!

Many e-Learning designers believe they have to incorporate numerous bells and whistles into a site to keep a delegate online for as long as possible. This is often referred to as the 'stickiness' factor. The theory behind this is that the longer a delegate spends online, the more knowledge they will absorb. There is actually no logic to this.

At a recent meeting of the e-Learning Network, the audience - comprised largely of training designers and managers - was asked what they thought caused the wow factor in e-Learning. The majority agreed that it was content, not design. The wow factor for a delegate comes when they learn something they recognise as useful to their jobs. It follows that the quicker they can learn it, the better. 
        
Rule 5: Successful e-Learning should be blended in several ways

A commonly understood model of e-Learning delivery is the 'blended' theory, where e-Learning content is delivered prior to physical attendance at a training course or a post-course programme - the sandwich. This can be an efficient and effective method, particularly if travel costs have to be taken into account.

However, successful e-Learning can involve many blendable dimensions. For example:
• Involve supervisors - it should be easy for lab managers to access information on, and assist in, a delegate's e-Learning progress.
• Mix objects to create individualised solutions - study programmes should be flexible enough to deal with individual learning patterns. Some delegates, for example, may need extra help in modules originally thought easy. Beware of expensive courseware that is fixed in stone once it is completed.
• Integrate time as an ally - traditional training is usually bound to a time and date schedule. With e-Learning, training can be delivered anytime and with varying intensity.
• Use a range of educational media - e-Learning should integrate all educational media. It is easy to include virtual meeting sessions or video streaming into courses. e-Learning can also incorporate colleague feedback, managed action planning, real-time workplace exercises and coaching.

By Ian Page, SkillGate