E-learning

E-Learning FAQ

To date, at least 60 percent of American universities offer some course work online, and 92 percent of major corporations have begun testing Web-based learning programs. And, while just 20 percent of corporate training took place electronically in 1999, one report said that number will double by 2003. Some companies, including General Electric, have switched entirely to e-learning. "E-learning will become a routine part of our lives in the future," said the Gartner analyst.

Chicago Sun Times, 1 May 2000

What is e-learning?
E-learning is Web-based or computer-based training that is self-paced and self-directed. It is also a method of training and educating individuals in a way that can utilize several modalities: audio, video, graphics, text, and kinesthetic. This is due to the fact that we all have different learning preferences. For instance, some of us prefer to read and some of us like to be read to. Offering audio clips with each section of text provides the user with a choice. Also, the fact that a CBT is interactive by design will offer a self-paced environment that will accommodate the student's level of knowledge. All of these elements of CBT, if properly developed, will help reduce training time, increase proficiency, and improve memory retention.

How will we know if e-learning should be delivered on the Internet or a DVD/CD-ROM?
If your content demands motion or large and complex graphics, and your students do not have the computer power to access the Internet at a higher rate of speed, then you probably will need to develop the CBT for a CD-ROM. Obviously, the other consideration should be that they have a CD-ROM player on their computer. If you are fortunate to have a choice, your considerations should be focused on such things as CD-ROM distribution and inventory, number of updates and redistribution, Internet access charges, Internet browser constraints, and actual number of students to be trained to calculate a return on investment. There is still another option called Hybrid. This utilizes the powers of the Web and places all of the media files on a CD-ROM, such as video and audio. This allows you to have the best of both worlds. O'Neil will certainly help you decide which medium is right for you.

What will our responsibilities be if we decide to develop e-learning with O'Neil?
If the course that is under consideration is already being used in a traditional instructor-led classroom, O'Neil will need to meet with the trainer and the instructional designer in order to completely understand what the learning objectives will be. If the course is not currently being taught, the instructional designer and the writers must meet with the subject matter expert (SME). Again, the learning objectives must be established and the information must be gathered in order to begin the writing and design. O'Neil will also need a technical advisor (TA) from your organization. This individual would be instrumental in determining the computer system requirements and also for testing the technical aspects of the software. To summarize, we will need several meetings with the instructor and courseware designer, if available, and most certainly O'Neil will need to spend time with the subject matter expert and technical advisor.

What's an SME and Technical Advisor?
An SME, or subject matter expert, is an individual who is appointed by your company as the person who is the most knowledgeable about the subject to be taught. O'Neil will interact with the SME to gather information concerning the application or information retrieval system we are developing for you. Sometimes, this person is an instructor or author of the information that must be taught or distributed.

The technical advisor is someone from your organization that can give O'Neil technical information about the computer systems that your software will be used on. The TA will also help to facilitate the alpha or beta testing to ensure that the software will operate properly on the appropriate computers.

What is a Learning Management System?
A learning management system provides the platform for the enterprise's online learning environment by enabling the management, delivery, and tracking of blended learning (i.e., online and traditional classroom) for employees, stakeholders, and customers. A robust LMS should integrate with other departments, such as human resources, accounting, and e-commerce, so administrative and supervisory tasks can be streamlined and automated, and the overall cost and impact of education can be tracked and quantified.

Who owns the application O'Neil develops for us?
The client owns the application that O'Neil will develop. You will receive the program and any production elements associated with the production, such as video and audio clips. There are no licensing fees or charges of any kind related to the development or distribution of your CBT. We want you to come back for modifications or additions because you want to, not because you have to.

How will we know if e-learning is successful for us?
The success of e-learning will only be determined if the learning objectives are met. This can only be verified if the students are monitored after they have completed the course and the objective is accomplished. Other ways that can determine the effectiveness of e-learning are by administering a pretest and posttest to the student. These tests can be integrated into the course itself. An assigned individual can use an administration tool that can be developed in conjunction with e-learning. This application database will automatically score the test results and append a file that can even compare and query all pertinent information.

Who will update the content?
The client or O'Neil can update the content. You have three options: First, if you prefer to make changes to the content, when the e-learning courses are delivered to you, it will also contain the files. You may use these files to change the content or add, delete, and modify any part of the CBT. This, of course, will require programming knowledge of the application software that was used to develop your course.

The second alternative is to have O'Neil develop what we refer to as a "text editor" specifically for an LCMS (Learning Content Management System). This tool, which is created at the time of development, will allow a nonprogrammer employed by the client to change the existing text content.

The other option you may also consider is to have O'Neil provide this service to you. We can make all of the modifications to the courses anytime at your request.

Will the instructors who have trained in the classrooms lose their jobs?
There are several opportunities to expand the responsibilities of the classroom instructors. Some companies have given the task of content development for e-learning to the instructors. Others have welcomed e-learning as a way to qualify students that are attending their class now. For instance, we have had some of our clients reduce a two-week classroom instruction down to one week. Previously, the first week of the class was used to get everyone at the same proficiency level. When this occurs, some students are either bored because they already know the information that is being taught, or they feel inferior because they need to be brought up to speed with the rest of the class. The solution is to have all students take a computer-based training course and become certified (at their own convenient pace) in the basics of the course before they can attend the class. This assures the instructor that all of the students attending their class will be at the same level. They will not be left behind by a fast-paced class or bored by a slow one. The result is less training time and, consequently, more students can be trained.

E-learning is not a panacea. It is not for every course. There are times when this training approach is not appropriate. Companies will use both classroom instruction and e-learning, or a "blended" approach, which makes a more efficient means of educating their employees or customers.