I am developing a e-learning system to help out a software house whose main product is a software aims to automate the workflow of advertising agencies. The elearning system will be used to train the employees in advertising agencies on how to use the system .
My client is skeptical that it will not be successful. They are of the opinion that the clients/employees of clients need face to face training, if not they will loose the customers.
I need to evaluate the risks and suggest ways to overcome those. I appreciate your valuable input.
So a software developer thinks eLearning can't be useful...Hmmm. I would start with asking the company, "Why do you think your software is useful to the advertising world?" Ask them to list the benefits. Then take a look at those benefits and rewrite them as benefits of teaching the software by eLearning. My guess is there will be many similarities. Present them with a side by side chart. Showing the client the benefits from their point of view may help.
The comment "they will lose the customers" is something I'd explore if I were you. Why are they worried about that? It might be that they pride themselves on personal service or great customer experience. If you can come to agreement that a strong customer connection is important to them, perhaps you can create a system that leverages the efficiencies of e-learning but maintains the high touch of face to face? Try and find out the goals and the experience that they are trying to create so your training solution meets those. I would also try to find out what they think e-learning is, maybe there's room for some innovative design (advertising campaign?). Sounds like an exciting challenge!
Also consider that it's not necessarily a this OR that choice. E-learning stuff almost always works best in combination with other things and can be a dynamite addition to help prepare for and support performance on-the-job.
E-learning won't kill the classroom star! But it certainly can help make the classroom a better place to be by balancing *what works well* and providing the right thing at the right moment more often.
I call this line of thinking design formation. The thinking divides a potential solution, approach, or system of approaches into four categories:
Prepare - Can we provide some conceptual underpinnings in whatever medium (including e-learning) that can help prepare folks for the next stage? Is everyone equally ready for the classroom or are we going to waste half the class time catching the other half up to the same level?
Practice - Can we provide opportunities for safe and spaced practice? E-learning stuff can provide this. So can the classroom.
Measure - Can we use tools to measure where folks are? Are they ready? What else do they need to succeed? E-learning can provide this with good design.
Support - Can we support performance on (or near) the job? Maybe all folks need is a job aid or a video guide as a reminder. These can be powerful in connection with a classroom experience.
It depends:) But getting folks out of the mindset that a classroom is the only way will take breaking it down and making the case for another way. It's also worth exploring "why" they think they'll lose business. Maybe the classroom is where they establish relationships and build community. It could be worth keeping some of that, or considering alternatives that could scale MUCH better than the classroom.
5 Replies
Perhaps someone could ask the clients/employees what they think? Sounds to me like more investigation is needed before the investment.
So a software developer thinks eLearning can't be useful...Hmmm. I would start with asking the company, "Why do you think your software is useful to the advertising world?" Ask them to list the benefits. Then take a look at those benefits and rewrite them as benefits of teaching the software by eLearning. My guess is there will be many similarities. Present them with a side by side chart. Showing the client the benefits from their point of view may help.
Cheers, Julie
Hi Heli
Agree with Bruce.
The comment "they will lose the customers" is something I'd explore if I were you. Why are they worried about that? It might be that they pride themselves on personal service or great customer experience. If you can come to agreement that a strong customer connection is important to them, perhaps you can create a system that leverages the efficiencies of e-learning but maintains the high touch of face to face? Try and find out the goals and the experience that they are trying to create so your training solution meets those. I would also try to find out what they think e-learning is, maybe there's room for some innovative design (advertising campaign?). Sounds like an exciting challenge!
Hope that helps,
Holly
Maybe you could go back to good old "blended learning"?
Suggest main courses are online, and then back to "Q&A" sessions, or "Advanced Training" using F2F sessions as Holly suggests.
Also consider that it's not necessarily a this OR that choice. E-learning stuff almost always works best in combination with other things and can be a dynamite addition to help prepare for and support performance on-the-job.
E-learning won't kill the classroom star! But it certainly can help make the classroom a better place to be by balancing *what works well* and providing the right thing at the right moment more often.
I call this line of thinking design formation. The thinking divides a potential solution, approach, or system of approaches into four categories:
It depends:) But getting folks out of the mindset that a classroom is the only way will take breaking it down and making the case for another way. It's also worth exploring "why" they think they'll lose business. Maybe the classroom is where they establish relationships and build community. It could be worth keeping some of that, or considering alternatives that could scale MUCH better than the classroom.
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