Investment in eLearning has emerged as a vital tool in the education and learning & development (L&D) sectors. From virtual classrooms to adaptive learning applications, digital learning has been employed across various fields to enhance knowledge-sharing, foster skills development, and transform how learning is perceived and consumed. The accessibility, personalization, and flexibility offered by eLearning make it a potentially transformative force, capable of overhauling traditional teaching and learning methods.
Despite these apparent benefits, not all organizations are eager to embrace eLearning. There is often resistance towards shifting from tried and tested conventional methods to this relatively new approach of learning. Hesitations may stem from a lack of familiarity with digital learning tools, fear of change, perceived high costs, or even past unsuccessful eLearning attempts.
This resistance, however, may be fueled and perpetuated by what Michael Allen describes as the ‘cycle of bad eLearning’. In his Guide to e-Learning, Allen describes how negative views about eLearning can create a detrimental, self-perpetuating cycle. A poorly designed eLearning program leads to underwhelming outcomes, which then reinforce a negative perception of eLearning, decreasing the likelihood of future investment.
In this article, we will delve deeper into understanding this cycle of bad eLearning and how to break it, in order to encourage greater investment in eLearning – even in the most resistant organizations.
Key Takeaways
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Breaking the cycle of bad elearning requires organizations to set clear and measurable learning objectives, invest in high-quality design and delivery, regularly evaluate and improve programs based on feedback, and provide necessary resources and tools to the design team.
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Creating a cycle of good eLearning begins with improved attitudes and higher expectations, leading to a commitment to quality design and delivery, which results in better-designed programs, improved learning outcomes and skill application, and encourages further investment in eLearning initiatives.
The Cycle of Bad eLearning
To appropriately address the issues surrounding eLearning, we first need to understand the obstacles. At the root of much of the resistance to eLearning implementation is what Michael Allen terms the ‘cycle of bad eLearning’. This cycle, as the name suggests, is a chaining sequence of factors leading to poor eLearning outcomes and experiences, further discouraging investment and interest in similar initiatives.
Below, we detail the components of this destructive cycle:
- Low Expectations: Many hold a poor perception of eLearning due to previous experiences that were uninspiring and unengaging. This preconceived notion leads to low expectations and an overall negative opinion about eLearning’s potential effectiveness.
- Poor Design and Delivery: Guided by these diminished expectations, the commitment to developing high-quality eLearning materials wanes. Consequently, poorly designed and delivered programs are created which do little to engage learners or reinforce learning, leading to a frustrating experience for all involved.
- Poor Results: Naturally, the poor design and delivery translates into ineffective learning. This means learners don’t retain as much information as they should, don’t develop the desired skills or can’t properly apply what they’ve learned, culminating in poor assessment results or lackagre performance when applying those skills in practice.
- Reduced Investment: The lackluster performance discourages further investment as stakeholders question the value and efficacy of eLearning. Funds and resources that might have been allocated to future eLearning endeavors are instead directed elsewhere, stifling the chance for improved eLearning experiences.
When we take a closer look at real-world examples, this cycle can be distinctly observed. For instance, consider an organization that launches eLearning modules developed hastily without adequate emphasis on content relevancy or interactivity. The resulting program, unfortunately, fails to engage the learners, they struggle to extract meaningful knowledge or skills, and the organization, witnessing the poor outcomes, becomes even more reluctant to invest further in eLearning resources.
Clearly, continuous creation and propagation of such negative experiences sustain this detrimental cycle of bad eLearning. Breaking this cycle requires an innovative and thoughtful approach, as we will discuss in the following section.
Breaking the Cycle of Bad eLearning
Establish a set of design templates, style guides, and standards for eLearning development. These templates provide a consistent structure and visual identity to your courses, making it easier to create new content quickly. Standardized development Overcoming the hurdles connected to the cycle of bad eLearning necessitates systematic and strategic planning to ensure eLearning is seen as a beneficial investment.
Here are some key areas that need to be addressed:
- Establish Clear and Measurable Learning Objectives: One of the most critical steps in developing an effective eLearning program is to design clear, specific, and measurable learning objectives. These objectives guide learners, providing them with a clear understanding of what they will learn and how it will be beneficial. They also serve as a clear yardstick for measuring the effectiveness and success of the program, thus giving stakeholders quantifiable results on their return on investment.
- Invest in Quality Design and Delivery: Emphasis should be placed on creating high-quality eLearning materials that grab the learner’s interest and keep them engaged. This may include a combination of interactive modules, multimedia elements, and real-world application of concepts. In addition, the delivery of the content should be smooth and user-friendly, ensuring a positive user experience for the learners.
- Engage in Regular Evaluation and Feedback: Continuous monitoring and evaluation of eLearning programs are key to improving them. Take learners’ feedback into consideration and make necessary improvements based on their recommendations. This will give learners a sense of being valued – boosting their engagement, and also keep the content fresh and up to date.
- Invest in Professional Development and Tools: Proper resources and tools are necessary for the development of high-quality eLearning programs. Invest in professional development of the design team, provide them with the necessary tools and technology to create engaging eLearning materials.
Breaking the cycle of bad eLearning is no small feat. It requires a substantial shift in perspective and a conscious commitment to elevating the standards of eLearning. In essence, breaking the cycle is about improving every step of the way, right from planning to execution and evaluation, transforming eLearning experiences from being ‘just passable’ to truly productive and fulfilling.t processes and guidelines also help maintain quality and ensure scalability across multiple courses and development teams.
Creating Contract of Promise with Stakeholders
Once the shift towards higher-quality eLearning has begun, it’s essential to communicate this change effectively to those with invested interests. This is where the concept of a contract or promise comes into play.
What does this ‘promise’ entail? It’s essentially a commitment that the eLearning program will meet set objectives and yield measurable results, providing a tangible return on the eLearning investment. This could be in the form of improved learner performance, faster completion times, or the achievement of specific learning outcomes.
But it’s not enough just to make this promise—it must be fulfilled. And ensuring its fulfillment involves meticulously designing and executing the eLearning program. Whether it’s in the form of a 100% completion rate, a certain score increase, reduction in the number of errors, or the achievement of specific performance goals, the results must be measureable and concrete. Transparency about these results goes a long way in building trust and confidence among the stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of eLearning.
Look at successful eLearning initiatives in other organizations to understand how they’ve measured and demonstrated their returns on investment. Presenting these cases as evidence can provide solid assurance that when done right, eLearning can indeed be a worthwhile investment.
At its core, this ‘promise’ or ‘contract’ is about guaranteeing value—to the learners, for their time and effort; to the design team, for their dedicated work; and to the organization, for its financial investment. Demonstrating this return on investment is a crucial step towards uplifting the image of eLearning and creating a propensity for greater investment. This affirmative change can transition organizations out of the cycle of bad eLearning and position them onto the path of continuous eLearning success and progress.
Establishing the Cycle of Good eLearning
Once the ‘cycle of bad eLearning’ has been broken and the promise of meaningful, measurable results fulfilled, it’s time to move towards establishing what could be termed as the ‘cycle of good eLearning’. This virtuous cycle drastically contrasts with the cycle of bad eLearning, with each stage serving as an improvement point that feeds into the next, aligning the eLearning project for success.
Here’s how the cycle works:
- Improved Attitude and Higher Expectations: The initial success of an effective eLearning program improves perceptions and raises expectations towards eLearning initiatives. Stakeholders and learners alike start seeing eLearning as a valuable, engaging, and productive method of teaching and learning.
- Quality Design and Delivery: With raised expectations comes commitment to quality. Improved attitudes towards eLearning can motivate the design team to create more high-quality, engaging, and relevant content. The effectiveness of the learning program is improved with better design and the efficient delivery of content.
- Better Learning Outcomes: Naturally, when the learning materials are well-designed and engaging, learning outcomes improve. Learners are able to retain more information, apply their knowledge effectively, and develop important skills.
- Increased Investment: When stakeholders see the positive results of the eLearning program, they are more inclined to invest in further eLearning initiatives. This new investment can then be used to expand and improve future eLearning programs.
This cycle of good eLearning carries huge potential for long-term benefits as each successful eLearning venture feeds into the next, keeping the momentum going. By keeping the focus on delivering quality with each cycle, organizations can ensure that positive attitudes towards eLearning, higher expectations, and increased investment become the norm rather than the exception. Maintaining this positive cycle helps validate that eLearning is indeed a worthy objective seeking continuous refinement and evolution. The end goal is simple, yet profoundly transformative — not just meeting but exceeding the learning objectives, thereby continually delivering high return on eLearning investments.
Conclusion
Deploying eLearning in an organization that is resistant to change is undeniably a significant challenge. Overcoming this resistance demands a strategic approach that not only addresses the existing skepticism but also showcases the extensive potential and return on investment that eLearning offers.
By understanding the cycle of bad eLearning, and deliberately engaging strategies to break it, organizations can overcome the initial resistance and skepticism. The key is to shift the narrative from negative to positive, by delivering on the ‘promise’ of high-quality, meaningful, and effective learning infused with quantifiable results.
Establishing clear and measurable objectives, investing in design and delivery, continuously evaluating and improvising the program, and manifesting the return on investment are major steps towards dispelling any existing misconceptions about eLearning.
Meeting these initial objectives paves the way for creating a self-reinforcing cycle of good eLearning, where every success fuels the desire to create more successful eLearning experiences.
Ultimately, the goal is to foster a learning culture that appreciates and utilizes eLearning not as a mere alternative to traditional learning methods but as an effective, engaging, and efficient mode of knowledge acquisition and skills development. Transforming the perception about eLearning can significantly motivate organizations to invest more effort, time, and resources into making eLearning experiences truly valuable and rewarding. The journey may be rigorous, but the outcomes of good eLearning are definitely worth every effort.
Case Studies
Understanding successful implementations of eLearning can provide valuable insights into breaking the cycle of bad eLearning and creating the foundation for a cycle of good eLearning.
Let’s delve into a couple of cases where organizations managed to revolutionize their learning systems:
Case Study 1: A Large Telecommunications Company
A large telecommunications company realized that their traditional training methods were no longer sufficient to keep up with the rapidly evolving technology and their globally dispersed workforce. Initially skeptical, they decided to cautiously approach eLearning.
They began by clearly defining the learning objectives and pushed their Learning and Development team to collaborate with a professional eLearning provider. They developed a suite of interactive, engaging, and mobile-optimized courses that catered to the needs of their global workforce. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with employees appreciating the flexibility and increased engagement.
Metrics showed an overall increase in course completion rates, improvement in knowledge retention, reduction in training time, and as a result, substantial cost savings. Witnessing the positive feedback and impressive results, the company continued their investment in eLearning and now boasts a comprehensive and successful eLearning program.
Case Study 2: A Global Retailer
A global retailer faced the challenge of consistently training their constantly changing and increasingly young workforce. The company was experiencing the impacts of bad eLearning with their outdated and poorly-designed training materials, leading to a disengaged workforce and poor results.
Recognizing the need for change, the company invested in remodeling their eLearning material. They made their courses more interactive, leveraged multimedia, and included gamification to appeal to their younger workforce. Clear learning objectives were set and employees’ progress and understanding were evaluated using integrated quizzes and assessments.
The results were remarkable. Sales increased and customer satisfaction improved. As a bonus, a year later, a significant decrease in employee turnover was credited in part to the company’s interest in providing upskilling and “upward transfers” for their staff. Proving the value of a well-implemented eLearning strategy, the company continued to improve and expand its eLearning program, utilizing feedback and new technologies to continuously engage and educate its workforce.
These case studies show how shifting the focus towards effective eLearning can break the cycle of bad eLearning and initiate the cycle of good eLearning, leading to significant benefits. By setting clear and measurable learning objectives, investing in quality design and delivery, evaluating processes, and fulfilling the promise of measurable results, even organizations resistant to eLearning can successfully adapt and reap the benefits of this innovative form of learning.
