Online learning questioned

By ADAM GIFFORD

Money spent on online learning programmes might be money wasted, according to research conducted for IT education company, Com Tech Education Services.

But that suggestion is challenged by online learning experts who say the poor design and implementation of programmes is the problem.

Market research consultancy, The Leading Edge, surveyed training managers at 57 of Com Tech's top Australian customers who have 80,000 employees.

While 34 of those companies were using some form of online learning, only five, or 15 per cent, rated it as a "very successful" way to pass on skills, and less than half reported good staff participation or enthusiasm.

However, two thirds of the companies said it reduced IT training costs and 79 per cent judged it successful because of its convenience. "We were not surprised by the results of this survey," says Com Tech's general manager, Steve Ross.

"We believe humans learn best from humans and that online learning is not an acceptable substitute for face-to-face training. Staff enthusiasm for this type of learning is low because it is mass personalised and a sterile and artificial form of communication. People are different, yet online courses are pitched to everyone in the same way."

He says corporates are adopting e-learning for cost-saving rather than effectiveness.

"There is a role for e-learning, but it appears to be best for more simple task-based applications and for gaining specific skills. The best way to use online training would therefore appear to be as a subsequent refresher of course-based skills."

Cheryl Regan, of Auckland training business, The Learning Curve, says many online packages are not designed for the way people learn.

"Many are template-based, where the user just presses buttons. It's not intuitive, so it's not involving the learner.

"I've seen companies take content designed for the classroom and give it to multimedia companies to turn into courseware.

"The multimedia companies may be brilliant at what they do, but they don't understand the particular instruction methods you need for technology nor of the need to surround it with other things - the human content, like having mentors and coaches or chat rooms for people to talk over what they are learning."

Ms Regan says classroom interaction is essential: "Some universities thought they could get rid of instructors by moving courses online, but they're now finding they need more people, not fewer."

Hewlett Packard's customer education manager, David Thompson, moved much of his training to the internet three years ago.

He uses a virtual classroom system where students sitting in their office are linked by a telephone conference call and web conference software.

"Its effectiveness depends on the message I'm trying to get across. I teach a lot of the Unix operating system and that's not effective because people need to be hands-on. But if you're putting out information on new products, which can be done in lecture style, it's quite effective."