| Kind of a funny title from the CEO of an | | | | They spent the company's money and used |
| eLearning company but I know what I'm talking | | | | company resources to develop the courses. I |
| about. As proof, we delivered our first eLearning | | | | have asked customers, "How has the reception |
| product in 1989. It was a CBT for learning Digital | | | | been to your new eLearning courses?" I have |
| Equipment Corporation's VAX/VMS operating | | | | gotten answers like: |
| system. It ran under DOS. In 1995, we delivered | | | | - I don't know, I haven't checked. |
| our first computer-based course builder and | | | | - Not everyone has gone through them. |
| tracking system called Design-a-Course. Twelve | | | | - Not everyone finishes them. |
| years later we are still at it with our current | | | | This problem of people not using what they paid |
| offering of the same name, albeit completely | | | | for and created does not bode well for the |
| rewritten and built for the web. So, I have been in | | | | eLearning industry. So, whose fault is it? The |
| this business as long as anyone and seen just | | | | students will tell you the courses were not good |
| about every type of eLearning customer. | | | | or not stimulating enough so they lost interest. |
| There have been way too many customers who | | | | That could be true. Creating a good, engaging |
| have purchased an eLearning system from our | | | | course is a skill. And unfortunately not all |
| company to train a group of people who either: | | | | companies have instructional designers and great |
| A. Never get around to around to creating the | | | | graphics people within their organization. Most |
| courses. Or, | | | | organizations just have a need to transfer |
| B. Never get their people to take the courses. | | | | knowledge to the employees on information |
| I'm not sure which is harder to believe. Why plunk | | | | critical to their company and job function. |
| down good money if you are not going to use | | | | Like all other business issues that affect the |
| the system? I'll tell you why. It's the same reason | | | | employee, it comes down to management. Sorry |
| you don't see training in a lot of categories for, | | | | bosses. Learning in your organization, eLearning or |
| "business type" when you fill out a background | | | | any type, is your responsibility. It is part of your |
| sheet for a news or magazine subscription. | | | | job to make sure your staff goes through the |
| Training and/or eLearning still doesn't have the | | | | courses you took the time to put together. It has |
| importance it should. Training is always a good | | | | to be a job-mandated requirement from the top |
| thought until something else "more important" | | | | down. Not completing or not passing the provided |
| bubbles to the top. "I got pulled off the new | | | | courseware should affect the performance |
| eLearning course rollout for something really | | | | review, which should affect the salary. Sounds |
| important" is something we've frequently heard. I | | | | harsh I know. But your company is only as good |
| guess training and testing your computer | | | | as the knowledge you have inside it. Training |
| operators to make sure they are doing the | | | | needs to be mandated and tracked. |
| nightly backups correctly, which holds all your | | | | So, if you have purchased an eLearning system |
| customer data, isn't all that important. | | | | and never used it, blame yourself. |
| It is easy to show someone all the research data | | | | If you purchased an eLearning system, created |
| about how successful companies are the | | | | the courses, deployed them and your students |
| companies that invest in their employees' | | | | never used it, blame yourself again. Until learning |
| education. And they may appreciate it and buy | | | | during the normal course of the business day |
| the training product or service. But too often, | | | | becomes as fully integrated as checking email in |
| after the excitement of the new purchase, the | | | | the morning, the growth and, more importantly, |
| priorities shift. . | | | | the positive and profitable effect eLearning can |
| For the determined, cost conscious, and downright | | | | have on your company will be limited. Worse yet, |
| responsible users that actually develop and roll out | | | | the potential for a better-equipped, more |
| their eLearning courses but never get anyone to | | | | effective workforce will not be realized. |
| take them, theirs is probably a bigger mistake. | | | | |