Chief Learning Officer - May 2006 - (Page 15)

CO0506.qxd 4/19/06 12:33 PM Page 15 take five Five Things to Tell Others About E-Learning Brandon Hall A n organization R&D spending on systems that automate train- A CLO colleague of mine recently asked me ing administration, delivery of online content what he should be discussing with his group in that is not taking and tracking of who took what and how they this giant Midwestern firm about e-learning. a d v a n t a g e of did. Greater benefits will emerge as further It's the standard What is hype and what is integration occurs, incorporating performance real? question. He knew I have been an early e-learning is management, business analytics, ROI and tal- advocate and full-time researcher on e-learning slipping away from ent management. since 1993. Here are five solid points I told him t h e leaders and he could live by: The bad news about LMSs is that the big stick- can't stay er has drawn people and business practices of 1. E-learning is for real, and it's here to stay. dubious business ethics. Claims often exceed a competitive. If a training officer does not know this and system's actual capabilities. Although analysts believe this, he or she is out of the loop and are paid to separate the wheat from the chaff, behind the times. One hundred percent of some analysts actually charge a hidden fee major companies and most mid-size companies from vendors to have their system included in use e-learning. Too many CLOs are not aware an independent research report. Buyer of the extent of it. Anything new and complex beware indeed. can be intimidating, but it takes investing time to learn about the technology. 4. You don't have to buy an LMS today. But you should when you can. Action item: grab your calendar and schedule You can offer a substantial amount of e-learning, in time to get further up to speed. It could be a create your own content, purchase off-the-shelf staff meeting, focused Web surfing, calling a courses and make it all available online without peer, ordering a book or calling vendors for an buying or upgrading an LMS. Don't let that stop overview. your team. But having a current LMS is a best 2. You need an e-learning strategy for your practice, so put together that business case. organization and for your career. 5. The world of learning benefits directly That strategy should include: blended learning from new technologies. to enhance traditional classroom training; Simulations. Podcasts. Blogs. New technolo- where to place your bet on a major leap-ahead gies open new possibilities for training as well. with technology, such as automated e-learning There are many forms of e-learning such as modules for call-center staff and how to reach SME-authored content, live e-learning, con- not only employees but also channel partners, verted PowerPoint, simulations of all types suppliers and customers with e-learning. and new ways it can be delivered, such as by e- Include a strategy for creating, managing, mail, through an LMS, in a live online session, delivering and tracking online learning. in a podcast or as modules on a PDA. An organization that is not taking advantage of In the 1990s, authoring e-learning was harder e-learning is slipping away from the leaders and I www.clomedia.com I Chief Learning Officer because it required training and special soft- can't stay competitive. As industry leaders ben- ware. Now, anyone can develop training using efit from cost savings, delivery flexibility, faster PowerPoint conversion tools. Simulation tools large-scale roll-outs and worldwide distribu- allow a creator to fill in the blanks to create Brandon Hall, Ph.D. tion, your group will feel the heat. simulations for people-skills training. What has been a leading Action item: Plan a strategy development ses- will emerge tomorrow? commentator on e-learning sion, as an off-site session with your staff, across a since 1993 and is CEO and My colleague, the CLO who asked about e- series of staff meetings or as a complement to an lead researcher at Brandon learning, still isn't fully engaging the power and existing enterprise training strategy document. Hall Research, Inc., an flexibility of e-learning. It is time to overcome independent research firm 3. LMSs drive the industry. the hesitancies, learn enough to be comfort- in Sunnyvale, Calif. May 2006 For the first time there is a big-ticket item in able with the systems, tools and courses, and Brandon can be reached make the jump. training, the LMS. This has lead to a lot of at bhall@clomedia.com. 15  http://www.clomedia.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chief Learning Officer - May 2006

Editor's Note
Table of Contents
Letters to the Editor
Take Five
Selling Up, Selling Down
Imperatives
Strategies
Guest Editorial
Learning Solutions
Robbins-Gioia University
Environment
Deloitte & Touche USA
CLO Profile
Productivity
Washington Gas
Case Study
Human Capital
Health Care Service Corp.
Tactics
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida
Business Intelligence
In Conclusion
Advertiser's Index
Editorial Resources

Chief Learning Officer - May 2006

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