The e-Line #3:
Breathing Some Life Into Lifeless e-Learning

As I write this, it's summer, my usual time for fitting in a bit of extra learning, and planning my learning activities for the fall.

In addition to a number of training conferences (I confess to being a conference junkie), my focus is on acquiring some new computer skills, so I recently signed up for eight days of computer courses. And last week I found myself carrying home several tomes of "Teach Yourself X Visually" after unloading some significant dollars at the bookstore.

If I'm an e-learning enthusiast, what's wrong with this picture? Why aren't I learning online? Great question, and one I have been asking myself.

Considering the demands of my schedule, the fact that I practically 'live' online (I recently discovered e-books and I'm hooked), and my inclination towards e-learning, you'd think I'd be heading towards my PC her in my office, not a lab full of PCs downtown.

I think what I am experiencing, is much what employees in organizations experience, when they are directed towards the organization's e-learning offerings.

If you really think about it, what can possibly be exciting and engaging about sitting alone in front of your computer and clicking through screens to learn the latest version of some software package, or how to communicate better? Granted, some offerings now include more interactivity with video or audio clips, drag and drop exercises and such. But it's still, largely, learning solo. It's lacking interaction with people.

Sadly, this is what some people believe e-learning is. The most powerful learning opportunities online actually lie in courses that use the power of the web to connect people - by discussion forums, email, webconferencing, or even teleconferencing - to learn together. My personal bias is that this is where the future lies.

But given that off-the-shelf self-paced courses are here to stay, what can be done to breathe a little life into them - and to enrich the learning experience?

I've been mulling the question of low completions for self-paced e-learning for some time now, and I think it comes down to this human element. Or lack of it.

When I am learning, unless it's a little 30 minute nugget (which I do frequent), I do tend to want a human being involved of whom I can ask questions and, frankly, dig me out when I go too far astray (hence my computer course registrations). I don't think I am all that unusual in this regard.

So, what's to be done if your organization has purchased a whole 'library' of off-the-shelf, self-paced e-learning courses and you aren't finding they are being utilized? Or what if you are poised to make this investment?

Enter the concept of volunteer mentors.

The idea is quite simple, really.

It involves asking those employees who have successfully completed an online course if they would be willing to be a volunteer mentor for others who take the course it the future. Some may decline, but changes are many will say yes.

The end result is that when employees go to sign up for online courses, they are provided with list of mentors that they can contact with questions. The simplest approach is to list the mentors, the topics they are mentors for, and their contact information (email, phone) right on your intranet right next to the course offerings. Aside of some recognition for the mentors, it doesn't have to be more complicated than that to get off the ground.

One of the students in a course I am teaching on online learning is doing not only this, but has really grown the idea.

To support the suites of self-paced courses they provide for employees, the organization is in the process of developing a dynamic online course called "How To Use Online Courses" - teaching everything from how to access to the courses, to how to optimize your learning experience.

Employees will receive their invitation to be volunteer mentors after they have completed the "How To" course and two other online courses. So, employees are not only invited to be volunteer mentors, they have a bit of context.

This is a large, multi-national organization, and to spread the word, reps in each country rep will be identified to help lead the initiative. Once the list of volunteer mentors grows substantially, mentors will be broken down into regional groupings. As well, along with the courses they officially support, mentors' skills in other areas will be listed as well.

Needless to say, I am impressed. I know that when I'm learning, I want a human being there at my side, even if it's at my virtual side. These employees will have it.

Before I sign off, back to this topic of low completion rates. I can't resist the opportunity to say a little bit more.

Yes, low completion rates can be an indication of something amiss in the instructional design or implementation of e-learning, but that's really where the value ends. By becoming fixated on completion rates, we risk burying our heads in the virtual sand.

What's so darn important about completing a course? There are of course instances in which there is a compliance requirement, such as safety or other certifications, when tracking completions has relevance (thought, even then, a test of knowledge and competence at the end is still actually more relevant).

But beyond that, why is completion important? If an employee goes into an online course, finds their way to what it is they need to know, learn it, and get out, what's wrong with that? If we are totally focussed on course completions, aren't we just perpetuating the old paradigm of counting "bums in seats" in the classroom? We all know how useful that is….

I think it's about striking a balance, between doing as much as possible to support learners, and focusing on the learning vs. the completion.

Enough said. Now, I've got to get back to work, I have a computer course to fit in my schedule this week and it's resulting in the proverbial busy work week…