Rapid Advantages
The increased popularity of rapid e-learning has been driven by the promise of three major improvements:
1. A much shorter time to market - key for product launches and other activities with short lead times.
2. A significant reduction in cost - as courses are now produced in house and take less time.
3. The Subject Matter Expert can be the direct source of knowledge without the need for consultants or developers to act as intermediaries. Knowledge sharing through e-learning then becomes much more efficient.
E-Learning is no longer the reserve of the company’s flagship courses: These major improvements allow the organisation to unlock the potential of e-learning and leverage its benefits for a variety of purposes.
Does not just “happen”
Even though the benefits from rapid e-learning are substantial, as in any new technology it needs to be implemented properly to deliver results. Sprinkling a variety of tools into the organisation does not necessary deliver the required results. A couple of enthusiasts might adopt the new technology and you could have external consultants using it – small pieces of content would be created, however considering the vast transformation rapid e-learning can deliver to a company, this potential is not realised by focusing only on easy to use tools.
Generally this situation occurs because tools are not enough, and SME´s are already very busy with their daily tasks and don’t have bandwidth for additional requests. This lack of commitment is often the result of flawed prioritising: , as e-learning projects are not perceived as important and therefore slip down the priority list.
Solution: Projects
To ensure the delivery of rapid e-learning, it is essential to make sure content is developed and delivered within a clear framework of planned activities for the company. This is important as it ensures resources are allocated and key stakeholders wooed, ultimately engraining e-learning as part of good process across the entire organisation.
To achieve this type of transformation, it is key to realise that even though each piece of content takes a short time to create, the process from planning to publishing still involves several people in the organisation from SME, to stakeholders and internal review departments such as marketing and legal.
To ensure resources are allocated on a timely bases and remain dedicated throughout, rapid e-learning initiatives should be broken up into small projects, with a deadline, a project manager and a plan to ensure they meet the business objectives they are designed to solve.
If you are interested in exploring this subject more fully, we will be launching a new whitepaper in early January available for download from our website: “Tips for Project Management of Rapid e-learning”
Lars Unneberg, CEO.