In addition, organizations adopt e-learning in the workplace because it convergence of knowledge management and technology to develop and support performance. Knowledge management concern with managing, capturing, and diffuse of knowledge, hence it represent as the corporate intellectual asset. Today, product features, price or quality are very similar among competitors, this result in little or no differentiation among products. Consequently, knowledge represents the competitive edge. Therefore, the shift to E-learning is a key component to allow well-organize and structure information to radically improve productivity, reduce administrative costs, and fuel innovation within the organization.
E-learning can be categorized into two models, synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous e-learning refer to learners and trainers come from different places and meet at the same time on the web. However, synchronous e-learning hard to be adopted due to learners rarely have compatible schedules to allow real time session and this technologies are still expensive to develop.
Asynchronous e-learning refer to learners and trainers come from different places yet the communication does not occur simultaneously. Thus, learner can take courses at own pace because the courseware available for 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. Generally, asynchronous e-learning receive more attention because of low costs to develop, provide convenience to learner and as a reusable component.
Nowadays, organisations are more likely to adopt e-learning because it bring certain beneficial to organisation, education and all types of learners. The following are the beneficial by using e-learning.
With traditional training, if people being trained come from disperse geographical workforce it may require greater training costs because part of the spending involve in airfare, lodging, conference room rental and meals. However, by using e-learning, all the training dollar will goes towards training. To illustrate, Microsoft Company adopt Software Assurance e-learning training programs that allows employees to access self-paced training and in-depth classroom training at home, so it can eliminate the waste of employees work time and without impact the company budget.
E-learning transforms environments into knowledge-rich communities of practice. However, mutual engagement is the hinge within the e-learning community, without mutual engagement from the members, there will be no community. Consequently, the web enables learners to establish enduring communities of practice where learners can engage frequently to share knowledge and insight and learn from each others. Ultimately, this can be a huge motivator for learning. The growth in e-learning communities will lead to the growth in intellectual capital and gains competitive advantage for the organisation.
Because of the ubiquitous nature of Internet, employees can easy and quick access to the web, either at home or flying cross country, it can be done at 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Employees can even receive training during down-time, so it does not interfere with business. In addition, e-learning allows employees to access self-paced training at his own pace and speed, so it can reduce employees stress and increase satisfaction. To illustrate, Motorola Company incorporated e-learning into its organisation training strategy to increase flexibility and expedite the training process impart to huge number of employees across the world. Besides, Motorola decide to make learning available on handheld devices such as PDAs or mobiles, this aim to provide convenience and information available to employee just-in-time.
For traditional training, the instructor may use digital manuals or paper-based to provide explanations. Sometimes, the content might differ in different situations depend on the instructors, so this mode of training is not reliable. However, consistency of e-learning delivers uniform content. Whether learners come from disperse geographical locations, all of them will receive the consistent content. In addition, translations will also provide content in the learners’ native languages in order to avoid misunderstanding.
E-learning can simulate real-life situation, so it can provides a safe environment for testing problem-solving skills without the risks that learners confront in the real world. Therefore, employees can be trained on how to use complex software and handle difficult situations in a risk-free environment. Sometimes, by using visuals, graphics and simulations can help better explain new concepts and more entertaining than reading a book. To illustrate, McDonald integrated e-learning to ensure well-established system and provide on-the-job training for the worldwide network of restaurants. Trainees focus on learning a specific procedure and develop skills using simulations, furthermore, McDonald also assure that all the trainees get a consistent message.
However, there are some potential drawbacks encounters by learners or organisation by using e-learning.
By using e-learning, learners may feel isolated or lack of social interaction with the instructor. Sometimes, the instructor may not be available on demand, so learners need to have self discipline to work independently without the instructor’s help. However, new employees may require social interaction when they are trying to learn a new task and this could be frustrating for them if they encounter certain problems yet unable to obtain instant feedback from the instructor.
Remote areas with limited bandwidth might not be able to realise the benefits of e-learning. Bandwidth limitation might lead to weak performance for multimedia such as graphics, video or time consuming to download. Besides, slow and unreliable internet connection or older computer can be frustrating for learners to access course materials. Ultimately, this may cause learners to get frustrated and give up learning at the end.
E-learning requires learners to be highly self-motivated to take full advantages of the medium. However, unmotivated learners with poor study habits usually may fall behind. This is because e-learning is flexible, so learners need to be self-discipline and be responsible in order to succeed in the online learning. Furthermore, e-learning is best suited for motivated learners who have a good time management and have a sense of keen to learn attitude.
E-learning involve in the use of technology. If learners do not have ready access to computer or internet connection, e-learning could not be successful carry out. By using e-learning, learners require some knowledge on how to manipulate computer, besides they also have to know on how to operate computer equipment more effectively. Learners are expected to be up to date with the latest computer technology and learn some new skills in the online research.
The costs to develop e-learning infrastructure can be significant for an organization. When develop e-learning program, the overall life span of e-learning program will assist to calculate the amortised investment, the costs include development costs to design and build the hardware and software to allow learners access the training. Although e-learning program may have lifespan that can last for several years, but the expenses may hit the ledger in the first year. In addition, e-learning often require substantial investments in equipment and technical infrastructure.
E-learning is commonly adopted by organisation for training purpose, besides e-learning there are other methods of training which suitable for organisation, such as action learning, information and communication technology (ICT) and blended learning. By using these types of learning strategies, it can bring beneficial to both organisation and workers.
Action learning means learning by doing. It can also refer to an educational process by which individual studies at his or her own experience and actions to enhance performance. Generally, action learning enables learners to handle difficult task more effectively, because it provides a well-tried method for learners to accelerate learning.
In action learning, there are 5 to 8 persons in a small group which meet regularly and work collectively on a problem encounter during the ongoing practice, it allows learners to work on a problem through supportive but challenging question. Consequently, learners can learn from what they do and improve their performance as well. In addition, action learning will assist to develop self-confidence and readiness to take initiative and responsibility, moreover it enable learners to be more discipline when working in powerful teams. Besides, action learning will help to build leadership competencies, for example Boeing has utilised action learning to cultivate high potential leader.
Learning of ICT is essential for organization to survive. In the rapid changing environment, companies are under pressure to find new solutions to maintain future competitiveness, therefore quick learning is the key to success in the organisation. In addition, the adoption of ICT can improve the company’s competitive advantage and improve efficiency of business process within the organisation.
By investing in usable and accessible ICT, organisations can attain business goals such as maximize employees’ engagement and productivity, provision high quality products or services, reduce costs, improve supply chain management and so forth. For example, Air Asia extensive use of ICT to support its operations across 10 ASEAN countries and reaped a prestigious global award for its outstanding use of ICT in the advance business environment.
Blended learning is also known as hybrid learning. It combines the online with traditional training, such as classroom training to accomplish an educational goal. Moreover, blended learning is a significant ways for an organization to initiate e-learning, it can gradually move learners from traditional classroom to e-learning in a small steps and make change easier to accept.
To illustrate, IBM IT Education Services adopt blended learning to help IT staff to acquire new skills and knowledge, this designed to maximize flexibility so learners can access learning at anytime in order to reduce the time in physical class, more effective in pedagogy, learners mentoring, reduce overall costs and optimize social retention, thus maximizing overall effectiveness of the training. These advantages explain why blended learning has a growing presence in workforce learning and how this emerging strategy is more beneficial for adult learners.
In short, nowadays e-learning is widely used by organisation for training employees, this is because e-learning bring a lot of beneficial to both organisation and employees. For e-learning to be successful in the workplace, organisation must provide sufficient information support for learners while they conduct e-learning.
E-learning is experiencing an unprecedented growth and will continue to growth for the foreseeable future. Although companies are recognising the potential of e-learning will bring learning closer to workers, but it appears some barriers to be addressed in the deliver of e-learning, so before implement e-learning, company must consider wide range of side effect that might cause e-learning unsuccessfully implemented. Therefore, the benefits or drawbacks of e-learning may be vary depend on the training program goals, organisational culture and infrastructure, target audience and so on.
However, to develop an effective e-learning program, company may require to invest in significant of effort and planning. Consequently, e-learning will be successful if sufficient attention is given to implementation.
