E-Learning Strategy



		E-Learning Strategy

		Setting Goals	The development of a E-Learning Strategy must first be met with setting the goals of the E-Learning Strategy. What will the E-Learning Strategy hope to accomplish? Without a true understanding of the goals of the E-Learning Strategy it will be difficult, if not impossible, to be successful. Avoid the common mistake of letting superficial goals drive the development, such as moving x% of courses to e-learning. Trying to evolve to an e-learning environment does not necessarily accomplish a true goal. The evolution to e-learning is typically done to support a goal or objective. The following are examples of reasonable goals: Reduce travel expenses Reduce time away from job Improve job performance Improve business results Support business objectives Learning available anytime anywhere Efficient and quick dissemination of learning All of the above goals are examples of business driven goals. They benefit the business and that is why you would even consider an e-learning strategy.

		Developing the Strategy	Once the goals have been defined it is now possible to develop the strategy to achieve those goals. The strategy must take into account that there are many elements to e-learning and that ultimately the way in which learning content is delivered is dependent on the content itself.

		Take Small Steps	The first rule in developing an e-learning strategy is to take small steps. This means to plan the strategy so that parts of it are implemented in phases. Don't try to do it all at once because this will keep the entire strategy from ever succeeding. For example you may want to start with development of a few on-line self-paced courses before moving on to on-line instructor-led virtual classrooms.

		Media Selection	Not all content is geared for e-learning, which is why it is important to have a Media Selection Process as part of an overall corporate learning strategy. Similar to the development of a corporate learning strategy, the e-learning strategy must consider the many ways in which learning can be delivered electronically. Delivery Media Media is the platform in which learning content is delivered. Examples of media are: Classroom CD-ROM On-line (Internet, Intranet, LAN, etc.) Teleconference Videoconference Audio Tape/CD Satellite Delivery Method Method represents the way the learning content is delivered. Examples of methods are: Instructor-led Self-Paced Blended The content can be delivered in many combinations of medium or media and method. For example, content may be delivered by an instructor on-line and via teleconference, or content may be delivered in a blend of instructor-led sessions in the classroom and on-line, as well as self-paced assignments on-line and on CD-ROM. The purpose of the Media Selection Process is to evaluate factors relating to the content, audience location, audience job role, audience technology capabilities and audience learning preferences to appropriately select the medium or media and method in which the content is to be delivered. An important part in the development of the e-learning strategy will be to select a subset of media to deliver content in the initial phase of implementation.

		IT Involvement	At the very beginning stages of developing an e-learning strategy, the IT or MIS organization must be involved to provide guidance on what is possible in regards to technical feasibility, costs, bandwidth constraints, and support. The IT organization can project costs associated with altering the network infrastructure to support e-learning, and these costs can be compared to the savings of travel, time off the job, classroom facilities, and other factors to determine if there is a return on that investment.

		Budget	Evaluating costs associated with the delivery of content in various media and the IT organization's projected costs to support e-learning you can determine an overall operating budget to execute the strategy. The budget will also need to consider the phased approach so that it follows a timeline, perhaps by quarter, in which funding is needed to support the e-learning strategy. The budget needs to consider network upgrade costs, development and production servers, authoring software, server software, head count and salaries, and more.

		Organizational Development	You will also need to build the team that will execute the e-learning strategy. In developing the organization you will need to define the charter or purpose of the organization, and define the job roles, the people that will fill those roles, and the relationship between the job roles and the charter. The relationship between the job roles and the charter will help to define the components or departments of the organization and the relationships between them. In order for the organization to function, a set of processes need to be in place. Processes are a collection of repetitive actions that are documented to accomplish specific tasks. The purpose of a process is to document a common set of actions that focus on the accomplishment of a task in the most efficient and expedient manner possible, while preventing rework due to inconsistencies or incompatibility of the task to other related tasks. The organization will constantly need to communicate its charter, positioning in the parent organization, and the value that it brings to the overall organization.

Copyright ©2006 E-Learning Engineering Last modified: April 22, 2006 Terms of Use