'Something' about e-learning

"We want to do something with e-learning. We often hear that phrase as consultants. Sometimes someone means they want to make work instructions available digitally, other times they mean a comprehensive electronic learning offering on food safety within an online learning community. In fact, many people unfamiliar with e-learning think of the word only in terms of self-study modules when e-learning has so much more to offer.

E-learning is a catch-all term, and it's easy for first-time users to get lost in the maze of technical terms such as authoring tool, learning management system, game-based learning, spaced learning, blended learning, adaptive learning and virtual classrooms. The terminology is so diverse and often sounds so unfathomable, that for some companies it's a good reason not to get involved at all. And that would be a shame, wouldn't it? So if you want to do "something" with e-learning, how do you go about it without getting lost in the maze of possibilities of terms, tools and providers?

Inventory

The first step is to take stock. What knowledge, attitude or skills do your employees need to do their jobs well or better? Suppose your company regularly has problems with allergens in products. Are employees missing knowledge on how to handle allergens safely, are they not skilled in this area, or is it an incorrect work attitude? Do employees have all the tools available to them to work properly? Only when you can properly answer these types of questions can you look for a solution.

Review and selection

The second step is assessment and selection: assess whether training is the right solution and how best to transfer knowledge and skills. Ask yourself if e-learning is suitable for this. Also look at the training you already organize. If you often organize the same training, if you give the same training to many people in your company or if you organize training for employees spread across the country or around the world, then e-learning is often a good idea and is most likely to be cost-effective. Once you know what knowledge and skills the employees need to have, and if you are sure that e-learning is the solution, then you can look at what method is best suited to it. Is a self-study module suitable for imparting knowledge, or is it better to create test questions for mobile phones to quickly refresh ready knowledge? Or are short instructional videos sufficient to get employees started? You don't necessarily need to set up a big platform or invest a lot of money to make online learning effective. Only when you have this information in order can you make a decision about how you want to use e-learning and whether you want to create it yourself or not. Some trainings - often trainings that are required by law, such as HACCP courses - are already offered ready-made. This type of training is very convenient because it can be deployed quickly and involves low entry costs. It is advisable to check carefully whether these courses fit the company's situation sufficiently. Another option is customized training. The advantage of this is that you have something developed that completely fits the company situation. Customization can be very expensive, but it does not have to be. Customization can also mean a 5-minute learning module that teaches how to handle a product. Or how to set up the machine. By starting small, as an organization you can quickly see what works and what doesn't and you can gain experience without it costing you a lot of time and money. There are also plenty of companies that can help you develop e-learning or teach you how to do it. Above all, keep the outcome in mind. It's easy (and fun!) to choose a cool tool, but if it's not effective, you won't get results. Get informed, talk to other companies and above all try some things out, on a small scale. Again, by starting small, you stay flexible, see what works and avoid big misses.

Execute and implement

If all goes well, the idea of "something to do with e-learning" has now taken on more hands and feet. You now know what you need. The final step is then to make sure it gets there. This is the phase of buying the right software, developing the material and implementing it within the organization. Good communication with and (software) support for the employees are essential here. It is also important to have the opportunity to work with the e-learning within working hours. Not everyone can (or wants to) do something like this at home and it is good for the manager to keep a finger on the pulse, whether he is at the same location or at a distance. The supervisor is very important in ensuring that what is learned is put into practice. If the training and what has been learned is talked about, employees are more likely to act on it.

Evaluate

After implementing e-learning, no matter how small, keep evaluating how learning is going. Are the learning goals being met? What do employees think of it? For example, has the number of incidents involving allergens decreased? If expected results are not forthcoming, look closely at the underlying problem: Is it a computer or software problem, or is the training itself ineffective? If you started small, you can adjust plans quickly if you find that expected learning results are not forthcoming. The bigger you have started, the harder it is to change course. So if you want to do something with e-learning in your organization, think carefully about what you need and how you want to do it. Start small rather than spending a lot of time making big plans that you don't know how they will turn out. As with other changes, as an organization you have to grow into it a bit. And that only works if you give yourself the time and opportunity to try something out. Not too big, not too complicated and appropriate to the organization. We can always help you develop an e-learning. Check out our customization page This article was published - in modified form - in VMT NR.10, August 25, 2017.