Dear all, This is the newspaper report in today's Times of India. Though the news report is related to students taking higher education, it is very much applicable to employee learning as well.
Shift from Classroom Training to E-Training
The HR and Training Managers have shifted the mode of learning from classroom training to e-training. However, how many HR managers have conducted a survey of the efficacy of e-learning? I have been conducting e-training for the last one and a quarter years. My observations are as follows:
a) Not many companies are able to provide broadband connections. Far from video, these connections do not support even audio.
b) Outdated laptops or PCs are unsuitable for e-learning.
c) Participants are expected to come early and ensure there are no connectivity or technical challenges. Many participants consider themselves VIPs and log in exactly when the training session commences. However, due to non-connectivity or poor connectivity, they neither learn nor allow others to learn without disturbance.
d) Many times, to save data, the video is kept off. This allows participants to keep the session on and go away. Somewhere during the session, the faculty discovers the non-availability of the participant.
e) To take COVID-19 safety precautions, many companies have closed their boardrooms. This forces participants to sit at their work desks and learn amidst the constant background noise created by other office staff.
f) There is a disturbance even at home. In some homes, elders are not cooperative, whereas in others, it is difficult to control the playfulness of children.
g) A good number of HR and Training managers believe that participants cannot have a longer attention span in online training. To overcome this challenge, learning is restricted to just 2-3 hours. However, working professionals are not students, and they lose track of what was discussed the previous day.
Importance of Concentration in Training
Any training, be it classroom training, e-training, or even self-learning, requires concentration. How many HR or Training managers have conducted a study of the concentration level of learners in e-learning sessions?
Need for Efficacy Survey in E-Learning
It is high time for HR and Training Managers to conduct a survey on the efficacy of e-learning. Right now, e-learning is organized under a lot of assumptions. The survey outcome could expose these assumptions.
Notwithstanding the observations given above, e-learning is not useless per se. If it is stopped due to its lesser impact, it would be akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
**Location**: Bangalore, India
Shift from Classroom Training to E-Training
The HR and Training Managers have shifted the mode of learning from classroom training to e-training. However, how many HR managers have conducted a survey of the efficacy of e-learning? I have been conducting e-training for the last one and a quarter years. My observations are as follows:
a) Not many companies are able to provide broadband connections. Far from video, these connections do not support even audio.
b) Outdated laptops or PCs are unsuitable for e-learning.
c) Participants are expected to come early and ensure there are no connectivity or technical challenges. Many participants consider themselves VIPs and log in exactly when the training session commences. However, due to non-connectivity or poor connectivity, they neither learn nor allow others to learn without disturbance.
d) Many times, to save data, the video is kept off. This allows participants to keep the session on and go away. Somewhere during the session, the faculty discovers the non-availability of the participant.
e) To take COVID-19 safety precautions, many companies have closed their boardrooms. This forces participants to sit at their work desks and learn amidst the constant background noise created by other office staff.
f) There is a disturbance even at home. In some homes, elders are not cooperative, whereas in others, it is difficult to control the playfulness of children.
g) A good number of HR and Training managers believe that participants cannot have a longer attention span in online training. To overcome this challenge, learning is restricted to just 2-3 hours. However, working professionals are not students, and they lose track of what was discussed the previous day.
Importance of Concentration in Training
Any training, be it classroom training, e-training, or even self-learning, requires concentration. How many HR or Training managers have conducted a study of the concentration level of learners in e-learning sessions?
Need for Efficacy Survey in E-Learning
It is high time for HR and Training Managers to conduct a survey on the efficacy of e-learning. Right now, e-learning is organized under a lot of assumptions. The survey outcome could expose these assumptions.
Notwithstanding the observations given above, e-learning is not useless per se. If it is stopped due to its lesser impact, it would be akin to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
**Location**: Bangalore, India
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