Resources Brightwave blog E-learning by the yard
E-learning by the yard
30 March 2011 | 
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Should we consign the quantity/effectiveness ratio in e-learning to history? Brightwave MD Charles Gould rethinks the value of learning by the hour.
It’s a familiar question for those involved in commissioning or providing bespoke e-learning. "How much will it cost for an hour of e-learning?" For many, it doesn't seem possible to break free from this illogical way of comparing the value of e-learning solutions.
Many procurement departments set out to get as much e-learning for their budget as possible. It bears about as much relationship to business needs as buying e-learning by the yard or the metric ton! Think about it.
The longer it takes for the learner to reach the necessary level of understanding/skills/knowledge, the more costly it is. And the longer it takes the less likely it is to work. Pity the poor learner on the end of this sort of procurement exercise. Talk about barriers to learning - as Churchill said: "This report, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read." It's also a licence for lazy, flabby design. Churchill also said that if you wanted him to write a 30 minute speech you could have it by tomorrow. But if you wanted a five minute speech you'd have to wait several days.
So what's the alternative? Well, e-learning should be considered and used as a business strategy. That's to say, we identify a clear business problem or opportunity to which e-learning can be effectively applied. Then choose the provider based on two things: their clear solution to the business need and a means of measuring the value that solution delivers. And if they're really good at designing e-learning the result will be less time needed for the learner to learn - less e-learning, not more. Isn't that worth paying for?
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