What to look for in e-learning solutions

Purchasing e-learning software can be a daunting task

In the buzzword-crazed world of IT, technologies sometimes come and go quickly. However, e-learning has proved that it’s here to stay and continues to grow as a valuable learning tool.

HR professionals often find purchasing e-learning software to be a daunting task. First, there’s a dizzying array of e-learning vendors with solutions that vary widely in technology and content offerings. Furthermore, e-learning is still a relatively new area for HR managers who did not previously have to select IT systems to support the learning process.

So what do HR managers need to look out for when selecting an e-learning solution? There are three crucial elements: ensuring that e-learning goes hand in hand with the organization’s business needs; consideration of what HR seeks to gain from e-learning; and ensuring technology is not ranked above the actual educational content.

Aligning e-learning with business objectives

E-learning is often looked at in isolation as a technology item and not placed at the heart of an organization’s performance improvement processes. It is staggering to hear about organizations that buy e-learning software without doing any needs analysis.

When it comes to e-learning, HR managers need to know whether they are getting value for their money. That’s why it’s vital to identify the organization’s needs and also understand the benefits HR wants to gain from the technology.

Unless HR executives have a plan to invest in their people, and match investment to business needs, e-learning risks becoming a meaningless technology accessory.

The focus is therefore not on the features and functions of the e-learning solution but how it fits in with overall people performance strategy in the organization. The clearer HR managers are about their objectives, the more they will understand the individual’s needs and the more effective e-learning will be.

Don’t let the technology cast a spell on you

One of the widespread problems with some HR managers’ approach to e-learning is that they get too engrossed with the technology’s electronic wizardry. They detect the “e” moniker in front of the “learning” and end up disregarding the most important component of an e-learning solution: content.

HR managers should therefore carefully evaluate e-learning courses to establish whether they will meet the learning needs of their employees.

HR managers test the waters and make incremental changes by starting small, and once persuaded that it’s a worthwhile investment, expand on their e-learning content purchase.

A good way to assess the virtue of an e-learning program is by comparing the progress of a group that uses Web-based training for a particular skill set with a control group that trains in the classroom. HR managers can then decide which skills imparted by training are most important to the business and can appraise both groups on those skills. If the conventional group significantly outstrips the online group, HR managers have a good reason for reconsidering their e-learning program.

Another common fallacy is that the best software has to incorporate all available features and functions, which often results in the vendor with the most ticks being selected. This is a narrow and ill-judged approach to software evaluation and, in the end, the individual learner is often forgotten.

When evaluating e-learning software, HR managers must bear the following three questions in mind:

•How will my organization benefit from these features?

•What value does this feature have for the learner?

•Do I really need all these features?

The ultimate goal: Supporting overall performance

Ultimately, e-learning is about ensuring employees have the right knowledge to perform optimally.

Above all, getting the most out of e-learning requires the content to be focused on supporting business growth as well as the individual’s own development needs.

HR managers must be aware of some of the common pitfalls of selecting e-learning solutions to ensure e-learning is an effective means of getting employees to engage in true, integrated, continuous learning across a variety of modes.

Wayne Regehr is executive vice-president, SAP Canada. He may be contacted at (403) 218-4410 or visit www.sap.com.

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