Click and learn TECHNOLOGY


24 | E-TRAINING WORDS | Peter Kinch W


hy on earth do so many businesses cut their training budgets at the fi rst whiff of a


downturn? The ‘slash and burn’ method doesn’t work for subsistence farmers – the soil quality deteriorates so that it cannot support crops. In the same way, it won’t work for a modern business – if your staff don’t get the training they need, the quality of their work will decline, they’ll get frustrated and they’ll leave. All of which will damage your business and help your competitors.


But we have to be realistic. If


money’s tight, something will have to give. Maybe we should look again at the alternatives to traditional face-to- face training?


What’s out there? There’s a generation of employees and leaders who are already familiar with new internet-based approaches to their learning and development. Here are


“If your staff don’t get the training they need, the quality of their work will decline”


some examples: • Web conferencing is used by multi-site organisations for training sessions or public courses/seminars known as ‘webinars’ • Web 2.0 websites allow people to collaborate through blogs, podcasts and social bookmarking


• CDs can be developed in the same way as any other e-learning method and can be very useful when an internet connection is unreliable or not available • Learning management systems offer large organisations the tools to build, distribute and manage courses and training records over the internet • M-learning – using mobile devices to deliver training on-the-move


Isn’t e-learning all very dull? There’s lots of dull stuff out there. Undoubtedly some of the fi rst e-learning buyers got very excited and then got burned when their people didn’t react positively.


Stories abound of people gritting their


teeth or falling asleep at the screen! But it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s some very good e-learning out there.


What should we look for? Any decent teacher will tell you that people learn well by getting involved. Guidance and story-telling are fi ne, but people need to participate and practice. So look for courses that use interactive tools and quizzes that will engage your staff and help them to retain what they learn. A TV producer will tell you that you’ve got to grab people’s attention quickly. So look for eye-catching design and good graphics. They don’t always cost the earth.


Think carefully about your training requirements. If you haven’t worked out precisely what the training is trying to achieve, you need to think carefully before buying. There’s no doubt that well trained employees are better motivated and more capable, but woe betide the employer who launches a training initiative that is unsuited to their needs.


Will it really work for my business? Why not? You won’t be paying travel expenses for attending courses. You won’t lose productivity while your employees are on the plane, the train, or the bus. You won’t be paying through the


nose for the traditional face-to-face equivalent. You can run training sessions at multiple sites and in multiple sittings. You can make it available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can let your people learn when they want and where they want – on the road, in a café, anywhere with an internet connection and a PC or mobile device.


Can’t we do it ourselves? Some large companies are taking on the challenge themselves by using in-house trainers and individuals who have a fl air for IT and training.


Just be warned that developing training materials from scratch involves time, effort and know-how. It also involves making mistakes. If your staff resources are already pushed to the limit, it might be better to research online for the product or provider that


can really help. Where to begin?


There are hundreds of e-training sites to be found – it’s a case of fi nding the one that’s going to meet your company’s specifi c needs. Core skills are useful to everyone.


Why not start with www.writingnest.


com for a range of different approaches on developing business writing skills?


www.opp.org.uk | JULY & AUGUST 2012


Training staff has always been an integral part of running a business – but the logistics are often awkward and the expenses extravagant. E-training can be simple, effective and done from your own offi ce


Peter Kinch has delivered training on communication skills and professional standards for the last 15 years. He a director of Work in Writing, a training fi rm which specialises in business writing skills. Before his training career he practised as a solicitor in England and in Hong Kong. He is based in the UK. enquiries@workonwriting.co.uk www.writingnest.com


They’re very good – I helped create them. If you decide to subscribe, please quote WN/OPP/001 for a discount.


OPP will soon be putting a large amount of e-training material onto OPP Connect (www.opp-connect. com) website. The fi rst of the material will go up in September. We will keep you posted!


See if these questions apply to you:


Do you want to reduce training costs? Yes – e-learning can dramatically reduce training costs.


Do you have different training requirements for different employees? Yes – e-learning offers the flexibility you will need.


Is it a challenge to schedule training for employees across several sites with varying schedules? Yes – e-learning allows employees to learn wherever they are and whenever they want.


Do your employees learn at different paces? Yes – with most e-learning, individual learners set the pace. Employees are not stuck at the same pace as the tutor.


Does you need to comply with a regulator’s requirements? Yes – e-learning can ensure employees are up-to-date with the latest developments.


Do you have a wide variety of training requirements? Yes – e-learning allows you to pick and choose the best courses for each employee.


Do you need to keep employee training records? Yes – with some e-learning systems you can keep training records and generate reports to track progress and performance.


If you answered yes to any of the questions, then you should consider e-learning.


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