eLearning Change Management

Training departments converting from instructor-led courses to interactive online courses will face the following issues:

Level of effort required by trainers - preparing online courses takes more time and broader skills than preparing conventional training. It also requires the trainers to be available to respond to email requests and to monitor participation.

Change in trainer role - trainers will need to become comfortable changing from being the expert or presenter, to being more facilative on the sidelines, instead of front stage center.

Change in materials - rather than lectures, trainers will need to provide examples, demonstrations, and written materials.

New instructional methods - elearning is based on asynchronous discussion. Asynchronous discussions between teachers and learners take place intermittently, not simultaneously, through links to HTML content or email, news, or discussion groups.

Long Term Coaching - Instructors need to provide insight, motivatation, moderation of forum discussions, scope management, and act as personal coaches to learners.

Evaluation Tools - online courses include standard tests, however, these tests do not show if a participant has integrated the concepts and skills into their job. Follow up facilitator support will be required during the project, and assessment and feedback when the project is complete.

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