The truth about e-learning
Recently we asked “what the ‘e’ of e-learning means to you…”
We had a range of answers from (in no particular order) Easy, Engaging, Effective, Entertaining and Economical. We’d like to suggest that Enriching, Educational, Encouraging, Enjoyable and Expedient could also be included on the list.
With such a range of emotions being conjured up by the ‘e’ words, we return to the question, what is the truth about e-learning?
The truth is that there is not one truth, but many.
In a similar vein to the Buddhist concept of the Four Noble Truths, we can identify in e-learning three essential elements that must be present in order for a project to be viable.
The first truth
The project must have a value proposition and a goal. In other words, what will learners gain from it? Perhaps it is being designed to raise awareness of something, or to encourage thinking. It might be designed to help users practice doing something, or perhaps you want to demonstrate something. Whatever the problem that the project seeks to solve, what will success look like? Will the participants take a test? Will the test be to check knowledge gained on the course, or to compare knowledge against self-certified skills? Defining the value proposition is critical to success.
The second truth
The project must have an audience in mind. Understanding who the project is aimed at will have a bearing on the techniques employed when it comes to developing courses. If the tool is internal focussed or industry specific then some use of jargon may be acceptable, but if the aim is to create new leads with a content marketing strategy then a somewhat less esoteric approach will be required.
The third truth
The project must have a budget. Deciding what to do when creating online courses can be something of Gordian knot if there isn’t a budget in place. The harder one tries to put in appropriate resources, the harder the problem becomes. This is for the simple reason that time and budget can be quickly burnt up on the wrong parts. If the value proposition is clear then it is easier to be unambiguous about whether the project is cost-driven or value-driven.
Pulling together the threads that make for a successful programme is where experience plays a great part. Here at Coracle we know that that we have a strong value proposition in this area, so the question that we have been asking ourselves is, what does our potential audience look like and how should we position the opportunity to leverage that experience? The conclusion we reached was to build a tool for our customers that helps guide them through the process.
So, if you have a great idea for training, what now?
Coracle Canvas allows anyone with an idea for a course to upload thoughts, ideas and files, following a format designed by the experts at Coracle. As the project develops the canvas can be submitted and the team at Coracle will start to work on the material to rapidly produce a course. Editing is still possible as the canvas automatically creates a new version or the project.
Why use canvas?
- Very simple to use
- Endlessly scaleable – use it across departments and countries
- Cloud based solution to complex problems ensuring you never forget a step in the process
- FREE to Learning Line customers
This agile approach to e-learning content creation is quite simply a revolution. It allows enterprises of all sizes to benefit from the approach adopted by start-up technology companies in a risk free way.