There is talk of content, platforms, service, strategy, methodology…, and we don't always know exactly what we mean. Nor does it seem that we are all interpreting the term "e-learning" the same. The growth of e-learning is said to be spectacular; but it is also recognized that it does not meet the expectations created just two years ago.
There are users who are satisfied; but there are many others that do not. In reality, it would seem that the voices of the users seem muted… Some companies practice different methods of extrinsic motivation to ensure the follow-up of the courses, once the investment has been made. Providers partner… Teachers seem inhibited…
The protagonism of the contents may have been displaced, first in favor of technology, and perhaps now also towards a holistic strategy… There is a lot of talk about success and its key factors; but you also start talking about failure…
Adhered to this article-I confess-to the widespread opinion (held by experts such as Masie) that, in the world of e-learning, there might be a lack of quantity and, above all, quality in content, I carefully read the book «e -Learning: Best practices in Spain », from the AEDIPE Human Resources Library; perhaps also because he had contributed to it, although in a very small way. The book, sponsored by a supplier, FYCSA, seemed to me of considerable interest, and I even dedicated an article to it that was published in different print and electronic media.
In it -in that article-, I practically limited myself to collecting the different opinions that the authors formulated on the subject (of the content); In the end, yes, I dared to suggest that readers have their own experiences and elaborate their own opinions.
Now, with more time devoted to analysis and reflection, I try to dwell on the idea of "results" and "success" when talking about this new modality or method of learning: what are we calling "success" within companies? What is called "results" when speaking of e-learning?
You will see why I am concerned with success, that is, the "concept of success." Simply because it seems that in e-learning we are often satisfied with getting a large participation of the staff in the online courses, without remembering too much about the Kirkpatrick levels, or the return on investment.
And because we also ensure, sometimes, the desired participation of people through extrinsic motivation systems.
We believe that, if there is not enough learning to allow performance improvement, then we should not talk about the success of e-learning; but we will go again to the experts of our country, to see how they refer to success.
A little history
Perhaps we should agree on the best meaning attributable to several other of the concepts (content, self-study, tutoring, etc.) that the world of e-learning handles, but, more modestly our purpose, we reduce the introduction to remember that learning alone That is, obtained from the mere communication of the individual with the teaching material comes from long ago.
We have all known the mere study before a book, although we do not remember it, in general, with great satisfaction; Maybe something better went with that of "programmed teaching", and, properly speaking, the so-called EAO (Computer Aided Teaching) of the 80s did not seem much more than programmed teaching (never better said), recorded in those floppies of 5 inches and display.
The supports (CD-I, CD-Rom…) later allowed the incorporation of video, for the benefit of learning, and in the mid-1990s numerous interactive multimedia products aimed at individualized learning appeared.
Then they also began to see virtual campuses, so that solitary learning turned into solidary learning. Later, from the year 2000, the networks allowed to go from offline learning to online learning.
It seems to us that already at the end of the 90s there had been talk of «e-learning» in the US (in Spain companies like PricewaterhouseCoopers and FYCSA did it), and the term was extended soon after, to refer, in general, to learning self-driving and served by computer, especially via the Internet, that is, online. This brief historical review, to remember that e-learning came to Spain in the late 1980s, with Telefónica and Alcatel being among the first major companies to incorporate it.
Success in e-learning
The fact is that technology seems to have done its job in the last two decades: it has advanced significantly; however, we are not sure that the learning takes place sufficiently, nor that the users are very satisfied with the method. It seems that we are satisfied with a good end rate.
Let us remember, as we said paragraphs ago, that we were already evaluating continuous training through the Kirkpatrick levels, even reaching the return on investment, and yet, when talking about the success of e-learning, we still handle indicators such as the start rate and the end rate. It seems, indeed, that in e-learning, we are still in the "implementation phase" (despite the past years), and that there is talk of "success" with different meanings.
Let us return to the interesting AEDIPE book, coordinated by the Director of Training and Development of Telefónica, Carlos Pelegrín Fernández López.
Hortensia Mañas, a Pelegrín collaborator at Telefónica, although now the Director of Operations for Educaterra, maintains: "The best results come from an adequate implementation strategy and not necessarily from a platform and content."
And Carlos Pelegrín FL himself had already said in the book's foreword: «When we talk about e-Learning we are focusing on two key elements: technology and content. However, none of them has a high correlation with the growth and success of the solution in the company ».
Also: «Many managers have approached the concept of e-Learning through content, thinking that they could make people fall in love with the new channel on their own, thus guaranteeing the success of the implementation.
The truth is that the best results can be achieved with medium quality content… »; Or, for example: "… for our initiative to be successful, it must overcome the war of platforms and content, to focus on customers, strategy and service."
From these manifestations -although there is talk of success, triumph and results-, we would infer that what is being pursued is success in implementation, perhaps assuming learning and performance improvement.
We can think that, by success in the implementation, surely it means a high participation of people in the online courses offered, but the importance of the content (or its quality) seems to be relativized, and we find it difficult to separate learning from good their quality.
We do not believe that "Learn as you can" is already being preached, at least in large companies. It may seem, of course, reasonable that companies have, where appropriate, still put the emphasis on implementation: perhaps on the implementation of a certain platform and on the generalization of the offer.
But, are we really going to achieve the consolidation of e-learning, with content that does not fully satisfy users? What is really meant by "triumph of the solution in the company"? What problem would reaching high participation solve if you did not seek to improve performance? How is performance improvement measured? Surely we will find an answer for everything.
In his introduction to the book, José Ignacio Díez, CEO of FYCSA (and treasurer of the Association of e-Learning Providers, APeL), says: «The success of online training lies to a large extent in the choice of the learning methodology and, in addition, in the motivational elements… ». And, referring to a study carried out by FYCSA among different companies (surely clients), he clarifies his vision of «success»: «It is relevant to highlight that in successful cases, considering as such to achieve an end rate greater than 75%, (…) being in some cases the main success factor the motivation of people… ». José Ignacio Díez also alludes to the contents: «The contents have been magnified during these past three or four years, without the reason being well understood.
It is obvious that the more attractive they are and the better they have developed pedagogically, the greater will be their acceptance by the students; but it is not clear that this is the key to self-study ». And he continues: "Therefore, content, in its various forms, is necessary (…) but it is only one part, perhaps not the most significant part of success." And, for greater clarity: «Who more and who less has been forced to acquire complex knowledge with precarious means. Let's remember the university (…) with photocopies of the notes of the most studious of the class: more precarious contents, impossible ».
It seems to confirm the idea that a high participation of people in e-learning initiatives within companies is identified as success, without explicit reference to the achievement of learning. And it seems, according to the statements collected so far, that this is achieved, among other things, with a good motivation of the students, without the quality of the content taking on a particularly relevant role.
Let's say, by the way, that although different authors of the mentioned book point to the necessary intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation is also practiced, through points or credits. (We understand, however, that the careers of individuals depend on their acquired competence and not on their credits, because, if not, it would be necessary to speak of coercion rather than motivation, which we resist).
We cannot avoid a comment to Diez's allusion to the university.
It seems to us that, in the same, the motivation and the attention, were directed, in general, more to approve than to learn, while in the company, the motivation should be more intrinsic than extrinsic, and perhaps learning more autotelic than exotelic: The reader will have his own opinion. So far, a synthesis of the points of view of (the managers of) Telefónica, FYCSA and Educaterra, the suppliers of the latter two companies of the former. But, after the foreword and the introduction, the different chapters describe the e-learning experiences of other important organizations, which also refer to the concept of success.
It seems, as the reader will observe, that the companies selected in the book have another concept of success, closer to the achievement of learning and apparently more linked to the quality of the content.
Already in the first chapter, Carlos Espinosa, from AENA, maintains: "The contents are developed by specialized companies under the direction of internal experts, who modify and validate the product until its final availability." And it ends with a conclusion: «The existence of a team of tutors (experts in the course content) and animators (oriented to stimulate learning and provide precise emotional support) can represent the difference between the success and failure of the initiative ».
But let us advance through the successive chapters. José Antonio Ortego, from Oracle, who highlights the importance of intrinsic motivation, says, surely satisfied, that "more than 80% of the participants in the online training courses completed the courses", but immediately added: "… The main success, precisely, was this, integrating online training with rationality within the global training model (…) as one more piece for the development of people ».
And he ends up recognizing that "the most important thing of all, what is really intended to be achieved, whatever the methodology to follow, is learning, the development of new knowledge or skills in the organization". We also read how Ortego points out: «The student is the decisive and determining element in the success of the program».
Or, for example: "From a conceptual point of view, the design (of the course) and an optimal combination of these two methodologies (face-to-face and e-learning) is what makes a training program of these characteristics a priori successful."
Indeed, the idea of success seems more related to the achievement of learning and personal development: let's continue reading. Iván González, from Ferrovial, states: “We think that a (not very wide) but high-level and useful offer (of courses) is preferable to a large library of low-level content of interest and quality. And this is not only in terms of return on investment, but also thinking about success… ».
We will not be able to quote all the authors, but Ángels Margarit and Enric Xavier Piera, from Endesa, declare: «Dynamizing, guiding, attending and sharing are essential verbs to achieve the success of the training action, which is nothing more than the achievement of their pedagogical objectives ».
Carlos González, from Caja Madrid, then maintains: "… the sufficiency that can guarantee success comes from offering services and content from a client-server perspective".
This writer read the Alcatel chapter with special attention, because it is there that I developed my professional career for almost 30 years.
In it, Angela Cruz, Director of Alcatel University Madrid, describes the evolution of e-learning in this organization. Although one would have talked about successes, she talks about experiences and, for example, maintains: "The content of the courses is of utmost importance for a positive e-learning experience."
But it also says: "Experience has shown that one of the success factors of e-learning is that all courses have a supervisory follow-up…". We continue to observe that, for the companies where the "best practices" are produced, success seems to be related to the content, the tutelage monitoring and the materialization of learning.
Lorenzo Peribáñez, from IBM, contributes to this sensation by including the «effectiveness of learning, applied to business results» when he points out six critical factors for the success of an e-learning program.
In the last chapter, Antonio Peñalver, from SCH, is also concerned about learning success, and talks about "achieving harmonious and easy learning for the user." Referring to the loyalty of users, Peñalver says: "The degree of user satisfaction with the training offer makes them feel more and more inclined to carry out teaching activities…". And we also read: «If the processes and products are not efficient, success is compromised.
It is like having magnificent stores full of buyers (…) but not having anything worth selling to sell ».
We have left the chapter of the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) for last because it seems to us a unique case among those included in the book. María Teresa Arbués and Lluís Tarín show us the great concern of this university for the achievement of learning, addressing all the elements that contribute to it and insisting on the quality of the teaching material: «In the context of virtual training, creation, design and structuring of teaching materials and resources are stages of a fundamental process, which must be rigorously addressed to ensure the quality of the programs and the facilitation of learning ».
We would have to end up reproducing the chapter, so we give up more specific sentences.
We will add only, in our modest opinion, that the UOC shows that it knows in depth the most recent postulates of individual and collective development: management by competences, knowledge management, organizational learning…
conclusion
We have already said that the best thing was to read the book, but we have written this article with the intention of highlighting different purposes or points of view, when interpreting and implementing e-learning. That there are different perceptions of reality should not logically surprise us, much less when there can also be different equally legitimate interests.
Furthermore, it may be more about forms in expressions than about funds in opinions. We believe that it is not possible to speak of different positions of suppliers and clients, but it did seem to us that the managers of Telefónica, FYCSA and Educaterra take, in general and in this book, as approved what may still be a pending subject (the contents), without ruling out that there are other pending subjects to access the «doctorate».
At the same time, the managers of the companies (AENA, Oracle, Ferrovial, Correos y Telégrafos, Endesa, Caja Madrid, Alcatel, Renta4, IBM, SCH, UOC) in which the best practices included in the book are produced, more explicitly pursue learning, without relativizing the importance of content (it seems that, logically, they demand good content from suppliers at good prices, which surely has some difficulty…) and also pointing out other contributing factors to success (tutelary monitoring and participation in forums, for example).
It seems important to make an effort to tune in when talking about the success achieved or pursued.
Both providers (inside or outside APeL), as well as the companies that implement e-learning and its users, must keep in mind that what is being pursued - both in e-learning and in-person training and others Combined methods- is the improvement of individual and collective performance in organizations, through individual and collective learning: if what was pursued were something else, it would have to be known.
We believe that they must also be tuned in to identify the role of technology, the role of content, the role of tutors, the role of virtual campuses, the role of users themselves, the role of HR areas…
It seems to us, as some authors point out, that e-learning should not seem to be a success in the HR areas, if it does not unequivocally contribute to collective results, in the short or medium term.
It is spoken, by the way, of the protagonism of the individuals in the conduction of their own learning and development (learning and development) throughout - and wide - of their professional life, but it is possible that sometimes, more or less consciously, some areas HR professionals take on the role of "school principal", imposing on people plans and methods that, while suitable, have not been explained well enough. Perhaps this would be another topic to deal with, and now we just wanted to contrast some points of view on success, when talking about e-learning.
Above all, to avoid having to talk about failure… If the reader has come this far, we thank you for your trust; And, above all, we apologize if, as a teacher, our point of view has claimed to be more important than it is.
