It used to be the case that education was a synchronous activity, it centred on the availability of the educator. Educators would synchronously deliver content to the learner (Koolen, 2000, p3). Web based learning systems can be automated to provide asynchronous content delivery, at any time. The learner drives this new model. These automated systems are easier to manage and maintain, as the client software is usually just a browser and the data and (back end interfaces) can be logically located in one place. This is one step towards the centralization of Knowledge management, which is “managing the intangible assets of the organization” (Ferran-Urdaneta, 1999, p3).
Online courseware has revolutionised education by the providing “asynchronous” content delivery and interaction mechanisms. Students can learn at their own pace, in relative anonymity (unless the business requires otherwise).
Online courses can be customized, automated, and spread across disparate operating systems and platforms. This includes PC’s, thin clients, handheld devices, and any other device that supports a browser (even a fridge!). They can be published in multiple languages with relative ease. External vendors may provide course modules in multiple language formats, or in house conversions can be done (in some cases automatically). Courses can be updated in a timely manner to reflect changes in business models and processes. For example, a software company may decide to change its language of choice from C++ to C#. The C# Courses can be purchased in the morning, quickly deployed, and the majority of the staff could be half competent by the end of the day. Management can quickly generate reports detailing pass rates, areas of need and competency levels. This allows management to quickly pinpoint any areas of the business that need up-skilling or re-skilling. Course maintenance and management is easier because it is centralised with a single interface. Course administrators and tutors have the same browser based advantages that the students have. Learning systems can be linked with other learning systems, auto update mechanisms, referencing systems, and search engines. This allows students to use their time more effectively, by having a number of starting points for any further research. Finally, many recognised companies (like Microsoft, Cisco, and BEA) already provide online course modules that can plug into (or be integrated into) an e-learning system.
Distance learning has changed dramatically over the last 40 years, from correspondence courses and television programmes (eg. Open Learning) to interactive systems like Web based e-learning sites (Sun Microsystems, 1998, p1).
In a large enterprise, companies can use distributed learning systems to deliver consistent content to all employees in a cost effective manner using the Web.
Distributed learning systems still allow for synchronous learning delivery mechanisms, a “Virtual classroom” allows employees from different geographic locations to attend a class in the same virtual space. Students can also take part in group discussions with the tutor via a chat applet or specialised software.
Virtual collaboration is an important element in a Web based distributed enterprise model. This includes virtual teamwork, virtual management, and virtual communities. Virtual communities can be knowledge generators as well as knowledge givers (Qureshi, Zigurs, 2001, p2), but are distinctly separate from e-learning systems.
Adding in e-learning components strengthens virtual collaboration - it complements the other elements and can increase a company’s competitive advantage. Companies can also extend this model by using extranets to share industrial knowledge; an alliance of companies can gain an advantage against competing groups by networking and learning off each other (Riggins, 1998, p1).
(Knowledgenet, 2001, p1) have put together a list of benefits that an asynchronous e-learning system has over more traditional training methods; here are some of those benefits:
· Lower course costs (50% less than normal classroom based training).
· Faster rollout time regardless of the size of the business.
· Centralized storage of courseware with no CDs or disk based media.
· Instant global deployment of new information.
· Students get on-site training.
They provide some examples of industry success too, like CISCO’s Web based net-Acadamy, which saves them $4000 per student. Also, an estimated saving of 50% from EMC Corp on an electronically delivered certification system.
As for synchronous systems, (Koolen, 2000, p5) has a study that shows that virtual classrooms can save a company substantial sums of money – a large percentage (sometimes reaching 40 percent) of corporate training budgets are spent on logistics and tangible items like chairs, desks, and training rooms.
Some researchers estimate that in this century the average worker will need the equivalent of 30 hours (credit hours) of learning every seven years to remain employed (Sun Microsystems, 1998, p10). In knowledge driven industries (like the computer industry) this figure will be a lot higher, people will also need to “learn to forget” more effectively as the bulk of this knowledge is transitory.
(Koolen, 2000, p5) has some predictions for the future of
work-based knowledge, they are:
· There will be more information with less time to learn it.
· More knowledge will be needed for almost all jobs.
· There will be far more adult learners.
· Learning will be a process (more asynchronous) not an event (attending a classroom at a set time).
· More intelligent software will improve global, distributed e-learning systems (like Learning Content Management systems).
There is now a growing movement for the anti-privatisation of knowledge; with universities like MIT at the vanguard it may only be a matter of time before most university course material is available online, for free! (See the site link below)
REFERENCES
·
Distance Learning and sun
Microsystems, 1998 Sun Microsystems
·
Developing
the learning network using extranets, 1998 Fred Riggins http://www.computer.org/proceedings/hicss/8248/82480339abs.htm
·
Learning
Content Management Software, the 2nd wave of eLearning, 2000 Robert Koolen
·
Teams
or Communities? Organizational Structures for Knowledge Management, 1999 Calors Ferran-Urdaneta
·
Paradoxes
and Perogatives in Global Virtual Collaboration, 2001 Sajda Qureshi and Ilze Zigurs
·
Determining
the ROI of e-Learing, 2001 KnowledgeNet http://www.knowledgenet.com/pdf/roi.pdf
· MIT Open Courseware http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html