The trick is to understand how to organize information so only they essentials are delivered by a push learning and all other information be available via pull learning.

Matthew Bibby.

1) I totally hear what you are saying about eLearning failing as a solo soution. For years I’ve been trying to influence my managing homies to consider eLearning solutions as part of a larger system. Instead, we have continued to treat them as isolated interventions. In fact, each solution thread has lived in its own stovepipe and never shall they meet or cross paths. eLearning is to total solution as diet pills are to magical weight loss. This is not an exaggeration – you can’t lose weight in a healthy way without a balanced program. In my opinion, the same applies to learning.

2) It bothers me when we compare fresh juicy apples to rotten oranges. It is extremely difficult to change a culture to value a solution component when at every turn we are comparing face to face solutions that existed before to what could be and in some rare cases is a superior solution. The face to face solutions that folks refer to are rarely a perfect intervention.

So take care not to generalize about face to face solutions ‘always’ being better. Since this implies that all (name the solution) is always a fresh apple. And that eLearning is always the rotten orange. It’s just not a fair comparison. And this comparison makes it hard for the folks that see the path to change to move an organization down that path.

I still maintain that really bad eLearning is a waste of time and effort. It’s demoralizing.

I hear you regarding businesses and training departments that are not innovating. It’s frustrating as can be. Frankly, I’ve written them off. Organizations that can’t adapt and change are dead men walking. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

jay

I’m with you all the way, but I think we need to get away from this blanket statement that ‘e-learning doesn’t work’. At least with regard to talking to business owners. The large organisations I do work for have amassed some great financial returns on e-learning, have the test statistics to give some comfort that the courses had some effect and some have even done deeper evaluations and seem convinced some of the learning sticks. So, I don’t think they’ll be receptive to someone just saying ‘it doesn’t work’. Their evidence seems to say otherwise. Sure, this model may become outdated and perhaps a more ‘pull’ approach is the way to go, but I can’t say i’m seeing it take hold in many places at all. Also, most of the businesses i’m in contact with seem to have rather traditional business models rather than the crazy pace of change we all seem to talk about. ….hmm…not sure where this is leading. Like I say, i’m with you in spirit but the training/developoment world just seems to move at a glacial speed.

Mindful