Online Learning and Development: Opportunity for Improvement

Opportunity for Improvement

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     In a Wall Street Journal article entitled So Much Money, So Little to Show For It, Dr. Eduardo Salas explains why corporate training programs often fail despite the money, time, and effort invested. American companies spent $156 Billion on employee learning in 2011. Unfortunately those employees only retained 10% of what they learned. Without distinction, one can assume the statistics apply to face-to-face and online delivery combined, but what are the implications of this for online learning?

     The negative implication for online learning is the likelihood to blame the venue for the outcome. After all, it is an easy out. No one wants to assume blame when companies lose money, especially in the hundreds of billions of dollars range. Furthermore, how many employees hold themselves accountable for the 90% of the content they forgot? A few may, but many would not. So all could agree the blame must lie in the fact that the training occurred online. We must not allow this. When companies look to online learning as a cost-saving alternative to the travel, lodging, and various expenses involved in face-to-face venues, our challenge is to turn this possible negative implication into a positive one. Now, how do we do it?

     To quote Einstein, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Since online course development and instruction already requires additional planning and effort, why not incorporate Dr. Salas’ advice? Analyzing the need and setting the stage, as well as assessing and reinforcing the learning, all promote positive outcomes. These components blended with engaging, meaningful content transform the learning experience. When this transformation occurs, we need these outcomes to be specific and measurable. That way everyone knows what success looks like, and when it arrives. Then with the proper follow up, the employees retain more, the company spends less, success occurs, and we have something to ‘show for it’.

This is our opportunity. This is how to do online learning.