FAQs Business Case

e-Learning FAQs - The Business Case

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How will e-learning products benefit Hampshire County Council?

Availability:
e-Learning can be accessed at any time and at any location when the learning is needed. Learners can dip in and out of an e-learning module and focus on the topics that are of most use to them without having to go through the complete course.

Costs, time spent at learning events:
e-Learning products can be extremely cost effective, reaching a wide audience in a short time frame.
Approximately 400 staff viewed our Freedom of Information Act module in the first three days after launch. Roll-out of this information would have been significantly slower if the same number of staff had attended face-to-face briefings. Staff were also away from their work for a much reduced time because there was no travelling to and from venues. Compared with other forms of learning activity, savings of up to 80% have been realised for roll-out of corporate e-learning topics.

Accessibility:
Our vision is to make the learning as simple and user-friendly as possible. The layout is designed to be clear and intuitive. Because e-learning modules can be completed at people’s desks, it can particularly help those learners that cannot attend face-to-face courses. The flexibility of e-learning allows our staff who work outside usual office hours to participate in learning.

Sustainability:
Travel to training venues is reduced, meaning less traffic and less emissions. e-Learning offers a viable alternative to producing and distributing paper based resources to hundreds of staff. It can be referred back to and is updatable.

e-Government:
e-Learning products contribute to the requirement to offer electronic delivery of information and services, as well as the requirement to use technology to improve corporate services and make the best use of resources. It also meets the requirement to engage ‘hard to reach’ learners, with alternative, interactive ways of learning and more choice about where and how to learn.

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Will e-learning replace other forms of training?

No. e-Learning isn’t designed to replace all other training, but to aid other learning interventions and to provide additional support in getting the message across. It may be delivered on its own or as part of a blended approach, combining different learning methods together.

Are there different types of e-learning product?
Yes, here are some of the ways in which e-learning can be used:

e-Briefing – conveys information in a user friendly and interactive way
Guidance – provides case studies and step by step support
Pre-course preparation – ensures that everyone has a common level of knowledge and understanding before face-to-face training
Post-course follow up – interactive summaries, refreshers, tests
Online tests – checks understanding, creates a record of achievement
e-Courses – full interactive learning delivery

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Why have e-learning products been used by Hampshire County Council to date?
Past clients tell us they chose e-learning products for some of the following reasons:

“To reach a wide audience”
“A good way to get a lot of people to access basic theoretical or process information”
“Provides an evidence trail of how many staff have completed it”
“A good medium for delivering a dry subject in an interactive way.”
“Provides an alternative format for a paper-based manual, which is difficult and costly to distribute”

Will there be a record of completion?

Yes, all e-learning modules will automatically log learner’s progress and will eventually link into SAP records. e-Learning products incorporating tests will indicate that pass marks will be logged. This gives us useful management and evaluation data.

How have clients and learners found the end product?

We have consistently received positive feedback for our e-learning products. For example in one e-learning module, 100% of learners giving feedback felt the content was relevant to them. 96% said that the e-learning had delivered the course effectively, and 96% said that the e-learning layout was helpful to their learning.

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Will e-learning last?

Access to technology is increasing, not only in terms of who has it, but also in terms of devices that can do it. As learners become familiar with technology used in their daily lives, they increasingly expect access to electronic information and resources.
The Department for Education and Skills published an ‘e-strategy’ document in March 2005. This outlines priority actions for ensuring that in the future, every learner is able to use technology well. Organisations will be encouraged to support personal online learning and assessment, and to use technology to “modernise their training methods”. e-Learning forms a central part of this ongoing strategy and is definitely here to stay.

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