e-learning

Anyone, anywhere, anytime

By Brooke Broadbent

Many oh&s pros have turned to pre-packaged training materials as a way to support safety training. Sounds great. Hand someone a CD or an Internet address for a training course. He or she fires up the computer. The CBT, or "computer based training" works some sort of magic. A new employee can learn about WHMIS, for example, and you don't have to conduct the training session. The user learns what he or she needs to know and you are free to handle other pressing issues. Sounds like a no-brainer.

But you know it's not that simple. All technology-assisted learning is not created equal. Some have a much better success rate than others do. Some things are learned best in the classroom, not from sitting in front of a computer monitor. Other times it is the training materials themselves that miss the mark. Some technology-assisted learning materials are all glitz and pizzazz and don't really teach anything useful. Others are boring and hard to get into. Some are great. But how do you select the right ones?

To make matters more complicated for oh&s professionals in their training roles, recent trends in the training field point to greater use of technology-assisted learning. It's now called e-learning and most of the time it is associated with the Internet in one way or another -- the Internet is being hyped from all directions. Web addresses are appearing everywhere. The American Society of Training and Development is forecasting huge growth for e-learning. You can bet that oh&s will be a prime candidate. If predictions pan out, there will be 2.5 million North Americans using e-learning by 2002. Would e-learning be a good thing for you, personally or for your organization? Should, for example, members of your safety committee take an e-learning course about current legislation? Should you, could you, take a certification program in occupational health and safety without ever stepping into a classroom?

And the answers are . . . it depends. Yes, it depends on the topic you are instructing, the learner you're instructing -- and it might depend, too, on what your employer has decided. The simple truth is that organizations are buying into e-learning because it promotes training anywhere, anytime, to anyone.

Anywhere, means that participants will not have to travel to a central location for training -- saving tons of money. Anytime, means that training can be delivered just in time, when people need it. Anyone, means that training can be targeted to the individuals who need it.

Chances are that, sooner or later, you will find yourself putting on an e-learning cap as a student, instructor, developer or administrator -- if you haven't already. Yes, as an instructor. There are thousands of courses you could take over the Word Wide Web. Why not teach one? Or at least why not take one to find out what is involved. That way you will be able to say yea or nay when you are selected to teach using the web a few years from now -- or maybe tomorrow. Or if you want to start today, you can take a free course or create your own course for free (See sidebar, page XX).

Are you still confused about the meaning of e-learning? Think about e-learning as comprising four separate types:

* Self-study -- means essentially you, your computer and learning materials on a CD, your network or the Internet.

* Leader-led -- means you, your computer learning materials and an instructor or facilitator. It's often called web-based training, or WBT.

* Knowledge Management -- means you, your computer and information that is well organized so you can find what you need.

* Performance Support -- means you, your computer and on-line assistance helping you use software or do your work.

Next time you are reading or listening to someone expound about e-learning, WBT, CBT, multimedia -- or whatever folks call technology-assisted-learning where you work -- try to slot what he or she is saying into these four categories. When you are developing e-learning strategies keep the four types in mind. They have different formats, costs, and results.

If these definitions evoke images of old wine in new bottles, you're right. We have had these four types of learning materials long before someone had the bright idea of pinning an ‘e' on the learning donkey. So don't let anyone confuse you, e-learning is not a radical departure from common sense and from what you have learned over the years. What really counts is learning. What works in the classroom also works in e-learning. You know, the questions that spark interest; the motivating stories that catch listeners attention; the real situations that make the classroom experience seem worthwhile. All these elements need to be included in e-learning. What counts in e-learning is people not technology.

How do we decide which of the four types of e-learning to use? Like most things in life, oh&s training being no exception, your choice of technologies is influenced by the four W's -- Who, What, When and Where -- and their friends How, How Much and How Many. The table below illustrates the characteristics of the four types of e-learning. The information in this table can help you when you are wearing the hat of an instructor, designer and administrator select the right type of e-learning.

When you don your e-learning hat, you will want to make certain it stays in place. You don't want to fail at e-learning but it is worthwhile to look at what leads to failure. You may recognize thoughts and actions in the failure list that you have experienced first hand. They are prevalent behaviours. This list will help you recognize behaviour that leads to failure so that you will be in a position to do something about it.

How to fail: Learners

* Don't ask for help.

* Expect e-learning to be the same as conventional learning.

* Fit it in whenever you can, without any kind of structured schedule

* Lurk and never participate.

How to fail: Instructors

* Do not set a structure for the course.

* Use a sink-or-swim approach with students.

* Turn the learners loose on new technology and software without any preparation.

* Present an online lecture the same way you would a classroom lecture.

* Do not use web resources from other sites.

How to fail: Designers

* Do not consult with stakeholders when developing learning materials.

* Pay no attention to ways to create learning.

* Use the latest technology and plug-ins just to create pizzazz.

* Do not conduct testing to tweak training materials.

* Design one-size-fits-all e-learning materials.

How to fail: Administrators

* Hand off everything to external consultants.

* Forget about communications.

* Use off-the-shelf solutions exclusively.

* Designate one of the four types of e-learning as a silver bullet and ignore the rest.

* Don't plan an evaluation.

One of the best sources of information about WBT is TeleEducation New Brunswick's TeleCampus Online Course Directory (see sidebar). You can search on their database for courses. Simply search on key words such as ergonomics, WHMIS or other descriptors of the course you are looking for and you will uncover a large number of resources, mainly at colleges and universities. This database is a quick and efficient way to get started. It depends, however, on institutions to submit their information and not all of them have done that. So you should also check out the type of course you are looking for in your favourite Internet search engine.

Web sites where you can set up a free e-learning course

It's always good to get a certificate for your efforts. For the certification cravers, several of Canada's better known oh&s certification programs offer online versions. Here are some examples. The oh&s diploma program of the British Columbia Institute of Technology; the certificate program in environmental and occupational health from the University of Victoria; and the master's of occupational health sciences (Applied) at McGill University.

Go for it . . .

Teaching and learning, like accident prevention, are areas that people do instinctively. However, there is always room for improvement -- in both areas. Will e-learning represent progress, or will the ‘e' on your pointed e-learning cap turn out to be a ‘d'? I doubt it. If e-learning is done right it will help to improve oh&s training and nobody will be wearing a dunce cap.

Web sites where you can try free e-learning courses

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