March 2013
White Paper
Multi-Skilling Staff for the jobs of the future via Virtual Mobile e-Learning
Diane Shawe M.Ed. CEO AVPT GLOBAL
MULTI-SKILLING STAFF VIA VIRTUAL MOBILE E-LEARNING
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Table of Contents Greater Outreach – Enhanced interactivity ..................................................................................................... 2 The explosion of mobile technology ................................................................................................................ 2 Defining 21st Century e-learning and e-pedagogy............................................................................................ 3 The Complex Shift and the importance of communication and e-learning .................................................... 4 Fulfilling Customers demand with precision requires multi skilled staff ........................................................ 5 Benefits of virtual e-learning ............................................................................................................................ 6 Privacy, Security, Tracking Performance and Accreditation ............................................................................ 8 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 11 ABOUT AVPTGLOBAL ...................................................................................................................................... 12 References.................................................................................................................................................. 13
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Greater Outreach – Enhanced interactivity Corporates, enterprises and charities all wish to run their operations at the minimum costs allowed. We all recognise that in today’s environment, business moves faster than ever. Most organisations now recognise the importance of developing a strategic approach to learning and harnessing the internal skills of their teams. Moving away from more tactical based activities associated with training such as measuring skillsbased behaviours, to focussing on acquisition of knowledge and learning transfer that result in individual and organisational performance improvements. E-learning has the potential to fully integrate the benefits of personal freedom with connectivity (belonging to a purposeful group of learners). From an educational perspective the “e” in e-learning stands for more than electronic; it can also stand for extending and enhancing the learning experience.
The explosion of mobile technology New market opportunities open and close at blinding speed , new competitors emerge overnight, product lifecycles are getting shorter, and customers are more knowledgeable and sophisticated. This fastchanging environment has led to requirement to change learning and training. However more often than not, the task of aligning the learning organisation to the business can be challenging and the perception of how the business views the learning organisation in terms of aligning to strategic initiatives is different to how the learning organisation perceives itself. Downsizing has resulted in a mass drainage and outflow of skills as employees or contractors are let go. To ensure that an organisation can compete globally and remains at par with the technological changes in the global market committing to the investment of on-going skill training is often viewed as a potential unnecessary incision into the bottom line. This continued way of thinking comes at a cost because of the risks involved in White Paper Prepared by Diane Shawe M.Ed. AVPTGLOBAL th
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developing the professionalism of the staff (Lucey, 2004). The fear of poaching of the staff by other companies after significant investment has been made in upskilling and training from the said company is of real concern, because skilled, experienced staff when pulled in can respond faster to problems brought forward by the customers and ensure high productivity and efficiency in the long run (Corbett & Huggett, 2009). With the explosion of mobile technology, organisations need to take advantage of the benefits, scalability, and viability of using mobile elearning, using smart phones, tablets, and notepads that offer a blended solution.
Defining 21st Century e-learning and e-pedagogy Online blended learning integrates independence It is the convergence of technological and pedagogical developments that is driving e-learning innovation in higher education and the focus of ELearning in the 21st Century. In the context of a rapidly changing knowledge society, it is essential to evolve the learning experience in a way that models and prepares employees for an active and collaborative working life. The greatest mistake is to try to integrate new communications technology into passive educational approaches. Elearning will fail if we merely add on to or repackage our current educational designs. The goal of e-learning described here is to create a community of inquiry -independent of time and location through the use of information and communications technology. An educational community of inquiry is a group of individuals who collaboratively engage in purposeful critical discourse and reflection to construct personal meaning and confirm mutual understanding. This perspective -of course- reflects a particular educational approach using the possibilities of new and emerging technologies to build collaborative constructivist learning communities. E-learning is formally defined as “electronically mediated asynchronous and synchronous communication for the purpose of constructing and confirming knowledge�. The technological foundation of e-learning is the White Paper Prepared by Diane Shawe M.Ed. AVPTGLOBAL th
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Internet and associated communication technologies. Beyond the general description of e-learning, the two primary applications that constitute elearning are online and blended learning. E-learning represents a distinct educational branch with its roots in computer conferencing and collaborative constructivist approaches to learning. E-learning is an open system that blends access to information and purposeful communication into a dynamic and intellectually challenging learning community. E-learning transforms education in ways that extend beyond efficient delivery or entertainment value. It has been shown that active engagement in a learning community is associated with reflective discourse and deep learning outcomes (Akyol & Garrison, in press a; Brown, 2001; Chapman, Ramondt, & Smiley, 2005; Rovai, 2002).
Online learning integrates independence (asynchronous online communication) with interaction (connectivity) that overcomes time and space constraints in a way that emulates the values of higher education. In particular, online learning goes beyond the technology and tools to access information. The focus is shifted to the educational transaction in the form of a virtual community of learners sustainable across time (Garrison, 2009a) termed blended learning (Garrison &Vaughan, 2008).
E-learning in the form of blended learning integrates the best features of online and face-to-face education. Blended learning, however, is not benign. It will inherently precipitate a fundamental rethinking and questioning of current approaches to teaching and learning. Approaches such as the lecture are critically examined in terms of its ability to engage students in critical discourse.
The Complex Shift and the importance of communication and e-learning For Dewey, society and the individual cannot exist separately, nor can one be subordinated to the other (Dewey & Childs, 1981). To understand education is to understand this interplay between White Paper Prepared by Diane Shawe M.Ed. AVPTGLOBAL th
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personal interests and experience, and societal values, norms, and knowledge. This interplay is manifest in the transaction between teacher and student. Dewey’s concept of an activity-based education describes an educational experience as a “transaction taking place between an individual and what, at the time, constitutes his environment…” (1938, p. 43). For Dewey, transactional communication is the defining component of the educational experience when students transform the inert information passed to them from another and construct it into knowledge with personal application and value (Dewey, 1916). Dewey’s description fits with the complex shifting of time and place that defines e-learning and further emphasizes the importance of communication with the various human participants and through the technologies that constitute the environment. Thus, an educational experience has a dual purpose. The first is to construct meaning (reconstruction of experience) from a personal perspective. The second is to refine and confirm this understanding collaboratively within a community of learners.
Fulfilling Customers’ demands with precision requires multi skilled staff .
Most companies take advantage of multi-skilling, where single employees receive training on multiple skill-sets. It involves labour unions and their settings where they promote workers with a wide range of skills (Andriessen & Koopman, 1996). This range of skills may not be part of the technical job description, but it ensures productivity and cuts down on costs for the company because they do not have to employ other personnel who have the same skills. When companies aim at ensuring that the employees multitask, they effectively address the current shortage of skills labour. In an industry where companies aim at quickly fulfilling customer demands with precision, then multi-skilling comes in handy because it provides flexibility in allocating labour to tasks. Though the results ensure White Paper Prepared by Diane Shawe M.Ed. AVPTGLOBAL th
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reduced costs for the company, the process may be straining on the part of the managers and employees. It needs genuine commitment from all stakeholders involved in the process (Clark & Mayer 2011). It takes a training program several years to reach the desired flexibility within the workforce. However, if the right approach to training is taken, then constructive results can be seen quickly (Clark & Kwinn, 2007). The steps in ensuring success include the bringing together of the employees, setting goals which broaden the employee’s skills and regularly reviewing their progress. Employees may also ensure success by sticking to the program over the medium term. The training program, when wellstructured and applied consistently by the employers has far reaching benefits to the company (Bouwman et al., 2005). These include a measurable return on its training investment, reduced turnover of employees who ensure increased productivity, and reduced waste of potentiality of employees by engaging their extra skills. Companies are now examining ways of delivering training to their employees using virtual mobile e-training programs. A virtual liveinstructor facilitates training delivered by the virtual classroom to the employees. This ensures that the employees gain the skills needed and will also benefit from interaction with other employees from the comfort of their offices or home.
Benefits of virtual e-learning Virtual e-learning saves time and money for the employers and the overall costs to the company are reduced because employees learn without additional travelling expenses. The employees, therefore, learn from the comfort of their desktop and interact with their fellow staff and online facilitator. This also supports the corporate green initiative, lauded by many companies as the ethics and good practices of the current business practice. (Clark & Kwinn, 2007). However, virtual training of the unemployed or employees will rely heavily on their self-discipline, self-motivation, and their ability to communicate effectively using the written word. The best virtual e-training White Paper Prepared by Diane Shawe M.Ed. AVPTGLOBAL th
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that ensures effective learning of the skills by the employees is by personalising it because employees respond well to personal attention (Clark & Mayer 2011).
E-training may take other forms such as video-based courses, which resemble the normal class teaching except online. The instructor speaks to the learners and then use online examples and PowerPoint slides for illustration. Other not so commonly used forms of virtual learning include audio-based courses, animated, web-supported textbooks, peer-to-peer courses, and social networking. With today’s technology, the acquisition cost per delegate is greatly reduced as over 80% have access to a mobile device. All these ensure that employees acquire the correct skills that promote their multitasking ability, and beneficial to the company because of reduced costs (Bouwman et al., 2005). Companies and government organisation can reap many benefits by using smart phones or mobile tablets to deliver training for single or multiskilling courses. Giving employees access to information and reading material when out of the office, thereby increasing efficiency in learning. The fact that they are easily portable makes them efficient especially for employees who travel a lot. These employees can dip into their online training course from wherever they are and do not have to be at the office White Paper Prepared by Diane Shawe M.Ed. AVPTGLOBAL th
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to sharpen their skills (Corbett & Huggett, 2009). Smart phones also promote real-time interaction of the employees by use of e-mail, text, and instant messaging, and through voice calls.
Privacy, Security, Tracking Performance and Accreditation
However, there has been an outcry of issues of privacy by organisations. This is why organisations need to take into consideration the four pillars that go to underpin the buyer’s requirements and therefore still define the industry offerings centred on the following: • Compliance and accreditation • Scalable and flexible whilst achieving a real reduction in Cost • Improving, tracking and measuring Learners’ performance • Real time management, alignment and communication to support on-going changes. The ability to track and report learner performance remains uppermost in many procurers’ minds. It will become increasingly important to have specified learning strategy which can deliver effectively against all of these requirements, and getting the “e-learning mix” of technologies right - obviously including content, collaboration and communication environments (social learning) and control mechanisms - will be the key to further industry growth. Under-pining these trends we are seeing growing interest in how elearning can address softer skills and this is why we have concentrated our LMS content to this area of learning.
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Some vendors are following the vertical market and configuring the offer to meet specific needs, others are differentiating by adding social media and social learning functions, and others such as AVPTGLOBAL are aligning the LMS to the latest technologies being colonised by the elearning industry – mobile/smart devices and video driven content. The trend from the USA is strongly toward talent management and we are often lagging behind. The smart vendors will align and integrating with other solutions: HR, ERP, CRM etc…. Content or Content, which to choose…..? These developments can only be positive for the industry, as the demand for quality and quantitative content will grow and grow. Tablet use in employee training has far-reaching benefits to the company and its staff. This is because of the spontaneity created since tablets resemble sketch pads. Important points are highlighted and diagrams, equations, and formula created in class thus improving learning for the employees. The tablet can stimulate collaborative brainstorming and take advantage of the power of mind maps. Tablets, like smart phones, enable employees to get training wherever they operate from, which may not necessarily be the office or classroom to get lectures on the different skills. So instead of sending the staff to a course, employers can bring the classroom straight in the hands of the employee.
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Adopting of the use of tablets by employees and even the instructor, may seem daunting at first because the instructor no longer has freedom to move around the classroom. However, with adopting new technology comes the daunting task of convincing employees stuck with the practices of medieval times, the advantages of using the technology, such as the notepad and tablets (Clark & Mayer 2011). They believe that they can only acquire new skills through apprenticeship or by taking leave and going back to the real classes. This wastes time and increases costs for the company because they have to employee other people to replace the ones who take study leave.
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Conclusion In the long-run, the use of virtual e-training is beneficial because it saves on the long term costs of the company. It is scalable and can offer effective continued professional development throughout the year to managers and staff without them having to take time off work. In the past distance learning was seen as an isolated option that ended up with most students not completing their course. These barriers have not been transcended and students can now enjoy full interactions steered towards their own personal learning style. However, the initial stages of implementing and adopting the process may prove cumbersome and expensive. There could also be resistance by the older generations of management team as technology can often been seen as dehumanising, complicated and remote. The other factor is costs, which could be high and setting aside enough resources to ensure effective adaptability of the technology will often be competing against other internal needs. Not too far from now we will progress from blending to mixing the content provision as this will be the key challenge to the e-learning industry. The importance of content won’t go away, it’s just changing faster becoming more “Re-purposely”, “Flexible”, “Interoperable”, and “Accessible” learning content!
At the end of the day, it is up to the management of the company to ensure that they adopt practices that will be beneficial to them in cost saving and increased productivity. AVPT Global’s Learning Management Solution has already been designed to assist organisations that want to develop a series of quality soft skills courses for their staffs continued development.
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ABOUT AVPTGLOBAL At Academy of Vocational and Professional Training, we care about your success as an organisation. That is why we have developed our e-Training products to serve as a complete training solution to deliver high quality blended learning. We've already completed the preparation work for you and if you are currently training, or planning on developing an organisational training plan, we have all the materials you need. We save you time and money! It takes a lot of time and effort to create a training course. Designing, researching, writing, and finding the right image. It takes even more time to create an online learning system to work fluently and securely with various technologies. We know this because we have done the months of preparation for you! We supply over 350 Soft Skills topics; everything from Conflict Resolution, to Time Management, to a library of Train-the-Trainer titles, to the essentials for your workplace. We also supply quality training in Technology, Management, and Leadership through to Personal Development. Our Promise to our clients is - To deliver quality up to date information in all courses ‘live curriculum’. - A complete package that offers the trainer or organisation multiple ways to deliver any course. - The supply of fully qualified Virtual Tutors for each person studying any course. - Easy accessibility and Value for investment. - Customisable, fast setup and support - A secure, scalable global and reliable solution - A team of Confidential, Professional and Friendly Staff - To always meet global standards and accreditations.
www.avptglobal.com We are happy to arrange a demonstration on how this LMS could assist in the up-skilling of your staff and also reduce project developmental and programming time and costs.
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References Andriessen, E., & Koopman, P. L. (1996). The introduction of information and communication technology ICT in organizations: A special issue of the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. London: Psychology Press. Bouwman, H., van den Hooff, B., van de Wijngaert, L., & van Dijk, J. (2005). Information and communication technology in organizations: Adoption, implementation, use and effects. New York: Sage Publishers. Clark, R. C., & Kwinn, A. (2007). The New Virtual Classroom: Evidencebased Guidelines for Synchronous e-Learning. New York: John Wiley and Sons Publishers. Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). e-Learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. New York: John Wiley and Sons Publishers. Corbett, W. G., & Huggett, C. (2009). Designing for the virtual classroom: Training technology & E-Learning. Kansas: American Society for Training and Development. Garrison, D. Randy (2011-04-16). E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for Research and Practice, Second Edition (p. 3). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.
White Paper Prepared by Diane Shawe M.Ed. AVPTGLOBAL th
Broadgate Tower, 12 Floor, 20 Primrose St. London. EC2A 2EW TEL: 0203 551 2621 WWW.AVPTGLOBAL.COM