The Case for Performance-Based E-Learning

“Why bother with E-learning? It’s expensive, takes too much time to create and often falls short of its expectations.”

Those are often the most spoken criticisms of this learning medium. Most of these criticisms stem from poor experiences with E-learning. As someone who has consumed and developed E-learning, I don’t disagree when I hear such statements, but at the same time I believe it doesn’t have to be accepted as fact.

Let’s step back for a moment and think about E-learning in and of itself. What is it exactly? E-learning is training, or learning, distributed by electronic means. Organizations or individuals implement training to address a gap in knowledge, skills or ability in its target audience. Delivering learning using electronic mediums (CD-ROM, web, etc.) speeds up the transfer of learning, widens access by removing logistical barriers (mainly time and place) and decreases delivery costs.

Mind you, none of these intended objectives can be achieved unless E-learning is built on sound instructional design principles and is based on the performance of the learner. There is a popular book authored in 2002 by Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps titled Telling Ain’t Training. The book outlines a paradigm for creating training that is performance-based. It demonstrates how to be a better trainer by designing, developing and delivering training that is built around the learner’s needs and changes in performance or behavior of the learner after training. Regardless if the training is delivered by an instructor or by electronic means, the content being taught must be “learner-centered and performance based.” This way you ensure the delivery of learning that is engaging and relevant to the learner because it is relatable and actionable – they can take what they learn and apply it in context to the work they do.

While criticisms against E-learning are justified, it’s largely due to bad experiences people had with the medium. If E-learning is designed correctly and focuses on the intended performance of the leaner (the result) the overall experience will be better and inexpensive for the developer if they employ the use of reusable learning objects (RLO’s).

In my next post I’ll discuss the use of RLO’s and how they leverage performance and efficiency in E-learning.

Share and Enjoy: