E-learning Curve Blog at Edublogs

In applying the concept of the conventional learning curve to the context of modalities of corporate learning, we find that the curve provides an appropriate structure for illustrating where how these modalities are used. For example, in the lower part of the ‘S’ bend of the learning curve – representing a new hire for example – we can say that a knowledge worker is still a not consumer of corporate resources, rather than a contributor to an organization.

These earliest stages can also be considered the “off-the-job training” segment meaning they are also the most expensive to the sponsoring organization.

As learners move up the curve, they move out of the classroom and into an on-the-job learning environment. As they approach higher levels of expertise, learners require more one-on-one or individualized approaches to learning. Because each worker has a unique set of knowledge and skill gaps separating him/her from the highest levels of expertise, it will take the mentoring intelligence of a live expert to detect and redress those gaps.

Over time, and as they acquire expertise through experiential learning knowledge workers will exhaust the list of colleagues upon whom they can rely for coaching and will need to rely upon their their own skills, knowledge and expertise to improve their performance.

Dillon & Hallett note that

one of the recent maturational leaps for e-learning has been the recognition that no one form of learning technology is capable of addressing the diverse range of learning modality requirements found in the modern workplace.

The authors labelled this “leap of recognition” as “the blended solution.” I would suggest that this use of terminology reflects the time that the white paper was authored (2001): a more appropriate use of language would be to call each modality a learning delivery channel. Learning delivery channels can include different technologies – virtual classrooms, EPSS, software simulations, online collaboration, self-paced e-learning, knowledge management – they are much more than this: for example mentoring is a learning delivery channel, such activities can can be undertaken in a face-to-face or an online environment using video conferencing.

As Don Morrison says:

I find it difficult to give ‘blended learning’ the same respect I give, say, blended whiskey which is produced by the highly skilful blending of between 20 and 50 different ‘single’ malt and grain whiskies—of differing ages and from different regions and distilleries—to create a new brand with its own unique character. The greater the number of component whiskies, the greater the consistency of the resulting blend. If one of the contributing distilleries goes out of business, the blenders can achieve the same end result by adjusting the blend of the other single whiskies. If only such art, science, and commerce lay behind blended learning.

The key to leveraging this leap of recognition is to enable knowledge workers to access learning content through the most relevant learning delivery channnel for their skill level. This can be illustrated by positioning the learning delivery channels along the learning-curve model. The picture that is formed by this allocation of technologies along the curve is what Dillon & Hallett call the “E-Learning Curve” (see Figure 1).

The analogies to the conventional learning curve are apparent. Early in the learning process, workers using the conventional model of corporate training practices had to go off-the-job to attend classroom-based instruction. Knowledge workers in the e-learning ‘ecosystem’ learn from hours-long modules of Web-based training curricula. In this phase of the learning process, users of both conventional training and e-learning are removed from their job context.

As learners progress along the curve of the model, the allocation of learning delivery channels becomes more heavily influenced by e-learning modalities. With Web-based training (as with its instructor-led counterpart) the domains of usage are relatively limited. The only time it makes sense to pull workers off their jobs for training is limited precisely to those times when no alternative is available or resource-efficient. Off-the-job forms of training make good business sense only when workers are at the bottom of the learning curve and are not yet equipped to perform tasks at any acceptable level of competence.

More…

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References:

Dillon, P. & Hallett, C. (2001, October). Powering the leap to maturity: The eLearning ecosystem. Cisco Systems white paper.

Morrison, D., (2003) The search for the holy recipe. [Internet] Available from: http://www.morrisonco.com/downloads/blended_learning_holy_recipe.pdf Accessed 14 May 2008.

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