Cost-effective e-learning by collaborative authoring

by drs Albert F.J. Bausch, E-business Entrepreneur
 
As an IT consultant I read the articles about e-learning with specific interest. Especially the growth forecasts are stunning. Forrester talks about e-learning as the second "Killing Application" right after email. So why is it that all this enthusiasm is not backed by the reality in Europe? Of course, there is the fragmented marketplace and lack of interesting content due to the language problem. (The easiest excuse for decison makers for not investing in e-learning.) But there is more going on, and confusion is the recurring theme. Confusion which is created by the IT industry it self.
Picture yourself as the person responsible for the training of a group of employees. Training subject: a new CRM application within the company intranet. It's not easy to choose an e-learning environment in a world of rapidly changing internet technologies and emerging standards like XML and CourseWare Markup Langage (CWML). Today you choose and invest in software and content creation and tomorrow it can all be redundant. And the investments are huge since the software vendors force you to use their database technology, multimedia and video plugins, and user administration tools. To take a sound decision, you would have to have the OK from your general manager, training manager, webmaster, and last but not least, system administrator. In the decision making process the essential part, (self)learning and training, threatens to come last.
 
In the many situations I have come across, there were always three unattainable desires.
1) Do it yourself: E-learning authors want to create courses without the hampering (and expensive) support of programmers.
2) Reuse and exchange: The course content should be modular and reusable in new courses. As a result multimedia/text instruction and tests can be used more efficiently.
3) Keep out the techies. Downloading and configuration of client software or other technical barriers are taboo.

There seems to be an analogy with open source philosophies. However, this situation screams for "less talking" and "more doing". More like the shareware and freeware principles. To set a good example of "more doing" i-Concept has launched an enabling platform for decision makers who are waiting for affordable e-learning solutions, but cannot wait to see how e-learning works in practice. Authoring and learning on the platform starts right from the browser screen. The content is saved in a databases and can be made compliant to (future) e-learning XML standards. Everybody who is interested can use the www.studywiser.com technology for free and invite his audience to his courses by making links from websites or intranets.
 
 
 © 24-Oct-07
Minicase:  
A manufacturer of alarm equipment invites the resellers for a 2-days product seminar. To ensure that the attendants master basic infrared technology knowledge,  the resellers are invited to do an online introduction course on StudyWiser.com. The post test certificate sent by email confirms the registration for the seminar.
  

About i-Concept
i-Concept represents over 10 years of experience in Technology Based Training (TBT), from the early BBS-days to the present of sophisticated web based e-learning solutions. i-Concept provided exploitation management services in EU project IDEALS (internet distance learning technology), web consultancy and development for the Dutch Ministry of Education (BVE2000 & Kennisnet.nl) and was partner in a BVE-NET project (i-concept.nl/albeda). In 1999 i-Concept initiated the elearning platform Studywiser.com, based on 3 elementary fundaments:
  • Accessible and easy to use for both author and learner,
  • cost-effective by reuse options and
  • compatibility with future technology and 3rd party vendors by dbase & XML orientation.
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    i-Concept
    Bergweg 122
    3036 BH Rotterdam, The Netherlands
    T +31(0)10 4139444
    F +31(0)10 4134999