204 - e-Learning Perspective: Value in the Supply Chain Process; e-Learning Tip: Leverage the Classroom for e-Learning Comfort; e-Learning Concern: Quality Impatience

1. e-Learning Perspective: Value in the Supply Chain Process - I had the
privilege of addressing 1,000 manufacturing executives earlier this week.
For these folks, the internet is alive, well and achieving significant
gains as it dramatically changes the Supply Chain process. As customers,
suppliers and manufacturers are linked together for instant information
and supply chain management, the gains to the bottom line are incredible.
I spoke with several senior executives who were seeing 5% to 8% gains in
the gross margins as a result of applying supply chain technology to their
manufacturing and distribution processes. They took to the e-Learning
conversation with a vengeance! For them, e-Learning can address a number
of the time/cycle glitches that occur as products are ordered,
provisioned, manufactured and shipped. Their eyes opened wide as they
imagined a network that would provide just-in-time learning on product
features and requirements. They were deeply enthusiastic to add Digital
Collaboration to the growing "exchange" models that are being developed by
leading manufacturers. My learning ... shift my eyes internally to look
at the roles that the internet and e-Learning can play in adding
efficiency to INTERNAL PROCESSES. (Supply Chain Learning will be a focus
at TechLearn 2001 www.techlearn.com)

2. e-Learning Tip: Leverage the Classroom for e-Learning Comfort - One of
the most effective ways to introduce and train new learners how to learn
in an e-Learning environment is to use the traditional classroom as a
setting. A number of training departments have begun to introduce a
module into every classroom event that uses the e-Learning interface in
their organization and familiarizes the learners with this model. The
classroom is a great evangelical setting for e-Learning and also sends the
strong message that Blended Learning is the future. The learner sees the
trainer using and talking about e-Learning with comfort and begins to make
the connection with the range of blended options.

3. e-Learning Concern: Quality Impatience - I have had several intense
conversations in recent days about the QUALITY of eLearning programs.
People will often say, "But when will e-Learning be awesome!" I believe
that we have to look at the field as an ever improving art and science and
to place quality into that context. Web pages from five years ago were
jokes when we look at them today, but they were exciting and business
enabling five years ago. We learned how to use the medium and began to
understand the human response to technology. In the same way, e-Learning
is getting better and better. We have to consider several things when
judging the quality of e-Learning:

- Don't Just Compare e-Learning to the Classroom! Look at what it can do
on it's own, where it can reach people that will never get to the
classroom and how it can change the process of how we share knowledge.
Look, if a telephone call is never as good as seeing and hugging a good
friend, yet that does not destroy my perception of its value and quality.
- Separate Technology from Methodology: Some of the constraints of
e-Learning are more in the technology arena, with the new process of
sharing media like voice and video over the net. Let's judge quality from
a technology perspective and then also judge quality from the experience
of learning activities perspective.
- Quality May be Cultural and Generational: What one person gets all
excited about may be very different than another person of a specific age,
position or culture. I love to ask what people really like about
e-Learning experiences and what do they hope it will "grow into" in the
years ahead.

4. Senator Charles Schumer Visits Our e-Lab: We had a surprise visit
today from New York Senator Charles Schumer to our e-LAB in Saratoga
Springs. He wanted to take a close-up look at how e-Learning was
developing and discuss the role that bandwidth will play in the growth of
knowledge transfer. Senator Schumer took a drive on a Virtual Classroom
and immediately went to the concept of how their meetings at the Senate
would change with Digital Collaboration Tools. We talked about the role
that learning plays in both government and politics and how e-Learning
might impact the process. The Senator was also intrigued with the role
that asynchronous capture of live events might have on how citizens could
participate in decision making at all levels of government. (He also
loved the Bee Gees that were playing on our e-LAB sound system when he
came to the new building.) Note: There are still spaces in one of our
upcoming e-LAB Skills for e-TRAINERS sessions in Saratoga at the end of
June - www.masie.com)

Upcoming MASIE Center Events: Info and registration at www.masie.com
- e-Learning EUROPE 2001 - Dublin, Ireland - July 9 and 10
- TechLearn 2001 + Blended Learning Symposium - Orlando - Oct 28 to 31
- Skills for e-TRAINERS: Monthly Sessions in Saratoga Springs - June 2001

203 - e-Learning Perspective: Blended as Multi-Method; e-Learning Tip: Technical vs. Content Support; e-Learning Concern: The Day After The LMS; Learning Executive Focus: Better Targets for ROI; The Hype Level of e-Learning

1. e-Learning Perspective: Blended as Multi-Method - The use of Blended
Learning is the quiet little secret about e-Learning. Almost every
organization that we visit is doing more Blended Learning than the
industry is talking about. By Blended, I am referring to Multi-Method
Learning. The use of more than one strategy or delivery system for
learning. If we look at ourselves as a learners, we are all natural
multi-method learners. We take a classroom based course and we spend
minutes to talking to peers outside the classroom about the content. We
read a book and then we talk to our family or colleagues about it. We
take an on-line class only to find that we are picking up the phone to
talk to an instructor for support. We need to recognize the Multi-Method
nature of learners. However, most of the e-Leaning products and services
only give lip service to Multi-Method. Remember, people will blend,
either overtly or covertly. Let's keep the focus on the LEARNING part of
e-Learning. (Note: We have just added a Blended Learning Forum to this
year's TechLearn 2001 event in October -- www.techlearn.com)

2. e-Learning Tip: Technical vs. Content Support - One of the tips that
came from a recent meeting of our e-Learning CONSORTIUM was to build a new
button into e-Learning environments (live or asynchronous). This button
would allow a learner to define if they needed technical support or
content support. So often, one is in the middle of presenting a virtual
classroom, only to have a learner raise their hand and then ask a
technical question. What if they could raise a technical vs. content
hand, with the question being handled by different people based on
content. One of the great frustrations of e-Trainers is how much time
they spend on resolving technical issues. (Note: We have opened up a new
section of our popular Skills for e-Trainers program - June 27 - 29 at the
MASIE e-LAB in Saratoga Springs)

3. e-Learning Concern: The Day After The LMS - As organizations are
adopting Learning Management Systems (LMS) for enterprise wide efforts, we
are hearing a concern that needs to be addressed by both vendors and the
industry. "What do we do the day after the LMS is installed?" This
question reveals a parallel between LMS and large ERP Data Base projects.
Organizations MUST define both an LMS technology but also a LMS
METHODOLOGY approach. The LMS yields a wealth of data and functionality
for the organization, but how will they CHANGE their learning processes
the day after the LMS goes "live"? Ultimately, this may be where we see
the role of integrators and process focused organizations, as they add a
methodology layer on top of LMS technology.

4. Learning Executive Focus: Better Targets for ROI - We continue to get
daily questions from organizations on how handle requests for ROI data
from senior management for the broad spectrum of new training approaches,
including e-Learning. The two measures that seem to be taking hold in the
field include:

a) TIME TO MARKET: How much more rapidly can organizations launch a new
product or service, as the result of using learning and technology
approaches? Time to market hits a high resonance point for both employee,
supply chain and even customer focused e-Learning efforts.

b) TIME TO HIRE/DEPLOY: How much more rapidly can organizations hire and
deploy a new staff member? The nimbleness of an organization to add and
utilize new staff as conditions change is perceived as a tangible ROI for
e-Learning investments.

5. General Pulse: The Hype Level of e-Learning? There continues to be a
two headed view of e-Learning in the field. On the one hand, we have
never had more interest and actual implementation of e-Learning in large
scale organizations. On the other hand, the total expenditures on
e-Learning have not been matching the huge predictions that many in the
media have touted. And, at the same time there is a natural process of
start-ups fading, in a very crowded marketplace.

The HYPE that drives me crazy can be categorized by three sentences that
we all hear way too often:

a) "We are the LEADING provider of e-Learning!" I am now tracking 219
companies that use that phrase in their marketing pitches. Leadership is
proven by the gains that organizations achieve using good products and
strategies. Of course we are are interested in how many other
organizations are using a product, but let's back it up with clear case
examples and focus on leadership through performance!

b) "Our product WORKS WITH product X!" What does it mean when a company
says they now strategically work with other products? Does it mean that
the work has been done to make these 2 pieces of software interface, or
does it mean that for a large fee we will try to make them work? Let's
talk more about real standards and documented functional integration.

c) "e-Learning will be 72% of all Learning by 200x!" These predictions do
not map to what real companies are doing. The reality is that
organizations are adding significant learning with technology options to
their training plates. In some cases, virtual classrooms and on-line
training is growing dramatically. Remember that the bulk of
current learning does not take place in a classroom. It takes place in a
context of informal settings. The classroom will change, our processes
will change and our learners' expectations will change. The "e" in
e-Learning will vanish in a couple of years and we will accept that
learning will leverage the technology resources of our organizations to
increase effectiveness. But, let's be careful about throwing too many
predictions into corporate PowerPoint presentations that may come back to
haunt us.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services: www.masie.com
- e-LEARNING Europe 2001 - Dublin Ireland, July 9 & 10
- Skills for e-TRAINERS - Saratoga Springs, Monthly Sessions
- TechLearn 2001 + World e-Learning CONGRESS + Blended Learning Forum -
October 28 to 31 - Orlando, Florida
- Learning Decisions Monthly Research Newsletter -
www.learningdecisions.com