Project Management Training at the Speed of Light: Creating a Project Management E-Course

If you think this section seems to contradict the warning given in the preceding section, you are correct. Many organizations introduce e-learning courses in project management, often purchased from one of the big e-learning vendors . The effectiveness of such courses depends entirely on the motivation of the student and usually excludes the valuable team interactions that occur in the types of workshops modeled in this workbook. In effect, these courses are automated versions of the ‚“individual activities ‚½ discussed earlier in this chapter. Many do provide a type of debriefing in the form of feedback to the student but without the kind of interchange that occurs in a live workshop. Essentially the student works alone without interaction with others, precluding the kinds of collaborative learning that lectures and discussion and small- group activities afford.

E-learning courses have proven to be quite effective, although participants must be motivated to complete the course, and as with most training activities, management support will be essential.