Playing the endgame | E-learnings Greatest Hits

In all this talk of carrots and sticks, it’s important to remember that the donkey may not actually need any coaxing – he may be quite happy to enjoy a stroll for its own sake. After all, we don’t need an elaborate programme of rewards and punishments to persuade us to read a book, watch TV or listen to a new album, or even to expend energy on sports. We like doing these things, so much so that we often don’t want them to finish. In short, the more pleasurable an activity is, the less we need rewards and punishments to persuade us to indulge. If e-learning is a pleasurable experience (or any learning for that matter), we will want to do it and we will find the time.

So what is it that makes learning pleasurable? Well, first if all it must be relevant to our work or other interests and challenging enough to excite us. It needs to provide the facility for us to interact, with the subject, with our peers and with experts. When the conditions are right, wild horses couldn’t drag you away, even though your attitudes are being challenged, you are struggling to master new skills and your brain is over-heating.

Being realistic, a lot of workplace learning may never be this exciting, and we may need to give the learner a little extra encouragement to see the course through, but if rewards and punishments are all that we’ve got, a better question is, is this training such a good idea in the first place?

The McGraw-Hill Companies e-Learning Charter

The following Manager’s and Learner’s Charters were developed by Tim Drewitt in his former role as Worldwide Manager, Professional Learning Services, at Xebec McGraw-Hill. Commitment to these principles would go a long way to improving the completion rate of e-learning courses.

As an e-learner, I will…

Ensure I understand the objectives of the course and my reasons for taking it.Ensure I understand the objectives of the course and my reasons for taking it.
Allocate sufficient time to complete the course within a manageable and realistic timeframe.
Ensure I have everything I need to successfully complete the training before I start a course.
Seek support and coaching from my line manager before, during and after the training.
Prepare an action plan for applying my new skills and knowledge back in my role, as I work through each course.
Respect the right of others to learn at their desktop (or a place of their choosing), free from all interruptions.
Contribute appropriately to online discussion groups and actively share best practice and new ideas.
Consider carefully the impact of my contributions to online discussion groups, in particular with respect to my choice of language and the feelings of others.
Continuously review my own performance and development needs to identify opportunities for e-learning activity.
Keep up to date with the range of courses on offer and how they can help me, both now and in the future.

As a manager of e-learners, I will…
Facilitate the provision of a conducive learning environment for my staff.
Respect and publicly endorse the right of my staff to learn at their desktop (or a place of their choosing), free from all interruptions.
Grant my staff the time they require to complete a course, taking into account the advantages of spreading shorter periods of study over a realistic and manageable timeframe.
Review the objectives of each course with my staff before they begin it, help them to determine their own personal objectives and gain commitment to undertake the training.
Provide motivation and recognition to ensure the successful completion of each e-learning course.
Support and coach my staff during and after each course.
Provide opportunities, after they have completed the training, to facilitate the transfer of learning back to their role.
Look for and record the improvement in performance after the training has been completed and there’s been a period of consolidation.
Familiarise myself on a regular basis with the range of courses on offer and consider how these may benefit me and each member of my staff.
Proactively promote the use of e-learning amongst my staff as an effective self-development tool.