Corporate Training:

Could E-learning Replace One-On-One In-Person Learning?

Jennifer HislopChestnut Hill College,

Philadelphia

According to the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD)

“For the past three years, the percentage of training offered by organizations via traditional instructor-led classroom has been making a slow decline...At the same time there has been an increase in the usage of technology-based methods...” (Miller, 2013, p. 42)

Introduction• Corporations are seeing a

trend in the increase of e-learning and the decline of in-person training

• Preliminary research at my workplace indicates an interest in e-learning:

• Uniform training

• Increased access to training

• Time/cost saving

Potential Benefits

• Can e-learning actually replace in-person training as an employee learning and development solution?

• Similar or improved performance/ transfer of training (Dongsong, Zhao, Lina, &

Nunamaker, 2004; Petty, Lim, & Zulauf, 2007)

• Cost savings (Petty, Lim, & Zulauf,

2007; Strother, 2002)

Problem Statement

The purpose of this study is to discover if asynchronous e-learning modules could save training time and costs over one-on-one in-person training in a small office setting of 50 or less employees.

Background

• Andragogy

• ADDIE/Instructional Design

• Analyze

• Design

• Develop

• Implement

• Evaluate

• Transfer of Training

Background

• Computer Based Training

• Asynchronous E-learning

• Course Authoring Tools

• Learning Management Systems

Corporate E-Learning

• Review of past qualitative studies shows e-learning is beneficial (Strother, 2002)

• No difference in traditional e-learning vs KPI-based e-learning (Wang, Ran, Liao, & Yang, 2010)

• Participants in the same e-learning program gained different types of knowledge (Baudoin, 2010)

Corporate E-Learning Vs. Face-To-Face

• Web-based instruction is superior or equivalent to in-person instruction (Pang, 2009)

• Employees have positive experience with e-learning and find it flexible/cost-effective (Olafsen & Cetindamar,

2005)

• Face-to-face and e-learning are equally effective (Chamberlain & Taylor, 2011)

Corporate E-Learning Vs. Face-To-Face

• E-learning strips away learner interaction with the material (Witthaus, 2009)

• Activity-based courses (Cornelius, Gordon, &

Ackland, 2011)

• E-mentoring (Thompson,

Jeffries, & Topping, 2010)

Literature Review• Limited information/biased

studies on asynchronous e-learning in corporations

• Focus on e-learning effectiveness without comparing to other modes of training

• Research needed to discover if asynchronous e-learning is as effective as one-on-one in-person training in a corporate setting

Study Design• 50-200 working adults

with e-learning experience

• Online survey with open-ended questions

• Follow up email and in-person interviews with some participants

Conclusion• Can corporate e-learning

replace one-on-one face-to-face training?

• Gaps in the literature/opposing data from various past studies

• An online survey and interviews will be conducted

• Patterns emerging from this qualitative phenomenological study may help to answer this question

ReferencesBaudoin, E. (2010). Exploring diversity of learning outcomes in e-learning courses: results of a qualitative study in a French multinational company. International Journal Of Training & Development, 14(3), 223-238. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2419.2010.00354.x.

Chamberlain, S., & Taylor, R. (2011). Online or Face-to-Face? An Experimental Study of Examiner Training. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 42(4), 665-675.

Cornelius, S., Gordon, C., & Ackland, A. (2011). Towards flexible learning for adult learners in professional contexts: an activity-focused course design. Interactive Learning Environments, 19(4), 381-393.

Dongsong, Z., Zhao, J., Lina, Z., & Nunamaker, J. F. (2004). CAN E-LEARNING REPLACE CLASSROOM LEARNING?. Communications Of The ACM, 47(5), 75-79. doi:10.1145/986213.986216

Miller, L. (2013). ASTD's 2013 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT: workplace learning. T+D, 67(11), 40- 45.

Olafsen, R., & Cetindamar, D. (2005). E-learning in a competitive firm setting. Innovations In Education & Teaching International, 42(4), 325-335. doi:10.1080/14703290500062581

ReferencesPang, K. (2009). Video-Driven Multimedia, Web-Based Training in the Corporate Sector: Pedagogical Equivalence and Component Effectiveness. International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 10(3), 1-14.

Petty, G. C., Lim, D. H., & Zulauf, J. (2007). Training Transfer between CD-ROM Based Instruction and Traditional Classroom Instruction. Journal Of Technology Studies, 33(1), 48-56.

Strother, J. (2002). An Assessment of the Effectiveness of e-learning in Corporate Training Programs. The International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 3(1). Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/83/161

Thompson, L., Jeffries, M., & Topping, K. (2010). E-Mentoring for E-Learning Development. Innovations In Education And Teaching International, 47(3), 305-315.

Wang, M., Ran, W., Liao, J., & Yang, S. J. H. (2010). A Performance-Oriented Approach to E Learning in the Workplace. Educational Technology & Society, 13 (4), 167–179.

Witthaus, G. (2009). The Implications of SCORM Conformance for Workplace e-Learning. Electronic Journal Of E-Learning, 7(2), 183-190.

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