Don't leave your e-learners begging for support

E-learning is enabling business and industry to provide flexible, efficient and cost-effective workplace training which can be delivered anywhere and anytime, customised to suit organisational needs, and completed by learners at their own pace.

However, the success of workplace e-learning hinges on providing learners with appropriate and effective support, and one of the most common mistakes is not providing enough support.
Increasingly businesses are adopting supportive online learning environments that allow learners to interact and engage in an interesting and dynamic way.

The dairy industry
Bega Cheese, through the Industry Integration of E-learning funding and support received by the dairy industry, is one business which is getting the most out of e-learning by providing workplace learners with a combination of computer-based content delivery, and teacher/trainer facilitation.

Elluminate web conferencing technology was used in the delivery of the Diploma of Food Science and Technology (Dairy), enabling learners at Bega Cheese to ask questions, interact and engage with their teachers/trainers and with other learners in real time.

The web conferences were presented by Australian and international dairy industry experts who would otherwise have been unable to deliver the course due to distance and cost restrictions. A mentoring program was established to support industry professionals in using e-learning, and policies and guidelines were developed for dairy processing companies wanting to use e-learning tools and technologies.

The company saw immediate benefits including:

· no downtime or lost productivity due to staff having to attend off-site training
· operators became more confident and comfortable with manufacturing their product
· OH&S issues associated with external training were eliminated.

According to Steve McKinnon, Plant Manager at Bega Cheese, providing access to industry experts also helped to solve a real workplace problem.

“One of the web conferences which learners participated in was directly relevant to a product trial Bega was conducting at the time. As a result, our learners acquired knowledge which enabled them to overcome a production problem that would otherwise have aborted the trial.

“For Bega Cheese, e-learning represents a real bottom-line benefit and is something we hope to pursue further,” Mr McKinnon said.


The stainless steel industry

Employers of apprentices in the stainless steel fabrication industry are also implementing e-learning in the workplace. To do this they are using a mentoring program for workplace supervisors which was constructed by the Australian Stainless Steel Development Association and their registered training organisation partner, Skills Tech Australia, also part of the Industry Integration of E-learning funding and support.

As apprentices complete their curriculum online, and therefore spend less time on campus, it is vital that their online learning schedule, achieving competencies and motivation does not decline. The mentor program has been developed to ensure that workplace mentors, TAFE mentors and apprentices in training understand their own, and each others, roles, responsibilities and expectations.

The workplace mentoring program is:

designed to produce a stable model for training programs undertaken in the workplace by providing a supportive learning environment for the learner
about assisting mentors (supervisors, workplace trainers) to operate effectively in an e-learning environment
familiarising mentors with the training material, expectations on the learner, assessment requirements, assessment criteria, tracking and technologies used in e-learning
adaptable to suit a wide range of workplaces and training requirements
one method of providing training support in the workplace
evaluated throughout the pilot program.

Applying e-learning to your business

Businesses wanting more information about maximising the benefits of e-learning can access the Guidelines for supporting learners using e-learning in workplaces, from the national training system’s e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework).

The guidelines set out three working models to assist businesses with decision making involved with planning support for workplace e-learners:

· Model 1: Link support for workplace e-learning to business impact.
· Model 2: Assess the need to facilitate workplace e-learning.
· Model 3: Select strategies to support workplace e-learners.

The guidelines also include handy checklists to help businesses get ready to implement e-learning effectively, and to determine the best learner support model for the organisation.

To find out more about industry use of e-learning register to attend the Industry E-learning Showcase and Exhibition on Tuesday 24 November in Melbourne.

Registration details are available on the E-learning for Industry website at:
http://industry.flexiblelearning.net.au

For more information on how business and industry are embedding e-learning in workforce development, and to access the guidelines, visit the E-learning for Industry website at:

http://industry.flexiblelearning.net.au