Overcoming e-learning challenges

Greetings from my office at the ANU in Canberra, where I am taking part in an online forum with about 25 people around Australia on the topic "Explore the practical challenges in using e-learning". This is one of a weekly series run by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, a federal/state government initiative. This is run using the Elluminate product, over the web.

The good part of this is that people from the vocational education sector demonstrate how to use the technology and that they can use it, for the sessions. They use the facilitates of the technology, such as display of slides, conducting polls of participations, as part of the presentation. What I find annoying is when I am invited to a presentation on e-learning and find it is an old fashioned set of slides with now use of the technology. The Vocational people are showing they know what to do.

The session explored a "Preview: refreshed Practical guide to e-learning" this is available as web pages and down-loadable as PDF:

• SECTION 1 - E-LEARNING OVERVIEW
  • What is e-learning
  • Examples of e-learning in industry
  • Nationally recognised courses
  • E-learning motivators
  • Benefits of e-learning
  • Barriers to e-learning
  • Workforce Development Barriers
  • Types of e-learning
    • Self paced vs. live e-learning
    • Use of a facilitator
    • Blended learning
    • Delivery method
  • Learning systems
    • Choosing a learning system
  • Learning Objects / SCORM
  • Supporting e-learning
    • Skills needed by learners
    • Skills needed by facilitators
  • Costs of e-learning
    • Calculating the cost of e-learning
    • Low cost / free e-learning tools
    • Cost comparison e-learning vs. facilitator led
  • Who is using e-learning
  • How to get started
    • Talk to other people
    • How to find a partner
  • Is e-learning suitable
  • • What's the training problem, and will e-learning solve it?
    • Needs assessment matrix
    • Who are the learners?
    • Is my organisation ready
    • Will e-learning deliver benefits over facilitator-led training
    • When is e-learning most effective and most utilised
    • E-learning suitability checklist
    • Resources for learning more
  • 
    
• SECTION 2 - THE E-LEARNING PROJECT
  • Analyse
  • • Deciding on an e-learning strategy
    • Content and learning styles
    • Establishing and managing the team
    • Effective management
    • Identifying technical needs
    • Dealing with disability / accessibility
    • Funding e-learning
    • Preparing a business case
    • Identifying success factors
    • Other project stages
    • Project plan
    • Am I ready to start
  • Design
  • Develop
  • Implement
  • Evaluate (and maintain)
• SECTION 3 - TRENDS AND FURTHER INFO