Mar. 8, 2009 (The Hindu Business Line) --

Archana Venkat

The days are not far, as many companies have started blending formal and informal sources of learning onto one platform and making it available for employees. This paradigm is called e-learning 2.0.

Professionals want to learn tips, tricks, and techniques from successful peers in their community. They don’t really want to listen to scripted “talent”, or to professional trainers, says a blog by Thomas Kelly, co-author of The Business Case for E-Learning and advisor for many small and medium-sized companies focusing on learning organisations, systems and strategies. Jay Cross’ book Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance, says 80 per cent of all learning at a work place happens informally, such as at the water cooler. Therefore it is important to blend formal learning with informal learning.

This means integrating social media/communities, such as wikis (derived from Wikipedia modelled search engines), discussion forums, podcasts, blogs and non-profit Web sites that give greater and, at times, more practical insights on a subject, with traditional classroom or e-learning based courses. Information, therefore, should be presented in brief, focused modules that are two to ten minutes long and not full courses, white papers or one-hour video segments.

For instance, one could host a 2-slide presentation on ‘short keys used in Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Excel’ along with the basic course material that defines all important functions and operations of the software. That way the user, depending on his need/availability of time, could choose which module to study. Unlike traditional learning, that is structured as “one-size-fits-all” modules, users now have a choice of what to learn first, how long to learn and when to learn a module.

According to Robin Lloyd, Vice-President and General Manager, Global Content Development, Lionbridge Technologies (NASDAQ:LIOX) , e-learning 2.0 addresses two key issues that earlier training systems lacked: The linkage between the educational event, and its application in a dynamic, real-world scenario and the failure to fully capture and incorporate the collective knowledge and experience of the learners themselves. E-learning 2.0 creates an environment where users can give feedback and engage in discussions with peers, thereby continuing to remember and extend their classroom learning much beyond the scope of an exam.

In Europe, for instance, e-learning 2.0 is directly linked to the imminent ‘pappy-boom’ where many senior employees will retire in the coming years, potentially without transferring their deep experience and know-how to a new generation of employees.