Agile e-learning approach outlined at Showcase event
Nicola Foster, a business development manager at award-winning consultancy Information Transfer, presented the firm's ideas on how to deftly employ e-learning within an organisation at the recent E-learning Network Supplier Showcase in London.
She outlined the concept of "agile e-learning," a term Information Transfer coined to describe the appropriate use of e-learning software, professional expertise and subject matter expert input into the course development process.
Nicola described how Information Transfer uses the agility model in its content creation projects to award-winning effect, and explained how other organisations can consider building their own strength, balance, speed, co-ordination and responsiveness.
"Agile e-learning is about adopting a project 'posture' which allows you to respond to each unique situation," Nicola said, "Think of an athlete on his toes, ready to respond quickly, adroitly and with well-placed power."
Agile e-learning is about employing professional e-learning specialist help when necessary, making it easy for subject matter experts to contribute and review content, balancing e-learning content with other types of training, and using the right e-learning creation tools for each job, she explained.
She also contrasted agile e-learning with "rapid e-learning," a popular term used to describe e-learning created by internal subject matter experts using easy-to-use authoring tools.
"Rapid e-learning has become very popular for its speed and 'access-for-all' approach," said Nicola. "We wanted to address the fact that the speed of production is only one element in what makes successful e-learning."
"Organisations should consider applying more of the agile attributes themselves or ensure they partner with an agile content supplier to get the most out of the training they are producing."
July 2008
