I once asked a large company training manager about the value of the programs he purchased. He said that nothing changed as the result of the training. The only value was in bringing people together from across the company. Why did nothing change?
The acquisition of a skill, such as learning to manage, using Excel, or playing the violin, requires much more than knowledge acquisition. If students are given 100 hours of eLearning to read on how to play the violin, they may be able to pass tests, but none of them would be successful violinists. If they were then to watch videos of people play the violin for 100 hours, little would change. If they were given a violin and a chance to practice, but had their ears plugged so they could not hear, none of them would be able to play the violin well. To acquire a skill, learners must (1) acquire the knowledge so they know what to do, (2) practice applying the knowledge, and (3) receive feedback. We can’t expect someone to learn Excel, if they hear a lecture and see others apply the concepts, but don’t get a chance to practice. Skills are difficult to master by reading eLearning materials alone.
Often, organizations want to provide training “on-the-cheap”. This allows them to check the box showing that employees have successfully completed the training, but this is mostly a waste. No wonder training is always the first thing cut. When developing e-learning materials, we must provide a chance for learners to practice applying the required skills and get feedback. Simulation is often used to provide this opportunity, but it is much more expensive. Our community needs to do everything possible to make sure practice applying the concepts is provided as part of eLearning.