e Learning

Prof. Susen Varghese

DEFINITION
The delivery of a learning, training or education program by electronic means. E-learning involves the use of a computer or electronic device (e.g. a mobile phone) in some way to provide training, educational or learning material. (Derek Stockley 2003)

CONCEPT
E-learning can involve a greater variety of equipment than online training or education, for as the name implies, "online" involves using the Internet or an Intranet. CD-ROM and DVD can be used to provide learning materials. Distance education provided the base for elearning's development. E-learning can be "on demand". It overcomes timing, attendance and travel difficulties.

TYPES OF ELEARNING

There are different ways to present eLearning. It can be simplified by identifying upfront the best way to present your material. Traditional eLearning - highly produced web courses Rapid eLearning - quickly produced web courses There are two types of Rapid eLearning
Asynchronous - student directed, self paced learning Synchronous - set time (Phone/Internet classroom sessions)

Online Education Delivery Methods

e-Learning comes in many variations and often a combination of the following: Purely online = no face-to-face meetings Blended Learning = combination of online and face-to-face Synchronous

Online Education Delivery Methods

Instructor-led group Self-study sessions Self-study with subject matter expert (SME) Web-based sessions Computer-based (CD-ROM) Video/audio tape Print (e-text , textbooks , e-zines ) Video (streaming video, video tape, satellite transmission, cable ) Audio ( streaming audio ,audio tape ) Review and Exams (electronic, interactive Paper)

COMMUNICATION MODES
Asynchronous Listservs Threaded discussions, weblogs Forums Synchronous chat Videoconferencing Teleconferencing

COMPUTER BASED TRAINING (CBT)

Computer-based courses are presented most often on CD-ROM, accessible any time for use at the desired pace of the user. Benefits of computer-based training: Users can approach the material in a way that best suits them, skipping familiar sections or spending additional time on the difficult ones. Courses are portable and accessible without need for a network. Generally high quality of graphics and presentation.

WEBWEB-BASED TRAINING (WBT)

Web-based courses permit your employees access at any time to the training they require. Employees log into an online training system with a user name and password to begin an interactive course. Costs are similar to computerbased training, but many web-based programs go further, permitting interaction with an instructor and an online community of fellow students. Benefits of web-based training: Just-in-time training Suits all learning styles Higher retention of information/skills Continuous updating of materials and access to further resources

BENEFITS OF e LEARNING

Convenience and Portability Low Cost and Wide Selection Flexibility Higher Retention Greater Collaboration Global Opportunities

CASE STUDY
A Case Study on Vertical Industry Training: Wipro Leverages Blend of E-learning and Customized Training to Enhance Domain Capabilities in Financial Services

The Company
Wipro Technologies (NYSE: WIT, www.wipro.com) is a leading global provider of consulting, IT Services, outsourced R&D, infrastructure outsourcing and business process services, delivering technology-driven business solutions that meet the strategic objectives of its clients. With over 25 years in the information technology business, Wipro is one of the pioneers in the remote delivery of services, and has constantly innovated to provide a comprehensive range of integrated services. Wipro has a dedicated business unit to cater to its financial services clients. With over 12,000 consultants, Wipros Finance Solutions practice is currently servicing more than 80 large clients across the globe in Banking and Financial Services, Securities and Capital Markets, and Insurance.

The Challenge
Wipro has thousands of associates working around the globe with its financial services clients. These consultants are a mix of experts on technology areas and business analysts who understand the industry domain. As the global financial services industry becomes more interconnected and complex, professionals working in or with financial institutions and technology providers need to acquire the depth of knowledge to understand the market sectors and keep up with the rapid pace of change. Wipro quickly realized that its people needed not only to speak the language of financial services but also to understand the deeper challenges its clients are facing in the marketplace. To train them, Wipro needed to identify the business drivers fueling technology-buying decisions in the financial industry, and to articulate and connect its own value proposition to the issues keeping C-level target clients awake at night. With such a large number of employees, disseminating the right information to the right people is no simple task. Wipro quickly found that it needed more than a one-size-fits-all training approach for its associates focused in the financial services space.

The Solution
Wipro turned to an innovative education program created by TowerGroup, the leading research and advisory services firm which focused on the financial services industry. Called Financial Services Industry Training, or FIT www.towergroup.com/FIT), the program offers organizations a blended approach to training leveraging a mix of online courses (elearning), in-person sessions, and ongoing access to resources to flexibly adapt to each organizations training preferences.

The Solution
Wipro chose FIT e-Learning as the preferred training vehicle because of the benefits the method offered. The FIT program was: Easy-to-implement. For participants, getting started was as simple as clicking a Web link to connect to the hosted course on the TowerGroup servers. Cost-effective to deliver. Direct access from the employees desktop meant little lost productivity and no travel expenses. Available 24/7. The courses could be taken at any time, anywhere a vital benefit for Wipro personnel on the road.

The Process
Wipro evaluated two of TowerGroups online courses. The online courses included a 101 course on the basics of banking and payments and a 201 course to review the top business drivers behind the technologybuying decisions made by major banks and other market players. Each course had progress checks after each section of course content to keep the learner engaged, and each ended with a larger test module. The goal of the online courses was to create a level set of knowledge among Wipro associates focused on selling in the financial services vertical.

The Process
As a result of the evaluation, Wipro purchased the Banking & Payments online courses to roll out to 80+ associates. The online courses were hosted on TowerGroups LMS (Learning Management System), which made it very easy for Wipro associates to access as well as cost effective for Wipro to administer. The online courses were rolled out as a primer to a series of webinars led by a TowerGroup instructor to dig deeper into the industry. The webinar sessions were interactive, providing Wipro associates the opportunity for meaningful dialogue with a TowerGroup research analyst rather than a generic trainer.

The Process
The use of a TowerGroup analyst as instructor for the live session was extremely important to Wipro, given the expertise of TowerGroup analysts, who have an average of 20 years of financialindustry experience in their particular areas of focus. The analysts from TowerGroup have held senior executive positions in the financial services institutions that are Wipros prime targets and therefore understand the mindset and needs of the line-of-business executives who ultimately make the kinds of purchase decisions that impact Wipro. Wipro associates were impressed with the industry content delivered by TowerGroup FIT in the online courses and instructor-led sessions.

Lessons Learnt
Among the lessons learnt from the roll-out of the program, Wipro identified the most critical for its success as: Support from top management following proof of Impact and Results Effective collaboration between Internal and External resources Pilot evaluation with set deadlines and welldefined next steps

Result
Wipros investment in financial services vertical training is paid off. Its associates gained a much deeper understanding of the financial services industry. Not only can they now speak the language of the financial services industry, but also they can now connect the dots between industry Pain Points, Key Business Drivers, and IT spending patterns in the various sectors of the financial services industry. This financial industryspecific knowledge has allowed Wipro associates to further engage with key decision-makers within their targeted accounts and, as a result, shorten the sales cycle. This advantage has helped Wipro to strengthen its position as a strategic partner with strong consultative capabilities. ***********