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Journal of Workplace Learning

Emerald Article: Effective implementation of online learning: a case study of the Queensland mining industry Diane Newton, Stewart Hase, Allan Ellis

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To cite this document: Diane Newton, Stewart Hase, Allan Ellis, (2002),"Effective implementation of online learning: a case study of the Queensland mining industry", Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 14 Iss: 4 pp. 156 - 165 Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13665620210427285 Downloaded on: 06-07-2012 References: This document contains references to 54 other documents Citations: This document has been cited by 4 other documents To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com This document has been downloaded 2001 times since 2005. *

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Effective implementation of online learning: a case study of the Queensland mining industry
Diane Newton Stewart Hase and Allan Ellis
The authors Diane Newton is a Research Associate and Allan Ellis an Associate Professor in the School of Social and Workplace Development, and Stewart Hase is an Associate Professor in the Graduate College of Management, all at Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia. Keywords Internet, Learning, Case studies, Mining, Australia Abstract This study identified the factors that are important in the effective implementation of online learning in the mining industry in Queensland, Australia. Two sources of data and a Grounded Theory approach were used to develop a theoretical model that would inform managers, trainers and educators considering online learning implementation. The first source of data was key stakeholders in the Queensland mining industry, which had yet to implement online learning in any systematic way. The second source was literature case studies of other industries that had reported experiences of implementing online learning that were compared with the field case study. Six major factors were identified from this analysis as important for effective online learning implementation: external influences; organizational culture; organizational structures; training environment; learners' needs and the online learning environment. Implications for further research and the implementation of online learning in other industries are also discussed. Electronic access The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/1366-5626.htm
Journal of Workplace Learning Volume 14 . Number 4 . 2002 . pp. 156165 # MCB UP Limited . ISSN 1366-5626 DOI 10.1108/13665620210427285

Background to the study


Rapid technological changes and the emergence of the global knowledge-based economy have encouraged national governments to develop policies encouraging investment in Internet technologies and infrastructure, for example, Scotland (The Scottish Office, 1999), Canada (Advisory Council on Science and Technology, 1999) and Australia (Beazley, 2001). Upgrading the skill shortages in the workforce, particularly information technology skills, are promoted as the basis of this new economy. Owing to the need for a rapid uptake of these new skills, providing effective workplace learning has become essential for many companies to gain competitive advantage (Bassi et al., 1998). In the face of the Internet and its related technologies, retaining staff, remaining competitive and ensuring long-term profitability are seen as potential organizational benefits of the emerging knowledge-based economy. Implementation of flexibility in training and user control of learning, particularly through online delivery, have in turn created pressures for changes in the way people and organizations work (Eccles, 1998; Stephenson and Yorke, 1998; Bates, 2000). Accompanying these expectations, ``training'' is also being redefined, for example:
As we enter the next millennium . . . training as something provided for employees will be replaced by learning that employees initiate themselves. Training for the masses will be replaced by highly customized, just-for-me learning (Garger, 1999).

Despite the International Data Corporation's forecasts that online learning will become a $US14 billion industry by 2004 in the USA (Dobbs, 2000a) Dobbs provides a cautious warning about online learning implementation. The perceptions of the advantages of Internet technologies for training have motivated organizations to rush to go online ``regardless of whether they had a clear reason to do so'' . . . ``Nobody deemed to understand quite what was happening, but no one dared get left behind''. Dobbs describes the recent downfall of the dot-com companies due to the unrealistic expectations of profit as a warning about implementing online training without understanding the issues involved. The American Society for Training and Development also found that, although there

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were projections for growth in learning technology use globally over the following three years (2000-2003), these projections ``were more cautious'' than the previous year's projections. They conclude that:
These findings suggest that most firms around the world continued to believe that learning technologies will play an increasingly important role in the future, but have discovered the difficulty of making their contribution a reality (Van Buren and King, 2000).

delivery systems and highly productive employees; developing for future technologies; cost-effectiveness and portable skills (NMITAB, 1998).

There is no indication from this discussion of what the nature of this ``difficulty'' in implementation has been, although Griffiths (2000) offers the warning that the ``Internet is being overhyped but underestimated''. Thus, the widespread rhetoric of promises for more flexible access to training and the subsequent rapid adoption of these goals by governments, educational institutions and industries have not been accompanied by an understanding of the factors and processes that contribute to effective implementation of online learning (Bassi et al., 1998; Dobbs, 2000a; Downey, 2000; Gladieux, 2000; Hase and Ellis, 2001). Articles about online learning implementation in industries are mostly anecdotal accounts that are weak in theoretical content. Surveys across industry sectors including questions about online learning implementation factors have also been done, but these are often carried out by commercial training organizations for their customers with possible bias in the reporting of the findings. Other relevant reports have been done that are being sold over the Internet at a fee (e.g. Hall and LeCavalier, 2000), reflecting the perceived commercial value of understanding effective online learning implementation. As there is a paucity of research into how to effectively implement online learning, it was evident that there was little information that organizations could confidently base the introduction of this emerging approach to workplace learning. One example of the opportunities that online learning implementation can offer is the Australian mining industry. The National Mining Industry Training Advisory Board's (NMITAB) training priorities reflect the need for flexibility and change:
. . . a flexible and relevant industry-driven system; recognised credentials to optimise recruitment and selection; improved minesite skills through a more efficient training delivery system; relevant, industry driven, flexible, recognised credentials; more efficient training

The mining industry has additional challenges influencing online learning implementation. For example, ``Because of its geographical characteristics, mining should be one of the main target industries for development of new remote technologies for training delivery'' (National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 1998). This study aimed to identify those factors that are important for the effective implementation of online learning in the Queensland mining industry as a case study of an industry planning for online learning implementation. The factors that emerged as important for implementation in this industry that could be relevant to other industries considering this move are discussed.

Methodology
An inductive Grounded Theory methodology (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) was adopted for this study as it is a well-established inductive process for developing theoretical models with a high level of rigour. The methodology consisted of two stages: (1) The first stage was to interview key stakeholders in the Queensland mining industry to identify factors that would impact on the effective implementation of online learning. This was predominately a site planning for online learning implementation. (2) The second stage was to then compare these factors with those emerging from articles and surveys in the literature of online learning implementation in industries to verify and further develop the theoretical framework developed from stage one. These stage two articles and surveys were taken as an additional data set (or ``case'') in an attempt to confirm or disconfirm the factors emerging from the field study. The process was not to ``test'' the model from the mining industry in the classical sense of accepting or rejecting. This comparative approach was to add insights and understanding of the important factors emerging from the field case study (stage 1) and possibly also to extend or

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supplement others' work. That is, these factors were relevant to the Queensland mining industry and could possibly apply to online learning implementation in other industries and organizations. Interview data (stage 1) Mining personnel across a range of stakeholder groups were invited to participate in the study which adhered to the Southern Cross University ethics approval conditions. Initial interviews were used to identify other possible stakeholders on the basis of the data obtained with the guiding principle of seeking possible disconfirmation. Theoretical saturation was reached when no new concepts or categories were being obtained from the data, despite having sought out very different sources. Interviews were undertaken in person and by phone and comprehensive notes were taken by hand. The process was data-driven in that question probes were modified, becoming more focused on the concepts emerging from each interview. The interview data were coded into theoretical categories and concepts with associated memos as soon as possible after interviewing in the computer program NUD*IST (QSR International Pty Ltd, 2000). Thus, the process of data collection and analysis was ongoing and iterative. Thirty-two mining personnel were interviewed across two Queensland mining sectors (coal and metalliferous) including: mine workers, supervisory staff and managers, industry based trainers, private training providers, online material suppliers, technical and further education teachers, Industry Training Advisory Board staff and relevant government staff. Most of the sites surveyed have had limited past or current experience with multimedia CD-ROM use and one is using some Intranet training. Another Australian mining company site that had been using multimedia CD-ROMs extensively in Indonesia was also included for comparison. The interviews also included representatives from each of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) for the Queensland mining industry: . AQF1: not used in this industry. . AQF2: operators. . AQF3: senior operators. . AQF4: deputies. . AQF5: managers. . AQF6-8: senior managers.

Literature data (stage 2) The literature data was found from searches of online databases and the World Wide Web for articles describing the implementation of online learning in industry (see Table I). The aim was to find articles from a variety of industries that could possibly offer confirming or disconfirming evidence for the mining industry case study. Despite searching for refereed research papers, most of these articles were anecdotal accounts by managers or trainers from the organizations. Also, the articles found were biased towards those companies that were reporting the implementation of online learning in the public arena which were mostly from the communications industry. They were also mostly US companies that also suggested the major source of the push for online learning implementation. While acknowledging this industry and cultural bias which needs further exploration, these articles did provide data about the factors that were important for online learning implementation from the point of view of those ``who are doing it'' that could be compared with the Queensland mining industry model. The articles were approached using the same opening question as the field data, ``What are the factors that are important for effective online learning implementation?'' Again, data collection finished when, despite analysing a range of articles that were available, little extra insight was being added to the theoretical concepts and categories. This data was compared with the theoretical model from the mining industry. In effect these articles were taken as interviews and were therefore obtained, approached and the data treated consistently with the tenets of grounded theory.

Results
Six main factors emerged as important to the implementation of online learning in the Queensland mining industry. They were: . external influences; . organizational culture; . organizational structures; . training environment; . learners' needs; and . online learning environment.

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Table I Articles used as ``literature data'' (stage 2) Organization Austin City Council Cisco Dell Computer Corp. GTE Telephone Operations IBM Nordenia Oracle Corp Rockwell Collins UniGroup United Airlines Summarya Reference Industry/sector Country US US-international US-international US US-international US-international US-international US US US US-international

(Couret, 1999) Local government (Adams, 2001) Computer equipment manufacturer (Cone, 2000; Hartley, 2000) Computer equipment manufacturer (Rayl, 1998) Communications manufacturer and service Computer equipment and software manufacturer (Fister Gale, 2001) Packaging for consumer products manufacturer (Kiser, 2001) Computer software manufacturer (Fister, 2000; Communication and aviation electronics Lachnit, 2001) manufacturer (Hoekstra, 2001) Transport service (Kiser, 1999) Transport service (Dobbs, 2000b) Computer manufacturer, Health care products manufacturer, Finance, Training, Car manufacturer (Jurich, 2001) Finance, Wholesale, Computer manufacturer (Roberts, 2001) Defence, Health care service, Computer manufacturer (Wetzel, 2001) Training, Finance, Power supply (Zimmerman, 2001) Transport service, Training (Hall and LeCavalier, 2000) Transport, Computer equipment, Communications manufacturer, Petroleum refining, Defence, Finance (Training Online Not provided International, 2000) (Xebec McGraw-Hill, 2000) Education, Public Sector, Finance, Manufacturing, Retail, Transport (Lewis and Orton, 2000)

Summary Summary Summary Summary Provider-surveyb

France, Brazil, US US US, Canada US US, Canada, Netherlands, UK Australia UK

Provider-survey Provider-survey

Notes: aDiscusses factors in more than one company, bResults and discussion of multi-company surveys about online learning

Comparison of these main factors with those emerging from the analysis of the literature data confirmed their importance. Differences in the details within these factors added insight and depth to the theoretical concepts. While these factors are relevant to the Queensland mining industry, and could also be important in other industries, this relevance remains to be determined by further research. The results presented are firmly grounded in the data and factors emerging from the mining industry case study with confirmation from the literature analysis. Where there were differences in perspective within these factors provided from the literature data these added insights are provided. External influences The decision to change to online learning was more than an internal issue because its

implementation was influenced by factors outside the organization. One factor was the state of the economy: when robust it increases training needs whereas economic slowdown often means cutbacks, including training. These pressures for changes in the training system were a driver that encouraged the consideration of the opportunities and the adoption of online learning. Online learning implementation also related to training requirements for industry-wide competency standards compliance. Training needs and assessment increased with the need to be compliant. There was consideration of possible training efficiencies offered by online learning implementation, particularly for generic induction courses. However, there were also concerns expressed through the organizational culture that might emphasise competencies, for example, that may not be perceived as readily managed in an online

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environment. As one manager in the mining industry quipped, ``How can you learn to drive a dozer online?'' Although there was a general consensus that online learning can play a role in providing the underlying knowledge for practical skill competencies, there was still a need for practical experience and assessment in the workplace, ``They need the practical experience to know if they can do it, even if they do learn it online'' (Mining industry trainer). Alternatively, the ``soft skills'' of management and supervision were seen as a potentially useful application for online learning. These are seen as requiring more knowledge based (cognitive) skills that could be learnt online, although some workplace learning and assessment would still be required. Despite these concerns it was also thought that providing learning online from a centralized server could standardize procedures and practices improving competency standards compliance by maintaining quality and reducing the communication of unsafe or inconsistent procedures. This concept was particularly important for mobile staff, shift workers or staff across a large number of sites. Organizational culture There was evidence that different priorities expressed by staff in an organization need to be aligned for effective online learning implementation. As there was confirmation that the key issue for management was the ``bottom line'', online learning implementation would be measured by its cost effectiveness, increased return on investment and whether it met training requirements. Reflecting the larger problem of evaluating the costs and returns of training in general, planning for and measuring returns on online learning investment was an issue. Managements' valuations of the real costs of current training methods were questioned by mining employees, in particular, the ``hidden costs'' of reducing training, taking experienced workers off the job to do workplace training and assessments and flying staff to main centres for training. Also, support from management was confirmed as an important factor for implementation both as decision makers and potential learners. Awareness amongst

managers of online learning benefits and costs and an interest in its implementation were important. The literature data confirmed that involving managers in a pilot study of online learning that was evaluated against organizational goals promoted faster and more informed implementation. There was a process evident in the literature where management had strategically aligned online learning with a corporate goal or problem. For example, a requirement for increased flexibility in training times that could be provided by online just-in-time training. It was evident in the mining industry that this process could be affected by the willingness and flexibility of the organization to identify and respond to changes in training needs by changing the training system. The organization's training culture also influenced the implementation of online learning in terms of how learning in general is viewed and valued in the company. Viewing training as a legislative requirement in the mining industry was seen to conflict with other values in terms of providing ``good'' training in terms of learners' needs or ``lifelong learning'' goals. This was not an issue in the literature, possibly reflecting the predominantly managers' viewpoint expressed in most of these articles. However, there were indications in the literature that this divergence of values was important for learner motivation. For example, the introduction of just-in-time training was perceived as enabling workers' control over training, but organizational incentives (or lack of them) for accessing online learning influenced workers' participation. The importance of transferring organizational values to new employees through online course content and design was important in the literature data. This contrasted with the mining industry workers who indicated that they did not like corporate policy information on screen (e.g. in induction videos) and wanted quick access to relevant information. This suggests that learner motivation within the context of corporate priorities needs to be balanced. Organizational structures Strategic planning that incorporated online learning as part of the training plan rather than as an addition was important. Previous implementation of CD-ROM based training

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programs in the mining industry was usually dependent on the motivation of an individual, and most were discontinued when this ``driver'' left or the content became out-ofdate and management considered it too expensive to update. In the literature, the need to plan for implementation was confirmed, with many companies forming groups to plan, develop and monitor implementation, particularly to monitor costs, for example the upgrading of computers. By identifying the people who were drivers for implementation within the organization and including them in planning groups, implementation was more likely to be effective. As a main requirement for online learning, particularly for just-in-time learning, access to computers at work was important. Physical work conditions created problems for accessing computers and the Internet for some of these industries, for example, underground workers in the mining industry, mobile workers in the transport industry and office workers who found that being disrupted while they are learning at their desks was an issue. Organizational priorities to provide access to technology at workplaces in less than ideal situations (e.g. provision of computers in offices underground or laptops to mobile workers) were important. It was also evident in the mining industry that there were wide discrepancies in the policies for the provision and upgrading of computers and for staff to access the Internet even within the same company site. Thus, organizational policies relating to the technical infrastructure supply and costs of development need to be understood before implementation. Also policies relating to workers' access to self-directed online learning in relation to production needs have to be considered. The mining industry did not discuss possible technical problems (except physical access issues) that reflected the evidence in the literature, indicating that problems with slow Internet connections and other technical problems often became evident after online learning was implemented. Being aware of these limitations at the planning stage also enabled the planning and design of appropriate online courses or the planning for ``blended'' learning, combining different learning modes or mediums (Rayl, 1998).

Training environment Reducing costs and providing relevant content that could be quickly updated were particularly important. It was recognized that there was a need to develop good relationships with online learning providers. Organizations in the literature found it useful to form partnerships with educational providers with a track record in online learning to develop or deliver training. At the same time involving company trainers was considered essential given that they understand the learners' needs and the organizational culture. Moving trainers' skills towards the development of Web skills to develop customised content and to deliver relevant online learning was also important. Trainers in the mining industry were motivated to learn these Web skills but required support for time to develop their skills. Related to the change towards more independent learning was the recognition of the change in the role of trainers from ``hands on'' training to facilitator or moderator. The trainers in the mining industry indicated a need for some supervision or incentive for the learners' participation in online learning but they needed information on how to undertake this role effectively. The relationship between trainers as drivers and implementers and the organization's power structure that influences their contribution to the decision making process was important. Providing a ``safe'' or supportive learning environment was confirmed as important. In the mining industry this was defined in terms of the ``high cost of failure'' for people and equipment while learning. This was supported from the literature where learners could practise and make mistakes in a pre-test situation and obtain feedback online before they go into the field, ``training with the trainer wheels on'' (Rayl, 1998). The organizational culture in the mining industry also influenced workers' willingness to admit that ``they don't know'' in front of their workmates. It was thought that by providing a ``safe'' environment to learn and be formatively assessed ``in private'' could encourage them to become more independent learners. This was also confirmed as important in the literature. For example, supervisors tracking learners' progress within courses (e.g. How many mistakes were made in attempting formative quizzes) placed

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undue pressures on learners. Thus, trainers need to consider the provision of a safe learning environment in terms of learner motivation and the cost of failure while learning when planning for online learning implementation. Learners' needs An adequate level of computer literacy was an important attribute for workers to at least be sufficiently confident to attempt the online courses. Computer literacy varied within the mining industry depending largely on workers' job skills requirements or other experiences with computers and the Internet at home. Wider work efficiency issues were also related to computer literacy in the mining industry, particularly for workers accessing online organizational information and administration systems. Compared with the literature data this suggested that computer literacy skills cannot be assumed to be uniform within organizations and there is a need for awareness of equity of access issues to online learning for some staff. There was support for using computer systems and programs that workers are already familiar with and to develop simple, relevant design to encourage confidence in developing and accessing online learning. Online learning, then, needs to be considered in terms of existing computer systems to make the transition easier for learners. The reported low reading literacy levels in the mining industry could have an important impact on the design of learning materials. This issue was not mentioned in the literature data which could again indicate assumptions being made about the learners. The importance of this factor in the mining industry suggests that reading literacy levels need to be considered for planning the design of the online courses and the level of text and visuals used to allow equality of access to online learning. In the mining industry there were also concerns that workers at the lower levels may not have the motivation to learn unsupervised online. Explicit motivations to learn were confirmed as important in the literature at all levels to overcome this reluctance, for example: promotions, pay advancements, structured individualized training plans or directions and reminders from supervisors for just-in-time learning. Providing structured times to do online learning or access to a

supervisor as a mentor if required was also utilized. Thus, the organizational culture with respect to the importance of training was relevant. Online learning environment The importance of the strategic business case for management in terms of convenience and efficiency rather than the advantages of the learning environment was more evident in the literature. In the mining industry, concern about encouraging learner awareness and motivation to participate in online learning was more evident. These concerns were important ad hoc issues in the literature, demonstrated by the lack of learner awareness of the provision of online courses (``build it and they will come'') and the lack of learner motivation and drop-out rates after implementation (Wetzel, 2001; Zimmerman, 2001). Understanding learning preferences that can assist with implementing appropriate instructional design was confirmed as important. However, doubts were raised in the literature about learners' awareness or understanding of available options (Lewis and Orton, 2000). They found that when workers were asked their preferred learning mode before online learning implementation, ``classroom based learning'' was selected based on their previous experience of learning. However, the mining industry interviews revealed that, given the opportunity, workers were able to apply their experiences to inform their proposals for an online learning environment. For example, they were able to relate previous experiences of CD-ROM multimedia training to the need for interaction, the use of visuals and editing capabilities within an online learning environment. Their experiences of hands-on training also encouraged them to consider the advantages of using online learning as a complementary pre-test learning environment. Online learning was also seen to challenge classroom-based delivery experiences by offering more self-paced learning alternatives and providing a richer interactive learning environment than learning from text. A supervisor in the mining industry was keen to explore the learning opportunities, ``Online learning encourages you to think of other ways to learn skills. It encourages you to think of other ways to

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deliver learning. It offers challenges that can improve learning''. Thus, involving trainers and workers in the planning of the online learning environment is important. It was interesting that the perceived needs of an effective learning environment in the mining industry were confirmed in the literature by those who ``are doing it''. Online training programs need to be easy to access and navigate, with minimal potential for user frustration: it needs to work. Validity, relevance, ease of editing and updating, use of visuals and minimal text and the potential for interaction both with the content and with peers or facilitator were all seen as important attributes of online training packages. In particular, providing a structured, relevant course structure that workers could easily navigate was important, for example using competency standards to structure the framework of a course. It was also important to provide the opportunity for self-paced learning, where learners can select the content on a needs basis; more experienced workers could select relevant content, less experienced could use a more structured step-step approach.

Discussion and conclusions


This study identified a number of factors that were important for implementing online learning in the Queensland mining industry. These factors also provide a useful framework that can be tested in further investigations of effective online learning implementation in other workplaces in different industries and cultures. There were individual differences within and between organizations and there are areas of convergence and divergence of expectations about the opportunities and barriers involved in online learning implementation. The study revealed that implementing online learning is not a simple process of introducing an online package; it involves an understanding of external influences, existing corporate goals, organizational culture and structures, training goals and practices, learners' needs, different learning opportunities and the support processes required. Although the main factors for implementation could be generalized, there were indications that the process of implementation depends on the specific

idiosyncrasies of each organization within these main factors. It needs to be purpose built rather than formula driven, and responsive to needs. Most importantly it indicated the complexity of views and issues that relate to online learning by researching the views of a wide variety of stakeholders. It is evident that there is a need to consider the views of a range of stakeholders' priorities for effective online learning. The process used in this study of interviewing stakeholders, including the potential learners, to determine the factors that are important for effective implementation across the organization, was not evident in the literature cited. It would also be useful to further explore these findings in a wider context of organizational behaviour and training. For example: . These findings supported the concept that organizational culture, how training is perceived, can be a major force in changing well-established training approaches, including the implementation of online learning (Rosenberg, 2001). . Online learning was viewed as a change process for organizations. It is well known throughout most of the literature on organizational behaviour that any change process needs to be carefully and strategically planned (Cobb et al., 1998; Semler, 1997). . The implementation process needs to involve all stakeholder groups to develop a relevant online learning strategy and ensure alignment of needs prior to implementation (Semler, 1997; Hase and Ellis, 2001). . A major change issue is the shift away from classroom instruction towards workplace learning, which is more likely to have individual and corporate benefits (Hase and Davis, 1999). Given the different assessment requirements of industry it may be important to design a training environment that can integrate online learning with workplace learning. . Peoples' learning styles are different (Kolb, 1984) and awareness of this is important in online learning processes. In particular, the need for self-directed learning with experience of being only passive learners in traditional formal learning environments needs

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investigation in the workplace (Smith, 2000). Without learning support and the provision of relevant content and learning activities, learners dropped out. Effective support for online learning in workplaces needs establishing (Downey, 2000; Gladieux, 2000; Newton and Ledgerwood, 2001; Singh, 2001) The trend of simply transforming workbooks into online courseware is ineffective. The effective use of the inherent interactive advantages of online learning needs to be investigated in workplaces (Sparrow et al., 2000; O'Reilly and Newton, 2001).

important to ask: Do organizations and workers need to be prepared for online learning (Smith, 2000), or can effective online learning be implemented that encourages new learning contexts for organizations?

References
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In order to understand better the process of implementation it could be useful to view online learning as an ``innovation'' and compare this process with the proposals of Rogers (1995). He argues that ``the diffusion of innovations is a social process, as well as a technical matter'' (Rogers, 1995, p. 4) depending on communication channels, perceptions of uncertainty about the alternatives and the information available to make a decision. In particular it is apparent from this study that the introduction of a major innovation such as this needs to be strategic. There also needs to be an openness to change by both individuals and the organization. The process of recognizing expectations and encouraging communication with stakeholders during the planning and implementation stages seems crucial if online learning is to become established as part of an organization's overall learning strategy. Many of the barriers described for implementing online were part of a larger problem described in terms of whether or not the organization values learning or its being flexible enough to include online learning in corporate planning or training strategies. Others (Argyris and Schon, 1996) have pointed out the importance of, and the difficulties associated with developing a learning culture. Thus, there is a broader practical and theoretical issue raised by this study that warrants further investigation. This is the need to examine the possible role of online learning implementation in changing industry's goals towards a ``learning culture'', as discussed by Rosenberg (2001). It seems

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