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What You Absolutely Need to Know About e-Learning

By Jason Weseman, September 6, 2006

Congratulations! You made it this far without being scared off by the title of this article! You were able to get past your initial feelings of 1) "What am I going to do without my weekly dose of fabulous hiring tips?"; 2) "e-Learning? What does that have to do with my role as a recruiter?" and 3) "Why does Lou keep letting Jason write articles?" and are now ready to learn more about one of the most important aspects of training and development today.

Whether you call it Online Learning, e-Learning, Computer-Based Training (CBT) or something else, training through electronic media is here to stay. e-Learning can take many shapes, and you most likely are using it today in some form. This can range from a simple computer-based HR compliance course that you are required to take on a yearly basis to the many colleges and universities that are now offering entire Masters and PhD programs composed solely of online courses. Looking up the page a bit, you see an ad for our online course, Recruiter Boot Camp Online (I'll discuss this as we go along). I want to start with the basics of e-Learning, then discuss some of the advantages that it offers, and end with a few assumptions that can kill your e-learning success. A thorough examination of each of these points is way beyond the scope of this introductory article, and I'm sure you just want the Cliff Notes anyway, so let's get to it.

e-Learning 101

The best definition I ever read was this: e-Learning is any form of learning that utilizes a network for delivery, interaction, or facilitation. That's quite a mouthful, but it basically states that e-Learning refers to any learning that occurs as the result of information obtained via an electronic means. The network could be the Internet, your company Intranet or a college LAN, among many others. The learning can take place individually or as part of a class or group session. Finally, the learning opportunity can be synchronous (all at the same time) or asynchronous (not happening at the same time). An interactive class with a live instructor, utilizing the latest technology and incorporating active, real-time participant discussions (just like our Recruiter Boot Camp Online) is an example of a synchronous e-Learning. The Internet is an example of a great asynchronous learning resource: it's ready when you are!

The Advantages of e-Learning

There are many reasons why e-Learning is becoming the norm for training, even if participants are reluctant to jump on board right away (more on that in next section). Some of the big ones:

1. Flexibility: e-Learning can be utilized by employees at many dispersed locations at the same time or according to their own schedules. Many of our Recruiter Boot Camp participants are from the same company, taking the class at the same time and interacting with their colleagues, but are sitting at their own desks throughout the country, even around the world. I think the longest-distance participant so far was Australia a few months back.


2. Opportunity for repeated review and practice: Many e-Learning courses offer you the chance to go back and review sections that you may not be completely sure about or that you haven't looked at in awhile. They also allow you time to practice what you've learned and come back later with questions. Our Recruiter Boot Camp Online gives you a week between sessions to practice the material in a real world setting: your real world! For example, after Module 3 you can try out our 2-Question Performance-based Interview with a candidate, then ask Lou or Bryan questions and get feedback during the next session. We also tape all of our online sessions; this allows you to review a section in more detail on your own schedule.


3. Cost savings: No serious discussion of the advantages of e-Learning would be complete without looking at cost savings. IBM estimates that e-learning saves them $175 million a year in travel and other expenses associated with classroom instruction. Combined with pre-work and out-of-class assignments, our Recruiter Boot Camp Online really equates to two full days of training, with no travel and no other expenses. We'll even let you try out a session for free, just for asking.

When You Assume, You Make an.. Well, You Know

Becoming familiar with a few of the advantages that e-Learning offers may make you inclined to dive in head-first into this new and wonderful pool of knowledge. There are, however, a few potential bumps in the road that you should know about before you grab your Speedo. Your e-Learning experience will not be as successful as it could be if you assume that:

1. e-Learning requires much less of a time commitment than classroom training: You may end up spending more time on an e-Learning course than you would sitting in a classroom. This is especially true if you are new to e-Learning or can't find your way around the Internet. You might have to learn where to go to get more information, or how to use the latest learning technology. Of course, the more time you spend on a subject the more you learn, which is why the time you spend outside of Recruiter Boot Camp is as important as the time you spend in it. Practice makes perfect.


2. Because e-Learning offers such flexibility, I never have to schedule activities in advance: This is where the flexibility associated with e-Learning can be a double-edged sword. If you never carve out specific, heads-down learning time, you might as well forget the whole thing. You'll always have some urgent but not important fire (it's all about the 7 Habits) to put out that takes precedence. Recruiter Boot Camp Online offers a nice compromise: two hours of online training per week, four weeks total. You'll have to be disciplined enough to practice on your own time, but if it's worth it to you to be a better recruiter, you'll find the time.

So now you know what e-Learning is, why it's such a valuable addition to your learning toolkit, and what not to assume before you start any e-Learning initiative. For many people, the traditional classroom setting is the only way they can learn, and that's absolutely fine. We all learn differently. But for those of you who like the idea of being trained where you want, when you want, e-Learning might just be the ticket. Why not try out a free session of Recruiter Boot Camp Online and see if it works for you? You just might love it, and I promise that you'll be a better recruiter after two hours.