Presentation Transcript

1. To e or not to eSuccess Factors fore-Learning in IT training

   Dr. Peter Dern - SVP Corporate University - Software AG
2. E-Learning and IT: A good couple? In IT companies one would expect e-learning to be the natural way of learning. I will challenge this statement and illustrate that this is a somewhat simple thinking. I will discuss how barrierscan be overcome and giveexamples that worked. But before we start…
3. Where do I come from? Software AG at a glance Revenue over €1 bn. Global Leader forProcess & Integration Solutions 10,000 Enterprise & Public Sector Customers 5,400+ Employees Worldwide 2,900 Consultants 850 R&D Staff Software AG Foundation
4. Corporate University @ Software AG: Main Aspects Education strategy is embedded in corporate strategy and aligned with HR people agenda Education Strategy CU offers education consulting services to help all LoB’s with their knowledge transfer requirements Brand and Image Education Consulting CU’s content development services produce target group specific content in time, budget and quality Corporate University University Relations Content Development CU’s education delivery services ensure up-to-date, high quality knowledge transfer to all target groups Education Delivery University Relations ensure collaboration with universities to build strategic partnerships CU’s brand and image support the company culture and employee commitment
5. Interface to the learner Content contributors R&D Sales Engineers Management Product Mgmt. CU@SAG Cons. Services Global Support Sales Employee searching for training Product Mrkt. Marketing
6. Some Statistics of CU@SAG
7. E-Learning and IT: A good couple? In IT companies one would expect e-learning to be the natural way of learning. There are many obvious reasons… Why is that?
8. The obvious reasons… IT people are affine to e-learning by nature (used to communities, networks, etc.) IT people are lone fighters(learn best isolated at their preferred pace) Technical content fits much better to e-learning formats than e.g. soft skills IT-training is very information-like, not so much skills based
9. Are just… Misperceptions!
10. Content of IT-Training @SAG SAG develops and delivers IT solutions (software and services) to improve business processes. These require in-depth training. The training content is: Unique: Knowledge about new products is only @SAG. Complex: SAG provides leading edge technology, which is sophisticated from a learning perspective. Short-lived: Technology changes fast, content is outdated very quickly.
11. Target Groups of IT-Training @SAG Our various target groups have different requirements: Sales: Have to understand the business value of SAG pro-ducts and solutions Pre-Sales, Consulting: Have to know technical details (imple-mentation, configuration) Developers, Admins: Have to administer the SAG tools shipped with SAG products Users: Need to know how to work with the products User Cons. Admin … . Pre-Sales Sales Developer
12. The Learners Perspective Consumers of SAG IT training have specific requirements: They want to learn from real experts: Ask questions – real time, get answers – also real time They need to practice: training systems and case studies They want to benefit from other participants’ questions They have no time for home-work after an event They need quick & easy access to information Actuality of content beats prettiness of e-learning
13. Do not Confuse Information and Education A common mistake is that people confuse information and education. Information is on demand, used once and (often) forgotten again Knowledge and competencies are at hand without “external storage devices” Education should focus on building knowledge and competencies! Information should be made accessible as easy as possible (google-like) Information Unknown Knowledge Conscious Competence Unconscious
14. Factors Influencing the Learning Method Budget Location- and Time Restrictions Risks and Compliance Aspects Learning Method Cultural Background Technical Capabilities Amount and Type of Content Educational Level of Learners Age of Learners
15. IT Competencies: Ways to Success Speed: Do not waste time pimping content with costly e-learning production for fast evolving topics. Practice: Give IT experts the chance to practice on real systems. Experts: Provide (real time) experts support for answers to questions, tips & tricks, and best practice sharing. Content: Do not confuse information and education. Focus:Create relevant, digestible bits of knowledge. Train skills and competencies. Method: Use ILT if systems are complex or shaky and if attendees are experts. C O M P E Y C N T tech TV ILT E e VC self- paced sales- web e tutored
16. Best Practice: Tutored e-Learning The question: How to get best of both worlds (e and ILT)? The answer: Tutored e-learning with training systems! Provide self-study material in e-format (e.g. voice over ppt) Make material accessible via LMS Provide training system access with detailed exercise descriptions (virtual machines, on demand and on premise) Use wiki/forums for questionsand answers (alternative:e-mail/phone communicationwith instructors) E- Content In LMS @SAG Training Systems TutorSupport
17. Conclusions Other than may be expected, in IT companies e-learning is not by definition the natural way of learning. Whetheror not e-learning is the right approach for a topic depends on “half-life period” of content, complexity of subject, number, age, qualification and geographical distribution of learners, etc. Avoid costly conversions to e-learning wherever possible; “good enough” self-study material is often more efficient. IF ILT would be the optimal method but is not possible, tutored “e-learning” with training system access is a good option.
18. Any Questions?