For observers who aren’t familiar with the history of distance education, eLearning may seem like a modern phenomenon entirely unconnected to anything that has gone before. In fact, it is just a recent chapter in an ongoing saga. Let me trace a progression of events....

In the rush to adopt distance learning technologies, the importance of good instructional design is all too often overlooked. These three word equations help to keep things in perspective. Proponents and detractors of Web-based instruction often fail to understand the...

What does it cost and how long will it take to produce? These are questions asked by every buyer of eLearning development services. If the buyer’s requirements have been well thought out before asking, a time and cost response is likely to be quick and accurate....

Churn – the departure of experienced workers and their replacement by less knowledgeable newcomers – is a fact of organizational life. This poses a special challenge for workplace learning, namely the retention and transfer of essential job-related knowledge....

A self-paced eLearning feature that is experiencing a resurgence these days in the on-screen host or mentor. Why, you ask? Here are 5 good reasons: Mentors are familiar: they fit our expectations from school days about how instruction is conducted. Mentors aid...

In a related posting, I made the argument for making judicious use of on-screen hosts / mentors in eLearning programs. There are a number of compelling reasons for doing so, but there are also some downsides – particularly if content changes are likely to require...

Since I first learned about Quick Response (QR) codes several years ago, I've found or read about them cropping up in all sorts of places. To read them, you need a mobile device (e.g. Smartphone, iPod, tablet) equipped with a camera and QR Code-reading software, which...

Learning program managers often rely exclusively on learner surveys to gather data about the program’s success. Is this a good strategy? The answer is clearly NO. While learners are important stakeholders, there are several others including program managers, the...

Learning vs. Doing: An Approach in Need of Change Traditionally, workplace learning and doing have taken place at different times and at different locations. Classroom-based orientation training was provided soon after an employee’s hire, and then at infrequent...