Interview with Dr. Saul Carliner, Concordia University, Canada

OEB: As a consultant for workplace learning and communication, you give advice to many companies. What are some of the recurring questions your clients raise when they are planning to deploy an e-learning solution?

Saul Carliner: On the one hand, each organisation is different and its needs for and uses of e-learning differ. On the other hand, companies all seem to seek these things:

• Clarification: In many cases, they're confused, especially about enterprise-wide technology like learning management systems, learning content management systems, course management systems and content management systems, which have similar names and similar functions, but are actually quite different. Organisations seek clarifications on the differences among these as well as their capabilities, so they can choose the systems that best meet their needs appropriately.
• Validation: Most organisations that have started to implement e-learning have done so in a vacuum and, apart from the cutting-edge ideas they’ve read about in books and magazines and hear about at conferences, they have no idea how theirs compares.
• Inspiration: Many organisations that have an existing e-learning program are looking for new and creative ways to use it. Organisations are especially interested in making the interfaces for online learning more visually and emotionally engaging and interactive in a quest to provide learners with the most positive experience possible. One of the things that people comment on in workshops is that they appreciate the opportunity to experience new concepts.

In addition, organisations are looking for ways to better support their current online studies and use online tools to support informal learning, which is the subject of a workshop I will hold at Online Educa Berlin 2008.

OEB: What significant requirements should not be overlooked in order to implement e-learning successfully?

Saul Carliner: I could identify a number of technical things, but ultimately, learning is a people-oriented activity and the successful implementation of e-learning requires masterful handling of the people side. Although the information technology/information systems group might seem like a roadblock when they respond to proposals for media-rich learning with "have you thought about the impact on overall system performance?", their primary job is to support the learning group in effectively implementing an e-learning infrastructure as painlessly as possible. IT/IS has expertise in enterprise systems – take advantage of it.

I learned this lesson years ago when leading a strategic planning exercise for a client. We had an inclusive process, which included the Director of IT. My client wasn't 100 percent certain why the Director was there, but he nevertheless consented.

It turns out that some of the decisions about authoring tools we had been discussing earlier were unnecessary, as the IT department had chosen tools for the e-learning under its purview. The tools were industry standard, they were purchased at competitive rates and expertise existed in the company. Why not take advantage of it?

Similarly, we decided to use some commercial courses, which would run on a CD-jukebox at a central location. When we left the meeting, the plan was that Training would purchase the jukebox, a purchase estimated at $ US 20,000. But the Director of IT called my client a few days after the meeting to report that she had a jukebox sitting in a closet and asked if we wanted it for free. In other words, not only did we solve some problems; we also saved $ 20,000 by including the Director of IT.

Similarly, many e-learning efforts focus almost exclusively on the wants of the SMEs, which are often at odds with the needs of the learners. Bringing the parties into contact with one another often has a transformative effect.

OEB: What should CIOs do to upgrade their skills and to prevent costly failures when in the market for e-learning solutions?

Saul Carliner: Although CIOs might know the technology business, they might not know the e-learning technology business. Those that do might focus their energies on authoring tools, which are relatively simple to install and implement. They should focus training efforts, instead, on learning about the more costly and complex enterprise technologies – LMSs, LCMSs, Course Management Systems and Content Management Systems. How are they similar? How are they different? How do they overlap? Which one works when? And how inter-operable are these systems in fact? They should also work with their clients in the learning groups to make sure that the people involved are also appropriately educated in the technologies.

OEB: What about human resources managers?

Saul Carliner: They've got to learn the technology. Their business focus is on people, but information about those people – as well as their learning – is managed by enterprise systems. And with errors of a seven-digit magnitude likely if a bad decision is made about enterprise technology, HR managers cannot rely solely on IT specialists to make the decision for them; these managers need to know enough about the technology to determine whether the recommendations are appropriate ones.

Complicating the situation further is the rise of new HR systems, including HR Information Systems and Talent Management Systems, which link to the enterprise learning technology or provide the same capabilities. HR managers need to know how all of this works together. HR managers not only need to know this themselves; they should demand it of their staffs. Only if leaders support and encourage knowledge about the technology will the rest of the organisation follow suit.

Last, HR managers do not adequately familiarise themselves with the related capabilities of these systems. For example, many LMSs and talent management systems offer tools for career planning, but nearly no one I speak to is even aware of this, much less takes advantage of it. Not only does this seem like a waste, but these resources can provide valuable inspiration and guidance to workers if properly integrated into the learning process.

June 27, 2008

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