Self Direct your Learning with a solid Support Team

Self Directed Learning (SDL) is a type of studying where a student is in charge of their own development, creating a faster pace of learning and an increased retention rate.

SDL is being increasingly implemented by many large corporates as a way of structuring the approximately 80% of our essential industry related skills we learn on the job.

Learners take studying into their own hands and work at their own pace, within their own individual study style. The major benefit to this type of learning is that we all like to feel in charge of our own future and Self Directed Learning gives us the option to study what we deem appropriate for our current positions and to benefit future endeavours.

SDL is not only up to the individual though, there needs to be support from the particular areas within a company; students need to be given constant encouragement and have access to the appropriate resources to complete their required training.

Self Directed Learning, therefore, requires companies to make learning tools readily available and this is where eLearning comes in. The accessibility and flexibility that eLearning allows, can benefit not only the learner, but also the company, as they can provide resources online, such as: online courses, podcasts, blogs, and forum support for staff. Staying aware of all current technologies seems to be the only pre-requisite for the company.

An article in the Winter 2007 edition of Learning Magazine speaks of the benefits of Self Directed Learning and outlines steps of how to encourage SDL in the workplace, which I have simplified below:

- Align a learners goals with the goals of the company
- Help access current performance and set future expectations
- Distinguish, with the learner, their learning style and learning personality
- Help identify a starting point
- Encourage responsibility for their own learning
- Manage and/or coach, do not direct
- Teach the skills of enquiry, decision-making, and evaluation
- Promote learning groups and support networks
- Allow self-reflection time
- Provide training about how to use SDL in the workplace

Basically, a successful implementation of Self Directed Learning will consist of providing a support network for all employees to be able to request help if needed, but still have the capacity to evolve their own learning.

Take a Gamble with E-Learning!

E-learning is an ever-growing form of training and is now used in many sectors. It appears that there is no end to its uses and is applicable to a plethora of jobs. The University of Mansfield has now introduced a Casino Gaming program which is aimed at giving their students the opportunity to learn the skills needed to work in a casino.

It uses interactive multimedia and video e-mails to instruct and guide the students and is supported by the World Poker star Johnny Chan. It teaches everything from methods to mannerisms of professional players. There are several courses including how to become a Poker or Blackjack dealer, and also covers the basics such as shuffling.

This is a fine example of how e-learning has the ability to reach out into fields that would normally be virtually impossible to get into for the average person. If this is a success it could pave the way for others and make ‘fantasy jobs’ become a reality.

The Tides are Changing

As part of my research into a white paper I am writing, I decided to have a look around some of the most frequented e-Learning blogs available at the moment. I came across an interesting entry in Helge Scherlund's eLearning news blog regarding a free downloadable version of The eLearning Guild's Handbook of e-Learning Strategy.

Now I am not sure whether any of you will have the time to read the entire PDF so I have picked out some points of interest.

The idea of change management really resonated with me as it seems that change is one of the major reasons that e-Learning strategies are not taken up by companies. The eLearning Guild have summarised a successful implementation structure into the following three categories/phases:

1. Inform – Generate Awareness
Make sure to supply all the answers to common questions that will arise from your staff. Get your message across through the likes of Newsletters, Emails, Presentations, and Webcasts.

2. Involve – Generate Involvement
The best way to change existing behaviours towards learning is to make sure that all team members are involved – especially key players. To do this, The eLearning Guild suggests making their learning personal by displaying the benefits to the individual and offering them first-hand experience in the new learning methods.

3. Integrate – Generate Commitment
The new methods must be recognised as part of the organisation’s culture, by all members of the team.

The eLearning Guild describes change management as, “the combination of processes, activities, and approaches that manage the people of the organization through the transition from the old way of doing things to the new way, from the old way of training to e-Learning.”

To make sure that your new e-Learning strategy will remain a part of your business development, it is imperative that staff are offered support to understand the changes they face. People will change, as long as they see the benefits that the change will have to them personally. Make the strategy about the individual and the new beginning it will bring.

On The Ladder To Success

Last year Over 7,000 businesses joined the ‘Train to Gain’ programme. This was something designed to provide an impartial brokerage service to business’, which, help them identify the skills training required to help improve their staff’s abilities, and in turn, their company’s standards.

The hotel and restaurant sector expressed the highest interest with around 1,500 employers taking on the training. This was closely followed by the health and social work sector, with 1,100 employers signing up to the programme. Seeing the diversity of people on board this scheme highlights how Far E-learning has come and how it seems to have established itself as the most popular form of training within all types of companies.

There has been some outstanding feedback from companies involved and over 2,600 people have already completed a full Level two qualification which is the equivalent to five good G.C.S.Es. It has also exceeded its first year target by ten per cent with an eighty six per cent satisfaction rating. With results like this it’s impossible to ignore the fact that this type of training is here to stay and that it’s in everybody’s interest to take advantage of it to maximise their business’ potential.

One of the key benefits that has been noted by the Train to Gain program is the fact that employees feel at ease when communicating with the customers. Therefore, the courses are not simply academic qualifications, but training in personal skills. These work alongside each other to help workers feel more confident in their jobs. On the whole I can see a bright future for E-learning as it’s keeping people on the ladder to success.