02 Nov 2017
Training and development are crucial components that directly impact the success of an organization. Zhang and Nunamaker (2003) found that education and training has become a very large global business and e-learning is seen as an important method for meeting this global challenge. Marinetti and Dunn (2002) believed a substantial learning challenge deals with deep cultural values rather than more superficial signs or symbols.
Because of the potential impact of culture in the learning context, it is important to understand the meaning of the act of learning in a cross-cultural context. The degree of importance in understanding the act of learning and its specific meaning in a cross-cultural context has yet to be explored fully.
In China, the education system is formally structured with little room for flexibility. Typically, the syllabi and course materials are all offered under the supervision of the State Education Commission (Guo, 1996). It is also the department of education that instructs teachers as to how in-depth they should regard the subjects, the number of hours to spend on each topic, and how fast to proceed through the material.
Textbooks are considered the major source of teaching materials, to the extent that every subject has a textbook with exercises, diagrams, notes, and references. These textbooks are typically made up of facts with only a little analysis and are deemed acceptable both academically and politically (Guo, 1996).
Educational research has been dominated by what would be considered Western learning theories (Ngwainmbi, 2004). Of the recent learning theories, it is the objectivist view that best describes what has been recorded and observed in Eastern cultures.
The objectivist theory believes that knowledge resides with the instructor and students are passive recipients of this knowledge. This is reflected in a lecture style of teaching from an all-knowing instructor (Nilsen & Purao, 2005). The objectivist view consists of a structured environment that provides accurate information. It is sequential, direct, and rewards performance. This creates a learning environment that is cumulative, receptive, and involves practicing, performing, and giving accurate information on demand (Henderson, 1996).
The transfer of information from the teacher to the learner has been the learning tradition in China. In China, teachers are considered experts and specialists in certain subject areas, and learners see themselves as knowing little or nothing about a subject. As stated in the objectivist theory, the teachers present what they know to learners, and the learners should listen carefully to the teachers. It is clear that in China, the teacher’s responsibility is to deliver content, and the learner’s responsibility is to absorb it (Guo, 1996).
According to Selim (2007), the concept of e-learning systems, one of the tools emerged from IT, is around for more than decades and is one of the most significant developments in the IT industry. Recently e-learning systems have been used in teaching and learning in many universities that resulted in changes in education process in those institutions (Selim). The growth of Web applications has made e-learning systems as an important instructional medium in universities (Shih, 2008). According to Ngai et al. (2007), with the wide spread use of the WWW, many HEIs are taking the opportunity to develop e-learning courses. As a result, e-learning systems are becoming an increasingly important part of HEIs. Numerous HEIs are now resorting to e-learning systems as teaching and learning tools for enhancing authentic e-learning (Liaw, Huang, & Chen, 2007).
Referring IT as the engine that drives the e-learning systems revolution, Selim (2007) stated that use of e-learning systems in universities is a result of the advancement of IT. With this advancement, e-learning systems are rapidly becoming an integral part of the teaching and learning process in HEIs (Raaij & Schepers, 2006). According to Mahdizadeh, Biemans, and Mulder (2007), e-learning systems increasingly serve important infrastructural features that enable university instructors to provide students with different representations of knowledge and to enhance interaction between instructors and students and amongst students themselves. However, Ong, Lai, and Wang (2004) suggested that although there have been rapid advances in computer hardware and software capabilities, and e-learning systems break the limitations of time and space of education, the problem of underutilized e-learning systems still remains (Ong et al.).
Over the years the term e-learning systems has been used and interpreted in many different ways in the literature (Gwebu & Wang, 2007). According to Bostrom (2003), one of the problems in research on e-learning is the different definitions of what technology is included under the label of e-learning systems. To some people e-learning systems provides a virtual classroom, to others it gives simply an electronic course repository of materials. Emphasizing on definition of what is meant by e-learning systems, Bostrom stated that a clear identification of e-learning systems will provide a starting point for understanding e-learning.
According to Levy and Murphy (2002), the definition of e-learning can be specialized to both synchronous and asynchronous learning systems. Asynchronous e-learning system is the entire technological, organizational, and management systems that facilitates and delivers the asynchronous e-learning course. Although certain HEIs have begun to integrate both asynchronous and synchronous e-learning course, pure synchronous e-learning course are probably rare in practice (Levy & Murphy). According to Bostrom (2003), whatever the e-learning environment, e-learning systems include following types of technologies:
Distribution Technology
Provide information distribution and exchange allowing e-learning to take place. Although the primary medium of most e-learning is the Internet/Web, sometimes CDs or other distribution technology are used. The term "online" is frequently used in describing e-learning because of the focus on the use of internet.
Learning Management or Content/Course Management Software
Simulate the experience of a classroom while studying both on-campus and from distance.
Communication and Collaboration Software
Offers a rich, shared, virtual workspace in which instructor and students can interact with one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many in order to learning together anytime and anyplace. Examples are:
Asynchronous/online anywhere tools: e-mail, discussion database, streaming audio/video.
Synchronous/Online live (real time) tools: Instant messaging, Chat, Audio/Video conferencing.
Course Support Software
Offers a rich set of tools including electronic libraries and other instructional programs to support specific courses. For example, a software for statistics.
Figure 4. Types of technologies included in e-learning systems (Bostrom, 2003, p. 3161).
According to Selim (2007), e-learning can be viewed as the delivery of course content via electronic media, such as Internet, intranets, extranets, satellite broadcast, audio/video tape, interactive TV, and CD-ROM. Gwebu and Wang (2007) referred e-learning as two forms of contemporary learning – Web-based and computer-based learning. Web-based learning represents learning conducted via Internet or/and intranet or extranets or a combination of all three, while computer-based learning includes only learning that utilizes CD-ROM or other technology on a standalone PC. Liaw et al. (2007) viewed e-learning as synonymous with Web-based learning, Internet-based training, advanced distributed learning, Web-based instruction, online learning, and open/flexible learning. According to Liaw et al., e-learning is based on three fundamental criteria: (1) e-learning is networked, making it capable of instant updating, storage/retrieval, distribution, and sharing of instruction or information; (2) e-learning is delivered to the end user via a computer using a standard internet technology; and (3) e-learning focuses on the broadest view of learning that exceeds beyond the traditional paradigms of instruction.
Ong et al. (2004) defined e-learning as the instructional content or learning experience delivered or enabled by electronic technologies including the Internet, intranets, and extranets. According to Fuller, Vician, and Brown (2006), e-learning is essentially any form of education that is facilitated by the internet and its technologies. In e-learning the WWW support instruction and deliver course content. As a result, e-learning represents one form of IT mediated learning, which is defined as an environment in which the learner’s interaction with the learning materials, peers, and/or instructors is mediated through advanced IT (Fuller et al.).
The eLearning project commenced in 2001, when the Vice Chancellor’s Advisory Committee of the University of Canberra, Australia implemented online delivery for a set of full fee-paying priority masters programs in an effort to extend the student base, to develop new income streams and respond to market oriented pressures. The overarching institutional goal was to make the project work within the existing pedagogical framework and to deliver the outcomes on time and on budget. Five teams comprising 20 faculties were invited to move from teaching in a traditional face-to-face environment to a fully web-based team-delivered approach, co-operating with one central team of designers and other support personnel. A lead time of 12 months was allocated to prepare the project strategy, plan and resources.
According to Fuller et al. (2006), researchers have been examining the role of IT in instruction for over three decades. Gwebu and Wang (2007) suggested that with its increasing popularity and strategic importance, e-learning systems has received ample attention both from practitioners and scholars. Alavi and Leindner (2001) underscore the importance of individual characteristics in models of e-learning research. A number of individual characteristics have been identified as significant in acceptance and subsequent use of IT (Fuller et al.). Some researchers have been interested in the issues of acceptance of e-learning systems by instructors (Humbert, 2005). According to Selim (2007), as for all educational endeavors, instructors play a central role in the effectiveness and success of e-learning courses. Thus, understanding individual determinants in the acceptance of e-learning systems by instructors is important (Humbert).
The effectiveness of e-learning has been demonstrated primarily by studies of higher education, government, corporate, and military environments (11,19). However, these studies have limitations, especially because of the variability in their scientific design (19, 20). Often they have failed to define the content quality, technological characteristics, and type of specific e-learning intervention being analyzed. In addition, most have included several different instructional and delivery methodologies, which complicate the analysis (21). Most of these studies compared eLearning with traditional instructor-led approaches.
Yet three aspects of e-learning have been consistently explored: product utility, cost effectiveness, and learner satisfaction. Utility refers to the usefulness of the method of e-learning. Several studies outside of health care have revealed that most often e-learning is at least as good as, if not better than, traditional instructor-led methods such as lectures in contributing to demonstrated learning (5,11). Gibbons and Fairweather(11) cite several studies from the pre-Internet era, including two meta analyses that compared the utility of computer-based instruction to traditional teaching methods. The studies used a variety of designs in both training and academic environments, with inconsistent results for many outcomes. Yet learners’ knowledge, measured by pre-post test scores, was shown to improve. Moreover, learners using computer-based instruction learned more efficiently and demonstrated better retention. Recent reviews of the e learning (specifically Web-based learning) literature in diverse medical education contexts reveal similar findings (22).
Chumley-Jones and colleagues (22) reviewed 76 studies from the medical, nursing, and dental literature on the utility of Web-based learning. About one-third of the studies evaluated knowledge gains, most using multiple-choice written tests, although standardized patients were used in one study. In terms of learners’ achievements in knowledge, Web-based learning was equivalent to traditional methods. Of the two studies evaluating learning efficiency, only one demonstrated evidence for more efficient learning via Web-based instruction. A substantial body of evidence in the nonmedical literature has shown, on the basis of sophisticated cost analysis, that e-learning can result in significant cost savings, sometimes as much as 50%, compared with traditional instructor-led learning (11). Savings are related to reduced instructor training time, travel costs, and labor costs, reduced institutional infrastructure, and the possibility of expanding programs with new educational technologies (11). Only one study in the medical literature evaluated the cost-effectiveness of e-learning as compared with text-based learning. The authors found the printing and distribution of educational materials to be less costly than creating and disseminating e-learning content (22).
Resources Thanks to the growth of educational technologies and the Internet, the number of e-learning resources available to educators has dramatically increased. Within medical education, repositories or digital libraries have been established to manage access to e-learning materials.
Although few at this time, such repositories offer a vision of expanded access to a large number of high-quality, peer-reviewed, sharable e-learning materials (see Table 1). Examples include the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC’s) MedEdPortal, a repository for curriculum and assessment materials organized around core competencies in medical education and populated with up-to-date, peer reviewed teaching and assessment materials (23). The End of Life/Palliative Education Resource Center is a free access repository of digital content for health profession educators involved in palliative care education (24). The Health Education Assets Library (HEAL) provides high-quality digital materials for health sciences educators (25) and promotes the preservation and exchange of useful educational assets such as individual graphic, video, or audio elements, while respecting ownership and privacy. Creating e-learning material involves several components: once content is developed, it must be managed, delivered, and standardized. Content comprises all instructional material, which can range in complexity from discrete items to larger instructional modules. It is essential to be mentioned that the potential for collaborative learning to break the isolation of learners is realized in e-learning technologies. Advances in synchronous distance education and collaborative technologies like Weblogs, message boards, chats, e-mail, and teleconferencing are making such collaborative learning more readily available. A digital learning object is defined as any grouping of digital materials structured in a meaningful way and tied to an educational objective(13). Learning objects represent discrete, self-contained units of instructional material assembled and reassembled around specific learning objectives, which are used to build larger educational materials such as lessons, modules, or complete courses to meet the requirements of a specified curriculum(14). Examples include tutorials, case-based learning, hypermedia, simulations, and game based learning modules. Content creators use instructional design and pedagogical principles to produce learning objects and instructional materials. Content management includes all the administrative functions (e.g., storing, indexing, cataloging) needed to make e-learning content available to learners. Examples include portals, repositories, digital libraries, learning-management systems, search engines, and ePortfolios. A learning-management system, for example, is Internet-based software that facilitates the delivery and tracking of e-learning across an institution (15,16). A learning-management system can serve several functions beyond delivering elearning content. It can simplify and automate administrative and supervisory tasks, track learners’ achievement of competencies, and operate as a repository for instructional resources twenty-four hours a day (15,16). Learning-management systems familiar to medical educators are WebCT® or Blackboard®, but there are more than 200 commercially available systems, a number that is growing rapidly. Content delivery may be either synchronous or asynchronous (5). Synchronous delivery refers to real-time, instructor-led e learning, where all learners receive information simultaneously and communicate directly with other learners. Examples include teleconferencing (audio, video, or both), Internet chat forums, and instant messaging. With asynchronous delivery, the transmission and receipt of information do not occur simultaneously. The learners are responsible for pacing their own self instruction and learning. The instructor and learners communicate using e-mail or feedback technologies, but not in real time. A variety of methods can be used for asynchronous delivery, including email, online bulletin boards, listservs, newsgroups, and Weblogs. In addition to establishing, managing, and delivering content, a fourth component is part of the e-learning equation. It is becoming increasingly clear that standards are needed for the creation of new e-learning material (17). Such standards promote compatibility and usability of products across many computer systems, facilitating the widespread use of e-learning materials.
Many factors have led firms and corporations to take e-learning initiatives for training their workforces. Training is needed whenever a gap between one’s expertise and one’s work requirements is identified (Bagnasco et al., 2003). In this era, the economy is supposedly driven by human capital and knowledge as opposed to just physical capital as in the past (Sampson et al., 2002). Some authors argue that demands such as personalized training schemes suited to the individual’s needs, just-in- time training and a cost effective approach to training a globally dispersed workforce encourage the development of e-learning as an attractive alternative to traditional training (Sampson, 2001; Newton and Doonga, 2007). Urdan and Weggen (2000) strengthen the argument that businesses are transforming and since knowledge rapidly becomes obsolete, there is a strong need for a new learning platform that supports just-in-time training while being cost effective at the same time.
Furthermore, e- learning has also gained strategic importance due to the migration towards value chain integrations and extended enterprises (Mcrea, Gay and Bacon, 2000). Similarly, according to Werner (2003), a key success strategy is the need to develop an e-learning strategy that ties in with the overall business strategy. It becomes clear that e-learning could be a significant element of corporate strategy. In addition, Figgis et al. (2001) state that training and learning are more and more considered as creating competitive advantages for businesses. Cisco also claims that "the key to gaining a competitive advantage is the ability to rapidly disseminate information, education, and training". It seems logical that in order to survive, firms and organisations need to prepare to catch up with the dynamic changes and knowledge which must be constantly updated as Bagnasco et al. (2003) say that the challenge is to manage against fast obsolescence of technical skills and to let workers acquire expertise in new topics, just in time to face changes in working practices. This coincides with our purpose of exploring the role of e-learning in organizations.
E-learning seems to have many advantages over the traditional training methods as seen from many literatures. According to Newton and Doonga (2007), benefits of e-learning include:
- Higher retention of content by learners
- Cost savings
- Improved mobility (anywhere, anyone and anytime)
- Able to monitor progression
- Support many training methods
- Other.
However, many organizations are still hesitant of introducing e-learning because of failures in other organizations or due to their own misunderstandings (Bennink, 2004). The element of culture is one of the important determinants of e-learning implementation. Statistics shows that French companies still prefer traditional methods of training and the allocated expenses for e-learning is only 11 percent when compared to 60 percent for US companies (Jurich, 2001). It is even more difficult since multinational companies have a global presence. Culture is different across countries which in turn affects the learning preferences of workforces (Jurich, 2001).
In our research context, we would emphasize a Chinese organization which could be quite different from both the French and the American examples indicated above due to various reasons. She further analyses that not only learning preferences could be a major barrier but also the self-discipline of people is also of high importance. Usually, without control and encouragement, e-learning would not be effective. More details of e-learning assessment and evaluation are discussed later. Nonetheless, barriers to e-learning may also include factors like lack of management and stakeholder support, lack of infrastructure e.g. low bandwidth especially for those in more isolated areas, lack of computer skills, staff resistance, and copyright issues (Bennink, 2004). But, One of the major criticisms raised about e-learning is the issue of quality education. This is an issue that cannot be ignored in the design and delivery of e-learning programs by African universities. By quality assurance, we are referring to the need for a set of procedures and standards regarding the design, delivery, measurement, monitoring, evaluation, guaranteeing, maintenance, or enhancement of quality of education provided through e-learning (Rwamasirabo and Beebe, 2005).
Sampson et al. (2002) differentiate the users of e-learning into two groups: front-end users and back-end users. They explain that front end users include formal learners who access e-learning through formal settings such as colleges and universities, vocational learners and workers who are motivated in their career advancement and where e-learning is seen as a good option for them to access knowledge while giving high flexibility i.e. anytime, anywhere etc. Front-end users also include occasional learners who use e-learning on an ad hoc basis which may mean that they do not have clear goals and learning objectives. Last, life-long learners may also access e learning in non-formal settings such as their own homes.
Back-end users also exist. Sampson et al. (2002) further describe back-end users of e-learning as individuals or organizations interested in publishing e-learning materials and also providing its applications and services. They generally include authors and publishers who want to publish their work through e-learning applications in order for front end users to easily acquire them, e-learning platform providers who develop and provide applications for e-learning such as assessment or support systems, and e-learning service providers who use their own or third party platforms to provide broker services.
Front-end and back-end users have different requirements for their use of e-learning (Sampson et al., 2002). Generally, front-end users need efficient and rapid access to the materials and services according to their specific needs and preferences.
Back-end users need the tools that would help them to meet the front-end users’ needs and to allow them to reuse the materials in an efficient ways. Diagram 2-1 depicts Sampson’s concept of e-learning users.
E-learning may seem to be a better and preferred method but not all companies implementing it will succeed. Bennink (2004) claims that there is not just one right formula in developing and delivering e-learning effectively, instead, the attempt to serve the needs of both organizations and learners is the main success factor. He proposes companies to learn from others’ experiences as well as to form partnerships with those organizations which possess similar needs. Wade (2003) suggests that it might be an element of learning culture of each organization that determine the success or failure of e-learning. The use of eLearning increasing in all of the field of study for example, the use of e-learning into existing medical curricula should be the result of a well-devised plan that begins with a needs assessment and concludes with the decision to use e-learning(32). Although some institutions have tried to use e-learning as a stand-alone solution to updating or expanding their curricula, we believe it is best to begin with an integrated strategy that considers the benefits and burdens of blended learning before revising the curriculum. In undergraduate medical education, e-learning offers learners materials for self-instruction and collaborative learning. In graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has established six core competencies toward which e-learning can be applied. E-learning materials suited for each of these competencies can be integrated into the education of residents and fellows, replacing lectures and other synchronous methods of instruction. Asynchronous e-learning can be effectively used during demanding clinical care rotations, especially when duty hours are limited yet curriculum requirements remain high. In continuing medical education, physicians with daily clinical obligations can attend medical "e-conferences" using e-learning. The complexity and breadth of medical education content, together with the scarcity of experts and resources in e-learning, make the creation of centers of excellence in e-learning a reasonable proposition. The Federal Interagency Working Group on Information Technology Research and Development has recommended the establishment of centers to explore "new delivery modes for educating medical practitioners and providing continuing medical education"(33); e-learning clearly fits that description. Such centers could offer a wide range of services, including system deployment and administration, training of faculty and administrators, assistance in content development, the design of learning pathways and programs, marketing and support, supervision, maintenance, research, and consultation.
The history of ‘a Project’ as an academic term is not that long but when we look back to the beginning of civilization , some of the actual behaviors or achievements such as the Great Wall of China or the Pyramids in Egypt, which would be called ‘projects’ today (Shenhar and Dvir, 2007, 93). All of these great works which were completed in ancient times involved some elements such as team work, leadership and coordination etc, which have been defined as important factors influencing the success of modern projects.
Exploring the definitions of project management, it is found that project management has been defined as a discipline, technique collection, management form or process by various researchers. Reiss (1995, 14) argues that project management is a collection of loosely connected techniques, some of which are useful in bringing projects to a successful conclusion. Gardiner (2005, 5-7) regards project management as an integrated discipline of managing projects successfully and usually it concerns the activities of planning, organizing, controlling leading and motivating while Shenhar and Dvir (2007, 96) think that project management is a problem-driven discipline. Srivannaboon and Milosevic(2006) stated project management as a specialized form of management which can be used to "accomplish a series of business goals, strategies, and work tasks within a well-defined schedule and budget". The common purpose of project management is to help complete the project successfully. Furthermore, based on the definition of "project as a temporary organization", Turner and Muller (2003, 1) illustrate three new pressures on project management: uncertainty, integration and urgency, which are different from the traditional ones: time, cost and quality. Lundin and Söderholm (1995) develop "a theory of temporary organization" to emphasis the leading role of action in temporary organizations and they also propose four concepts to define temporary organizations and its environment: time, task, term and transition.
This trend on the focus of project management shows the success of any single project cannot be taken as the success of project management anymore. Project management already is combined into the whole organizational context and becomes part of organization management. Project management has to be consistent with corporate strategy and also has a big influence on the future of many organizations. Accordingly, finishing the project under time, cost and other requirements is not enough for project managers and they need to think of project management in a much broader aspect, from the micro to the macro level.
In many organizations, it may be more appropriate to use e-learning as a part of the overall training program. One of the well-known approaches is called the blended learning approach. It is the concept of using e-learning to complement formal, traditional face-to-face learning, which may include techniques like web-based instructions, teleconference, and/or videoconferencing (Eklund et al., 2003). Sometimes, e-learning is just used as preparation for upcoming face-to-face training (Bennink, 2004).
There are a number of advantages of the blended approach. First, it helps reduce cost of training without reducing the content (Hall, 2003). It also gives flexibility as styles of training are varied and individuals could choose what they need (Eklund et al., 2003). Moreover, the approach allows learners to know each other which might aid the communication in the actual interactive sessions between them (Kimble et al., 2000). It allows a combination of positive elements from both e-learning and traditional models (Hall, 2003). The blended approach is also claimed by Barbian (2002) to be more successful than either e-learning or traditional methods of training conducted alone. However, Sloman (2002) argues that the method of delivery should be dependent on the topic to be taught. He gives an example of a customer service topic that is better taught by role plays face-to-face methods rather than using e-learning system and the latter approach might be more suitable to rich information topics.
Many project-based organizations have adopted the concept of so-called project-based learning (PBL), which is specifically developed for their organizational structure. Bagnasco et al. (2003) explain the concept of project based learning that, it is an approach that involves learners in problem solving tasks based on the assumption that learning occurs during unstructured and complex activities. Learning is integrated to real normal workflows so the learning contents come from real situations which become the main source of knowledge. Finally, after the project completion, documentations could be prepared and kept as lessons learned in the form of a Knowledge Management System (KMS) of that company. This idea of PBL supports the thinking of Bangnasco et al. (2003) that learners would not pay much attention to what is taught unless it is related to their own work, and that only some part of the contents will be retained once the course is finished. It seems beneficial that learners could use e-learning to assist with their work while also gaining knowledge at the same time. If this is the case, e-learning would not reduce their working time because contents are relevant to real work, but rather, as a way to utilize time at work to achieve more for themselves and their organizations. They also said that people need information to solve problems, to carry out their work and they also need ease of accessing information. Effective cooperation and communication is thus necessary to improve information sharing and hence PBL processes.
As implied from our literature review, e-learning is widely used in organizations including project-based organizations. Project-based organizations view e-learning as an attractive method of training in a current knowledge-based economy. In particular, the flexibility and features of e-learning suit the nature of these organizations very well.
Evaluation and measurement are essential components of any effort to improve performance in organizations. According to Broad (2005), that is the only way to know whether training is effective in achieving learning, is well applied by transfer of learning to performance, and has the desired impact on organizational results. Stakeholders, including organization decision-makers, are giving growing attention to evaluation to measure outcomes, particularly for expensive training interventions to improve workforce performance (Phillips & Stone, 2003).
It is widely assumed that Kirkpatrick Level 3 data are measures of the effectiveness of the training program (Broad, 2005). However, research (Broad, 2005; Broad & Newstrom, 1992) has shown that there are many factors in the organization and work environment that affect transfer of learning to job performance, only one of which is the quality of the training program. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2005), there is nothing more important than measuring the extent that on-the-job behavior has changed as a result of the training. If the trainees do not apply what they learned, the program has been a failure even if learning has taken place. Therefore, measuring behavior change is necessary, not only to see if behavior has changed, but also to determine the reasons why change has not occurred.
Devaraj and Babu (2004) conducted a study to measure the relationship between training and job performance. They identified the drivers of job performance within Infosys, a major software industry service provider based in Bangalore, India. First, they looked at the appraisals reported by supervisors of on-the-job performance for employees who underwent a specific training. Then they calculated a grade point average to assess participants’ performance on certain generic courses such as programming fundamentals, database management, and systems analysis and design. They were able to draw conclusions based on these data as to the employees’ eventual performance on the job.
As explained in literature review, e-learning is widely used in universities and organizations. Universities and organizations view e-learning as an attractive method of training in a current knowledge-based economy. In particular, the flexibility and features of e-learning suit the nature of these institutions very well.
The benefits from the adoption of e-learning has been discussed by some authors who have indicated benefits such as cost saving and knowledge transfer, which is important in universities and organizations because the project dimension structure increases the difficulties of knowledge moving between organizational level (Newton and Doonga, 2007; Ozdemir, 2008). However, negative impacts have also been mentioned such as e-learning cannot deal with implicit knowledge (Ozdemir, 2008).
E-learning helps a lot on the transfer or sharing of explicit knowledge, which can be recorded as text files, audio or video files, however there is some knowledge that is difficult to write and is more easily transferred face-to-face. Therefore, most companies take e-learning as one of the learning approaches internally or externally and so far it appears that no company can totally replace the traditional learning approaches with e-learning.
Summary
E-learning refers to the use of Internet technologies to deliver a broad array of learning modes that enhance learners’ knowledge and performance. There is evidence for the effectiveness and acceptance of e-learning within the project management training in universities and companies, especially when combined with traditional teacher-led activities in a blended-learning educational experience. Several digital repositories of e-learning materials exist, some with peer review, where instructors or developers can submit materials for widespread use or retrieve them for creating new materials. The evaluation of e-learning should include a peer-review process and an assessment of outcomes such as learner satisfaction, content usability, and demonstration of learning. Faculty skills in creating e-learning may differ from those needed for traditional teaching; faculty rewards for scholarly activity must recognize this difference and should be commensurate with effort. With technological advancement, the future offers the promise of high-fidelity, high-speed simulations and personalized instruction using both adaptive and collaborative learning. Centers of excellence in e-learning can provide national support for the design, development, implementation, evaluation, collaboration, and sharing of digital e-learning materials. The integration of e-learning into undergraduate, graduate, employee and continuing project management education will promote a shift toward adult learning in most of the organization, wherein educators no longer serve solely as distributors of content, but become facilitators of learning and assessors of competency.
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