On the face of it, e-learning is better placed than most industries to meet a downturn, particularly one that is being fuelled (excuse the pun) by high energy costs. After all:

• self-study e-learning is twice as quick as its classroom equivalent, and that’s a money saver;
• e-learning in all its forms saves bucket loads of cash when it comes to travel and subsistence costs;
• e-learning is more flexible and accessible (which, if you’re cynical about these things, might just mean employees doing it in their own time);
• and as a bonus, e-learning is the green alternative, providing employers with a positive spin that they can put on any decision to axe classroom events.

From what I’ve heard so far, these arguments are holding up. I’m not aware of any content developers who are having a particularly hard time; in fact many are flourishing. Even in good times, there are winners and losers, so some casualties are to be expected, but I don’t believe this is any worse than usual. On the other hand, the news from those organisations that offer public classroom courses is not so good – for some, their business appears to have dropped off a cliff.

I would expect it to be less easy to sell top-end, innovative projects – the sort that gets the client promoted and wins awards. Sadly, there’s also likely to be less interest in experimenting with new approaches, using sophisticated blends or web 2.0 techniques. To get these going you’ll need to demonstrate cast iron cost savings, a low initial investment and the minimum risk of disruption. Remember, training will not be the biggest issue an employer will be grappling with.

The winners may well prove to be those who can deliver good enough content, fast and cheap, addressing critical skills and knowledge. Trainers, if they’re agile enough, will learn to integrate this material into new, modular, highly-responsive blends that ensure we don’t sacrifice any chance of effectiveness on the alter of efficiency. Now there’s a challenge.

Source: Clive Shepherd