Once we have clear guidelines on what is required to satisfy the business and purpose needs we can now address the technology which is capable of delivering those needs. The science here is well known where people discuss technology innovations and design, operating systems and hosting regimes etc. The art of technology selection and implementation is less well known and includes the careful matching of the business procedures with the product and software design or application selection.
The key is to ensure the technology is playing an enabling role and not hindering the business procedures. Accurate scoping of the functionality of the system versus requirements is the key to estimating and containing costs and avoiding the ill-fated technology for technology’s sake.
Innovation in technical processes are also important to consider here. Technology can provide substantial competitive advantage by providing one or more of the better, cheaper, faster triumvirate. However most organisations have neither the skills or methods to evaluate and recognise poor technology leaving them to buy whatever the vendor is selling. The mismatch of technology to need is a major point of failure of online learning programs.
Typical learning management systems lock the customer into outmoded administration practices and content and teaching based on page-turning, read and regurgitate methods. eLearning is possibly one of the most despised practices inflicted upon corporate staff in the past ten years. Yet it is mainly the result of poor implementation and ignorance of what makes a successful learning program rather than a fault of technology.
This category will accumulate the latest innovations in ideas and practices that technology can provide to the success of learning and performance support.