1. Is Your Company Making
These E-Learning Mistakes?
Prepared By Projections, Inc.
www.projectionsinc.com

2. A
lthough it’s been around awhile, just saying the word “e-learning” brings attention. Companies that use e-
learning and do it well are few and far between – many companies subscribe to an internet-based resource
provider, and simply tell employees to “have at it.” This technique, while it looks good on the surface, is cost-
ing the company money rather than contributing to the bottom line.
True e-learning resources allow learners to immerse themselves in the topic - to hear the information, see examples of
the information in action and to interact with that information to truly internalize the knowledge. This multi-faceted
approach helps companies create cohesion, a sort of “tribal knowledge” within their workforce.
Many training companies offer courses on a nearly overwhelming variety of topics. This is an easy way to approach e-
learning if you have a large workforce to whom you are offering e-learning as a general way to improve their skill set.
But what if you have critical issues, specific to your company? Generic e-learning programs can’t help you communi-
cate on issues such as benefits, corporate values, unions & labor relations, compliance, and other sensitive topics.
So, no matter if you’re just learning about the possibilities, whether you’re considering offering electronic learning
resources to your employees, or already have something in place, there are a few key indicators that will help you
determine how effective your e-learning programs may be.
Does the content match the requirements of your training program?
Your e-learning program should be based on an instructionally sound design model that incorporates relevant & timely
content, based on in-depth knowledge of both your industry and vast experience educating employees. Look for a
provider who’s equally strong in understanding the issues, content, communication, and technology.
Does the training reflect realistic busi-
CASE STUDY
ness scenarios?
The images and video should portray set-
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY SUPERVISOR TRAINING
tings, style of dress and accurate “jargon”
for your workforce. Without the ability to
Beverly Healthcare, owned by BEI, is one the nation’s leading
identify with the scenarios depicted, your
providers of long-term health care. To maintain that leadership,
employees won’t retain the information as
Beverly Healthcare has to insure all its employees receive the
readily.
highest quality of training. Beverly worked to create a series of
custom e-learning modules to educate supervisors.
Is the information broken into small
Beverly Healthcare needed to keep its over 30,000 employees
enough modules to allow the learner to
well trained - not only to provide superior healthcare, but to stay
learn not just quickly but also thorough-
compliant with the law as well. Their employees needed to have
ly?
24/7 access to the training, and Beverly had to be able to track
An e-learning course that drones on and on,
each employee’s progress and have physical proof that each
interacting with the user only to have them
employee completed the required training.
progress to the next slide will not assist in
retention of the content. The course should
Projections, Inc. constructed a series of custom training pro-
be broken into multiple modules that learn-
grams that featured well-written vignettes, narration, on-screen
ers can take at their own pace. Similarly,
visuals, and interactive exercises on topics like Anti-Sexual
learners should be asked to interact with the
Harassment Training, Compliance, and Supervisor Training. The
material often enough and at just the right
programs are delivered online, which allows Beverly employees
points to build their knowledge.
to take the training at their convenience and when they have
completed the training, the results are automatically sent to
Let’s pause for a moment and talk about
Beverly Healthcare.
learning through fun. Most people don’t
think that “learning” and “fun” have any
Projections continues to help Beverly Healthcare with training
business in the same sentence, much less in
their employees, by creating and adding new modules to their
an actual course. But it should be no sur-
training program as workplace issues arise and laws for more
prise that most of us are far more likely to
training are passed.
retain information we enjoy. Think of 3-or-
4-year olds who can recognize and recite 25
To see what truly effective e-learning such as Beverly Health-
different dinosaur names and tell you facts
care’s looks like, please visit http://www.projectionsinc.com/hc
about each one… or your office sports fa-
natic who can tell you player stats, game

3. outcomes, even down to the individual plays, from 10 or 15 years ago. They retain that information because it’s fun.
So if you can provide e-learning based training that’s not just informative but engaging and interactive, you’ll have
far better results long-term.
Is the content accurate and up-to date?
Be sure your e-learning provider didn’t create the program 10 years ago and just offer it as part of the package. Laws,
learning requirements, even fashions, change quickly. Custom e-learning solutions should provide information as it is
available today, and should portray current environments so that learners internalize the lessons being taught. When
choosing an e-learning provider, be sure they are not just well versed in the medium – they must also be experts in
communicating the message.
Does the material provide a way for you to track results?
Fully functioning e-learning will provide you with fully customized results, ranging from who took what modules to
individual commentary or questions on the course itself. Look for e-learning that will help you understand how em-
ployees are doing, and how the training can be modified and improved in the future.
Does the interactive material provide variety?
Look for questions that use various forms of true/false, multiple choice, elimination and more. The more variety avail-
able, the more interesting the material will seem. The course should have interactive material every couple of minutes
or so to make sure learners remain engaged in the instruction.
As you read this whitepaper on e-learning, keep in mind that there are a select few companies, such as Projections,
who can help you communicate your specific issues to your unique workforce by sharing knowledge gained from over
25 years of helping employers communicate with employees.
Projections
Connecting Through Employee Communications
Since 1979
For more information on our products, please contact us at
770-448-9741
or info@projectionsinc.com
Visit us at www.projectionsinc.com