The Human Side of E-Learning
A chat with Karen Mantyla

ASTD hosted an online interactive discussion on the human side of e-learning, featuring guest expert Karen Mantyla. The president of Washington, D.C.-based Quiet Power, Mantyla is the co-author of Distance Learning: A Step-by-Step Guide for Trainers, the author of Interactive Distance Learning Exercises That Really Work! and the editor of The 2000/2001 ASTD Distance Learning Yearbook. Here's an excerpt.

Abernathy:	Why is the human side of e-learning so important?
Mantyla:	Without human interaction at each step, the technology just sits there waiting for something to happen. So much emphasis is placed on the technology that there needs to be a focused shift to people--they make it happen. The human side includes all learners, trainers, designers, graphic artists, tech support, and HR staff. So, when planning for distance learning, we recommend that the human side be well-represented in the strategic plan for funding.
Participant 1:	I agree. All a learner wants is for it to be easy for him or her to learn using the technology.
Ellis:	And often forgotten is the desire to try new technologies and gadgets.
Mantyla:	Right. Our goal is to make the technology as seamless as possible and to let the learners learn and enjoy the experience. The success of distance learning is measured at the remote site by the learners.
Participant 1:	It's also important that the learner has a good first-time experience, or we may lose him forever.
Mantyla:	Yes, all too often we see negative mindsets when first experiences are lacking.
Participant 3:	The first experience is definitely important, especially in the workplace where an employee can share his or her experiences so others may be turned off without even trying DL.
Abernathy:	Isn't the same true for new e-trainers--that they need a good first-time experience?
Mantyla:	Yes, e-trainers get one chance to make a good first impression. I've worked with lots of trainers making the transition. I've had black-and-blue marks from my own start and had to learn the hard way.
Abernathy:	What are some strategies to help convince trainers from the so-called "old school" that online learning is a legitimate way to go (and in some cases, the only way to go)?
Mantyla:	"Old school" trainers often have e-learning fears and doubts that aren't often expressed, but camouflaged in negativity. So, we should start with the current mindset of the trainers and work with them in a step-by-step fashion.
Ellis:	What do you think they're worried about?
Manytla:	They worry about using the technology and looking less than proficient.
Participant 3:	Some trainers in my company feel their stand-up presence is their greatest strength and are afraid they'll lose effectiveness online.
Participant 2:	Trainers like to think they're in control of the learning environment, and technology can threaten that.
Participant 5:	They also lose eye contact and the ability to "read" an audience to keep them engaged.
Participant 2:	I write e-learning materials and have always considered myself a great teacher, but I miss that type of feedback from students.
Mantyla:	Yes, learners feel threatened by it, but it's important to experience the technologies before presenting a learning event. Practice, practice, practice! Have them take an online course or two, attend a satellite event, use CD-ROMs from a learner's perspective and then from a trainer's perspective. Feedback from the participants at every step will help make the learning a success. Also, build in interactivity before, during, and after with different methods.
Ellis:	So it's a people issue, and not one of being afraid to use the technology, but of being unfamiliar with it.
Participant 2:	Maybe some instructors don't want to become e-trainers until full videoconferencing is in place.
Mantyla:	Yes, many trainers believe that two-way video is vital. When you ask them why, they say it's for their comfort level.
Participant 6:	At the ASTD 2000 conference, I sat in on the CTT distance learning preconference session that offered a great deal of options for us who love to be "on."
Abernathy:	How long does it typically take a new e-trainer to become comfortable with the technology?
Mantyla:	Becoming comfortable is different for each person. For example, veteran trainers may need more time to become familiar with equipment and may want more practice.
Participant 2:	I think it depends on the software being used and the support given. For example, a developer set up a PC for me that I could use anywhere; technology was not an issue.
Participant 7:	I think distance learning is great, if it's appropriate for the subject matter and the training goes well. What worries me are the uncontrollable technical problems that can crop up.
Mantyla:	Also, trainers in the classroom don't have other trainers watching them.
Participant 2:	For a trainer to be comfortable, he or she needs a dedicated technical person. Online support includes setting up the software, the servers, and the passwords. In the classroom, if all else fails, you can rely on yourself and hard-copy materials.
Mantyla:	Working well with tech support is vital; they're your best friends. Having alternate plans for when technology goes haywire is also important.
Participant 5:	We've found having at least two trainers in one location is best--one trains and the other handles technical difficulties.
Mantyla:	Your setup is ideal; some companies don't have trainers at the remote site.
Ellis:	Having onsite tech support helps get e-trainers comfortable and can help build buy-in.
Participant 7:	The objective of distance learning, in my case, is to connect remote learners who work from their homes, so no tech support is available.
Mantyla:	Remote home learners need a help line and a fax line, at a minimum.
Participant 2:	It sounds like trainers need a Dummies Guide to Tech Support because some don't have the two-trainer option.
Mantyla:	That sounds like a great new product!
Participant 6:	Or at least the prep suggested above: back-up documentation.
Abernathy:	What are some factors to take into consideration when beginning to offer online learning courses to customers?
Mantyla:	Here are some quick tips from an Intel Corporation case study that can be used worldwide by employees and customers: Make delivery options available 24/7, including Web-supported CD. Keep it cost-effective. Make training content consistent. Identify and analyze learners' needs and look at the technology options available to them. Ensure that everyone has access to the Internet. If you have a worldwide audience, you'll probably also face connectivity challenges.
Participant 1:	What about different languages?
Mantyla:	Intel translated current course materials into seven different languages. WBT is done in English only and translated on demand. Local culture (regionalization) also comes into play with customers used to learning in different ways.
Participant 1:	And with disabilities.
Participant 7:	That's fine if you have a large audience and budget, like Intel's, but if you're trying to train a 1,000-person, remote, nontechnical audience on a one-shot basis, 24/7 availability and other bells and whistles would be cost-prohibitive.
Participant 5:	When doing online training using Web and voice (through a second phone line), what suggestions do you have to engage the audience, besides using questions or comments?
Mantyla:	Interactivity in e-learning is vital--it should comprise 50 percent of all material. The goal is to vary the types of interaction and to have the learner be an active participant, not view e-learning as a passive experience.
Participant 8:	Can you give some concrete examples of interactivity?
Mantyla:	Examples are interactive games, drag-and-drop exercises, case study input, and questions about a learner's job.
Participant 10:	Interactivity is central to our training. It's the core of the seven key areas that we use in our training: understanding the learner knowing the environment being a team player developing formats and strategies creating interaction activities integrating support monitoring for quality. They provide the framework for the training we do and all the technologies we use.
Participant 2:	Interactivity is very similar to engaging learners in nontech training, such as language learning. Be warned that you require a developer, though.
Participant 2:	And the time to develop increases with the number of storyboard questions.
Mantyla:	We're more critical of courses that we take, so consider what works for us as learners that we can use as trainers.
Ellis:	Some of the exercises mentioned seemed to be interactivity with the program rather than with people. How do you handle people interaction in asynchronous e-learning?
Mantyla:	You can set up bulletin boards, chat rooms, forum discussions, and private work areas.
Participant 2:	And that requires technical expertise.
Mantyla:	You can also use text-based print.
Participant 2:	So we're back to educating the trainers in the technology, otherwise you're at the mercy of developers.
Ellis:	How do you combine and balance e-learning, paper, and person-to-person delivery?
Mantyla:	You balance it based on your target audience, the needs of the course, your budget, and affordable technology options. The blending approach is really very viable.
Participant 2:	Many companies use e-learning to cover classroom prerequisites.
Participant 9:	Right now, in cases where e-learning is new, the "new and different" aspect enhances the participation of the participant. And when the newness wears off, we move on to the balance issue.
Participant 11:	We've experienced blending with CBT, ILT [instructor-led training], and WBT a few times--in any order. Some people offer WBT as a follow-up or refresher to the ILT just to get students used to the world of WBT. It's worked fairly well. There are also learning systems that incorporate CDs with the Internet or an intranet.
Participant 10:	We've helped develop blending with VC, WBT, audio, videotapes, listservs, and face-to-face training.
Abernathy:	Is "blended" where it's at?
Participant 11:	I think blending is a way to start to get people comfortable with WBT, but in the end, WBT is going to be right for some people and ILT will work for others.
Participant 3:	We're looking into blending synchronous with asynchronous using Centra and WebCT.
Participant 11:	Those are both really good products, but expensive. I've never used either, I just know them from comparing our product.
Participant 10:	I think blended is where it's at; the different technologies serve different purpose for different reasons.
Abernathy:	Here's a reader question: "Our organization is responsible for systems software training delivery to remote company employees (home-based and remote office workers). Often, we need to train them in fairly complex proprietary company software applications for which interactive simulation CBTs are too expensive and time-consuming to build. Our objective is to develop systems skills, not just convey factual information. What e-learning resources and strategies would help us?"
Mantyla:	I'm gathering Web links specifically for this answer. In the mean time, a good contact is kate.leehane@intel.com.
Participant 1:	In Karen's book, there's a selection process that might help you find the right media.
Participant 3:	We use WebCT to train on the technical components of our applications and have exercises and programming projects that are done on a server with the application software loaded.
Participant 7:	Our problem is the small population and one-shot nature (single-rollout delivery) of some training.
Mantyla:	Can you develop a template that can be used for one-shot training?
Participant 7:	Templates wouldn't work well because each rollout is unique.
Participant 13:	We use Blackboard, a competitor of WebCT. The learning curve is not as steep.
Participant 10:	We've tried WebCT and Blackboard and like both very much. Blackboard is easier to use.
Ellis:	For those interested, the August Issue of Learning Circuits includes a review of WebCT in the Product Reviews column.
Participant 3:	One thing we found was that with our remote offices, we couldn't justify the travel expenses to send an instructor for a week to train two employees. By moving to the Web, we're able to have five people in a class from five remote locations.
Participant 9:	Or 500 people in 200 locations. Or 500 in 500 locations.
Participant 7:	What are the ballpark per-person costs of this kind of delivery with small audiences?
Participant 9:	There are several variables there. If you're developing it, the cost goes way down. If you need to hire a developer, that's a different story. CBT program packages run from $795 to several thousand dollars.
Participant 11:	It depends on the content, too--how detailed is it, what medium is used, and so on.
Mantyla:	Does anyone have any lessons learned they want to share? I have a list of DL failure factors in my second book and always feel it's good to know where the black-and-blue marks fall.
Participant 1:	I think it's important to have senior management experience e-learning.
Participant 11:	I agree. If management isn't behind the learning styles, it's a waste of time for the employees.
Participant 3:	I hadn't thought about it, but what a way to get buy-in.
Participant 9:	There's nothing like an occasional classroom experience to help them remember how it was before technology.

Published: October 2000