E-Learning Platform
The Situation
Within the company there was a continual requirement for training for both new and existing employees. With a steady stream of workers requiring the same training, the company was faced with mounting costs. As well as induction training courses, there was also a requirement for refresher courses aimed at existing employees. As these courses were offered repeatedly, this again lead to spiralling costs. Therefore, a more cost-effective and efficient solution was required.
The Opportunity
The aim was to construct an online training system which could be utilised when and if required. This would not only offer a greater degree of flexibility but would also reduce the overall cost of the training required. The task was to create an e-learning platform which was robust enough to provide the required level of service to a large number of trainees.
One of the challenges facing the implementation of the e-learning platform was accuracy. Accurate training materials are vital to the overall success of the course and learner.
Another challenge was flexibility and customisation, as the training platform needed to be suitable for both first time learners and existing employees who were looking for a refresher session.
Of course, the main challenge of this project was creating a system which reduced training costs, without compromising quality.
Security is another issue which needed to be considered, especially since the online training platform would contain personal information, on both the company and its employees.
The Outcome
We designed a web based e-learning system utilising the Moodle open source project- meaning it was instantly accessible to employees wherever they were located. The unique interface also ensured that employees had access to the platform at any time, allowing for a more flexible and user-friendly approach to training.
Moodle offers a wealth of benefits, one of which being the ability to customise and scale the training platform to meet specific requirements. We took advantage of this feature and decided to organise the training materials in to different modules on the system. This made it much easier to find and utilise the specific courses that were required and allowed employees to choose between larger training sessions and refresher courses. As well as making training easier and faster, this also greatly increased overall efficiency, therefore freeing up time and resources for other activities.
The e-learning platform allows companies to organise and deliver training materials from a single source. It's worth noting that the platform can also be used to send corporate communications such as memos, newsletters and blogs.
On the topic of costing, Moodle is open source and therefore free to use without any licensing fees. This combined with the fact that the platform offers a much more efficient approach to training means that the company can provide effective training at a much cheaper cost.
The effect of the new online training system has been instantaneous with access to training materials now much easier and more user friendly. This includes both full training courses and the refresher modules- which are now all found on the same system. The new platform is not only more intuitive but also more efficient and therefore cost-effective.