Improving e-learning 2.0-based training strategies of SMEs through communities of practice (original) (raw)
Related papers
2019
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are critical to European economies through their significant and continuous contribution to employment and GDP growth. In 2018, SMEs represented 99.9% of an estimated 19.3 million enterprises in the EU and provided around 65 million jobs representing two-thirds of all employment. The literature suggests that digital learning is a good match for SMEs’ learning requirements. It is informal, flexible and easily-accessible, and compared to faceto-face provision, it saves time and travelling expenses (for employees to go to the training providers). Above all, recent studies show that e-learning, if done well, is as effective as face-to-face learning, if not better. However, the literature also suggests that there are still many challenges for the adoption of digital training by European SMEs. These include a general lack of company learning strategy and a lack of awareness of opportunities offered by online training among both employers and emplo...
The use of ICT for learning in small and medium enterprises
Educational.technology.has.had.a.profound.impact.on.education.and.training.in. the.last.ten.years..Successive.waves.of.development.and.implementation.has.seen. progression.from.Computer.Assisted.Learning,.usually.CD.ROM.based,.to.the. use.of.internet.based.Virtual.Learning.Environments.and.Learning.Management. Systems,.and.the.more.recent.development.of.e-Portfolios.and.Personal.Learning.Environments..The.provision.of.educational.technology.has.become.a.major. economic.sector,.in.itself. The.benefits.of.ICT.supported.learning.or.e-learning.are.largely.seen.as.flexibility,. allowing.learning.to.take.place.at.a.distance.and.at.a.time.and.pace.suited.to.the. needs.of.the.learners..The.development.of.e-learning.has.been.seen.as.facilitating. the.Lifelong.Learning.required.in.a.period.of.rapid.economic.and.technological. change.and.of.supporting.the.just-in-time.learning.thought.to.be.necessary.for. modern.production.and.work.organisation. Educational.institutions,.social.partners,.national.governments.and.the.European. Union.have.all.readily.embraced.the.use.of.new.technologies.for.learning,.through. the.sponsorship.of.programmes.and.projects.to.promote.e-learning. Despite.such.enthusiasm,.the.reality.has.been.less.than.convincing.(Attwell,. 2003)..The.development.of.e-learning.has.been.dominated.by.the.metaphors.of.the. virtual.classroom.and.the.virtual.university,.an.over.obsession.with.technologies.and. a.focus.on.distance.applications.of.existing.learning.opportunities,.rather.than.the. diffusion.of.learning.in.wider.societal.activities.and.forms..The.term.e-learning.has. become.devalued.to.the.extent.where.it.might.be.more.properly.seen.as.a.marketing. word.rather.than.a.description.of.pedagogic.and.learning.practices..There.has.been. very.limited.attention.to.vocational.and.occupational.learning.and.the.development. of.e-learning.environments.in.less.formal.learning.contexts..Research.suggests. most.learning.-.for.good.or.for.bad.-.takes.place.in.everyday.life.and.work.social. situations.(Nyhan.et.al,.2003)..In.other.words,.most.of.our.learning.is.informal. learning.taking.place.in.a.variety.of.social.contexts..Despite.this,.most.research. and.development.has.been.focused.on.formal.e-learning.programmes.. There.is.little.doubt.that.e-learning.has.had.a.major.impact.in.large.companies,. both.in.allowing.the.extension.of.training.provision.and.in.facilitating.professional.development.activities..However,.the.picture.is.far.less.clear.when.it.comes. to.Small.and.Medium.Enterprises.(SMEs). Policy.discourses.for.of.use.of.e-learning.in.SMEs.have.seen.its.introduction. as.unproblematic,.based.on.a.series.of.assumptions..Assumption.number.one.was. that.SMEs.appreciated. that.in. order.to.become.and.remain.competitive.they. must.train.their.staff..Assumption.number.two.was.that.one.of.the.major.reasons. SMEs.do.not.train.staff.is.due.to.the.difficulties.in.releasing.staff.for.training..Assumption.number.three.was.that.e-learning.could.solve.this.problem.by.allowing. just.in.time.training,.taking.place.on-line.and.at.the.workplace..As.such,.SMEs. were.a.major.target.for.extending.the.market.for.e-learning.and.for.both.private. e-learning.providers.and.for.pubic.institutionally.based.providers. Research.undertaken.in.seven.countries.by.the.EU.funded,.ICT.and.SME. project,.in.line.with.other.surveys.and.studies,.has.shown.that.none.of.these.assumptions.hold.true..Many.SME.managers.are.unconvinced.of.the.benefits.of. continuing.(and.in.some.cases,.initial.training),.either.believing.that.their.enterprise.already.possesses.the.required.skills,.that.if.additional.skills.and.knowledge. are.required.the.workers.will.gain.these.primarily.through.experience.or.that.it. is.cheaper.and.more.efficient.to.buy.in.trained.staff.rather.than.to.provide.the. training.themselves..Of.course,.this.is.a.generalisation..The.term.SME.covers.a. broad.range.of.different.enterprises,.and.the.results.of.our.research.suggests.that. attitudes.and.involvement.in.training.may.vary.by.size.and.by.sector..Furthermore,. there.is.some.evidence.to.suggest.that.involvement.in.training.varies.by.country. dependent.on.different.cultures.and.systems. Nevertheless,.in.the.seven.countries.involved.in.the.ICT.SME.study,.there. has.been.little.evidence.of.consistent.involvement.in.formal.e-learning.on.a.geographical.or.sector.basis..That.is.not.to.say.that.learning.is.not.taking.place.in. SMEs.or.that.computers.are.not.being.used.for.learning..In.the.case.studies.we. have.found.a.surprisingly.high.use.of.ICT.for.learning..This.learning.is.not.taking.place.through.organised.classes,.face.to.face.or.through.computer.mediation,. but.is.predominantly.informal.and.social.and.utilises.business.and.social.software. applications.rather.than.purpose.designed.e-learning.software.. The.Leonardo.da.Vinci.ICT.and.SME.project.has.undertaken.an.extended. literature.review,.a.series.of.policy.interviews,.a.survey.of.more.than.350.SMEs,. focus.group.meetings.and.around.110.case.studies.in.the.seven.different.countries.. The.project.also.undertook.five.thematic.studies.based.on.areas,.which.had.been. identified.as.central.to.the.potential.use.of.ICT.for.learning.in.SMEs:.people,. processes,.infrastructure.and.quality. This.book.reports.the.outcomes.of.the.project..The.first.section.contains.a. series.of.nation.reports.on.the.use.of.ICT.for.learning.in.the.Netherlands,.Spain,. Austria,.Poland,.Sweden,.Italy.and.the.UK..These.national.reports.summarise.the. results.of.the.project.bringing.together.data.from.the.policy.interviews,.literature. reviews,.case.studies.and.focus.group.meetings. The.second.section.of.the.book.presents.the.five.thematic.studies..The.third,. and.final,.section.presents.two.more.extended.contributions.based.on.the.outcomes.of.the.research..The.first.looks.at.different.models.for.supporting.the.use. of.ICT.for.learning.and.considers.the.strength.and.weaknesses.and.associated. policy.considerations.for.each.of.the.models..The.second.summarises.the.major. findings.of.the.project.and.considers.the.possible.implications,.both.for.further. research.and.for.policy. The.general.findings.of.the.project.in.relation.to.the.lack.of.formal.e-learning. provision.in.SMEs.juxtaposed.with.the.widespread.use.of.computers.for.informal. learning.in.SMEs.has.profound.implications.for.future.policy.development..Nevertheless.we.would.want.to.add.a.health.warning..Our.research.faced.a.number. of.problems.. With.the.business.survey,.many.of.the.partners.faced.difficulties.in.obtaining. sufficient.responses.and.as.a.result,.the.sampling.methods.are.open.to.question.. Secondly,.the.partners.in.the.project.often.struggled.to.develop.common.understandings.of.key.ideas,.for.example.informal.learning,.and.that.lead.to.different. interpretations.of.the.data..Thirdly,.and.most.important,.is.the.heterogeneity.of. SMEs..We.discovered.considerable.differences.according.to.country,.region,.sector,. size,.financial.strength,.and.length.of.establishment.amongst.others..Furthermore,. the.attitudes.of.individual.SME.managers.have.a.huge.importance.for.approaches. to.learning.and.training. We.have.been.forced.to.make.intelligent.interpretations.of.what.is.often.contradictory.data..Having.said.that,.the.data.gathered.by.the.project.provides.a.rich. resource.for.research.in.this.field..We.have.been.at.some.pains.to.use.the.data.to. illustrate.our.findings.and.recommendations.wherever.possible. The.different.chapters.of.this.book.are.designed.to.stand-alone..This.means,. inevitably,.there.is.some.repetition,.although.wherever.possible.this.has.been.edited. out..We.hope.this.book.will.make.a.modest.contribution.to.a.field.where.little. previous.research.has.taken.place.and.that.it.may.provide.a.sound.foundation.for. others.to.build.on.
E-learning and SMEs: Do demand and supply speak the same language?
This paper reports on research-in-progress designed to understand adoption and diffusion of e-learning (EL) among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in northern Italy. The research takes as its organizing framework the concept that diffusion of an innovation to a group of organizations reflects a match between demand and supply, and augments that framework by reference to Rogers' (1995) model of the processes of adoption and diffusion of innovation in organizations and the IS literature on adoption by individuals. The first two, exploratory stages of the research are completed. They identified that EL is not widely diffused among the firms of interest. In part, this reflects relatively low participation in all forms of training, but it also reflects low awareness of EL, difficulty in identifying and evaluating products and services on the market, and a perception among non-adopters that EL is costly and they do not have adequate ICT infrastructure for it. In the final stage of the research, focus groups were conducted with both SMEs and EL suppliers to identify the extent to which these groups (demand and supply) have a shared understanding of the nature of EL and its potential.
Journal of Workplace Learning, 2005
Purpose -This paper reports on the development of a workplace-based e-learning programme for small and medium enterprise (SME) managers in five European countries. The course is designed to address the specific needs of SME managers who, it has been noted, represent a significant proportion of the EU workforce but often experience difficulty in finding time or resources to undertake relevant training. The aim of this paper is to present the design principles developed to underpin the programme. These principles were developed specifically to address the need for greater pedagogic structure in the design of e-learning courses. Design/methodology/approach -The course design was informed by a literature review of e-learning and management learning and by a set of focus groups conducted to identify the specific concerns of SMEs with regard to accelerating their learning in the workplace. The course structure was further refined through trial workshops in all five partner countries. Findings -The paper presents a pedagogic framework and a structured set of design features, both of which were built into the course as a result of the research undertaken. It also provides reflections on the efficacy of the design process that resulted in the formation of the design principles, and also the prospects for e-learning programmes in supporting accelerated learning in the workplace. Practical implications -The design process and reflections may usefully be extracted to inform other cross-national or SME-focused e-learning programmes. Originality/value -The paper draws on theory and research data to demonstrate the importance of thorough research in e-learning course development.
Business and e-learning, 2010
Corporations, as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are always looking to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Many companies today believe that the key to gaining and maintaining competitive advantage in the market development of intellectual capital, and know what, how and why and to understand the importance of such knowledge. Their ability to educate and train staff while maintaining the work is very valuable. E-learning is one way that allows the employee obtain and renew the knowledge necessary to perform their job duties. The paper presents the needs of corporate learning and e-learning features. Also presents parts of the research related to the preparation, training and development and application of Information and communication technology (ICT) in the purposes. The results show that the preparation and training of employees is very satisfactory when entering the workplace, while their involvement in training activities is very small. The respondents have positive attitudes towards e-learning utility for personal training and development, but this kind of training in organizations are not used. He also noted that ICT is not used enough, and the need to train, motivate and encourage employees to use it.
E-Learning and SMEs: Considerations from an Italian Study
2020
E-learning is one of the most promising sectors within the Information and Communication Technologies industry and growth forecasts are more than optimistic. Despite these good premises, current data do not show a strong acceptance of e-learning by European enterprises and, in particular small and medium-size enterprises. This paper introduces a research project about SMEs in Italy aimed at understanding SMEs decision processes in the field of e-learning and at identifying enablers and obstacles to e-learning diffusion.
Paper 3: ICT support for workplace learning: eLearning in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
2003
Present economic developments are characterised by globalisation and internalisation. Networks and relationships between companies from different regions are increasing in importance and are used for purposes of investments, trading and research and development. At the same time, the product demands are increasing. Customers expect a rapid availability of new products and desire that they fit their individual needs. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are relatively flexible and quickly adapted to change, and in this light, seen as key organisations for driving innovation and to promote employment. In Europe, SMEs are the backbone of regional prosperity and employment. Employees’ professional development is therefore often seen as a precondition to achieve innovations and to compete with other companies. However, small enterprises are often not able to develop or finance learning initiatives independently. It is therefore not surprising that the European Commission draws a lot of at...
A Review of Obstacles to Successful e-Learning Deployment in SMEs
E-Learning as an advanced form of learning supported by various technological principles and tools became a point of interest of both academicians and practitioners several years ago. Current literature contains mostly successful stories of its utilization in the business environment highlighting processes and decisions which should be done and make. Rarely are mentioned negative experiences related processes and decision that should not be realized. Hence, it is difficult to fully and explicitly define related bottlenecks or pitfalls. The aim of this paper is to assemble particular fragments and provide readers with a summary of general barriers of e-Learning implementation in small and medium-sized organizations together with recommendations how these barriers can be overcome. Therefore, this position paper provides basic literature overview of conditions and barriers to successful e-Learning implementation in the business settings. The investigation of published case studies reveals that there are several barriers, which need to be taken into the consideration to support fruitful usage of e-Learning technologies in the workplace. Furthermore, suggestions of potential activities that may contribute to coping with these barriers are depicted.
E-Learning 2.0, Social Media and Communities to Improve Knowledge in Companies
Companies could hold competitive advantages by improving individual and collective knowledge of their staff i.e. through using e-Learning, social media and participation in social communities. In this paper, firstly the learning practices in SMEs have been discussed with the starting of an assessment on companies' readiness for e-Learning, supporting knowledge development. Then social communities like Communities of Practice (CoPs) have been depicted as an approach to support learning, sharing, transfer and development of knowledge suitable for SMEs. Examples and some conclusions are presented in this paper.