April 9^th’s Program entitled “E-Learning that Pushes the Envelope” was a wonderful taste of the wide spectrum of solutions that E-Learning spans. Greg Napierala  from eCornell and Elaine Ellis from Gillespie Associates reviewed E-Learning modules from their respective organizations.

Greg presented a high level overview of the way eCornell built their overall curriculum as well as the process they use to develop their modules.  eCornell uses a complex development process in which communication between eCornell, acting in the capacity of online learning experts, and their Cornell University faculty partners, acting in the capacity of subject matter experts (SMEs) are key to their success.  Although offered in conjunction with Cornell University, Greg stressed that the E-Learning modules are very much geared toward the “professional environment” versus the “academic environment.” Their development process centers around “Learning Molecules.” Learning Molecules consist of five components or “atoms” that provide a structure for organizing content and define a self-contained learning experience.  The Molecules are scenario based and the learners are given a list of informational resources to help complete them.  eCornell has had great success in providing a flexible, learner-centered, online learning approach which forges a new path in online learning.

Elaine walked the group through a recently developed E-Learning program that Gillespie Associates (GA) created for a client to bring their sales professionals up to speed on the competitions’ offerings.  GA’s goal was to push past the “page turner” type of E-Learning module.  The theme for E-Learning program was “Spying,” and connected to a broader training solution that they developed for the client.  The module encompassed varied learning tools such as trivia questions, humor, and tutorials.  Through the development process they learned from trying various strategies and approaches.  Elaine spoke about balancing the various components. For example, humor was important, but it had to be used appropriately and not be over-used. More than one voice was used for the audio, creating a dialog between characters and adding depth to the content. Even the text was varied to include typed text as well as hand written (across a chalk board) text that kept the learner engaged.  The research and creativity meshed together to develop an entertaining and interesting module that a participant learns from in a fun and interactive way.