Characterizing elearning practices in companies: an exploratory research in Brazil

1

• Characterizing e-learning practices in companies
  an exploratory research in Brazil
• Bianca Smith Pilla bspilla_at_ea.ufrgs.br
• Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
• Marina Keiko Nakayama marina_at_ea.ufrgs.br
• Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
• Erlaine Binotto erlaine_at_uniplac.br
• Universidade do Planalto Catarinense, Brazil
• NEGEP Núcleo de Estudos em Gestão de Pessoas
  www.ea.ufrgs.br/pesquisa/negep
• Supported by Capes (Coordenação de
  Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) -
  Brazil.

2
Introduction

• Transition of modern society to knowledge
  society.
• Need to be constantly updated.
• E-learning as a strategic solution.
• Differentiated e-learning practices adequate to
  organizational characteristics.

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Research Question

• What are the characteristics in e-learning
  practices in companies in Brazil?

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E-learning

• Formally and systematically organized teaching
  and learning activities in which the instructor
  and the learner (or learners) are geographically
  separated, using information and communication
  technologies to facilitate their interaction and
  collaboration
• (NA UBON KIMBLE, 2002).

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Learning

• Learning as a change of conduct (SWIERINGA
  WIERDSMA, 1995).
• Organizational Learning (ARGYRIS, SCHÖN, 1996).
• Knowledge seen as a construction (BECKER, 2001).
• Action Learning (NICHOLSON, 2003).

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Evaluation

• Crucial element in Human Resources.
• Training Evaluation
• 4 levels of Kirkpatrick (1998)
• Reaction adaptation to the course
• Learning skills increment
• Behavior behavior change
• Results tangible and intangible results of
  developed actions in work
• 5th level of Phillips and Stone (2002) ROI

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Methodological Procedures

• Research Design exploratory and qualitative.
• Participants pre-test in a Brazilian university.
  Interviews with e-learning managers in nine
  companies.
• Data collection from October to December 2005.
• Data analysis based on Bardin (1977) content
  analysis.

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Companies
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Results

• Infrastructure and HR
• E-learning practices differ from size, budget,
  team, and administrative policy.
• Common aspect e-learning is recent.

• Design
• E-learning design is a bit confused in the
  companies.
• Technology might be covering the teachers role.
• It has been identified a teaching-learning
  approach tendency towards adults and
  constructivism.

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Results

• Participants
• Employees (8), casual workers (3), clients (3),
  community (2), suppliers (1) and partners (1).
• E-learning transcends the HR department.

• Evaluation
• Reaction (8).
• Learning evaluation (8) tests and tasks.
• Behavioral changes (1).
• Results (1) evidences.
• ROI (2).
• Comparison with face to face training.

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Results

• Benefits and Limitations
• () Flexibility, time reduction, access to a
  bigger number of people, and the opportunity of
  quick and constant updating.
• (-) Technology and the lack of available time
  that people have.

• Future plans and desires
• Wish to improve the e-learning evaluation process
  in most companies.
• Rapid e-learning.
• Tutor use.

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Conclusions

• E-learning has become an irreversible tendency in
  companies and learning institutions.
• Companies have different infrastructures.
• It could be more strategic.
• The evaluation model of Kirkpatrick is not
  entirely used by companies.
• Companies are aware of the benefits of their
  e-learning and limitations.

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Suggestions

• Maintain the use of smiley sheets (online) for
  new courses if they provide good information.
• Open another tool of communication (online) to
  collect free feedback of the students.
• Test the students knowledge before designing the
  course.

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Suggestions

• Do more elaborated evaluations (case studies and
  online simulations) with a constructivist
  approach.
• Do a formal results evaluation, planned at the
  moment the course is developed.
• Involve the department managers in this process.

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Thank you!

• Questions?
• Bianca Smith Pilla
• bspilla_at_ea.ufrgs.br
• NEGEP Núcleo de Estudos em Gestão de Pessoas
• www.ea.ufrgs.br/pesquisa/negep