The Intention to Use e-Learning in Corporations

The introduction of e-learning has allowed companies to re-engineer the process in which training is conducted, whilst realising the benefits that e-learning has to offer. It is important to identify and understand the driving forces behind users’ behavioural intention to use ICT and e-learning in order to improve the chances of success of these projects. The purpose of this paper is to explore the intention to use e-learning in a corporate context. A case study approach with a survey strategy was used and the case was a South African software development company that has identified e-learning as part of its management strategy. A theoretical model of the intention to use e-learning is proposed and is used to guide the research. The results showed that the respondents have positive intentions to use e-learning and positive computer self-efficacy whereas they rated their computer anxiety negatively. From these results and the theoretical model it can be deduced that respondents will have positive intentions to use e-learning. Possible limitations of this study are that it only investigates one company and it does not investigate the relationship between the three constructs and the intention to use

A Process for Designing and Developing Interactive Learning Objects for Organisations

Organisations are increasingly adopting e-learning environments for employee and customer training projects. These environments use educational technologies and interactive learning objects (ILOs) to increase the quality of digital training experiences. ILOs are growing in popularity because material is multimodal but even more so, interactive which engages trainees and increases motivation to learn. Several studies have proposed processes and guidelines for improving the usability and user experience (UX) of system applications and websites. However, the processes and guidelines for designing ILOs are limited and the majority of these focus on ILOs adopted in educational institutions. Corporations need to consider additional factors, such as the organisational culture and the disparate profile of users when designing their e-learning environment and the ILOs to be adopted. This paper seeks to answer the research question, “What process should be followed when designing interactive learning objects (ILOs) in a corporate context?”. The purpose of this paper is to propose a process for designing and developing ILOs (PDILO) that can be used to increase the UX of these ILOs and ultimately, the usage thereof in an e-learning environment for corporate contexts. A case study approach was adopted and the case was a software development company incorporating e-learning into its management strategy. The design process was used to design ILOs that formed part of a module in the company’s new e- learning environment. The proposed process can be used to guide content developers with the design of ILOs in e-learning environments and ultimately improve the success thereof

A best practice e-learning environment for software training

The incorporation of best practice in e-learning environments can increase the probability of success for companies and learners alike. By identifying and understanding the barriers that potential learners may face when interacting with e-learning products, the potential for e-learning failure may be alleviated. There are a variety of benefits that may be realised by companies incorporating e-learning opportunities into their management strategies. However, certain pedagogical principles, metrics and components need to be investigated and implemented in order for a corporate e-learning environment to be successful. The aim of this research is to prototype and evaluate a practical e-learning environment for software training (eLESTP) with e-learning components consisting of interactive learning objects that can guide the development and management of online training in the corporate context. The eLESTP is based on a theoretical contribution that is conceptualised in the form of an e-learning environment for software training (eLESTT). Hence, this study followed a research methodology that is appropriate for educational technologies, namely the Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology, which was applied in iterative cycles. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected by means of a case study, interviews, a focus group and survey. The proposed eLESTP underwent several iterations of feedback and improvement and the result is a real-world solution to the problem at hand. With the purpose of determining the success of corporate e-learning, the barriers and critical success factors for e-learning as well as evaluation criteria were explored. Interviews, a focus group and a survey were conducted in order to validate the investigated literature in a real-world context. Informal interviews enabled a better understanding of the organisational context of this study. The focus group was conducted with customers who were undergoing face-to-face training using conveyancing software developed by Korbitec. Many of the issues faced by learners identified in literature regarding e-learning in developing countries were identified by the participants from the case study. An e-learning survey was used to gather information regarding the intention of Korbitec’s customers to use e-learning as well as their satisfaction with using e-learning. From the survey, it was found that respondents were positive regarding intention to use and satisfaction toward e-learning usage. DBR Cycle 1: Problem Investigation and Proposal entailed the initial problem investigation by conducting a literature review, focus group and survey. DBR Cycle 2: Design Alternative 1 of this study involved a design alternative for eLESTP, namely Prototype 1. DBR Cycle 3: Design and Evaluate Alternative 2 involved the design and prototyping of Prototype 2 for eLESTP as well as the improvement of Prototype 2 through sub-cycles of testing and refinement. The suggestions for improvement were obtained from the relevant stakeholders at Korbitec who are content developers and subject-matter experts. The criteria used to evaluate the success of eLESTP, including its e-learning components, were synthesised and adapted from literature and a new set of evaluation criteria for e-learning environments in software training contexts was proposed. The evaluated eLESTP consists of the technology basis of the Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle), design guidelines for e-learning components, certification and competency-based training, pedagogical principles and best practice. Overall, eLESTP was positively received by various evaluator groups in formative and summative evaluations. The research results indicate that the use of an e-learning environment for software training purposes was useful and necessary. In support of this Masters dissertation, the following three conference papers have been published and presented at one local conference and two international conferences. In addition, an article has been published in an accredited journal: 1. IDIA 2015, Conference Paper – Zanzibar (Tanzania); 2. Conf-IRM 2016, Conference Paper – Cape Town (South Africa); 3. MCIS 2016, Conference Paper – Cyprus (Europe); and 4. IJIKM 2016, Journal Article