That “social computing is disruptive” is no more disputed. Apart from many other aspects of life, it is already impacting and going to impact businesses across the spectrum. eLearning industry, which rose on the pillars of computers (Computer-based Training) and Internet (Web-based Training) also faces the challenge. It has responded largely in three ways:
1. An ostrich-like approach where companies have retained the status quo thinking this too shall pass. It has resulted in shrinking of their business share and facing constant threat of its client moving towards more innovative solutions.
2. Trying to go social without much thought — as panacea for all ills. This has brought a new beast home both for the solution providers as well as their customers.
3. Then there are companies who believe having some sort of social computing based solutions as value added service is the answer.
This has resulted in uncertainty and confusion. Social computing and its surge have made eLearning industry scramble for solutions. Instead of panicking, eLearning companies should rather first answer these questions:
- What is your USP? Are you in content, technology or services side of business or have some sort of combination of these? If it is a combination, what is the mix?
And some related questions:
- Do you have a growing repository of technically correct content delivered with sound instructional design on myriad platform?
- What do you produce? WBT, ILT or content in any other format?
- Do you have an LMS and/or an LCMS (Learning Content Management System) or have alliances with LMS and CMS providers?
After evaluating where it stands and ascertaining which way the wind is blowing, it is important to understand how social computing is transforming each aspect of eLearning business: content, technology and services.
Once this change is understood, only then can you take an informed business decision. In the meanwhile, keep an eye on how things are evolving on the social computing front.
Sumeet Anand is Founder CEO and S.M. Nafay Kumail is Co-Founder of Kreeo (i-nable Solutions), a technology startup in the Enterprise 2.0 and collective intelligence space.
| eLearning Components | Without Social Computing | With Social Computing |
| Content | Build or buy WBT, ILT and training related content. Create “courses” | Crowd source and generate content from experts and practitioners within |
| Technology | Technology is needed at two levels: creating e-content as per instructional strategy and design (Think WBT building engines and LCMS) and building a platform with capabilities of launching structured learning content, tracking and reporting, expert access, dynamic content, knowledge base (Think LMS) | Provide a framework or create an automated framework to create courses out of collected information objects. Repurpose/update collaboratively created and tagged content objects in many forms. The emerging movement towards Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) |
| Services | Web-based services for a large user-base such as E-mail, chat, call centers, discussion forums, bulletin board, managing entire training cycle and resources, providing internal MIS to trainers, information services for pre-identified groups | Social computing driven tools completely remove this need by built-in services within the tool and through self help and search paradigms |