C2 Workshop's E-Learning Blog

Sowing & Reaping The Fruits Of E-Learning!

"'Know somethin'... I don't care a damn about being told to learn, awright?! I wouldn't be on this job, if I were not qualified, correct? My performance is pretty alright. In fact, I'm running ahead, 'cos, I constantly update myself on whatever stuff needed, to justify what I do. So, what the heck are we talkin' about?' This used to be favorite argument, till 6 months ago...

"But, not anymore!

"This new kid on the block, quite charming in his ways, has taken charge of the e-learning division, since he came in. Pretty compelling, I should say. Has this habit of peeping into my cubicle and innocently asking me questions like, "How about an e-learning session on people management?"

"I mean, I would've seen red if someone else were to have thrown this question at me. Me to learn handling people?? But, this guy smiles at me disarmingly and says, "You'll find it interesting."

"Surprising really, I say OK. And, know what? Hate to admit it, the courses he gives me are damn interesting... nothin' like what I've seen comin' in from the earlier guy. And, surprising further, I realize there are still things I really need to learn.

"Now, it has come to my getting hooked to all the material that comes from this dude.

"E-Learning and the dude rock, really." 

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What we carry home from this piece is this.

Using e-learning as a tool, is much, much more than just fixing an interesting course. It's like a plant. Needs a lot of personal touch.

One has to be 'at it', tilling and toiling - read constantly working on contexts that would need the knowledge transfer happening amongst employees,  watering periodically - read regularly motivating people to tune in to the concept of learning that would help in their getting equipped on the updated trends in their respective professions, and trimming off the unnecessary protuberances, read allaying unfounded apprehensions against the efficacy of e-learning.

Done the right way, one could be sure this plant would also flourish and yield 'fruits'.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

E-Learning: Fragrance In The Wilderness!

Ha! How wonderful it is, for me to take that cup of steaming hot coffee to my - only my - seat at my home.

Sip the aromatic stuff, lookin' at those dewy rain drops drippin' from the edges of the leaves, just outside my window. Keep lookin', till the last sip gets drained from my cup!

Time? Forget the time. I've all the time in the world. You know, I can make up for losing my time on this preciously lovable moment, by sitting late into the night. Who cares anyway? I don't have anyone tightening the time noose around my neck. So, what the heck?

These moments are also the other wonderful offshoots of technology. I mean, would anyone go in search of a public phone booth these days, havin', say, the genius of an i-phone lingering at one's finger tips? Isn't it clear that in comparison with the sensation one gets out of this magic, the public phone booth is archaic? Totally??

Well, from this sophisticated angle, why not take on to a technology that would bring my education to me, at my desk at my home? Sounds pretty cool, actually.

But, I wonder why this technological wonder hasn't as yet taken off into the skies, like its other technological siblings. Possible it's stuck big time, snared by creative shackles. At the moment!

Oh, yes! Only at the moment!

No way can the moment last long, 'cos, the idea is absolutely kick-ass. It'll not be long before it becomes a rave with the gen-next minds.

But, for the moment, this fragrance is available only for those dudes, who go in search of it in to the wilderness.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

When Sham Is Targeted, The Real Persists!

 
After a lot of high-level discussions and emergency meetings, the senior managers decide to call for a group gathering of all production-associates of the company.

"We are happy to announce we're introducing a computer based training for all of you to address the 'best production practices'. This training, we're sure, will result in a much better turnover. As you know, we're passing through a critical phase and need to step up on our performance levels. We urge you to take this training seriously with a perspective to augment your productivity."

Seated in the audience, I smile. Nobody asked me for my opinion, as a Team Head, on the big plan. If someone had, I would've averred that what my colleagues lacked wasn't the proficiency to deliver, but the will to deliver.

And, who needed to be trained wasn't my colleagues once again, but the same senior managers who're supposed to give all the support needed for better productivity. They needed to be trained on better people management, interpersonal relations and morale boosting practices that would cheer the already proficient crowd.

This training, therefore, is gonna hit the rocks.

Here, it's the case of one problem having multiple causes. The problem of flagging performance levels that could be caused by lack of proficiency or by bad managers!

And, the easiest thing to do is to conclude that training is needed. But for what?

The needed action therefore, is to identify the cause of a business problem, before deciding a corrective action.

For, when something that is not real is targeted, the real persists.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)