Despite the general downturn in our economy's technology sectors over the past few years, eLearning continues to grow at a substantial pace. That's the view of International Data Corporation (IDC), a leading provider of technology intelligence, analysis, market data, and strategic and tactical guidance to the information technology (IT) industry.

According to a report released by IDC in September of 2002, the global market for IT education and training will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 7.1%, reaching $28.6 billion by 2006. Organizations, the report continues, will adopt eLearning tools and techniques "for reasons of efficiency, convenience, and more instructionally sound use of the delivery medium."

Stratagem's Take

Ev Glaspey, who directs and manages Stratagem's eLearning efforts, has been carefully watching the growth and development of this market, as well as the issues facing it. Following numerous discussions with Stratagem clients, she has compiled a list of topics she believes will influence the course of the eLearning industry:

1. The confusion over Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS) — what they are, how they differ, and whether to build or buy. "One key to this discussion is determining the level of 'granularity' or content detail you want to manage," says Ev. "You may have content that could be shared or repurposed for various eLearning modules. The question is: How small can the modules be and remain both useful and cost-effective to manage?"

1. The pace of mergers among providers. The rapidly changing list of providers makes this industry a moving target for interested buyers. Portability is a key consideration, Ev says. "Be sure to select tools that can render your content and user input in a format easily maintained by other tools and LMS systems if necessary," she cautions. "You might find yourself re-coding a lot of courses if your courseware vendor were to exit the market unexpectedly."

1. Centralized decision-making regarding internal training and learning. In many organizations, training is a fragmented, decentralized function. A corporate investment in eLearning entails some collective planning to make the best, most economical and cross-organizational use of the new tools and systems. Ev believes that education is part of the process: "We work within organizations to point the way and optimize the value of the eLearning function to our clients."

1. The state of industry standards. The Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) is a generally accepted industry standard for eLearning, but there are several versions. No single standard applies to the fully functioning eLearning environment. "Ensuring the compatibility among standards will be an important goal for any organization interested in adopting an eLearning solution," Ev says.

1. Integration of learning systems with other company information. Conducting an eLearning program entails the sharing of confidential information, including proprietary corporate data for courseware use and individual learning scores or achievement levels. An eLearning infrastructure must take into account the appropriate use of such information, consistent with a company's business interests, policies, and values.

Each of these issues must be driven by a business need, which translates to revenue generation, cost containment, or market differentiation, says Ev. If any of these needs is missing or underserved, the eLearning results will suffer.

In coming months, Ev Glaspey will explore these issues here in greater detail, one by one. You are invited to contact Ev if you would like to add to the discussion. We welcome you to ask questions or report on your personal experiences or insights regarding eLearning at a functional or corporate level.