Endgame - encouraging completion in
e-learning

by Clive Shepherd


E-learning – at least to the extent that it is delivered in self-study format – suffers in the same way as all of its distance learning predecessors: from high drop-out rates. Although most learners start with good intentions of completing, far too high a proportion never achieve the benefits they were seeking when they were enrolled. In this article, Clive Shepherd explores whether drop-out rates are any real indicator of the success of e-learning and, to the extent that they are, what can be done to reduce them to manageable levels.

Contents
Lies, damn lies
Methods to motivate
Social pressures
A little time pressure
Completion by design
Playing the endgame
Case study: When learning can't be left to chance
Case study: Achieving results through blended learning
The motivation matrix

Lies, damn lies

E-learning has to watch out, or it will get itself a bad reputation. Statistics from Corporate University Exchange, based on a study of 4148 online learners, show drop-out rates standing at about 70% compared with an average of 15% for classroom training. Now, as we all know, there are ‘lies, damn lies and statistics’. Before we commence the mandatory wailing and gnashing of teeth (whatever that is), we should be a little more discriminating. First of all, e-learning is not a method in itself, it is a channel, just like the telephone, TV, the radio and, of course, direct face-to-face communication. As a sophisticated channel, based on a huge network of powerful computing devices and delivering its output through screens, speakers and printers, e-learning supports a wide range of learning methods, including self-study, real-time events, asynchronous discussion, not to mention exploration of the World Wide Web. Not all of these methods suffer from high drop-out rates. In fact ‘dropping out’ only really means anything if you consciously ‘dropped-in’ in the first place – which typically means some sort of formal learning event like a course.

To the extent that e-learning is real-time, like virtual classroom events and chat rooms, dropping out is no more of an issue than it is in a virtual classroom. Peer pressure and social etiquette usually requires participants to stay the course and see the event out, however switched off they may be (although virtual learners have the advantage of being able to read their emails or play Solitaire while continuing to take part in the event). A bigger issue is getting people to the events, as any classroom trainer will tell you as they survey the list of last-minute cancellations.

So, our problem is with formal, self-study learning, which should not be surprising, as all previous self-study methods have suffered in exactly the same way. The problem is not the channel – in this case e-learning – but the mechanism, self-study. Although self-study offers the learner huge advantages in terms of self-pacing, flexible timing and the absence of potentially embarrassing ice-breakers and role-plays, it can suffer from one or two of its own absences, not least people and, from the learner’s perspective, any sort of self-discipline. As trainers we have two choices: either we give up on self-study and throw away the potential benefits, or we tackle the motivational problems and make it work. I’m for the latter..

Methods to motivate

As human beings we’re programmed to seek pleasure and avoid pain, which is just as well when you come to think of it. Because all of us have at least a modicum of intelligence (I’m not sure about you, but at least you are reading this article), we are also a little discriminating about the pleasures we seek out and generally put most of our effort where success is, if not guaranteed, at least likely. E-learners are, at least according to current thinking, also human beings and only put effort in where it’s worth their while. If we want them to complete their programs, then the pleasures must far outweigh the pains of continuing.

One organisation that knew it had to get the motivational balance right if it was to achieve its business goals was National Starch, a division of ICI. As a traditional manufacturer, their objective was to ‘increase customer satisfaction through innovation’, and this required a major improvement in computer literacy throughout the organisation. The organisation delivered a programme of NETg courses aimed at portable qualifications such as ECDL and MSCE. For the specified target group the courses were mandatory, but a more positive motivational slant was also applied using award and recognition programmes.

Karina Ward is International Marketing Manager for NETg: “The company achieved their one-year target for registrations in just seven months and in February an award was made to the 1000th learner. They key to success was the clear link between the programme and the goals of the business, backed up by clear senior management commitment. I don’t believe that monetary or similar tangible rewards are either necessary or effective. The qualifications were a wonderful reward in themselves, but learners probably got most from seeing just how much they could achieve with technology.”

Although ICI were keen to see course completions, these are not always a useful measure of success. Ward: “Another of our customers, Scottish Power, set out to enhance their position as an employer of choice, offering a full range of courses on an open learning basis to employees and customers. In a situation like this, course completions are not an issue, because the learning objectives were not directly business-related.”

Social pressures

Brian Sutton is Chief Educator at training provider QA. Sutton endorses the view that completion rates are heavily affected by business goals: “Where training is closely related to job skills and may even be compulsory, there is no real problem with completion rates. All our programmes are linked to qualifications and, to the extent that these are valued and influence career prospects, they form a powerful incentive for completion. On the other hand, where courses form part of a general education programme, it seems that ‘procrastination rules OK’.”

To help overcome the dangers of procrastination, Sutton has tried implementing a form of learning contract, between the learner, their manager and the supplier. “It’s early days yet and we’ve had varying levels of success, but we are determined to try and improve the commitment of all parties to the learning process. Our learning contract asks learners, managers and the trainers to sign off on the contribution they will make to the programme, in a wide range of areas. So far we have implemented the contract at the start of the programme, but we are more likely to be successful by making it a ‘condition of sale’.”

According to Steve Rayson, Director of Government Services for e-learning developer Epic, another form of social pressure that seems to yield results is to have learners ‘buddy up’: “We are interested in findings from The Open University that show how learners can be motivated to finish courses out of loyalty to their buddy. Students work jointly throughout the course on a variety of tasks and assignments. We are applying this technique to our PRIME leadership course, which is being implemented in the Department of Health and as part of the NHS Leadership Programme. I’m convinced that working in pairs will generate a greater sense of loyalty than would be achieved in a larger group.”

A little time pressure

Where self-study is delivering lower completion rates than the classroom, one answer is to design the e-learning to more closely resemble its face-to-face equivalent. Rachel Forsyth is Senior Lecturer in Flexible Learning at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she contributes to the development of 1200 staff: “In a survey of academic staff, nearly half of respondents told us that the reason they failed to attend staff development courses was because they were at inconvenient times. A similar proportion declared that they would be interested in using open and distance learning methods.”

Workshops were offered in traditional face-to-face style and as online learning, with equal numbers of takers. However, with the online version, although 70% finished most of the activities, only 15% completed all the set tasks. Forsyth: “There was some concern that online learning might be less effective for staff development, but comments from participants suggested that the problem lay with the design of the course. People were only too well aware of the irony that it was sometimes easier to find a whole day for a face-to-face workshop. It was clear that participants were disappointed in their own ability to manage their time flexibly. To address this issue, the online courses were redesigned to take place over a very short time period, when participants were expected to concentrate on the workshop material and activities.”

The redesign has solved the problem of low completion rates, without influencing effectiveness. In fact, the online courses have become sufficiently popular to justify removing all face-to-face sessions from the programme. The removal of so much flexibility may not be an ideal solution, but it seems that for many learners, flexibility is a tool that’s still too hot too handle.

Completion by design

Others would agree just how important design is to the success of a programme. Steve Dineen is CEO and Founder of e-learning developer fuel. "We have always believed that learners need encouragement to start out learning online, but our research shows that, once they have experienced good quality e-learning content, 94% of learners would like more training in this form. If content quality is poor, no amount of incentives will encourage a learner to see a course through from start to finish.”

So, how do you get learners motivated in the first place? Dineen: “We have found that both the carrot and the stick can be effective in pushing them along. Senior level buy-in is vital and most clients who have applied the stick gently in the form of messages from directors have found that this produces a significant uplift in course completion. Furthermore, a good learning management system will enable line managers to track the progress of all participants, so they can then be chased if their progress is slow.”

"As an added motivational tool, some organisations choose to offer rewards and incentives to staff ranging from extra days off to gift vouchers and holidays. One client of ours, a major telecoms company, decided to offer rewards to learners. Employees who complete a product knowledge course can win prizes by achieving high scores in an interactive game designed to test their knowledge. Rewards can be a useful tool in focusing the learner’s attention, but content and the way in which e-learning is introduced into an organisation are the crucial deciding factors in the success of e-learning."

Playing the endgame

In all this talk of carrots and sticks, it’s important to remember that the donkey may not actually need any coaxing – he may be quite happy to enjoy a stroll for its own sake. After all, we don’t need an elaborate programme of rewards and punishments to persuade us to read a book, watch TV or listen to a new album, or even to expend energy on sports. We like doing these things, so much so that we often don’t want them to finish. In short, the more pleasurable an activity is, the less we need rewards and punishments to persuade us to indulge. If e-learning is a pleasurable experience (or any learning for that matter), we will want to do it and we will find the time.

So what is it that makes learning pleasurable? Well, first if all it must be relevant to our work or other interests and challenging enough to excite us. It needs to provide the facility for us to interact, with the subject, with our peers and with experts. When the conditions are right, wild horses couldn’t drag you away, even though your attitudes are being challenged, you are struggling to master new skills and your brain is over-heating.

Being realistic, a lot of workplace learning may never be this exciting, and we may need to give the learner a little extra encouragement to see the course through, but if rewards and punishments are all that we’ve got, a better question is, is this training such a good idea in the first place?

Case study: When learning can't be left to chance

All financial institutions have a responsibility to put procedures in place to prevent money laundering. Indeed, directors and senior managers within the financial services industry face a two-year jail term for failing to meet these responsibilities. One of the ways in which financial institutions help to meet these responsibilities is by ensuring that their staff are well trained in procedures to identify money laundering and report any suspicions without, of course, breaching customer confidentiality. Britannia Building Society is the second largest building society in the UK, with 188 branches, over 3,300 employees and group assets exceeding £19bn. The Society is meeting its responsibilities under current legislation through a series of e-learning and e-assessment materials which it has specially commissioned from VEGA Group PLC.

A key element of the course is a series of highly-realistic case studies. Completing these successfully entitles the learner to a printed 'pass' certificate. Candidates who fail the case study test are allowed one further attempt at a different case study, but, if they fail again, they are 'locked out' of the system for seven days. During that time they must continue their studies and discuss their progress with their manager before re-sitting the case study module. VEGA’s Peter Durrant explains how this works: ”Users sign on, take the course, and their records are stored on the branch server. Once a month, these results are up-loaded to the company’s main server, so results can be shown to the industry's regulators, as necessary.

Regulators can review each learner's records and see proof of their level of competence."
Under the current regulations, each member of Britannia's staff that is affected by the legislation must go through a re-training and re-certification process every two years. However, Britannia's company policy is that staff are trained on an annual basis. Julie Lovatt works in the Society's Group Training and Competence Department: “Britannia felt that e-learning would provide the right degree of interactivity with the staff to advance knowledge and skills, while introducing a robust record keeping system. We launched the training programme successfully through a full staff communication programme. This included putting information about both money laundering and the new training programme on our intranet site, giving staff the chance to test out the materials as part of a display, as well as running a competition for staff."

Lovatt continues: "We are delighted with the results. We now have a training programme and monitoring system in place that can prove to both the industry regulators and our customers that this Society is highly competent and trustworthy."

Case study: Achieving results through blended learning

Trainers who may be feeling depressed by e-learning completion rates would do well to look at some superb results being generated by the NHS e-Tutor training programme, commissioned by the National Health Service Information Authority (NHSIA). To date this innovative blended learning programme has achieved a completion rate of 93.8% and average learner satisfaction ratings of 5.95 out of a maximum score of 6.

In July 2002 the NHSIA announced that it was registering 200 NHS trainers onto places on
e-tutoring skills courses operated by The Training Foundation under the Institute of IT Training Certified e-Learning Professional (CeLP) Programme. At the time, Diane Benjamin, Programme Manager for the NHS Information Authority commented: "The NHS in England is committed to a major basic IT skills development programme for some 700,000 staff over the next 5 years. We anticipate that the majority will choose to study via e-learning approaches, so it's vital that we put in place effective learner support to assist staff, many of whom will be studying online for the first time."

This customised blended programme developed for the NHSIA by The Training Foundation commences with a one-day classroom course called the e-Tutor Programme Startup day. The subsequent learning experience takes place online, with a high level of remote tutor support and peer-to-peer interaction.

Carol Hulm, ECDL Service Manager and project manager for the NHSIA, explained how learners have responded: "From the outset the feedback we received from learners has been excellent. So far, 91 learners have completed the programme in 17 groups and have qualified as e-tutors. The six learners who haven't completed have either withdrawn for health reasons or because of pressure of work, or still have to complete one or more course assignments. The fact that we chose a blended solution has undoubtedly shown benefits in terms of completion and satisfaction rates.”

The motivation matrix