Shape up with Rapid E-learning!

Recall the number of encounters you have had with an uncouth and obnoxious Indian government employee –- in railway stations, airports, banks, government offices etc. Were you ever left feeling dejected and cheated? Were you showered with expletives and attitude? Given the current standards, YES!

Most government workers in India today, inspite their tasting the fruits of globalization, remain localized –- unprofessional in every sense of the word. For example, in India's national capital 2 out of three citizens I meet report of harrasment, racism, inhuman treatment and unprofessionalism meted out by a govt. employee -- postman, policeman, bank clerk, municipality counseller, booking clerk, and worst, peons. And they have nowhere to go. As tales of some of the most horrendous racial discrimination makes inroads into the public realm, one cannot help but remain concerned about the lop-sided development. The rut appears to be eating out our senses.

With claims of being one of the world’s ancient civilizations, our government officials exemplify otherwise. Clearly no evolution is visible in sight and action. Even with the noted Right to Information (RTI) Act the difference in workplace attitude and approach is a mirage. As one Indian citizen recently noted "I feel India is fast receding into a chaotic nation with public work culture and attitude registering the lowest performance in the world. The government machinery just does not seem to work."

Perhaps e-learning has a solution here largely because training a mammoth government work-force with basic workplace skills through traditional instructor-led training would require tremendous effort -- something that the government cannot afford. Ideally, the government should firm-up mandatory training laws for all departments, and better still, map training to the appraisal system. E-learning can help inject order in government servants. Its time Indians inward-feed some of those e-learning courses that they develop for a global clientele. And the Indian government should be the first customers -- if they aren't they surely are determined to take the nation back in time to devastation.

Are e-learning employees getting a raw deal?

There's little doubt that e-learning has made great strides over the years. India today boasts of a sizeable number of e-learning companies with clients of all sizes and shapes -- from small to Fortune 500 companies. And Indian companies appear to be scoring high on quality issues.

But the flipside of the whole game is ironical. While all e-learning companies boasts of a competent workforce, most do not price their resources. Today as the industry stands in the threshold of a revolution in the software and e-learning sector, e-learning professionals are getting far too less than they actually deserve. And that explains the huge exodus of e-learning professionals from one company to another and even to the IT sector.

Most e-learning companies do not have an employee insurance scheme. This means that if employees meet with a fatal accident, they are left on their own -- with nowhere to go. Their family members are left to strive on their own. The company simply dashes off a condolence message to one and all through e-mail and loo all are back to work. As one e-learning professional working with one of India's largest e-learning company in New Delhi recently observed, "They kiss you like a buddy when they need you and dump you like a fly when you are in distress."

In the US, e-learning employees are covered through a comprehensive health and life insurance. Surprisingly, in India, while most e-learning companies emulate the US model they simply ignore things when it comes to employee welfare. This trend should change, if at all Indian e-learning companies are serious about registering global success stories.

Understandably the demand for a regulator of the e-learning industry, that has been doing the rounds of informal corridors in India, has been more from employees than from e-learning employers because of the simple reason that a regulator is more likely to tighten the noose around e-learning companies than the code of conduct laid down for the professionals.

There are good reasons to beleive why the e-learning sector is looked down upon by IT professionals in software companies. Most IT professionals believe that in an era of scare resources its foolish to hang around in a sector that offers challenges sans simple employee benefits like health insurance and accidental insurance. While these benefits come natural to software professionals in IT companies e-learning companies continue crying over "petty" profits that they claim to make. While the fact remains that most e-learning companies are raking in profits amounting to millions of dollars.

Perhaps this explains the huge exodus of e-learning professionals from one company to another without showcasing a wee bit of attachment to companies. And they are right when they do so. Afterall who the heck is concerned about e-learning companies when these companies have done almost nothing to win the heart and confidence of its resources. And its also justified when I hear tales of e-learning professionals demanding hefty remuneration packages and annual increments forcing employers to concede. Perhaps these companies deserve it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007

Hi Buddies!

It takes a true leader to appreciate E-learning

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, one of the finest examples of Indian leadership, has vouched for e-learning. His recognition of e-learning is not just timely but a trendsetter of sorts given the fact that the Indian government has been extremely slow in accepting e-learning as a way to solve the issues of literacy in India.

What Kalam states makes perfect sense to educationists and researchers. The mammoth task of educating a ever-increasing mass of illiterates can only be realized through Internet technologies and applications. Its time government in Indian states look beyond the parochial five-year politics and plan education for a much longer time-frame. The education ministers in each state should undergo a complete training workshop under our brilliant President so that they are able to appreciate the wider benefits technologies like the Internet. If these education ministers cannot ready themselves for a change then its best for them to forego their charge from the ministry.

Free Online University: Another revolution round the corner!!

Having given a run for their money to dubious content sellers Wikipedia is readying to launch another power-laced product -- a Free Online University. True to its democratic nature Wikipedia University will enable anyone and everyone to host e-learning courses or collaboratively develop learning materials. Currently the University is seeking assistance from netizens for a host of areas and its worth being a part of this great initiative.

Though the reaction to this initiative from the global e-learning industry is not apparently noticeable, its definately sending jitters down the spine of most e-learning companies in India -- ones that are surviving on the edge. While its obviously a thing to rejoice for the global community as education sheds its boundaries and reaches out to the underpriviledged, its definately a death kneel for the e-learning service industry.

E-learning to replace teachers?

Redefining e-learning rules appears interesting. What it actually achieves is perhaps a different story. In Vietnam the National University has announced that it is going to arrest the paucity of teachers through e-learning. The vice director of National University believes that e-learning can enable the university educationh system in the country to produce 20,000 doctors and 1.8 million graduates.

E-learning surely will help Vietam meet its paucity of teachers and facilities but what concerns me is the way e-learning will replace the need of teachers for medical education. As far as my knowledge goes you cannot replace medical teachers with e-learning. If it were possible we would have witnessed a new breed of medics around the world -- e-doctors.

Aptech off to Malaysia

Aptech has finally decided to wrap up in India and head for Malaysia. Aptech's CEO Pramod Khera cites that since cost of skilled workers in India had risen sharply Malaysia is a more attractive destination because of its good manpower and infrastructure facilities.

By 'good' Pramod meant 'cheap'. With Aptech now heading to cheaper destinations the day, it seems, is not far when other companies will quickly follow suit. Wonder, should we say that the death-kneel of Indian e-learning has been struck?

Progressive Disclosure through Ajax

The mechanism of information disclosure is central to effective learning. Earlier developers used multiple pages to progressively disclose information. Today the same can be done with Ajax code and definately this can result in an improved user experience since all requested information can be found on the same page. Ajax can now enable users to seek more power, better features and ample options, as well as, experience learning with much simplicity.

Its time the Indian e-learning industry starts using Ajax coding.

Is Reliance Competent to handle E-learning?

Though its good news that e-learning is gaining ground in India the concern remains that the niche domain may soon loose its edge with e-learning becoming more of a fancy business decision than anything else. The latest news that Reliance will provide e-learning through its Webworld network is a concern for the industry.

Though its is not exactly clear how Reliance plans to weave out the content for these courses there is a feeling that Reliance will have to rope in some stable and established e-learning players rather than go on its own. If it doesn't the concept is surely not going to be a long-term thing. This considering Reliance's track record of not delivering what they promise, as has been witnessed in the case of its telephone services.

Liqvid eLearning is an acclaimed leader

Leadership cannot be propagated through tall claims, it has to show up in action. So truly proved by Liqvid eLearning. With a stupendous growth of 450% Liqvid e-learning has been ranked 8th amongst the among the 50 fastest growing companies in India at the ‘Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India 2006’ award. At the same time, LIQVID has also been selected in the `Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific program'. The ranking is an international recognition for a true leader that has so far silently carved a niche for itself in the e-learning industry -- setting new quality benchmarks for others to follow.

Just about a month back I predicted that Liqvid is an e-learning leader in the making, even while indutry honchos laughed away my claim saying that it was too naive and immatured. Quite upto my expectations of their understanding of e-learning, they suggested that I could have made a better journalist if I would have said so about NIIT or their ilk. They talked of financials and several such sundry nuances. I remained unaffected by their affectations.

I always beleived that the best way to gauge leadership is not to look at financials but more at the base-level resources, at the actual resources that does the work. To me Liqvid offered a more vibrant work culture and matured professionalism -- bereft of willy-nilly mindless politics. The micro-level planning at work was meticulous, a quality that I fely was inherent only in leaders.

Today Liqvid's achievement is a personal gain for me, largely because it has enabled me to sustain my argument that leadership in the knowledge economy era is not the realm of the ones who hijack public opinion through glossy ads and publicity -- real leadership can be witnessed in unconventional places amongst unconventional professionals. I only hope that the so-called claimants to leadership in e-learning in India will revisit their system and learn to set their basics correctly. Its time e-learning professionals refute the arguments of the so-called stalwarts in the industry whose credentials, I feel, are as doubtful as their opinions.

E-learning unleashes its real Power

Years back as a new entrant to the e-learning industry I found professionals going gungho about the benefits of e-learning. Today after all these years of learning on e-learning I realize that even at that time there were very few (in India) who could actually summarize the benefits of e-learning beyond the usual ‘global reach, lesser costs’ theory. Few could actually peer on futuristics.

E-learning today is working wonders. David Dewhurst, the Professor of e-learning at Edinburgh University has achieved a rare feat of actually saving thousands of animals from being slaughtered through his powerful computer simulations.

As always, I maintain that the key to a successful e-learning initiative is to understand change, understand that learning should be freed from the parochial clutches of professionals who do not want to look beyond Instructional Designing. Today, one has to think about the frontier. And to that end a professional experience in e-learning can replace the cognitive rigours of academics. Its the scholar who can unfolding knowledge from the darkest legions of the human mind.

Perhaps this will take a while to change, bogged as e-learning resources are with offshored work that goes little beyond working on Instructional Designing and development. Perhaps it will come at a later time when Indian e-learning professionals will realize that what they have missed in their long career in e-learning is the ability to think out of the box, of the far-fetched, innovative possibilities. Right now the issue is about survival, of feeding dependants, of two square meals a day.

Brands are not always the Best!

Just settled down with my work, I received yet another mail from the HR division of India's best known e-learning company based in Delhi. This was one of the several mails that I have received in the past. I was irritated. Inspite informing the company that I cannot join them, several times over, I was still receiving mails from this company. It was time I gave them a fitting reply, point-by-point. They deserved it.

THE EMAIL I WROTE

Dearest [],

Thanks for your offer. Unfortunately, as I have communicated to your earlier, I do not have any plans to join your company. To say the least my experience with your company has been extremely unpleasant. Your woeful remuneration, highly politicized work culture and poor recognition of performance makes it one of the worst places to work in the e-learning industry today. My allegations not baseless but are actual facts and is based on hard evidence. I have gathered these facts by talking to nothing less than 100 resources who have left your company in the recent past for reasons that I have mentioned above. The people who have left your organization also includes several senior resources (PMs and senior IDs) who have now joined companies like Genpact, Accenture and Satyam. Your attrition rates are amongst the highest in the industry. Just a few comparitive points where your company I feel scores low:

 
1. My present company gives me a flexi-timing that enables me to work more productively.

2. The work is project driven and no one is concerned how long I sat on my desk or wandered around (that makes me more responsible)

3. The annual increment is GUARANTEED between 25% to 100%. I am part of the strategic group in this company which means that I decide the communication strategy here and do not take the dictats of petty, incompetent managers.

4. I have a strict 5 days a week. And a 5 day strictly means 5 day.

5. A 5-star standard food (breakfast, lunch, dinner) that is supplied completely free.

7. I have free health insurance for me and my family.

Try rating your company on any of these points and see where it stands. For guys like me we are rarely fascinated by brands like yours. Your display of net profits and financial figures holds little value for me as I fail to see how it concerns me, whether you earn in millions or billions. For me, what matters the most are the finer organizational cultures.

I remember appearing for 5 rounds of interview in your company about 2 years back. And even while your incompetent HR executive kept saying all the while that the remuneration is not an issue, in the final round I was offered a 30k package per month -- a remuneration that was far less than what I was earning then. My writing this big mail has a specific purpose. I want to help you realize that all resources in Delhi cannot lured with false promises, tall claims or silly raazmataaz. There still are professionals like us who demand respect, who have a personal brand that is more credible, and who cannot beat around the bush sounding goody-goody words about brands like yours. Your International clients maybe awed with your brand but I am not.

Cheers!

Managing E-learning: Is this the trend?

Last week an acquaintance working in the e-learning industry sent me a joke (from this website) that, he opined, perfectly captured the essence of the project managers in the e-learning industry in India:

A man goes into a pet shop to buy a parrot. The shop owner points to three identical looking parrots on a perch and says, "the parrot on the left costs 500 dollars".

"Why does the parrot cost so much," asks the man.The shop owner says, "well, the parrot knows how to use a computer".

The man then asks about the next parrot to be told that this one costs 1,000 dollars because it can do everything the other parrot can do plus it knows how to use the UNIX operating system.

Naturally, the increasingly startled man asks about the third parrot to be told that it costs 2,000 dollars. Needless to say this begs the question, "What can it do?"

To which the shop owner replies, "to be honest I have never seen it do a thing, but the other two call him boss!"

Finally the Indian Government wakes upto E-learning

Better late than never. Finally the Indian Government has appreciated the potential of e-learning. The Department of Income Tax (DIT) has roped in NIIT for a innovative STE (Source-Train-Enable) programme where NIIT will select 5000 candidates for becoming ‘Certified Tax Return Preparers’. Over the past one decade even as India has emerged as a e-learning courseware development hub for global companies and governments, e-learning as a tool for training and education was ignored by the Indian government largely due to the apathy of its maladroit bureaucracy.

Let's hope that the wisdom of the Indian government grows as they adopt more e-learning initiatives for others departments. With a academician Prime Minister at the helm, there could be no better time than this for India to streamline its education, training and information dissemination initiatives through e-learning.

Who said e-learning comes cheap?

Journalists and regular writers have the unusual habit of sounding what sounds sweet. For instance claims that e-learning is cheap has has rattled the pillars of learning for long. Everyone is gung ho on the "low cost" as they peruse through arbit reports and features on the subject. But that's just a common opinion -- the ground realities say that elearning is definately COSTLY.

Lets consider a scenario in India and calculate the cost factor.

First, the actual competent e-learning resources do not come cheap. This since learning is not about being able to write a script in flawless english and then prinking pictures here and there. True learning experts are people who have honed their skills after years of toil.

At the delivery end, any e-learning course has to run on a system such as an LMS that enables the administrators to track the learning progess. LMS prices are not cheap. Even an average LMS can be bought at nothing less than 40-50lakhs. Add to it the enhancements and maintenance involving a team of programmers.

Finally when the e-learning course is deployed that's not the end. Its just the beginning. Apart from a few subjects such as softskills, most courses would require updations and enhancements. This too requires a cost.

For the ones bugging the naive with all that "cost talk", I suggest that they look at elearning holistically -- the dynamism, the expertise required, the delivery mechanism, the constant maintenance and updations required and so on. Its not a magic pill that will erode all learning problems once and for all.

Terrorism E-learning courses now!

E-learning is a clear winner. E-learning has finally caught on with terrorism. Its news for the e-learning fraternity that Informa has joined forces with the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) at the University of St Andrews to offer the first transnational e-learning course in the study of terrorism. The 16-week course enables participants to receive a solid grounding in the causes, consequences and responses to terrorism.
And now the flip side. Even while the terrorism courses are being created one wonders whether actual terrorists will get hold of these courses and redefine their modus operandi. The other concern is that terrorism as a subject is extremely dynamic and requires real-time capture of data without which the courses will become a mere "content junk" as they will not be enable learners to practice their learning in countering terrorist attacks or making any difference to this onerous issue that impacts the society at large.

However, the attempt to develop e-learning courses for terrorism is laudable. The first stride is important. The rest will follow.

Thomson sells NETg with a Thud!

Finally the giant e-learning division was sold off to its competitor. Thomson's prestigious e-learning division Thomson NETg was bought by SkillSoft plc, its e-learning rival, for a whooping $285 million. And as this huge money changes hands the fate of about 300 employees lurks in the dark.

While selling off Thomson NETg Richard Harrington, the Chief Executive Officer said that though Thomson Learning is an excellent business it "does not fit with our long-term strategic vision."

So while the deal closes by the first half of 2007, a more pressing concern confronts Indian companies, particularly the ones that were dependent on NETg for a good chunk of their business. What of the employees that were recruited by these Indian vendors who have spent a major part of their lives only working for developing only NETg courses?

With Skillsoft at the helm now, getting NETg projects for Indians companies will remain a challenge for the days to come. Its likely that Skillsoft will analyze Indian vendors now on more stringent parameters.

Unpredictability undoubtedly is the king in e-learning.

NASSCOM should rank E-learning Companies!!

Its time we struck a fine balance between authentic claims and misleading information. As the e-learning industry in India gets innundated in unsolicited claims by e-learning companies that they are "Best in India" and the "Largest", its become all the more essential to seperate the wheat from the chaff. The ramifications of such loud claims have been pretty expensive and tasking for clients. Though an exact figure is not available there are countless instances where global clients have learned their lessons the hard way -- that financial figures and gigantic sizes are not always an indication of the e-learning capabilities. Some organizations like the General Motors have already learnt from experience that offshoring e-learning development to India is not always about cost-cutting. There's more to it.

Its time NASSCOM comes forward and provides a robust mechanism to rate all e-learning companies in India. Not only will this help in generating more trust but will shove aside the incompetent players who have been bringing the industry to disrepute.

NIIT receives Dataquest Award 2006

Its time for NIITians to rejoice. NIIT has bagged the Award for being No. 1 IT Training Company in India from Dataquest. Dataquest cited that "NIIT...is now nearly 1.5 times bigger than the combined revenues of the next 4 players put together."

I think a broader and a better analysis by dataquest for the award would have been to analyze the leader in developing quality training courses -- perhaps an average of revenue, reach and impact. NIIT is 1.5 times bigger does not sound impressive. Size unfortunately fails to impress everyone. Its time we think beyond simple size and economics.

India's First Education Portal...at Last!!!

Too late or too early -- its best left for debate. The Indian government has finally got an educational portal "Sakshat" in shape. The portal was launched by President Abdul Kalam on Monday.

Being a researcher certain issues concern me. Its news to me that the content for the portal is being developed by UGC, AICTE, IGNOU, NCERT, KVS, NVS, CBSE, IITs and IISc. While names like IITs, IISc and UGC evoke respect, others such as IGNOU are better ignored. Consider the facts. For several years now the university has not been able to update its distance learning course material for subjects such as Journalism. And this is not due to lack of will; rather the infighting for supremacy between hoardes of self-proclaimed intellectuals who incessantly hover around flaunting their political reach and prowess.

Back in the year 2000, as a researcher for DD-GyanDarshan, I experienced the intellectual potential and capability of IGNOU. I was a researcher who already knew his findings before conducting the research. It was then that I predicted an early death for DD-GyanDarshan. And I was correct. The educational channel today moves in a crippling pace inviting very little attention. Perhaps the only audience left for it are the ones who create the programs. Nevertheless the channel serves as a potential money-vending medium for a sizeable chunk of so-called TV professionals who would not be bought even free by any of these private channels. Today, the news of the innauguration of the educational portal evokes concern because I am worried whether it is another medium poised for an early death?