Your Needs

Conducting an e-training pilot project

Conducting a pilot project is an excellent way to identify the benefits of e-training for your organization. Your project should start with an analysis of your training needs and objectives. Integral to this is an analysis of your trainees. Who are your potential e-learners and what are their needs and circumstances?

Factors to consider in planning an e-training pilot project include:

 choosing an e-training delivery format
 asynchronous (anytime, anyplace) distributed e-training
 synchronous (same time, anyplace) virtual classroom e-training
 a combination of training formats (including regular classroom)
 designing / developing the e-training content and learning activities
 assessing learner knowledge and skills acquisition
 providing learner support
 specifying / sourcing technical infrastructure and technical support
 managing the project
 evaluating the project
 providing instructor / facilitator training (if required)

A successful pilot project can create the proof of concept needed to develop broad organizational support for e-training.

A note about the learners / trainees

For most of your learners (trainees), the pilot project will be their first experience with e-training. Many will be apprehensive. It's good practice to provide trainees with a "guided tour" of the e-training technology and the content and learning activity formats to make them comfortable before beginning the "real" training. It's essential that they have on-demand, easy access to both technical help and subject-matter expertise during training. (NB: Never use the dehumanizing term "user" when referring to learners / trainees.)