Review of “Industrial and Commercial Training”
The study indicates that 21% of the companies with at least 500 workers prefer providing online learning opportunities for their workers. The paper expresses that the human resources managements, in general, are still suspicious about the efficiency of online learning programs for the workers. Only 30% of the companies those provide online learning opportunities for their workers express that they have received positive results from the online learning programs, and the rest of the companies indicate that they need relatively more time to make a certain decision whether the online learning programs have positive results (Kirkup, 2014).
The paper indicates us that the workers have a life dominated by the internet and some social media applications. Thus, online learning works in many aspects of the life from cooking to growing kids, and to working life. Online learning is an addiction for many people. Subsequently, the companies need to understand this fact and find a way to utilize from this addiction or maybe a new aspect of the life.
It is possible to develop new ways of teaching the workers online. However, the current online learning and training programs are mostly individualistic programs. In simple words, the workers can learn from the online programs as independent of the team. Thus, online learning has developed individualistic programs. That might damage the teamwork approach at the workplaces. Developing teamwork has an essential place in the human resources management; therefore, the online learning programs need to contribute to the team work efficiency. The current programs are not efficient in terms of developing and promoting team work (Kirkup, 2014).
Review of “Calculating the real value of e-learning”
The article indicates us that we need a way to measure the efficiency of the online learning in companies. Many people are suspicious about the efficiency of the online learning applications. Thus, monitoring and measuring system has to be developed. The article claims that it is possible to develop a mathematical measuring and evaluation model for online learning programs (Deeny, 2003).
According to the article, the most meaningful parameter to observe the efficiency of the online learning programs is the return on investment. The companies need to make an investment and spend some sources on these programs. Therefore, for making the optimal decisions, the decision makers need a measure (Deeny, 2003).
The article suggests implementing a survey to the workers who use the online learning programs. This survey follows five main steps: 1) measuring reactions of the workers to the online learning program, 2) recording the skills gained through the online learning program, 3) recording the reflections of the online learning to the real time working applications by the workers, 4) developing some measurable variables for the efficiency of the online learning, and 5) transforming the gains through the online learning problems into the money values. These steps are expected to help us to develop a model from the views of the workers. Finding money corresponding to the gains through the online learning programs might be difficult; however, one might develop some other variables to substitute the main variables that might carry the information of the efficiency of these programs (Deeny, 2003).
The paper develops an economic model to measure the efficiency of the programs. The model developed in the paper gives us a return on investment, and the decision makers can make the optimal decision by comparing the efficiency of the online learning with the other training applications. By developing this model through adding more variables into the model, one might develop new ways of measuring the efficiency of the training and learning programs.
Review of “E-learning at work: theoretical underpinnings and pedagogical challenges”
Online learning might be an easy way to access to the information at the work places; however, online learning is a process between a human and a computer. Considering that the information technologies have started developing in the recent decade, they miss some points. One of the most essential ones is that the machines are not suitable for the human psychology. Even many human teachers have difficulty to develop their pedagogical skills, the machines those do not have any emotions cannot respond to the pedagogical needs of the workers (Päivi, and Häkkinen, 2005).
The proper pedagogical methods in teaching play an essential role for efficient learning. Thus, even if two teachers use the same materials to teach the same subject to the students, the attitude of the teachers might cause an incredible difference in learning. Thus, the teacher's attitude and pedagogical skills might increase the efficiency up to very high levels (Päivi, and Häkkinen, 2005).
The machines do not can sensor the emotional changes; therefore, it seems to be impossible to teach the machines the pedagogical methods. Using the machines to teach people might cause some pedagogical gaps in the learners. Thus, the online learning problems might be efficient at the desired level.
One might claim that interactive applications might make a contribution to decreasing the inefficiency of the online learning programs. However, interactions in the computer world do not create the real effects on the people, or we might claim that it is suspicious. The online programs might develop an online form that the workers interact with each other, and they learn. However, making the workers meet in the real world is still more efficient (Päivi, and Häkkinen, 2005).
Review of "The impact of e-learning in the workplace: focus on organizations and healthcare environments"
The paper reviews the literature on the online learning. The online learning takes an essential place in the human resources management. There are three main aspects of the online learning according to the paper: 1) the global economic context, 2) the human capital context and 3) the information and the communication technology context (Oye, Salleh, and Iahad, 2012).
The global changes influence all the workers relatively more directly compared to the past thanks to the globalized world. The technological advancements have enabled us to reach the global information. Every worker can follow the technological advancements and the new methods in their business easily. Further than this, they can learn new methods and technologies from the online resources.
The human capital management professionals take the technology advancements’ influence on the workers into account while they make their human management plans. The internet and social media tools have developed a fast communication between the workers. Thus, the new technologies make the human resources management more complex. There are pros and cons of the new information and communication technologies.
Finally, the human resource management professionals and scientists might use the high technology to develop relatively better methods for relatively more efficient human resource management. By doing this, they might develop a way to utilize the advantages of the high technology while avoiding the undesired results from the new technologies (Oye, Salleh, and Iahad, 2012).
Three E-learning Examples from the Real Companies
Weis Markets is a retail store that is founded in Pennsylvania and spread to Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia. Weis markets have created many brands. Because the retail stores in five different states, the management was in need of a way to communicate and teach the associates in the stores. The company has received help from Alchemy, a consultancy and software developer company. Alchemy is specialized in the food stores sector. Alchemy produces online solutions and other solutions for the food markets. Alchemy has developed a program for Weis Markets called AP program. This program helped Weis Markets management to communicate with the associates in the different six states in a fun environment. This system also enables the management to teach new things to their associates (Virtual Strategy Magazine, 2014).
Frank’s International is an industry leader in casing, installing and distributing oilfield tubulars. Frank’s International’s workers do a very dangerous job because they use heavy machinery. The company was in need of developing a way to teach the workers about the safety rules at the workplace. They made an agreement with LITE. LITE is a company developing online learning modules for the businesses. LITE has developed a virtual game for the workers where the workers can learn safety related issues through being in the virtual reality (Frank’s International, 2014).
Marks & Spencer is a famous clothing company. Marks & Spencer have 64,230 workers in the different 46 manufacturing locations. Communicating with the workers, collecting their complaints, and developing some training programs for the workers were an important problem for Marks & Spencer. Marks & Spencer has developed mobile application named Labor Link Mobile Technology. This application enables the company to hear from the workers and develop some training for them. Also, the company can feed the workers with some information through using this mobile technology (Marks & Spencer, 2014).
Works Cited
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