Case Study-Based Collaborative Elearning

Collaborative tools for corporate training

Kokcharov, Igor; Strehmel, Sebastian; Sauter Training and Simulation, STS SA

Lausanne, Switzerland info@sts.ch

Burov, Andrey SKTB Nauka SB RAS Krasnoyarsk, Russia burov@icm.krasn.ru

Abstract Case studies are widely used as an effective tool for learning in business schools and corporate training. Learning & development managers face the dilemma that they want to include collaborative work in their training programs, but are requested to replace face-to-face by online training to reduce cost and increase flexibility. The possible answer to such a demand is asynchronous collaborative eLearning, when trainees participate in case studies in different locations at different periods of time. Social media brings about new possibilities and potential to develop effective corporate training. This work shares the experiences of using the collaborative eLearning platform PM Teamwork for specific project management training in international corporations. The work also analyzes the combination of collaborative eLearning with the computer-based classroom business game SimulTrain® and individual online eLearning courses.

Keywords: business training, collabarative, case study, corporate, business, MBA, training, project management, teamwork, simultrain, course, tool, corporate trainig

INTRODUCTION Case studies are widely used as an effective tool for

learning in business schools and corporate training. Learning & development managers face the dilemma that they want to include collaborative work in their training programs, but are requested to replace face-to-face by online training to reduce cost and increase flexibility. The possible answer to such a demand is asynchronous collaborative eLearning, when trainees participate in case studies in different locations at different periods of time. Social media brings about new possibilities and potential to develop effective corporate training [1]. This work shares the experiences of using the collaborative eLearning platform for specific project management training in international corporations. The work also analyzes the combination of collaborative eLearning with the computer-based classroom business game SimulTrain® and individual online eLearning courses.

I. COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

A. Corporate Training Needs Collaborative learning is a training technique in which

several people gain skills by studying together. The eLearning

industry is a multi-billion dollar rapidly growing business. For example, US training expenses grew by more than 10% in 2012. Corporate training includes new features such as collaborative learning, social learning and global learning. Every major problem international corporations face require international knowledge and co-operation [2]. Professional certification is also demanded within corporate training. Another important trend is “gamification”, which can be well explained by the Chinese proverb “Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I'll remember. Involve me, I'll understand”.

Compared with business school courses, corporate training is usually shorter, more specific and with clearly defined skills to train. The efficiency of the training is estimated by real results afterwards as well as by the cost of the training and the time of the employees’ absences from the workplace.

B. Collaborative vs. Individual Learning The answer to the question “Would our organization need

individual or collaborative learning?” is “both”. The most efficient way is to use the advantages of both approaches. The main advantage of individual eLearning is its flexibility. The trainee chooses his or her own pace of study as well as place, time and duration. 24/7 access to all reference materials and drilldown exercises facilitate learning for busy people. The advantages of collaborative learning are its efficiency, higher retention rate and higher participant motivation. For example, the retention rate of a group business game is several times higher than that from lectures, reading or using audiovisual materials.

People are often resistant to being taught. Winston Churchill explained: “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught”. Collective study and business games overcome the effect of “being taught” by involving people in the learning process.

II. BLENDED LEARNING FOR CORPORATIONS Blended learning is an educational approach that combines

face-to-face classroom methods with individual activities, such as online eLearning. The experience of the Swiss training company STS shows that among more than 100,000 trainees, the majority were trained via blended learning, which includes a kick-off meeting (in-person or via a web conference), several weeks of individual eLearning with 12 hours of computer work

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and a final two-day session with collaborative business simulation. This type of training is chosen by the majority of training managers from European and international corporations in different industries. Such training is accompanied by ongoing evaluation and the continuous improvement of the content as recommended by [3].

A management training program is aimed at learning two types of knowledge:

Technical, formal and procedural knowledge: on a project management course, for instance, this type of knowledge involves knowing how to use planning tools and complete a profitability assessment or a risk analysis.

Relational know-how: on a project management course, for instance, this type of knowledge involves knowing how to lead a team, make decisions, solve conflicts and manage stakeholders.

The “blended learning” concept allows trainees to use the best elements of these two training methods: the eLearning method (via the Internet) and classroom training. The advantages of the method include the following:

Thanks to self-learning via the Internet, the amount of time out of the office is greatly reduced.

Each participant learns at his/her own pace, which provides for highly efficient training.

The simulation allows the learning team to experience a project in a short amount of time and to work and decide as a team under time pressure.

III. PM TEAMWORK COLLABORATIVE PLATFORM In classroom training, a considerable proportion of the time

is spent on group work and case studies to develop specific professional competencies. However, more and more classroom training is being replaced by individual eLearning in order to increase the efficiency and flexibility of learning as well as reduce travel costs.

The collaborative eLearning platform PMTeamwork.com is an innovative solution that combines the flexibility of individual online eLearning and the shared experiences of collaborative work. This collaborative online tool allows a group of people to work together on a case study under the guidance of a professional coach. The case is described in necessary detail and the group has to answer a number of questions related to it. At any time, participants have access to background theory. A distant coach provides guidance and feedback. In contrast to individual eLearning, all decisions and answers are discussed and validated by the team. A chat or blog system allows participants to argue in favor of their preferred option or write an answer to a question. Participants may work asynchronously, and therefore they do not have to be online at the same time. Tablets and smartphones are also used to resolve business case studies on the go.

Each participant receives a login and can connect to the platform at any time over a web browser on a computer or a mobile device. At their own speeds, participants can read the

case, study the related theory and answer the questions. There are different types of questions:

Multiple choice questions: all participants individually choose one answer option. They can see other votes and change their choices until the majority of the team has voted for an option.

Open-ended questions: the team has to submit a textual answer to the question that will be evaluated by the trainer. Every participant can contribute to writing the answer.

The learning objectives of a training session with the collaborative tool are manifold:

To develop managerial skills and techniques via online collaborative work

To share best practices and experiences

To gain practical know-how about the concerned topic (e.g. project management, leadership)

To acquire knowledge from related theory

Test sessions were held in Denmark and Germany for a multinational corporation and were devoted to the subject “leading a project team”. These pilot sessions showed the need for an active tutor, high responsiveness of participants and active exchange within a group of four participants. People appreciate experiential learning – drawing from experiences, the possibility of reflecting on company-specific approaches and the learning and exchange of best practices.

IV. CONCLUSION Case study-based collaborative eLearning is a rapidly

growing trend in corporate learning due to its efficiency, mobile flexibility, participant satisfaction and high retention rate. The collaborative eLearning platform PM Teamwork has been successfully used for project management training in international corporations. Social media leverages collaborative eLearning. The e-coach's role is pivotal to facilitate and support such engagement towards collaborative learning. Thus, such tools are most efficient when collaborative eLearning is used together with computer-based classroom business games and individual online eLearning courses. Only the full set of the mentioned tools allows managers to respond quickly and effectively to the growing demand for corporate training.

[1] The Next Generation of Corporate Universities: Innovative Approaches for Developing People and Expanding Organizational Capabilities / Mark Allen, editor. 2007. Pfeiffer. ISBN-13: 978-0-7879-8655-1

[2] N Lambropoulos, X. Faulkner, F. Culwin, Supporting social awareness in collaborative e-learning - British Journal of Educational Technology, 2012 - Volume 43, Issue 2, pages 295–306

[3] E. Farmer, B. Wilding, Blended learning: A long-term experience. 2012 International Conference on Information Technology Based Higher Education and Training (ITHET) ISBN: 978-1-4673-2334-5.

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