THE E-PROFESSIONAL: EMBRACING LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES

Embracing Learning Technologies explores the world of the accountant as an e-professional, focusing on three areas:
-- how online approaches to learning and assessment are affecting professional development at an individual level
-- the impact these learning technologies are having on employers of finance professionals
-- what the future of online learning and assessment may look like.
ACCA in collaboration with the strategic research and consulting group Lighthouse Global (www. lighthouseglobal.eu.com) developed this report. The content was created from a combination of primary and secondary data sources, and a series of conversations with the following training and development experts from across the world:
-- May Chan, learning designer, Standard Chartered Bank
-- Damian Day, head of education and registration policy, the General Pharmaceutical Council
-- Laura Overton, managing director, Towards Maturity
-- Greg Owens, director of technical training and student qualification, BDO
-- Richard Pollard, global development leader, PwC
-- Martin Ripley, CEO, World Class Arena
-- Jim Robertson, VP, tax, Eastern hemisphere and global tax practices, Shell
-- Martin Taylor, CEO, BPP Business Schools
-- Kristin Watson, director national exam training team, Ernst & Young
Expert opinions
"At a trainee level, there is a demand for digital learning."
Greg Owens, director of technical training and student qualification, BDO
"The way professionals live and learn has changed. We are experiencing the shift to a generation who have always known the net. E-learning recognises this shift, and that professionals are not as linear as they once were. They don't start at A and end up at Z; they learn in a much less structured way."
Damian day, head of education and registration policy, The General Pharmaceutical Council
"E-learning is very much the norm today. But can we use technology better? Can we take it further? Can we be more exciting with it? The answer to those questions is yes."
Richard Pollard, global development leadefl PwC
-- "You have to invest time in producing a quality product, otherwise nobody will use it."
-- Jim Robertson, Vice President, tax, eastern hemisphere and global tax practices, Shell
"The reality is, if your technology and your strategy don't fit together as an educational experience, no learning programme is going to work for the learner."
Martin Taylor, CEO, BPP Business Schools
"The risk is you start by asking what is it you want people to know, rather than, what is it you want people to be able to do. The "know" bit is important but the application element of the learning is by far the most important."
Greg Owens, director of technical training and student qualification, BDO
"There are ways that we can all make use of technology which would be more innovative for tuition and learning going forward. This will take time to explore. I expect to see significant changes in blended learning, assessment and online learning."
-- Kristin Watson, director, national exam training team, Ernst & Young
The benefits
-- The advantages of training employees in an e-enabled learning environment reported are:
1.-Flexibility
Seen as the greatest benefit, this relates to the location, timing and implementation of training and assessment.
2.-Sophistication
Online learning and assessment technologies provide more sophisticated ways for learners to interact with content.
3.-Innovation
Technological advances such as mobile devices, tablet computers, simulation and gaming technology are capturing the imagination of development experts and leading to new and creative modes of learning and assessment.
4.-Value for money
When executed the right way, learning technologies can make considerable contributions to an organisation's bottom line. Towards Maturity, an organisation that works with employers to implement and benchmark e-learning capability, has found that organisations that have implemented learning technologies are reporting an average cost saving of 18%. Those organisations using more mature learning technologies are also reporting a 20% improvement in time to competency.
The future
Given what may be possible with technology over the next five years, the growth areas that our experts told us are likely to have the most influence are:
-- mobile devices: devices such as the Blackberry, Phone and tablet computers are revolutionising the delivery of learning
-- social networking: peer-to-peer networks are creating an environment in which the traditional hierarchy of tutor and student is being broken down.-gamification: organisations will be increasingly exploring ways in which serious gaming technology can simulate the real-life scenarios finance professionals encounter.
Four practical recommendations for employers
1.-Technology is a means to an end, not an end in itself
Flashy technology can blind organisations into thinking that it is technology alone that is driving change in learning and assessment. Technology is a facilitator for change rather than a silver bullet.
2.-Learning technologies should be part of a wider, integrated approach to learning and assessment When puffing e-learning content together it is important to think about how it will fit into a blended programme of learning.
3.-Invest sufficient time and resource on planning and design
Converting existing materials into online learning requires a new approach. There is a danger that, if organisations roll out learning technologies in the wrong way they may turn employees off them in the future.
4.-Technology must be user-friendly and intuitive to use
To get engagement at any level, technology has to be simple and attractive to use. Capitalise on the technologies that people are already using in a non-learning context.
Read full Report: www.accaglobal.com/eprofessional