OU addresses e-learning drop out rate

The Open University (OU) is attempting to address high drop-out rates for online learning courses with a course that goes back to basics. Drop-out rates for e-learning courses can be as high as 80 per cent, according to Forrester Research.

Learning to Learn Online is a two-hour web-based programme developed by Corous, the OU's corporate arm, to help employees develop the skills needed to make the most of online learning.

Learning online demands new skill sets from employers, but too many companies still apply the same models of teaching used in schools, explained Jim Flood, director of learning at Corous.

"Preparing the ground for an online learning project is very important. Failure generally occurs when employees are suddenly told: 'There's an online learning portal; choose your courses and get on with it'," he said.

Students still expect to be taught, whereas they have to become independent learners. "It means breaking down a lot of inhibitions, including fear of collaboration and the protocols for learning online," added Flood.

But other experts suggest that the real culprit in online learning failure is the boring content. A report from analyst Giga published in September claims that much of the online learning content on the market involves little more than reading.

Many companies have already wasted money on courses that deliver little business benefit, says the analyst, and many online learning courses have failed to deliver on the hype, leaving users frustrated and disillusioned.

In August, McDonalds dumped products from online learning giant SmartForce following a two-year trial. The food giant said the courses weren't being used, and those that were taken had poor completion rates and negative reviews. It has since switched to courses from KnowledgeNet.

"Content is still an issue, but it is changing, particularly if people are prepared and have their expectations managed," said Flood.

"A lot of organisations bought into the idea that e-learning would be 'edutainment' and a bit like a computer game, but bandwidth is still an issue for many companies," he added.

Clients need to invest a lot of time and effort in checking out content, setting up groups of targeted learners and working through lessons to try out courses, said Giga.