Intercultural E-learning: Reflections of a trainer

Written by Maria Jicheva

Introduction

When I became an intercultural trainer, thinking of my professional future, the last thing I imagined was to be replaced by a snazzy, flashy, on-line programme, more sizzle than steak, or, worse, a boring text with a few cliparts and a lot of buttons to click on. Me and my wonderful, interactive, spontaneous, flexible, insightful training! After all what motivates me, what fuels my engine has always been: How to provide the best possible service for my client. E-learning could not be the best possible service! After all we are talking culture, sensitivity, trust. The last thing my client wants is to deepen the stereotypes through a simplified, streamlined, dry online system. Well….

A brief overview of E-learning

The end of the last century created a ‘brave new world’ of learning possibilities with advanced technology and arrival of the internet. This lead to high expectations for E-learning; with its time and cost-saving benefits. The reality was disappointing. Geoffrey Moore (see graph below) writes about this in ‘Crossing the Chasm’, 2nd ed, Capstone, Oxford)

E-learning adoption (graph, R Farkas)

…To use Geoffrey Moore’s words E-learning is still ‘crossing the chasm’ from a limited audience of early adopters (who are typically innovators and apologists for the technology) to the more questioning and cynical majority. Its method of crossing will define its future. E-learning has certainly lowered costs of delivering existing course-based education products. (From E2i, August 2003. www.redbean.com.au )

Why the importance of E-learning now?

So why is E-learning creeping back on the agenda, after its rise and fall? The financial crisis is certainly driving the need for low-cost training solutions. Equally as important, the ‘rest-of-the-world’, or the ‘Late Majority’ (Moore) have joined the Early Majority in their ability to use technology. Cialdini would call this influencing through ‘Social Proof’ – if others are doing it, then it must be OK, and I better do it too.(Cialdini, Influence: Science and Practice, Allyn and Bacon, 2001)

Next time you are in the training room look around. How many of the participants are looking at blackberries and i-phones, checking email in the breaks? Think what it will be like 3-4 years from now. Our participants will be more and more typical generation Y-ers, spending their lives in front of a computer, communicating with friends on Facebook, downloading i-tunes and watching you-tube. For them on-line is not just part of their life, increasingly it is becoming their life. We need to be in synch with them. RU with me?

What does E-learning provide that makes it relevant today? – let’s look at it from the clients’ perspective: * flexibility * shared systems * information that can be accessed by everybody * possibility for users to exchange and capture valuable intercultural experiences, * self paced learning: assessment and feedback, simulations and exercises.

There is no way this can match or replace face-to- face training. However faced with the choice – no training or online training – many HR people go for the online option.

What are some of their concerns? Very often technical – is the system compatible with their internal IT systems? Will people take it seriously? Will they complete their tasks? What is the quality of the information they are accessing? How often is it updated? What is the quality of the content participants are generating themselves?

And, an important question for us as intercultural trainers: how comfortable is the HR person – or the decision-maker who purchases our services – with E-learning? How much time needs to be invested in educating that person before we can proceed with the ‘sale?’

Ideally a cultural E-learning system should match the requirements of the clients. And systems differ – some provide more static information, some are more interactive, some have built in assessments, others rely on simulations and exercises. They need to be informative and stimulating

At times like these, E-learning may become a life-line to our clients. Because the question we need to ask now is different. In difficult times we need to look at our profession from another perspective: How do we stay relevant for our clients and support them in a time of crisis? How do we make sure that we meet them where they need us? E-learning is probably not the only answer, but could be part of it.

 

Implications for trainers

What does it mean for us as intercultural trainers? It does NOT mean that our clients don’t love us. They still do. They still need what we do so well – the spontaneity, flexibility, interactivity. Today, they may not be able to afford it. At a time when companies have to close facilities and let people go, when everything seems to be doom and gloom, it is not surprising that intercultural training may not be at the top of their agenda, is it? It is not personal. It is not about what we do, or who we are.

E-learning does not replace us, the trainers. It challenges us to redefine our role and the way we support our clients. From my experience 75-80 % of the new business we generated over the last two years came through on-line options offered to the clients. By building a virtual element into the training we extend the learning moment and give the participants an opportunity to interact with us before we meet them: pretty deep Training Needs Analysis through the assessment and continuous work with the material, reflecting on it after the training. They have benefited from the breadth of the material they can access and the possibility to practice by dealing with multiple cultural dilemmas, using the methods introduced during the training. Slowly our role transitioned from a face-to face trainer to an online coach.

Here are some of the ‘success factors’ we have learned- the hard way- from our online coaching experiences: Coaches need to: * Know the subject * Clarify time commitment * Spend time upfront developing trust * Get a commitment to goals * Use culturally appropriate language to communicate and inspire (without the benefit of body language) * Make the technology seem incidental (while still essential) by knowing your way around the technology and doing all of the above things well!

Coaching quality will also depend on these technology essentials: * Online platform that brings consistency * Coaches equipped with all of the Online tool’s resources * Digital tracking of personal and group progress * Train the trainer activities online

E-learning, when fitting well with the needs of the client and the style of the trainer can become the little extra special element that can help us partner with our clients on a new level. Scary? Exciting? Both!

Just like our clients, many of whom are using the period of economic downturn to redefine and regroup, to sharpen their skills, we as coaches have an opportunity to add another string to our bow. A string that will allow us to play at the times of cost-cutting, and emerge even stronger when that period is over.

Maria Jicheva Co-developer and founder, ArgonautOnline Partner, Coghill & Beery International