BUSINESSES need to take a more targeted approach to e-learning, according to an industry round table.

As the e-learning market becomes saturated with mobile applications, businesses need to provide employees with more focused learning opportunities to see greater benefits.

Jon Toothill, client services director at Lightbox Education, said, “With regards to technology supporting learning, it is important to consider what people actually want to learn. At the moment there seems to be an app for everything, but how many get used and how much of the e-learning collateral out there is on subjects that people actually want to learn. This is what should drive us.”

Michael Wilkinson, director at i-education, added, “It’s about empowering people to make the best choices about how to access learning, how to capture learning and how to connect with other people to explore that further.

“It is about providing the right tools, whether it is using a mobile device, taking a video, audio diary or even a photograph.”

One business successfully empowering employees to study a variety of courses at different difficulty levels is Learndirect.

Talking at the round table, Gavin Hubbard, market strategist at Learndirect, said, “There is no stigma attached to e-learning now. You can be sitting in a training room in an organisation and someone might be doing an entry level 3 basic skills or numeracy course and next to them can be someone doing a level 3 NVQ. With e-learning it does not matter what course anyone around you is studying for, as this information can be kept private.”

Ultimately, it was agreed that the technology must support the learning and not vice versa. Unlike in the past when it was the technology that excited people, businesses must adopt a pedagogue approach to continue to reverse this.

The round table discussions are held in association with UKFast with the aim of uniting business leaders to share advice and provide a wealth of ideas for other developing companies. The panel was completed by Tony Lowe, managing director at Webducate, and Dan Sodergren of Great Marketing Works.

For more information about UKFast, visit the website: www.ukfast.co.uk