Beyond 'Before-During-After'

I have been reading 'The Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning' - and it's helped bring into focus one of the central problems faced by online learning as it develops within the L&D function. The book is pretty good - clearly written by professionals with a background in classroom delivery it focuses on the importance of business alignment, metrics, and implementation techniques which which embed learning. In short some good common sense about classroom training, curated.

There's even hat-tip to e-learning and ways in which it can be used pre- and post- event to ensure proper preparation and better follow-through. And this is the problem. I'm not saying this isn't a healthy discussion - I imagine e-learning will have an important role to play in supporting classroom events for many years to come - but it's a 'push' architecture, and online is best suited to 'pull' applications. I have begun to notice that someone says 'blending' and we are immediately stuck in a debate around how we support classroom events - rather than how we support staff.

Let me give you an example: the work that we have undertaken on Discover BP - BP's Global Induction Programme - is not 'pre-during-post' in structure. Instead we have endeavored to assemble as many useful resources, as much essential advice and guidance, in a portal which people can access on day 1. The 'care curve' design approach was similar in some regards to performance consulting approach: finding out what challenges people face, and what they collectively find useful in addressing them, then making that content accessible. Some months after joining new starters will be invited to attend a two-day event. So here the architecture is not 'before-during-after' but performance support (online) plus capability building (classroom).

My point is that from the point of view of traditional training methodologies the role of online learning may seem to be to provide pre- and post- event support (prework, wikkis, webinars etc.) and I suspect you will often find yourself in this kind of conversation since viewed from the standpoint of a trainer this is the purpose of online learning. But though valuable, this is the lesser role for online to play. The central role must be in 'pull'-type interventions - i.e. in addressing a performance need at the point of need. Online can certainly improve the effectiveness of event-based training, but it will be most effective in supporting performance where it provides resources and techniques at the point of need. And this is a different thing.

I've seen quite a few tables like the one below which try to highlight the differences in approach. I thought I would add my own - let me know if I've missed anything: