Learning about e-learning in a book. (Review).

* ABCs of E-learning by Brooke Broadbent, print, 2002, 272pp., Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer (800-956-7739, www.josseybass.com), $30.

You are wise to ask the following questions of any purported guide to e-learning:

Is it an I-love-a-learning promotion that assumes what it should argue or analyze?

Does it provide the kind of clear and practical advice that trainers need but often don't receive?

ABCs of E-learning by Brooke Broadbent earns a no to the first question and a resounding yes to the second.

An e-learning consultant based in Canada (www.e-learninghub.com), Broadbent exhibits a combination of objectivity and the ability to write lucidly without the crutch of jargon and buzzwords. Both are welcome. Hype has damaged e-learning. Terry Nulty, president of Element K, recently said that convention sessions on e-learning are often poorly attended because people "know it's overblown marketing hype." And writing on the topic often doesn't meet a high standard of clarity or usefulness.

The book is divided into two parts. The first covers e-learning fundamentals: key concepts, risks and rewards, essential lessons to be drawn from field experience. Broadbent works through the basics, making them clear to beginners. Implicit in his approach is the assumption that people may be more or less advanced on technical aspects, but we are all novices when it comes to learning through technology. His chapter of lessons from case studies is diverse and balanced. Nevertheless, in a few case studies, Broadbent lapses into uncritical presentations.

The second part of ABCs of E-learning walks the reader through the specifics of planning and execution. As in any complex undertaking, which e-learning surely is, the devil is in the details. Your eyes may start to glaze over, as mine did, while reading these chapters straight through. But when the time comes for action, you will be wide awake and grateful for all the forms and specifics.

Broadbent recognizes that e-learning is rarely a solo performer but rather a valuable piece in a blended approach to training. In addition, he emphasizes that e-learning involves a major change effort in most organizations. I think he places consideration of change too late, however. The entire e-learning planning and execution process should be framed as a change effort.

I noted one major omission. The book doesn't address in any serious way the fit between e-learning and categories of content. Teaching a procedure or a set of product features is far different from influencing people's attitudes and assumptions. The former type of teaching seems a good fit with e-learning; the latter involves a more complex teaching and delivery strategy.

Recommendation

An e-learning consultant writing a book about e-learning is not exactly a recipe for independent thinking. Self-interest can set tight limits on objectivity. Brooke Broadbent believes in e-learning but not at the price of honesty and realism. His book can lead you to the questions you need to ask and the means you need to answer them. He equips his reader to think clearly about e-learning and to execute a coherent, thorough plan. In my judgment, he omits a major issue (the fit between e-learning and different types of content) and doesn't press far enough into e-learning as change. All things considered, though, he is a writer well worth listening to.

ABCs of E-learning product rating


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Bill Ellet ([e-mail]) is editor of Training Media Review.