Epic programme scoops global Brandon Hall e-learning award

An Epic programme, designed and developed for PricewaterhouseCoopers, has scooped a prestigious international e-learning award.

The programme - called PITstart (Principles of International Tax) - has won a Silver Excellence in E-learning Award. The awards are organised by the Brandon Hall organisation - headed by the famous American e-learning guru - that benchmarks excellence within the global industry.

The programme was up against some stiff competition. Some 92 judges examined some 64 Custom Content and 39 Innovative Technology entries.

The PITstart programme develops the key skills of PwC tax professionals required to solve international tax issues. The learning is delivered in a browser and features a mix of text, graphics, audio and animation.

The treatment involves an exciting and ambitious use of narrative with the focus on the solving of international tax issues. A wide range of presentation and interaction techniques was employed to ensure learner engagement. The learner is immersed into a simulated world of 2004 with their global client. Their mission - to save the CEO, Max van Sand, from exposure to a range of international tax issues. The learner undertakes a number of journeys to different parts of the world, resolving tax issues and learning on the way. The highly interactive learning environment provides plenty of opportunities for learners to practise their skills, while the performance-driven simulation allows them to apply their learning to real client issues. The finale comes with a final accreditation test, where learners must face the company shareholders and prove their knowledge. The programme has been distributed across PwC's intranet and on CD-ROM .

Donald Clark, CEO of Epic, said: "Once again Epic has shown that, put against top international competitors, our programmes are truly world class.

"We are particularly proud of the creative quality of the design together. It is very gratifying for the team that put many months of work into ensuring that the programme was as engaging and educational as possible."

The programme will be among the Excellence in e-Learning Award winners showcased at Online Learning 2001, in Los Angeles, Oct. 1-3, 2001 - the largest e-learning show in the world.