E P I C T H I N K I N G
Issue 11: September 2002
This month:
- White paper: Testing for e-learning
- Epic Think Tank: Collaboration &
e-learning
- Reviews: Two must-have texts, on
training & testing
- Case study: e-collaboration for senior
public servants
- News: e-collaboration for senior public
servants
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W H I T E P A P E R
1. Putting e-learning to the test
Testing is a vital stage in the e-learning development process
and an absolutely crucial consideration in delivering high
quality learning experiences. Serious faults, left unremedied,
can materialise in the form of ineffective training, high
failure rates for accreditation and certificates, poor staff
performance, decreased perception of the value of training
within the organisation and bad external PR.
The earlier testing is done, also, the greater its power
to limit the scope of potential damage. A bug found and fixed
early may cost just a few pounds to fix; the same bug found
after coding may cost the organisation hundreds.
Yet a large proportion of the e-learning industry remains
either sceptical or unaware of the need to test rigorously.
Too often, testing is done in an ad-hoc manner and late in
the development cycle; corners are cut by reducing the amount
of testing time; and testing is performed on the cheap, using
junior, unskilled staff at this most crucial stage of quality
control.
In this challenging new white paper, Mark Aberdour, Testing
Manager at EpiCentre,* examines the reasons why testing is
such an essential part of the development process, covering
return on investment, risk management and test outsourcing
- including a Testing case study.
White Paper: Testing for e-learning
Mail us to get
your free copy.
* EpiCentre is the comprehensive software testing facility
offered by Epic Group plc. The largest testing centre in Europe,
EpiCentre has 15 years' experience as a dedicated testing
and localisation service. For more information, please visit
the EpiCentre website: http://www.epi-centre.co.uk
or email us.
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E P I C T H I N K
T A N K
2. Epic Think Tank: Collaboration & e-learning
E-learning is at least as much about connecting
learners to each other as it is about content. More and more,
collaboration features as highly as content on the agendas
of those who are spearheading e-learning within their organisations.
However, in our products-focused, technology
fuelled industry, collaborative learning rarely gets its fair
share of column inches - unless it is to discuss the merits
of the latest virtual - classroom technology.
By way of redressing this balance, Epic recently
brought together a heavyweight panel of decision-makers with
experience in fields from occupational psychology to internet-delivered
higher education, to debate the role and realities of collaborative
e-learning.
In particular, the discussion examined:
- What works in collaborative learning - and what doesn't?
- What types of learners, situations and subjects suit
online collaborative learning?
- What is the role of standalone e-learning in a blend
that includes online collaboration?
Read a FREE
full report of this exclusive, high level discussion, the latest
in a regular series of Epic Think Tanks.
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R E V I E W S
3. Training and Retraining
Authors: Tobias and Fletcher
Review by Donald Clark
Whenever I'm asked a question about computer-based learning,
and I don't know the answer, my first port of call is invariably
Training and Retraining by Tobias and Fletcher. Dull title,
true - but the book's scope is absolutely encyclopaedic. Commissioned
by the American Psychological Association, it took 9 years
to complete and covers an enormous range of topics from the
leaders in their respective fields.
There are 21 chapters on topic such as the psychology of
learning, motivation, theories of instructional design, media
selection, simulations, training in industry, training in
the military, work-based learning, basic skills training,
evaluation and future directions. At over 600 pages of densely
packed text it is not a light read, but as a source of solid
research and general summaries it is unrivalled.
What you won't find in this book are references to the more
faddish and non-empirical topics in training such as Neuro-linguistic
Programming or Learning Styles. What you will find are solidly
written, fully referenced chapters on almost all of the major
topics in the industry. It is unashamedly academic and fair
in covering competing theories and pointing out that the research
is non-conclusive.
I was lucky enough to see the authors give a talk at the
Techlearn conference two years ago. It was by far the best
session of the conference. They were unassuming, knowledgeable
and came out with findings that still stick in my memory years
later. For example, that the research points towards over
60% of current training as being ineffective due to a failure
to adapt the training to the culture in which it is delivered.
I bought the book within minutes of leaving the room and if
I were to retain only one book on learning in my library,
this would be my choice.
Give your views on the subject: mailto:feedback@epic.co.uk
3b. Testing Applications on the Web - Test Planning
for Internet-Based Systems
Author: Hung Q. Nguyen
Review by Ewen Rubython, Testing Project Manager,
EpiCentre Ltd
Hung Q. Nguyen founded a testing company in 1994, and over
the years has developed test tools, training materials and
testing products for a large number of well-known international
software companies. He now specialises in Web application
testing and, as e-learning has increasingly migrated to web
delivery, this makes 'Testing Applications on the Web', the
fruits of his knowledge and experience, a must-have book for
both web and e-learning testing professionals everywhere.
'Testing Applications on the Web' is designed to smooth the
path from traditional, stand-alone application testing (or
'black-box' testing) to web testing (or 'grey box' testing).
The book accomplishes this by giving the reader information
on the interplay of web applications, component architectural
designs and their network systems.
Nguyen manages to provoke the reader into asking pertinent
questions regarding the testing of any technologies or applications
that they may come across. In using a myriad of visual and
written examples (all taken from projects he worked on) Nguyen
ensures that the reader is kept interested in what is fairly
technical subject matter, whilst at the same time identifying
the more complex particulars of web testing in one of the
many diagrams.
The book is invaluable in decoding much of the jargon which
surrounds testing. It gives a useful guide to the technologies
behind hardware, software and networks; and points out compatibility
problems that will always arise through using a variety of
hardware and software technologies together.
Nguyen emphasises the need for testing at all levels of the
development process, the importance of test planning and test
documentation and the increasing need for the use of test-tools,
predominantly load-testing tools, in the practice of testing
web-based applications.
The reader is taken through all the considerations of testing
web applications from user interface tests to browser security
tests, all the time outlining new and old approaches to common
problems and suggesting further information and useful tools.
Although perhaps not a book for the first-time tester, 'Testing
Applications on the Web' is a readable and highly informative
volume that anyone about to embark on a Web-testing experience
should have at their side at the very least as a point of
reference.
Give your views on the subject: mailto:feedback@epic.co.uk
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C A S E S T U D Y
4. CPMS: Platinum
The Centre for Management and Policy Studies
(CMPS) is a part of the Cabinet Office that provides training
and development, intellectual resources, consultancy and networking
opportunities for public servants.
Networking and informal knowledge-sharing opportunities
have always been valued components of the corporate development
programmes offered by CMPS to this group, but they have little
time to attend offline events and are geographically dispersed.
By establishing a virtual community for the continued sharing
of information and exchange of ideas, it was hoped to extend
this type of activity online.
A need was identified for a secure online environment
in which past and present participants of CMPS's corporate
development programmes for senior managers could network,
solve problems, discuss issues and share knowledge…
Read more
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E P I C N E W S
5. Is the e-learning market consolidating?
This month's news section is led by an analysis
of the current state of the e-learning market by Donald Clark,
CEO of Epic Group plc.
'Consolidation' is the word we frequently hear
at the moment when the state of the e-learning market is being
discussed. But is consolidation what's really going on?
It is important to recognise that there are
two types of attrition:
- Consolidation through mergers and acquisitions
- Consolidation through attrition
The former, consolidation through M&A, is what is usually
understood by the term, but neither the evidence, the market
conditions or analysts views support the view that this
is what is actually happening.
What has surprised most observers of the e-learning market,
in fact, is how few mergers and acquisitions have taken
place. The most substantial was the Smartforce/Centra merger,
a deal that fell apart in the face of a) customer hostility
(customers wanted to choose content separately from technology)
and b) falling share prices making the deal look ever less
attractive. In the face of plummeting share prices and unsustainable
models of profitability, Smartforce then merged with Skillsoft.
So far, one fell through and one went through - evens.
Then, in Europe, M2S in Sweden merged with Prokoda to create
the biggest pan-European e-learning company. It imploded.
So what other M&A activity has happened? Not much.
What we've actually seen is *consolidation through attrition*.
This is normal in embryonic markets that are still finding
their feet. In the UK alone, lots of small companies are
going to the wall, such as Xebec, BlueU, Web4test, Multiverse,
Online Learning, Scarlet Training, Mindwarp, Vfacto, etc.
while, at the same time, lots are starting up. This is a
fragmented market where technology vendors are largely separate
from content and services vendors. Despite the fact that
the LMS market is hugely oversupplied, new players such
as SAP are still coming to market. There are also demarcation
lines between those who are focused in the corporate market,
as opposed to higher education, schools or government. Companies
like e-college, Blackboard and WebCT are big in HE. It will
remain fragmented for some time as this has been the buying
habit of those in training and education for decades.
Market conditions
Consolidation through attrition is also a natural consequence
of the general state of the market. In a 'bear' market,
mergers and acquisitions dry up. You don't want to buy,
as valuations are falling. A company worth £3 million one
day is tumbling into liquidation the next. The acquirer
is left with large amounts of 'goodwill' on the balance
sheet and some embarrassment at having paid well above the
tangible asset value for the acquisition.
Yet another dampening effect on M&A activity is the difficulty
in raising money beyond the cash on the acquirer's balance
sheet. Most e-learning companies are cash poor and in no
state to acquire on this basis. If the answer is a paper
transaction, then look at what has happened to stock prices!
It is extremely difficult to get to market, and IPOs have
been almost non-existent.
Analyst views
Epic group plc is one of the few e-learning companies on
the London Stock Exchange. We have four analysts who have
followed us since the start of the e-learning market. None
are predicting wholesale consolidation through M&A activity,
none are predicting IPO activity.
From our own perspective, we have seen why consolidation
through M&A is tending not to happen. Epic is profitable,
cash-generative and sitting on over £9 million of cash,
and therefore in a position to acquire other companies.
But we have found it difficult to spot acquisition opportunities
in a market that has a lot of unproven businesses. Some
of these businesses will succeed, others will fail. The
current bear market accelerates the winnowing process, making
M&A activity more of a gamble. Those with the ability to
acquire are more likely to 'wait and see'.
Donald Clark, September 2002
Give your views on the
subject
Further Epic news stories this month…
Epic
helps Barclays 'Take the Lead'
The
Business: Prime position for Epic
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F O R E T H O U G H T
Next month's edition of Epic Thinking will
carry the full report of our fourth Think Tank, on Corporate
Universities, which takes place on 18th September.
Guests confirmed so far include top-level
decision-makers from both public and private sectors, but
we are still open to offers to attend from subscribers who
have an informed contribution to make.
This Think Tank meets at a restaurant in central
London. If you are vitally involved in this area and would
like to contribute to the debate, please email
us. Attendance is free, but numbers are strictly limited,
so don't delay.
Alternatively, if you have any questions that
you would like to see our delegates address, or suggestions
for further sessions, mail
them now.
Catch up on past think tanks…
Leadership
and e-learning
Health and e-learning
R E T U R N O F P O S T
If you have:
- a question to put to the Epic Thinking user base
- a response to any of the points raised here
- a suggestion for a topic you'd like to see covered
mail us right now at: newsletter@epic.co.uk
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