There is constant buzz of how beneficial eLearning can be and the advantages it has over conventional learning. This type of learning has many attractive features for companies as it saves time and money as well as gives the most flexibility for learning as it can be done almost anywhere, anytime! There have been many articles and options from the pros on this kind of technology however this article deals with a student’s perspective of eLearning. Recently I was able to sit down with a fellow named Robert who was utilizing a corporate university in order to train for a new employment position.

Robert gained a position with a company in Ottawa which manages client care for other companies. AT&T is one of the many contracts that it handles. Representatives in Ottawa deal with billing issues as well as technical ones that the customers may have. To learn how to deal with these issues and how to best resolve them, employees undergo five weeks of training through AT&T’s Corporate University. Prior to his training through AT&T, Robert only had basic knowledge of what eLearning was and how it could be applied.  Here are the questions we had for Robert and his experience:


Did you have any knowledge of eLearning prior to dealing with AT&T’s Corporate University?

I was aware of eLearning but I had never experienced it firsthand. I didn’t really know anything too specific about the technology or how it was really used but I understood the idea behind it. I thought that it sounded like an interesting way to have people learning.

Were you apprehensive to take such an innovate approach to learning?

Honestly, I wasn't too sure about it.  I'm more of a pen, paper and textbook kind of guy so I wasn't positive that reading materials on a computer screen was going to be effective in helping me learn what I needed to for my job. I sometimes find that computers can be a distraction when I am trying to really concentrate on something and focus.

After completing the training through the corporate university did you still have reservations about eLearning?

Actually, it was the best way to learn the materials that we needed to know. The material that we were dealing with was rather dry, however it was nice to be able to have the interactive online quizzes and scenarios to help understand and learn the material.  There were a few chalkboard lessons along with what we did but it was only to reinforce what we had previously learned, more of a review than actually learning new material.

Were you engaged with the learning?

As I said before, the material was rather dry, however there were many mediums used to relay the information. PowerPoint’s, online quizzes, mock scenarios, program tutorials as well as the conventional handouts were used to teach the methods and techniques that we were going to have to utilize once we were taking calls and dealing with clients. Because there were so many ways that we were able to learn about the information it made it more interesting than if we would have been reading from handouts and chalkboards and textbooks while in training.

What did you enjoy the most about the online learning experience?

I enjoyed the fact that I was able to go at my own pace, that things were explained clearly in the tutorials and that I was able to follow along with them as I completed the sections. The modules also allowed you the ability to go back and look over something if you were not able to grasp it the first time. It was nice knowing that I wasn’t holding any of my colleagues back with a question. It was a very comfortable way of learning.

The tutorials were also nice because it was nice to have it explained and then be able to put it into practice. The online quizzes were also beneficial as it allowed you to track your progress and informed you of where you would be able to make improvements. The learning was organized in modules which flowed logically from one section to the next. Sometimes I find that learning from a textbook and lectures can be unorganized, jumping from one topic to the next and not connecting the two together.

How would you rate your corporate university experience?

Overall I was extremely satisfied with the corporate university experience and the eLearning involved with it. I was sceptical at first but it was the best way that I would have been able to learn the material that I needed for my job. It is a great way to teach many people at one time. It allows all students to learn at their own pace which seemed to really work for the other employees who were in the same training group as I was.

I would certainly be open to learning again through a corporate university or training for a new job with eLearning tools. I think that it is a positive move forward for any company that aligns themselves with this kind of technology. It makes training and learning so much more enjoyable and easier.