In This Issue
	Who We Are Hot News: Blended Learning Study Available NOW! The Costs of Blended Learning Programs Tip of the Day: Converting PowerPoint for Web Delivery "Learning Management Systems: Where are We?"

Hot News: Blended Learning Study Available NOW!

Bersin & Associates, in collaboration with IDC, just completed the largest ever study of blended learning programs in corporate applications. This study, available now, demonstrates the best practices, costs, and infrastructure needed to deliver high impact blended learning programs in a variety of industries. The study identifies "winning methodologies" in several key areas of blended learning, including content development, deployment, and measuring ROI. "[This] study is one of the most important and useful research works in e-learning. It is a 'must read' for people embarking on blended learning programs." - Dane DeQuina, Curriculum Manager, Intel Corporation. IDC predicts that by 2003, 30% of the corporate training market of $60 billion will be conducted through internet-based or "e-learning" means. Blended Learning programs combine e-learning with other traditional training programs to dramatically reduce costs and deliver highly scalable solutions. Click here to download this research »

The Costs of Blended Learning Programs

Especially these days, cost is a key concern for training managers. Our research on blended learning uncovered the costs of implementing these programs for both large and small-scale projects across a variety of industries. While cost is influenced by a number of factors, we found that costs are predictable based on audience size and application characteristics. In our study of major corporate blending learning implementations, costs varied from as little as $3 per learner for a massive-scale project to as much as $1400 per learner for small-scale projects with high degrees of interactivity. Simulation-based projects can cost even more. However, the average cost for all companies was $240 per learner and most projects fell in the $200-$400 per learner range. The cost per learner varies considerably depending upon the scale of the project. The greater the audience size, the lower the cost per learner, as fixed costs can be amortized over a larger audience. Companies with audience sizes of greater than 10,000 had average costs of $64 per learner, while companies with audiences of less than 10,000 had average costs of $260 per learner. Other key drivers of costs are mandatory assessments and certifications. These programs have much higher costs than those without such requirements due to the need for third party verification. Click here for more information »

Tip of the Day: Converting PowerPoint for Web Delivery

Converting source material in Powerpoint is a significant challenge for e-learning development teams. While PowerPoint is a convenient tool for subject matter experts, it is, after all, a presentation tool, not a tool for building courses. So course developers frequently take PowerPoint files and recreate the content for use in a course. In fact, our market research survey showed that 80% of e-learning professionals are using or converting PowerPoint files in their course development projects. The good news is that turning PowerPoint into course material has just gotten easier with a new product from Macromedia called Breeze. Breeze is an integrated system for rapidly creating and delivering Flash-based e-learning courses from PowerPoint. Breeze is so easy to use that anyone who knows how to use PowerPoint can build an e-learning course, complete with an assessment and an audio track, and deliver it through an easy-to-use interface to thousands of students - in one afternoon. The course is automatically tracked using a standards-compliant LMS complete with a great reporting tool, making student performance results available as soon as they begin taking the course. Click here for the full article »

"Learning Management Systems: Where are We?"

June 9, 2003: Training Directors Forum, Phoenix Recent studies indicate that over 50% of major enterprises have adopted a learning management system (LMS). Yet many surveys conclude that a significant number of LMS projects fail. What's going here?!?! The truth is that although far from being a mature market, LMS's are making very significant contributions in the areas of e-learning, blended learning, competency management, and certification administration, among others. This session will provide an update on what companies are doing with LMS's and how they are using them to decrease the cost of training administration while enhancing organizational performance. Case studies from several successful implementations will also be covered. Come meet Chris Howard of Bersin & Associates, one of the Pioneers in the E-Learning Market. Click here for more news and events »