Emma O'Brien
ABSTRACT
Online training and e-Learning are becoming increasingly pervasive but some sectors are being left behind, particularly Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). There are many reasons for this -- technical, organisational, resource related and cultural. Commercially available e-learning courses that are aimed at a mass market do not match SME needs. One solution to these limitations is for companies to author their own e-learning so as to meet their own needs. Most SME's do not have the expertise to do this and are reluctant to employ outside services solely for this purpose. Training Needs Analysis (TNA) provides a means to enable companies to identify areas where their employees require training. It can also be extended to produce a set of guidelines so they can author their own e-learning content through a structured design process. Conducting a comprehensive Training Needs Analysis is a large undertaking requiring a significant time and expertise. This paper outlines the generation of a generic online TNA tool for SMEs allowing them to identify training requirements and assisting them to specify their own e-learning content in a structured manner.
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