eLearning in Irish Organisations

Abstract:     
This report presents the findings from an in-depth survey on eLearning conducted in Irish organisations in mid 2003. Empirical findings are presented on the coverage of eLearning, what types of training it is used for, which employee groups use it, how much time and money is devoted to it, and perceptions of Irish HRD professionals on the phenomenon itself. These findings are set within a broad comparative overview of the scale and scope of eLearning in a European context. Explicitly debunking all the hype and ungrounded projections of recent years on the eLearning phenomenon, the authors argue for the pragmatic, and empirically grounded, position that eLearning is an evolutionary, as distinct from revolutionary, phenomenon. It is at the early stage in its development - in many cases it can provide, if in part, learning effective and cost and time efficient solutions to employee and personal development situations - and, in combination with tried and tested traditional methodologies, termed 'blended-learning', it is probably most useful.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 40

Keywords: CIPD, eLearning, human resource development, HRD, Ireland

JEL Classification: J24, J40, M12, M50, O52

Accepted Paper Series