Next Generation Enterprise Learning

The Next Generation
of e-Learning: A Primer
David Mallon,
Principal Analyst
Janet Clarey,
Senior Analyst
February 2011
© BERSIN & A SSOCIATES RESEA RCH REPORT | V. 1. 0

The Next Generation of e-Learning: A Primer 2
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface 5
Introduction 7
The Evolution of e-Learning 10
The e-Learning Toolset 14
Types of e-Learning 17
Self-Paced (asynchronous) e-Learning 17
Video 18
Simulations and Games 19
Virtual Classroom 20
Digital Content Libraries 21
Social Learning Environments: The Next

Generation of Blended Learning 23
Development and Management of Content 25
The Stages of e-Learning Adoption 27
Stage 1: Getting Started 27
Stage 2: Expand (growth) 28
Stage 3: Integrate and Align 29
Stage 4: Learning on Demand 29
Stage 5: Learning Environments 30
Scope of the Learning Function 32

New Disciplines and New Roles of L&D 35
The Evolving Role of the Instructional Designer 41
Gauging Readiness for the New World of e-Learning 45
Where Do You Go from Here? 47
Appendix I: Additional Bersin & Associates Reading 50

Appendix II: Other Links 52
Appendix III: Table of Figures 54
About Us 55
About This Research 55
Preface
When we wrote our industry study, The Four Stages of E-learning in
20051, we defined the term “e-learning” as “… the use of Internet
technologies for delivery and management of training.” At that time,
e-learning had been around for about 10 years – and most organizations
understood the potential and had adopted some level of e-learning for a
variety of initiatives and programs.
In that 2005 study, we also described a maturity model for e-learning,

which included three e-learning stages that organizations go through,
plus a “fourth stage” – the coming new approaches. We called the fourth
stage, “Learning on Demand,” and stated in that report,
“Learning on Demand (LOD) implies that all the

digital learning assets (courses, references, help files,
documents, and presentations) are made available
on demand – just as a worker needs them. It is the
blending of the course-driven approach to training
with online performance support. When companies
reach the point that they have hundreds of courses,
references, FAQ databases, videos, and other objects
online, they realize that it is time to make all this
information easier to find and use.”2
We identified enablers for this fourth stage as the availability of new

search and publishing technologies, such as search engines, expertise
directories and really simple syndication (RSS) used for personalization of
published content. These new approaches have been one growth factor
in the $12 billion dollar e-learning market3.
1 For more information, The Four Stages of E-learning: A maturity model for online
corporate training, Bersin & Associates / Josh Bersin, October 2005. Available to research
members at www.bersin.com/library.
2 Ibid.
3 There are varying reports on the size of the e-learning market. The variances are
often a result of how “e-learning” is defined and what markets are measured. Research
& Markets, Global E-Learning Opportunity Study 2007 projected the U.S. corporate
e-learning market will reach $69 billion in 2015 (it includes higher education in the
mix). IDC found that the U.S. corporate e-learning market reached $11.6 billion in 2009.
Ambient Insight noted the U.S. market for self-paced e-learning products and services
(alone) reached $16.7 billion in 2009 and suggest revenues will reach 23.8 billion by 2014.
Other growth factors can be attributed to several advances, some of

which we outlined five years ago:
• Further adoption of blended learning;
• Rapid growth in live, online events and higher adoption of

webcast technology;
• Explosion in PowerPoint-driven rapid e-learning and the growth of

these tools into richer training solutions;
• Emergence of the learning content management system (LCMS);
• Evolution of easier-to-use simulation tools; and,
• Continuous evolution of learning management systems (LMSs) and

analytics systems.
This primer revisits our original Maturity Model for e-Learning,

incorporates the fourth stage and describes the coming fifth stage
of e-learning.
The objectives of this report are to:
• Describe the e-learning market today;
• Identify the key technology and usage trends that corporate training
organizations should use in planning for new investments; and,
• Provide our perspectives on where the corporate e-learning

marketplace is going.
Introduction
As use of the Internet has become widespread and well understood,
and the definition of e-learning has evolved. While our definition of
e-learning includes not only “… any form of corporate training that uses
Internet-based technology for delivery, management and measurement”
(a definition we have used in our research), it is evolving to include the
human factor of e-learning largely because the Internet has evolved into
a highly interactive, collaborative and social technology for e-learning.
In fact, we are at the point now at which we cannot imagine doing

our work without the Internet. Where there once was an abundance
of before-the-Internet and after-the-Internet work stories, the ubiquitous
Internet is now making such stories appealing only to grumpy old
men, historians and those who like to make humorous before-and-after
lists. The Internet literally belongs as much to Grandma as it does to
20-year-old Judy.
For many workers who regularly work with digital information (we call
them “knowledge workers”), the Internet is just a part of normal life.
Knowledge workers especially do not really think about computing; they
just use their device and applications of choice to find (or do) what is
needed at the point when it is needed.
The interactive, collaborative, social web shifts the practice of

KEY POINT
delivering or “pushing” training to learners. Instead, learners “pull” the
“Informal learning” refers information they need at the time they need it. This shift followed the
to learning as accidental,
overall evolution of the web from a “read” platform (a.k.a. “Web 1.0”)
to a “read-write” platform (a.k.a. “Web 2.0”). In line with that shift was
ad-hoc, unplanned
e-learning and so “e-Learning 2.0” was coined. This shift referred to a
and which happens
new way of thinking of the web as it pertained to e-learning.4
without the discipline of
instructional design. The core of e-Learning 2.0 is not based on stored learning assets that
have been created by someone other than the user. Rather, it is centered
on the interest of the learner and is often generated by the learner.
We frequently call this “informal learning,” which refers to learning as
accidental, ad-hoc, unplanned and which happens without the discipline
of instructional design. It has typically referred to the learning activities
4 The term “E-learning 2.0” was explained by Stephen Downes, National Research
Council of Canada, in an October 2005 article “E-learning 2.0” in eLearn Magazine.
Figure 1: Bersin & Associates Enterprise Learning Framework®
Learning Programs
Organization, Governance and Management
Audiences & Problems
Informal
Learning Architecture
Approaches
Formal On-Demand Social Embedded
Disciplines
Tools & Technology
Culture
Source: Bersin & Associates, 2009.
that training professionals did not necessarily pay attention to, but knew
were occurring.
We categorize informal learning into three broad types – on-demand

learning, social learning and embedded learning, and have developed a
learning framework (Figure 1) to help you make sense of where informal
learning fits in as a corporate learning approach5.
What comes next? Well, we are seeing several potentially disruptive

trends in the evolution of the learning functions themselves, including a
growing recognition of:
5 For more information, High-Impact Learning Practices: The Guide to Modernizing

Your Corporate Training Strategy through Social and Informal Learning, Bersin &
Associates / David Mallon, July 2009. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/
library or for purchase at www.bersin.com/hilp.
• The importance of informal learning in organizations;
• The power of new technologies to both deepen and hasten the flow
of information across organizations;
• The changing needs and expectations for learning on the part of new
generations of employees;
• The increasing speed at which the human capital needs of the

organization are changing; and,
• The increasing inability of current practices to solve for all of these

new challenges.
These emerging trends are raising fundamental questions about the

basic operational practices of learning and development (L&D). As we
have continued to interact with hundreds of learning organizations of
all shapes and sizes, we realized the shift in thinking that these changes
represent would require a deeper approach. Most training departments
struggle with current practices, such as e-learning development; how will
they handle new practices, such as using social software tools to support
social learning? It is a transformative change (see Figure 2).
It helps to put change in perspective by looking at where we have been.

This next section is an overview of the evolution of e-learning.
Transformative Change and Corporate L&D

Figure 2: Transformative Change, and Learning and Development
Business Climate Workforce Changes
Growth Globalization Millennials Competitive
Expansion THE ECONOMY Teamwork Multigen.

Workforce
Downturn
The L&D Leader
Product Launch Retiring Boomers
Merger PC / Browsers
Acquisition
Mobile HR Systems
Restructure Reorganization
New Leadership Social Networking

Competencies
Organization Dynamics Technology

Copyright © 2009 Bersin & Associates. All rights reserved. Page 7
The Evolution of e-Learning

e-Learning has been appealing to corporate training managers for a
number of reasons. For years, the most frequently stated reason for
implementing e-learning was to reduce costs associated with travel.
When used as a replacement for traditional face-to-face training,
e-learning reduces the cost of training and improves the scalability of
training programs6, making it easy to justify.
The evolution of corporate e-learning (see Figure 3) starts in the 1970s

KEY POINT
and 1980s, when organizations used mainframe and interactive video
For years, the most approaches. In the 1980s and 1990s, PC-based CD-ROM content was the
preferred approach. Since 1998 or so, Internet-based approaches clearly
frequently stated reason
have become the dominant delivery method for creating fast, scalable,
for implementing
low-cost online training.
e-learning was to reduce
costs associated with Organizations working hard to understand the concepts, technologies
and tools of e-learning began to build blended-learning programs in
travel.
the early 2000s. The term “blended learning” means mixing learning
approaches within one program, typically instructor-led training (ILT),
with a wide variety of electronic tools and media. The actual decision
of “what to blend” and “how to blend” is very tricky – and varies
significantly, depending on the business problem and audience being
addressed. Therefore, the focus and attention needed to create a
blended-learning program is actually much greater than that needed to
“create an overall e-learning strategy.”
The decision to “blend” media is made because the learning challenge

is too complex or too business-critical to be trusted to one learning
approach alone. Companies tend to develop their own internal
methodologies to help them decide which media elements to use
and why.
6 It is amazing, however, the number of times we talk with organizations that are
developing e-learning programs with the intention to “save money” or “put our training
online.” These goals, while real, are not specific. Without a specific goal, it will be difficult
for you to make all of the myriad of decisions you must make about the program. What is
the behavior and, therefore, business impact that you want from this program? How will
or could you measure it? These simple questions should be asked and answered before
you proceed with an e-learning implementation.
Figure 3: The Evolution of Corporate Learning
Collaborative, Talent-Driven Learning

Formalize Informal Learning
Collaboration and Talent Management by Design
Blended and Informal Learning

Mixing All Forms of Media with Informal Learning
Learning On-Demand and Integrated Programs
The e-Learning Era

Put Materials Online, Information Versus Instruction
Web-Based Courseware, Virtual Classroom and Learner-Facing LMS
Traditional and Computer-Assisted Training

Instructor and Computer-Based (CBT)
Implement the LMS as Administration Platform
Learning environments
Copyrightrepresent the&next
© 2009 Bersin generation
Associates. All rights of blendedPage 1
reserved.
learning because, rather than deploying a blend of learning
opportunities to meet an individual learning need (e.g., one intact
learning program), they are a blend of approaches made available to the
intended audience – and are deliberately staged to be available to the
learner when needed to address many different learning needs7.
Today, there are three broad categories of e-learning.
• Self-Paced e-Learning – Web-based content that allows a learner

to start and stop whenever he / she wants, enabling the learner to
learn “on-demand.” This usually is called “asynchronous training”
because it is not synchronized with an instructor or another learner.
Self-study programs include web-based courseware, online books
and references, online documents, assessments, simulations, videos,
collaboration systems, blogs, and more.
7 For a detailed discussion of all the options for the design of blended-learning
programs, The Blended Learning Book: Best Practices, Proven Methodologies, and Lessons
Learned, Josh Bersin, PAfeiffer, October 2004. Available for purchase at www.bersin.com.
• Live e-Learning – Live, web-based programs that use virtual classroom

KEY POINT
technology from vendors (such as Saba Centra, Adobe Connect, Cisco
Learning environments WebEx, Citrix GoToTraining and others) to create an online experience
represent the next which is instructor-led. Live programs typically include webcasts,
online labs, mentoring sessions and virtual classroom events. This is
generation of blended
often called “synchronous learning.”
learning because they
are a blend of approaches • Collaborative e-Learning – Learning that is self-serve, social and
made available to the mobile. This type of e-learning is supported by new technologies
intended audience – and
that allow “many-to-many” relationships, rather than connections
that are dominated by one person (e.g., an instructor / trainer).
are deliberately staged
Social technologies include blogs8, wikis9, RSS10, microblogs11,
to be available to the
social networks and more. Collaborative learning typically happens
learner when needed to informally through the use of “social media.” Social media refers to
address many different online and mobile technologies that allow social interaction.
learning needs.
Case in Point: AT&T’s Collaborative Mobile

Learning
AT&T’s mobility applications consulting group is a sales function

within AT&T, comprised of consultants who support large,
strategic customers with their mobility needs.
The role of these consultants within the company is to be experts

at all things mobile – including the latest in how to leverage these
devices to solve business problems. It is their responsibility to
help organizations figure out how to add value through mobility.
These consultants are themselves highly mobile, being out of the
office more often than not. They are spread out across the U.S.
8 “Blog” is a shortened form of the phrase “web log,” which is a form of personal
publishing that readers can discuss.
9 “Wiki” is from the Hawaiian word for “fast” – and stands for web pages that can be
collectively and collaboratively edited on the fly by readers.
10 “RSS” (or “really simple syndication”) is a web format, referred to as a “feed,” that
is used for receiving updates to frequently changing web content.

11 “Microblogging” is the concept of short, frequently updated messages from
individuals (patterned after the website www.twitter.com) to allow people to “follow

others.” It is useful to find people and identify what they are doing, similar to the
“presence awareness” available through instant messaging.
Case in Point: AT&T’s Collaborative Mobile Learning (cont’d)
and are exceptionally technical, but need to be able to ground

their knowledge in business terms.
Until recently, AT&T really did not offer any additional

development to these consultants. They were hired for their sales
abilities and for their technical prowess – but AT&T did not have
a good way of continuing to give them opportunities to learn
new things; these consultants were on their own. AT&T looked
for a learning solution that worked the way in which these
employees worked.
The company settled on using Chalk Media’s mobile-learning

platform to push out learning content in “infosnack” form. The
sales readiness team uses this platform to push content that sales
consultants can then consume when time permits. The tool allows
for both gathering on-the-go feedback and assessment data, as
well. The manager of the group can see quickly what content is
most effective and where potential issues might be.
So far, all of the content pushed via mobile has been product-
related. The next step will be to start pushing compliance training,
as well. AT&T also intends to spread usage of this platform to
other groups. The company would like to put the ability to create
content directly in the hands of the business units themselves.
End-users will then be able to “opt in” to whatever content is of

the most interest to them.
As the mobility group gains more expertise with using mobile for
learning, the group will be spreading this knowledge both to its
clients and to the rest of AT&T. e
The e-Learning Toolset

Within the e-learning market, there are three broadly defined elements –
content, technology and services. These can be broken down, based on
the tools and content developed using those tools (see Figure 4).
The e-learning toolset includes the following.
• e-Learning Content Sources
o Commercial, off-the-shelf content (COTS)12
o Custom, externally developed content
o Internally developed content
• Tools for the Development of e-Learning Courses
o Rapid-development tools13
o Full-function authoring tools14
o Web-based, collaborative authoring tools15
o Custom tools
12 Commercial off-the-Shelf (COTS) courseware is ready-made for a variety of topics,

and is sold, leased or licensed by a commercial entity. It cannot be modified and is offered
in an identical form to all purchasers. COTS can be an economical way to provide training
on generic topics. Well-known providers include SkillSoft and Element K. Ready-made
programs also exist, often at online universities.
13 The most pervasive e-learning authoring tools are called “rapid e-learning
development tools.” Although used by people with varying skills, rapid e-learning
authoring tools are easier to use because they are designed to respond to urgent training
situations. They are often used by subject matter experts (SMEs) and others who have
little or no page design, authoring or programming experience. Such tools are used for
developing content quickly, often for a large number of learners and for content with
a limited shelf-life. Rapid e-learning content is usually PowerPoint converted to online
training. The definition is expanding, however, to include rapid creation of podcasts, as
well as audio and video learning segments.
14 “e-Learning authoring tools” are used to create web- and computer-based training,
including testing and assessments.

15 Many rapid e-learning tools providers are moving toward 100 percent web-
based offerings. These products are also incorporating easy-to-use authoring tools and
lightweight content management environments. As content creation moves increasingly
toward subject-matter experts (SMEs) and learners, tools providers must create simple
tools with affordable pricing models for organizationwide use.
• Tools for the Delivery and Tracking of e-Learning Events and

Learners16
o LMS17
o Virtual classroom18
• Tools for the Management of Training Content
o LCMS19
o Standards (SCORM20, AICC21)
16 For more information, Learning Systems 2011: The Definitive Buyer’s Guide to the
Global Market for Learning Management Solutions, Bersin & Associates / David Mallon,
December 2010. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library or for purchase
at www.bersin.com/lms.
17 “Learning management systems” (LMSs) manage learners and learning events,
and can also serve as a platform for the delivery of e-learning. Purchase drivers are,
most often, e-learning and better training administration. Recently, the LMS market
has changed from one of growth, expansion and evolution to one of fragmentation,
specialization and globalization. Overall, the market for learning management systems is
relatively mature and increasingly commoditized. Most systems can accommodate most
basic functionality. LMSs can be installed behind a firewall or increasingly are offered as
software as a service (SaaS). They are used by organizations of all sizes.
18 The “virtual classroom” is a tool for delivering live e-learning. It is often called
“synchronous e-learning.” The interface mimics the face-to-face classroom in many

ways with a roster, hand-raising icon and an instructor leading the group. The primary
difference between the face-to-face classroom training and virtual classroom training
is that the latter is used to deliver content live, over the Internet to people who are
geographically dispersed.
19 “Learning content management systems” (LCMS) are multiuser environments in
which developers may create, store, reuse, manage and deliver content for a central
object repository. LCMS technology can be used in tandem with an LMS or as a
standalone application.
20 “Sharable Content Object Reference Model” (SCORM) is a set of specifications for
course content that produces reusable learning objects.

21 For more information, SCORM and AICC: What Are the Differences?,
Bersin & Associates / Chris Howard, February 22, 2007. Available to research members
at www.bersin.com/library.
Figure 4: The e-Learning Toolset
e-Learning e-Learning
Content Development
Sources Commercial Rapid Tools
off-the-Shelf Development
Content (COTS) Custom Web-Based Tools
e-Learning Content Collaborative
(developed Authoring
Custom externally) Tools
Full-Function
e-Learning Custom and
Authoring
Content Specialty
Tools
(developed Tools
externally) e-Learning
Tools
Virtual Standards
Classroom
LMS LCMS
New
Media Management of
Tools for
Training
Delivery and
Content
Tracking of
Learning Social
Software
Emerging
Tools for
Collaboration and
Social Learning
As the web continues to evolve as a way to simply link and store

documents to a more “social” web, we are seeing more and more social
and collaborative tools to support enterprise learning. The tools include
social networking, blogs, microblogs and niche networks.
Types of e-Learning
While leaders in L&D departments and business units are waking up
to the fact that most employee learning is informal, e-learning today
is still dominated by self-paced e-learning courses, application and
business simulations, live online training in the virtual classroom, and
testing and assessments. The following are some common examples of
e-learning today.
Self-Paced (asynchronous) e-Learning

Below is an example of a self-paced e-learning course, created using
an authoring tool. Typically, the learner advances through a series of
screens, and may be presented with test questions, video scenarios
and resources.
Figure 5: Self-Paced e-Learning
Source: Avon, 2006.
Use of online, self-paced e-learning increased to 20 percent of training

KEY POINT
hours in 2009. Fortunately, these online courses are evolving beyond the
e-Learning content is hours-long “page-turners” from yesteryear. With the ease of creating rich
increasingly moving media, the content may incorporate audio, video or a 3D simulation, and
these factors are changing the face of e-learning22. As well, e-learning
toward short, two- to
content is increasingly moving toward short, two- to five-minute
five-minute segments
segments that can be delivered via multiple device types – computer,
that can be delivered via
cellphone or PDA.
multiple device types.
Video
Despite the advent of very easy-to-use tools for creating audio, video
and interactive content, designing and developing high-quality rich
media can still involve considerable skills and expertise. Many learning
organizations already understand this need, and have added graphic
designers and / or rich media developers to their teams. A substantial
number of outsourced, custom e-learning content incorporates video.
Of course, much innovation occurs on the public web and it may far
easier to publish video into YouTube than it is into most corporate LMS
systems. Before YouTube, it was not that easy to post videos online.
Today, it is reported that 24 hours of video is uploaded every minute to
YouTube23. This website’s value for e-learning is questionable though, as
a large percentage of videos uploaded are oddities, copyrighted material,
controversial content and comedy. Google Video for Business (part of the
Google Apps suite) may be a more realistic option for low-cost, internal
corporate training, rather than using YouTube.
Below is a screenshot of KWConnect, a company that offers

on-demand videos.
22 For more information, The Corporate Learning Factbook® 2010: Benchmarks,

Trends and Analysis of the U.S. Corporate Training Market, Bersin & Associates / Karen
O’Leonard, January 2010. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library or for
purchase at www.bersin.com/factbook.
23 Source: YouTube and Mashable.com, May 2010, http://mashable.com/2010/03/17/
youtube-24-hours/.
Figure 6: Video Content
Source: KW Connect, 2010.
Simulations and Games

Other types of e-learning include application simulation, business
simulation, 3D simulation and serious games. Simple application
simulation tools are used by approximately one-quarter (24 percent)
of organizations.
3D simulations and games have not been adopted in corporate

learning on a large scale yet, because they can be costly and difficult
to implement. However, with new tools continually coming to market,
development and implementation are becoming less difficult.
Figure 7: 3D Simulation / Game
Source: Caspian Learning, 2010.
Virtual Classroom 24
A staple in today’s e-learning toolset is the virtual classroom. The use of

virtual classroom tools increased from 45 percent in 2008 to 59 percent
in 2009. The virtual classroom format is ideal for many types of training
programs. For systems training, for example, today’s virtual classroom
tools include capabilities for online lab exercises, allowing learners
hands-on access to a system or tool that they may not have installed
on their own PCs. For product training, instructors may use a webcam
to demonstrate the use of the product. For management or other soft-
skills training, virtual classroom sessions may include breakout rooms for
student interaction25.
24 For more information, Virtual Classrooms: Facts, Practical Analysis, Trends and
Provider Comparisons, Bersin & Associates / David Mallon, November 2010. Available to
research members at www.bersin.com/library.
O’Leonard, January 2010.
Figure 8: Virtual Classroom
Source: Cisco WebEx, 2010.
Digital Content Libraries

Digital content libraries are another type of e-learning – and include
magazine and journal articles; full book texts in electronic form; book
summaries and abstracts; book reviews; content overviews, factsheets
and summary notes; and, podcasts, audio and video vignettes.
The market for online books and references is large and growing, in part
due to the mobile e-book reading devices that have entered the market,
like Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle.
Today, you can purchase huge libraries of online books at a fraction

of the cost of purchasing these materials in printed form. Training
organizations license these materials for technical reference, IT,

accounting and business skills. Organizations also use these reference
materials as part of blended programs, thereby giving learners a
complete range of materials to learn online. Online books are used in the
following two ways.
• Technical users utilize online references to gain access to quick

answers to technical problems. They may seek out a code sample,
chemical compound or other reference material.
• Business users access online references to browse through and locate

celebrity author titles.
Safari and Books24x7 are two market leaders.
Figure 9: Digital Content Library
Source: Safari, 2010.
Social Learning Environments:

The Next Generation of Blended
Learning
More companies are adopting newer technologies to facilitate learning
KEY POINT
through knowledge-sharing and collaboration. Blogs and wikis both
Social learning posted significant gains in 2009, with 14 percent of organizations using
these tools in a learning context. Communities of practice26, also popular,
environments are a
are used by 24 percent of companies for learning.27
natural evolution of the
blended-learning concept. Social learning environments are a natural evolution of the blended-
learning concept. Companies such as Sun and Nielsen are good examples.
The Nielsen Company, for example, has implemented a platform for

social learning and knowledge-sharing by rediscovering an already
implemented platform, SharePoint.
Case in Point: The Nielsen Company28
The Nielsen Company is one of the world’s leading marketing

and media information companies. Its mission is to provide
clients with the most complete understanding of consumers and
markets worldwide.
Aligned with corporate strategies and goals, The Nielsen Company

created a global learning community, and identified new ways
26 A “community of practice” (or “CoP”) is often defined as a group of people who

share an interest or concern about a common topic, and who deepen their knowledge in
this area through ongoing interaction and relationship-building within their group. While
communities often come into being spontaneously, they nonetheless require nurturing if they
are to become valuable to the members and remain viable over the course of their evolution.
O’Leonard, January 2010.
28 For more information, Connecting the Global Learning Organization: The Nielsen
Company Builds Real-Time Global Community for Learning, Bersin & Associates / David
Mallon, April 2010. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library.
Case in Point: The Nielsen Company (cont’d)
of using current technology to conquer the geography and time

differences between global learning teams.
The Nielsen Company decided to leverage the LMS used in one

of the company’s business units. The company further leveraged
existing technology spending by partnering with the company’s
IT group, which was implementing a rollout of Microsoft Live
Meeting and Microsoft SharePoint globally.
The “Learning Center” allow cross-functional learning

professionals to dynamically search information, standards, best
practices, social networking opportunities and discussion boards
to connect with one another across time and geography for
support and information.
Bringing together the various learning teams scattered around the

world did not just mean encouraging people to collaborate going
forward – it meant consolidating learning management systems,
existing learning content and related processes. e
Figure 10: The Nielsen Company’s “Learning Center” (built on a Microsoft

SharePoint tool)
The opening page for the

Global eLearning
Community site.
Source: The Nielsen Company, 2010.
Development and Management

of Content
As e-learning adoption continues to expand and enables new delivery
modalities, such as blended, personalized, informal and embedded
learning, the development and management of learning content is
becoming an increasingly complex and challenging endeavor.
Content development practices must be adapted and enhanced to

accommodate the demands for:
• Accelerated development cycles;
• Faster time-to-learner competency;
• More contextualized and customized learning experiences; and,
• Learning solutions that more effectively drive business performance

and results.
We have found that organizations seeking to meet these demands must

possess greater content development and management capabilities and
capacities. In other words, the level of practice must “mature” in terms of
strategy, staffing, process and technology.
FigureFigure
11: Bersin & Associates Learning Content Maturity Model 29®
38: Bersin & Associates Learning Content Maturity Model®
On-Demand
Consistency, Usability, Access
Enterprise
Cross-Departmental, Content Leverage, Content Strategy
Collaborative
Development Efficiency
Rapid
Rapid Delivery, Time to Train Is as Important as Instructional Quality
Traditional
Content Is Handcrafted, High Levels of Instructional Quality
Source:
Source:Bersin & Associates,
Bersin 2007. 2007.
& Associates,
This Maturity Model can be used to determine if, when and how training
professionals should seek to evolve their organizations’ capacities to
new levels of maturity to accommodate even more complex information
management demands.
29 For more information, The Learning Content Maturity Model: Developing a

Framework for Integrated Training and Knowledge Management, Bersin & Associates,
Chris Howard / January 2007. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library.
The Stages of e-Learning Adoption

The stages of e-learning implementation have different business
drivers, challenges and business benefits. Think about these stages as
evolutionary stages – you move from one to the next naturally over time.
Figure 12: The Stages of e-Learning
Stage 1: Getting Started

Stage 1 is where all organizations begin. At this level, the organization
typically is new to online training, and has identified one or more
important programs that can take advantage of this approach.
How do you know you are in Stage 1? Some of the indicators include
the following.
• You are in your first or second year of an e-learning program.
• You are focused on rolling out and marketing off-the-shelf

catalog content.
• Your business case for e-learning focuses on saving money on travel

and instructor time, as well as increasing the reach of training to
new audiences.
Stage 2: Expand (growth)

After the first 12 to 18 months of an e-learning program, the issues
change. Your organization has started to become familiar with the pros
and cons of using online learning. We call this phase, “Expand.”
the following.
• You successfully have rolled out many off-the-shelf programs, you

have a library online and many learners have completed courses.
• You have some type of learning management system platform,

although it may not be deployed enterprisewide.
• Your organization has not completely adopted or embraced

e-learning in a big way. Some cannot yet get access, they hesitate or
refuse to take courses, or they simply do not buy into this approach.
• You have been asked repeatedly for custom content and you have
started to build (or outsource) these programs.
• You are past the initial honeymoon period of saving money and
your e-learning program now is a fixed cost that must be managed.
You are looking for ways to reduce the cost of content and
content development.
• You are starting to replace many ILT programs with blended programs
or virtual classroom technology. You are experimenting with blended
approaches, and are working with instructors and trainers to make
sure that they are comfortable with these new approaches.
• You have explored rapid e-learning and are using this approach for
some percentage of your content development needs.
• You have built or are starting to build a complete set of standards for
content development, for LMS administration, for user support, and
for technology and tools.
Stage 3: Integrate and Align

After three to five years of experience with online training (some
companies move faster), organizations reach a stage of e-learning at
which the “e” starts to fade. At this stage, organizations realize that
online learning approaches are just that – one of many approaches.
e-Learning is not a goal in itself; it is a technique or delivery option that
fits into a broad array of training and knowledge management solutions.
Organizations at this stage change focus; now the focus is on integration
and alignment.
the following.
• You are focusing on integration, performance management, skills and

competencies, and content development strategies.
• You no longer look at e-learning as a way to drive down the cost of

training; it is a business performance improvement tool.
• You see e-learning as a tool for increasing reach, efficiency and

impact – not an end in itself.
• You do not measure e-learning adoption anymore. You measure

its effectiveness.
Stage 4: Learning on Demand

At this point, digital learning assets are made available on-demand –
just as a worker needs them. This is the blending of the course-
driven approach to training with online performance support. Now
organizations begin to realize that it is time to make content easier to
find and use.
the following.
• There is further adoption of blended learning, thereby making nearly

all instructor-led programs blended in some way.
• You have rapid growth in online events and higher adoption of

Webcast technology as a standard training tool.
• You use of rapid e-learning tools are to create richer training

solutions, including collaborative and content management solutions.
• You are using some form of learning content management to

manage your e-learning content.
• You are using application and business simulation tools.
• Your LMS and analytics systems continue to evolve.
• You are starting to use new search and publishing technologies, like
expert directories, search and RSS.
Stage 5: Learning Environments

A new era of corporate learning is emerging – one of social, collaborative
and talent-driven learning. Today’s workers need availability of a
“learning environment” in which they can find information, collaborate
and build their own learning plans. Most employees have widespread
access to the Internet, and most have computers and mobile devices at
work and at home.
the following.
• You create holistic, learner-centric spaces in which learners connect to

on-demand formal and informal content.
• You support the need for instant communication, self-service and

personal learning.
• You are starting to use social networking, Twitter, wikis, blogs,

location awareness, instant messaging and presence awareness,
graphical interfaces in mobile devices, RSS, and tagging.
• You are looking at new roles for L&D, such as community manager.
• You are involved in creating learning solutions that incorporate

next-generation blended learning, like communities of practice (e.g.,
collaborative, social).
• You are concerned more with building mastery (deep specialization

and learning agility) than in providing training events.
• Learning is becoming embedded on the job.
• You are working toward creating a library of searchable learning.
• You are moving away from having an LMS that looks like a course
catalog to something that incorporates YouTube-like features.
Scope of the Learning Function

One of the most visible and important parts of corporate learning is the
“learning programs.”
“A program is a set of carefully crafted content,

information and experiences that create skills and
capabilities within a specific audience.”
Within the concept of a program are the critical steps to define the
business and learning problem, clearly segment and understand the
audience, and analyze the gaps in learning or performance to be filled.
Examples of learning programs include sales leadership programs, new
product rollout programs, ERP30 system rollout programs, onboarding
programs, leadership development programs, compliance programs,
manufacturing quality excellence programs and thousands of others.
Programs comprise the creative magic in the L&D profession. Our goal
is to try to apply the approaches, disciplines, tools, technologies and
cultural elements to make high-impact, efficient, long-lasting programs.
Programs are targeted toward “audiences” and “business problems.”

KEY POINT
Every learning program has a target set of learners, and a set of learning
Our goal is to try to and business objectives to achieve. In the design of a program, we must
consider the business problem (or the desired business improvement
apply the approaches,
measure), the audience’s demographics (e.g., who is the audience that
disciplines, tools,
we are going to train) and many characteristics of the audience.
technologies and cultural
elements to make high- There are a myriad of ways in which adults learn, and hundreds of
impact, efficient, long-
possible ways to design and implement a learning solution. Depending
on the problem and the audience, we can assemble many different types
lasting programs.
of experiences, media and interactivities to meet the business need. Some
problems and audiences demand highly rigorous learning approaches.
Other problems warrant self-study. Still others require a high degree of
discussion, role-play and interaction.
A “learning architecture” is your organization’s decisions about which

approaches, tools, systems and supporting processes you will use to
build your learning programs. As our High-Impact Learning Practices®
30 “Enterprise resource planning” is a category of enterprise software that typically

integrates financials, HR, manufacturing, order processing and customer relationship
management in an integrated solution.
research31 shows, the learning architecture should constrain your choices

KEY POINT
and make it easier to build scalable, measurable, high-performance
A “learning architecture” learning programs. It should also help you in hiring contractors and
is your organization’s outsourcers in a more efficient and focused way. Here is an example
learning architecture from our research client, Reuters.
decisions about which
approaches, tools, systems
and supporting processes
you will use to build your
Case in Point: Reuters
learning programs.
Reuters, a global financial services organization with operations in
more than 30 different countries, specifically understands the
role of informal learning. In fact, Reuters’ CLO considers informal
learning to be “formal” – it is a required process step in the
development of any learning solution.
Reuters Learning Architecture

Figure 13: Reuters Learning Architecture
Formal Learning Informal Learning
Learning Events e-Learning and On-the-Job and Knowledge

Distance Learning Experiential Learning Management
• Workshops
• Virtual Classroom • Work within Role • Best practices
• Scheduled Courses
• CD Rom • Exposure to other depts. • Reference and
• Conferences
• Web courses and roles reading materials
• Seminars
• Structured web learning • Special assignments, • Information Repositories
• Workbooks and guides task forces, projects • Access to internal experts
Structured Work • Web conferencing • Action learning • Internal standards and
Experience documented processes
• Coordinated swaps
• Secondments Certification and Mentoring and External
• Job Shadowing Qualifications Communities of Practice Experience
• Project Managements
• Reuters Certification • Buddies, mentors, peers • Relationship with outside
• Professional Certification • Informal professional professionals
Structured Coaching • Academic Qualification networks • Speaking engagements
& Team Effectiveness • Common interest groups • Professional memberships
• Lunch talks • Publications and reports
• Structured Mentoring • Executive Directorships
• Structured Coaching
• Team effectiveness activities
• External Coaching
Source: Reuters, 2009.
31 For more information, High-Impact Learning Practices: The Guide to Modernizing

Your Corporate Training Strategy through Social and Informal Learning, Bersin &
Copyright © 2009 Bersin & Associates. All rights reserved. Page 1
Associates / David Mallon, July 2009.
Case in Point: Reuters (cont’d)
Because the Reuters organization is such a networked one, the

CLO focuses primarily on formalized use of informal learning.
Every time a performance challenge is identified, he forces the
organization to consider informal learning solutions.
As you can see from the Reuter’s model, many of the informal
solutions tend to be processes and systems that go beyond the
traditional role of L&D. Many of these programs (e.g., coaching,
buddies, mentoring, special assignments, et al) fall into the
roles of performance management, leadership development
and general learning culture. The increasingly important role of
informal learning has made it mandatory that L&D both focuses
on these areas – and partners with HR and IT to deliver
these solutions. e
New Disciplines and New Roles

of L&D
When we look at what the best modern L&D organizations are good at
KEY POINT
as compared with others, a pattern emerges. We see that they are not
Our most current research only good at instructional design, coaching, business acumen, and project
management – traditional L&D disciplines, but also are much better than
shows that understanding
others at other disciplines32 such as:
the modern disciplines of
corporate training rates • Knowledge management;
among the top two needs
• Information architecture;
of training professionals.
• Business intelligence / analytics;
• Performance consulting;
• Marketing; and,
• New media.
Our most current research shows that understanding the modern

disciplines of corporate training rates among the top two needs of
training professionals33.
Most L&D professionals learned about instructional design, content

development, training and HR development over the last 10 to 20
years. They were not trained to understand the new principles of
information architecture, Web 2.034 user-experience design,
32 For more information, High Impact Learning Practices: The Guide to Modernizing
Your Corporate Training Strategy Through Informal & Social Learning, Bersin &
Associates / David Mallon, June 2009.
33 For more information, The Enterprise Learning Framework: A Modern Approach
to Corporate Training, Bersin & Associates / Josh Bersin and David Mallon, April 2009.
Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library.
34 “Web 2.0” refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities
and hosted services (such as social networking sites, wikis, folksonomies, blogs, social
bookmarking, podcasts, RSS feeds, social software, web application programming
interfaces/APIs, and online web service), which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration
and sharing between and among users. Although the term suggests a new version of
the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specification, but to
changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the Web.
tagging35 and community management. Most instructional designers did

not learn about mobile technologies, RSS, semantic search36, XML37 and
many of today’s newest technologies.
Case in Point: Sun Learning eXchange38
When Sun Microsystem’s sales division reduced training

hours and budget, Sun Learning Services (SLS) needed to get
strategic. Observing Web 2.0 popularity, increased peer-to-peer
information-sharing among employees and sales team demand
for “just-in-time” learning in the field, Sun brought social media
into the workplace. Leveraging open source technology and the
company’s innovative culture, Sun Learning Services created Sun
Learning eXchange, a YouTube-like collaborative multimedia
portal on which employees can post, view, rate, tag, share or
download content to computers or wireless iPod devices.
The first set of business problems Sun Microsystems was trying to

solve was not having sufficient budget or training hours to meet
the training needs of sales professionals. For example, the U.S. and
Canada sales operations team asked Sun Learning Services (SLS)
35 “Tagging” refers to an individual’s ability to “tag” a note onto any object, blog
posting or article, so that others can find the resource more easily. Tagging enables users to
dynamically categorize content, showing its popularity, frequency of use and topic area.
36 “Semantic search” is “meaning-based” search – not simply searching based on literal
words used, but by interpreting the underlying meaning and intention involved. Semantic
search tools search against structured data (e.g., courses in an LMS), as well as ontologies,
which define the knowledge relationships needed.
37 “XML” is extensible markup language, which improves the functionality of the web
by allowing users to identify information in a more accurate, flexible and adaptable way.
It is “extensible” because it is not a fixed format like HTML (which is a single, predefined
markup language). Instead, XML is actually a meta-language – a language for describing
other languages – that lets users design markup languages for limitless different types
of documents.
38 For more information, A Social Learning Environment: Sun Learning eXchange
Empowers Learners to Meet Their Own Critical Learning Needs, Bersin & Associates /
David Mallon, March 2009. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library.
Case in Point: Sun Learning eXchange (cont’d)
for 40 hours of formal online training and 40 hours of instructor-

led training in the 2009 fiscal year – not nearly enough time to
cover the large portfolio of Sun products and solutions.
In addition, it takes about seven weeks for SLS to design and

deploy one hour of moderately interactive e-learning without
translation. The sales teams needed help quickly; SLS had to devise
a speedy, cost-effective way to supplement formal sales training.
The second set of problems involved how best to serve the needs
of the sales teams by making sure they have the necessary selling
tools at their fingertips with minimal “clicks,” as well as support
in the field. In addition, the sales teams had to have better access
to valuable information from subject matter experts worldwide.
These needs represented both an operational problem (sales
teams do not have the information they need when they need it)
and a business problem (as a result, sales professionals have a hard
time closing sales).
Figure
Figure 14: Learning 1.0 to6:2.0
Learning 1.0 to 2.0
Learning 1.0 to 2.0
Learning 1.0 Learning 2.0

Structured Learning Collaborative Learning
ILT, WBT, Virtual Blogs, Wikis, Informal
Top-down, Push Self-Service, Pull
Centralized Content User-Generated Content
Taxonomies Tags
Company-Identified Experts Community-Identified Experts
Scheduled and Planned Real-Time, On-Demand
Localized Search Google-Like Searching
Source: Sun LearningSource:

eXchange,
Sun 2009.
Learning Services, 2009.
Case in Point: Sun Learning eXchange (cont’d)
Learners access SLX content and functionality through a website

that feels similar to YouTube in its general layout and navigation.
The SLX home page and much of the content is accessible to the
general public – but users need to log in to SLX to upload content,
tag, comment and view certain restricted content. e
Figure 15 illustrates the type of learning environment to which the

modern corporate training professional needs to evolve. Our research has
shown that high-impact learning organizations must “formalize informal
learning” by creating a formal learning architecture which helps L&D
professionals understand how to embrace informal learning in all of
their programs.
Semantic Learning
Figure 15: An Example of Semantic Learning
Supporting an Employee-Centered Learning Environment
Social Networks
Profiles Manager
Peer
Peer
Employee
LMS
Expert
Mentor
Knowledge HR
Wikis Databases L&D
Social Content
Source: CA, 2010.

Copyright © 2010 Bersin & Associates. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential. Do not distribute Page 1
The following case in point describes CA’s training function and how the
disciplines and roles of the training function will have to evolve.
Case in Point: The Evolution of CA’s Training

Function39
CA (formerly Computer Associates) is one of the world’s leading

independent IT management software companies. Over the past
few years, CA has been developing and testing a social learning
platform, called “eCampus” by Q2Learning.
CA uses eCampus for blending social and collaborative learning

with its more formal learning efforts. Discussion groups and other
opportunities for collaboration are wrapped around learning
events, both synchronously and asynchronously. Blogs allow
thought leaders or “celebrity” subject-matter experts (SMEs) to
discuss topics of interest for various learning communities within
the organization. A wiki environment supports the collaboration
of learners on assignments, post-learning activities and
performance support. Learners are building a living, best-practices
library for use and application later on the job. All learning
activity in the environment can be aggregated and subscribed to
using RSS. Everything on the platform is fully text searchable.
CA predicts that the roles of the training function will have to

evolve. The company foresees less of a need for the traditional
instructional designer or courseware developer, because formal
courses will become less a part of the learning function. CA
suggests that these skills would be best applied in helping to
build specifications for social and collaborative tools for the
organization. Instructional designers are masters at classifying
what learners need and what people do – and at organizing
these according to clusters of knowledge, skills and attributes by
job role or function. These will be valuable skills as organizations
move more of their learning to these new approaches. e
39 For more information, Coaching Sales Managers: CA Uses Collaborative Learning to

Improve Sales Performance, Bersin & Associates / David Mallon, March 2009. Available to
The CA case in point illustrates another evolution in L&D – the rise of

social and collaborative learning through new media.
New Roles
Figure 16: New Roles for Learning and Development
Performance Consultants
Instructional Designers
Content Developers
Content Graphic / AV Designers
(Media) Information Architects
Employee Editors / Production Support
Portfolio Management
Learning Environments
Community Management
Content Stewards
Moderators
Communities
(Interactions)
Program Managers
SMEs
Connections
(Directories)
Copyright © 2010 Bersin & Associates. All rights reserved. Proprietary & Confidential. Do not distribute Page
The Evolving Role of the

Instructional Designer
For many years, the role of the instructional designer has been pretty
KEY POINT
standard – to apply a methodology based on learning theory to develop
The instructional designer instructional solutions. In designing and developing e-learning, the
instructional designer uses instructional technology to design and
needs to be a “cog” in the
develop content that is computer- or web-based.
human and knowledge
part of the supply chain – A current debate among industry experts is the future role of the
identifying the likely instructional designer. While some are sounding the obsolescence alarm,
trouble spots, proactively
others are noting that the role of the instructional designer is not only
relevant, but is evolving and expanding. Both sides have valid arguments
helping to fill them and
with a common underlying theme – the need for modernization. What
supporting the learner
is a modernized instructional designer? To understand that, we need to
when gaps invariably arise.
look at the traditional role of the instructional designer.
Instructional designers have traditionally worked in the L&D department,

and have been at least partially responsible for solving the problem
of an employee who lacks particular knowledge or skills to solve a
business need. Frequently, the solution to the problem will involve the
development of a formal learning intervention, hence the need for an
instructional designer.
The approach of formal learning is either to avoid a problem in the

first place by building capacity in the learner prior to performance or to
correct the discrepancy after the problem surfaces. Talent management,
KEY POINT
in conjunction with learning, adds a third strategy – hiring the right
person with the needed capacity ahead of time.
Instructional designers
cannot afford to think of But in an age of information overload (too much to learn and too little
themselves merely as those time for training), organizations are finding less patience for the first
who create instruction. two approaches, both which involve the development of formal learning,
They have to take a page
and are also struggling with the coordination required for the third.
What then? Where does the instructional designer need to be?
out of the performance
consultant’s book, thinking The modern learning organization goes to where performance happens
about the business and its and makes resources available to learners. People get to the “what I
holistic knowledge needs. need to know right now” point and / or to find out who they can ask
for help.
One way is to offer learning environments or portals that include learner

interaction and learner-generated content. This way, people learn from
peers and experts, not necessarily just from formal solutions.
Learning portals are probably familiar to most and, for all practical
purposes, are the same as social learning environments with two
distinctions – the central role of social software and the role of the
learning management system. Not all learning portals have an explicit
social component, and not all social learning environments and / or
learning portals involve an LMS. The LMS may be just one more back-
office source of content40.
Figure 17: A Business Collaboration Platform – To Share and Find Information and Expertise
40 For more information, Integrating Learning into the Enterprise: A Look at the IBM
Enterprise Learning Portal, Bersin & Associates / Chris Howard, January 2008. Available to
In short, instructional designers cannot afford to think of themselves

merely as those who create instruction. They have to take a page out of
the performance consultant’s book, thinking about the business and its
holistic knowledge needs.
But we are not just referring to supporting performance; we are

talking about the business. We are talking about systems thinking41.
The instructional designer needs to be a “cog” in the human and
knowledge part of the supply chain – identifying the likely trouble
spots, proactively helping to fill them and supporting the learner when
gaps invariably arise.
Figure 18 illustrates the differences between traditional instructional

designers and modern-day instructional designers. The role of the
instructional designers is to evolve and expand, not replace, their
traditional role to include new knowledge and skills.
Figure 18: The Evolving Role of the Instructional Designer
Traditional Modern
Work out in the business, teaching others to

Work within training department
structure knowledge
Hands-on content design / development Supervise SMEs
Use additional disciplines to create environments with

Rely on ISD / ADDIE40 to create point solutions
multiple solutions
Can afford to be business domain neutral, content

Must be masters of the business
factory approach
Measure in Kirkpatrick terms41 Measure in business terms
View high interactivity / fidelity content as ultimate View fast / efficient business performance improvement as
expression of their abilities ultimate expression of their abilities
41 “Systems thinking” is the process of understanding how things influence one

another within a whole. It has been defined as an approach to problem-solving.
42 “ADDIE” is a standard instructional design model that stands for analyze, design,
develop, implement and evaluate.

43 Donald Kirkpatrick’s four-level Measurement Model has been widely published
in many articles and its terminology is well-known to most training professionals. The
original model was published in Training and Development Handbook, R. L. Craig,
McGraw-Hill, 1976.
The modernized instructional designer has the analytical skills to identify

KEY POINT
who knows what and how much, as well as the teaching skills to grow
The modernized the critical communication and collaboration behaviors needed. The
instructional designer modern learning function works to create the natural touch points for
this business performance optimization to happen. This means modern
has the analytical skills
instructional designers are now working hand in hand with the business
to identify who knows
to obtain a deeper form of alignment.
what and how much,
as well as the teaching Over the past two years, L&D has had to become better aligned with the
skills to grow the critical
business. Budget cuts have forced organizations to redefine priorities,
and also to put their resources into key initiatives and programs that will
communication and
drive competitive advantage44.
collaboration behaviors
needed. In addition, L&D executives must consider different learning approaches,
such as using collaborative and informal learning methods, replacing
face-to-face classroom with virtual ones, and leveraging managers
and internal SMEs as coaches and instructors. They must also be
more selective of who participates in training, so that learners and
the company get maximum value from programs. This calls for new
disciplines and new roles.
44 For more information, The Training Investment Model: How to Allocate Training
Investments for Optimum Business Impact, Bersin & Associates / Josh Bersin, November 21,
2008. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library.
Gauging Readiness for the New

World of e-Learning
Our Modern Enterprise Learning Index45 is an aggregate index of 10
KEY POINT
indicators of corporate L&D’s readiness and capacity to support learning
Our Modern Enterprise agility and thrive in the face of transformative change.
Learning Index is an The purpose of these new measures is to gauge readiness for a particular
aggregate index of 10 kind of high-impact learning, defined in our Bersin & Associates
indicators of corporate Enterprise Learning Framework46 and accomplished by something we call
L&D’s readiness and the modern enterprise learning organization.
capacity to support Organizations can determine their readiness for transitioning to the
learning agility and modern high-impact learning organization using the 10 measures of the
thrive in the face of Modern Enterprise Learning Index47, as follows.
transformative change.
Internal
• Capacity Building (readiness indicator) – We add new knowledge

and skills to our team fast enough to meet the changing needs of
the business.
• Business Analysis (readiness indicator) – We have the connection and

the expertise to master and analyze the business processes of our
target audiences.
• Content Efficiency (readiness indicator) – Our learning content

processes are highly efficient. We are adept at content reuse
and recycling.
• Adaptation (readiness indicator) – We know the preferences of our

audiences, and we can adapt our efforts to audience of different
geographies or generations.
• Versatile (readiness indicator) – We can work equally well in as many

different formats, channels and modalities as our audiences do.
45 Modern L&D Research, 798 Respondents. Bersin & Associates, 2009.

46 For more information, The Enterprise Learning Framework: A Modern Approach
to Corporate Training, Bersin & Associates / Josh Bersin and David Mallon, April 2009.
47 For more information see High-Impact Learning Practices: An Operating Guide for
the Modern Corporate Learning Function, Bersin & Associates / David Mallon, July 2009.
External
• Business-Driven (readiness indicator) – We measure our efforts in

terms of business impact.
• Talent-Linked (readiness indicator) – Our efforts map directly to

consolidated talent and performance management strategies.
• Timely (readiness indicator) – We are successful at meeting urgent,

time-critical business needs.
• Targeted (readiness indicator) – Our efforts are honed to address

specific performance needs.
• Proximal (readiness indicator) – Our efforts are targeted as close to

where performance happens as possible.
Nothing is more important to high learning impact or more predictive of

organizational readiness for an organization to become a high-impact
learning organization than the presence of a strong learning culture.
Modern high-impact learning organizations take ownership of their roles
in cultivating such cultures.
Where Do You Go from Here?

When solutions or approaches are new, they are exciting and
A N A LY S I S
innovative – but often unproven. Companies buy technologies, but do
To gain the best benefit not necessarily have proven implementation experiences from which to
draw. Later in the maturity cycle, solutions are better established and
from this research, you
there are many companies from which to learn. This is the case with
should map your current
the newest evolution of e-learning. Finding empirical evidence to show
organization to the model
effectiveness or ineffectiveness is hard to obtain because it is so new.
to identify areas that you
Much of the research comes from the anecdotal findings of corporations
can improve or plan for
that have successfully (or unsuccessfully) implemented collaborative,
the future.
social learning solutions.
Social software tools (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Wikipedia and

YouTube) are quickly becoming part of our day-to-day lives, at home
and, increasingly, at work. This fact should come as no surprise, given
our inherently social nature as human beings. Our research on the
modern High-Impact Learning Practices®48 shows that the best of today’s
corporate training and HR departments recognize the important role
which employee networks play – and are working to leverage employee
interaction to support business goals49.
To gain the best benefit from this research, you should map your current
organization to the model to identify areas that you can improve or plan
for the future. How can you use this report to help plan and enhance the
effectiveness and efficiency of your training investments? Consider where
in this evolution you are today. Are you stuck at one point or do you see
your organization naturally evolving to the next stage? Can you predict
the problems, challenges or new investments you will need to make in
order to move forward?
Lastly, one of the greatest challenges in implementing the next

generation of e-learning is the need to change how we teach. Active
learning, as well as new roles for trainers and learning, is necessary for
48 For more information, High-Impact Learning Practices: The Guide to Modernizing Your
Corporate Training Strategy through Social and Informal Learning, Bersin & Associates /
David Mallon, July 2009. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library or for
purchase at www.bersin.com/hilp.
49 For more information see Enabling Social Learning: Technology Strategies for Social
and Collaborative Learning, Bersin & Associates / David Mallon, September 28, 2009.
adoption. That, along with the ability to change culture, will determine
the success or failure for the next generation of e-learning. It seems the
adoption of technology is outpacing the learning innovation. This is an
e-learning chasm that must be crossed.
Appendix I
Additional Bersin & Associates Reading
Appendix I: Additional Bersin & Associates Reading
The following is a listing of related reports that are located in the

Bersin & Associates research library.
• Enabling Social Learning: Technology Strategies for Social and

Collaborative Learning, David Mallon, September 28, 2009
• High-Impact Learning Practices: An Operating Guide for the Modern

Corporate Learning Function, David Mallon, July 2009
• The Training Investment Model: How to Allocate Training Investments

for Optimum Business Impact, Josh Bersin, November 21, 2008
• Integrating Learning into the Enterprise: A Look at the IBM Enterprise

Learning Portal, Chris Howard, January 2008
• Coaching Sales Managers: CA Uses Collaborative Learning to Improve

Sales Performance, David Mallon, March 2009
• A Social Learning Environment: Sun Learning eXchange Empowers

Learners to Meet Their Own Critical Learning Needs, David Mallon,
March 2009
• The Enterprise Learning Framework: A Modern Approach to

Corporate Training, Josh Bersin and David Mallon, April 2009
• The Learning Content Maturity Model: Developing a Framework for

Integrated Training and Knowledge Management, Chris Howard /
January 2007
• The Corporate Learning Factbook®2010: Benchmarks, Trends and

Analysis of the U.S. Training Market, Karen O’Leonard, January 2010
• Connecting the Global Learning Organization: The Nielsen Company

Builds Real-Time Global Community for Learning, David Mallon, April 2010
• Content Integration in Enterprise E-Learning: Challenges, Costs,

Solutions, Chris Howard, October 2005
• SCORM and AICC: What are the Differences? Chris Howard,

February 2007
• Virtual Classrooms, David Mallon, 2010
• Learning Systems 2011, David Mallon, 2010
Appendix II
Other Links
Appendix II: Other Links
For additional sources of reference, please see the following.
• Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) is an initiative to standardize

and modernize training and education management and delivery.
The U.S. Department of Defense oversees the ADL initiative that
developed SCORM. http://www.adlnet.gov/Pages/Default.aspx.
• The “Aviation Industry CBT Committee” (AICC) is an international

association of technology-based training professionals that develops
guidelines for the aviation industry in the development, delivery and
evaluation of computer-based training (CBT) and related training
technologies. The standard is widely used by LMSs and other systems.
http://www.aicc.org/.
Appendix III
Table of Figures
Appendix III: Table of Figures
Figure 1: Bersin & Associates Enterprise Learning Framework® 8
Figure 2: Transformative Change, and Learning and Development 9
Figure 3: The Evolution of Corporate Learning 11
Figure 4: The e-Learning Toolset 16
Figure 5: Self-Paced e-Learning 17
Figure 6: Video Content 19
Figure 7: 3D Simulation / Game 20
Figure 8: Virtual Classroom 21
Figure 9: Digital Content Library 22
Figure 10: The Nielsen Company’s “Learning Center” (built on a Microsoft SharePoint tool) 24
Figure 11: Bersin & Associates Learning Content Maturity Model® 26
Figure 12: The Stages of e-Learning 27
Figure 13: Reuters Learning Architecture 33
Figure 14: Learning 1.0 to 2.0 37
Figure 15: An Example of Semantic Learning 38
Figure 16: New Roles for Learning and Development 40
Figure 17: A Business Collaboration Platform – To Share and Find Information and Expertise 42
Figure 18: The Evolving Role of the Instructional Designer 43
About Us
Bersin & Associates is the only research and advisory consulting firm
focused solely on WhatWorks® research in enterprise learning and
talent management. With more than 25 years of experience in enterprise
learning, technology and HR business processes, Bersin & Associates
provides actionable, research-based services to help learning and HR
managers and executives improve operational effectiveness and
business impact.
Bersin & Associates research members gain access to a comprehensive

library of best practices, case studies, benchmarks and in-depth market
analyses designed to help executives and practitioners make fast, effective
decisions. Member benefits include: in-depth advisory services, access to
proprietary webcasts and industry user groups, strategic workshops, and
strategic consulting to improve operational effectiveness and business
alignment. More than 3,500 organizations in a wide range of industries
benefit from Bersin & Associates research and services.
Bersin & Associates can be reached at http://www.bersin.com or at

(510) 347-4300.
About This Research

Copyright © 2011 Bersin & Associates. All rights reserved. WhatWorks®
and related names such as Rapid e-Learning: WhatWorks® and The
High-Impact Learning Organization® are registered trademarks of
Bersin & Associates. No materials from this study can be duplicated,
copied, republished, or reused without written permission from Bersin &
Associates. The information and forecasts contained in this report reflect
the research and studied opinions of Bersin & Associates analysts.

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• Benchmarking – These services cover a wide spectrum of HR and L&D

• Tools – Comprehensive tools for HR and L&D professionals, including tools

• Analyst Support – Via telephone or email, our advisory services are

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Social Learning Environments: The Next

Scope of the Learning Function 32

Appendix I: Additional Bersin & Associates Reading 50

In that 2005 study, we also described a maturity model for e-learning,

“Learning on Demand (LOD) implies that all the

We identified enablers for this fourth stage as the availability of new

Other growth factors can be attributed to several advances, some of

• Further adoption of blended learning;

• Rapid growth in live, online events and higher adoption of

• Explosion in PowerPoint-driven rapid e-learning and the growth of

• Emergence of the learning content management system (LCMS);

• Evolution of easier-to-use simulation tools; and,

• Continuous evolution of learning management systems (LMSs) and

This primer revisits our original Maturity Model for e-Learning,

The objectives of this report are to:

• Describe the e-learning market today;

• Provide our perspectives on where the corporate e-learning

In fact, we are at the point now at which we cannot imagine doing

The interactive, collaborative, social web shifts the practice of

Figure 1: Bersin & Associates Enterprise Learning Framework®

Audiences & Problems

Formal On-Demand Social Embedded

Tools & Technology

Source: Bersin & Associates, 2009.

We categorize informal learning into three broad types – on-demand

What comes next? Well, we are seeing several potentially disruptive

5 For more information, High-Impact Learning Practices: The Guide to Modernizing

• The importance of informal learning in organizations;

• The increasing speed at which the human capital needs of the

• The increasing inability of current practices to solve for all of these

These emerging trends are raising fundamental questions about the

It helps to put change in perspective by looking at where we have been.

Transformative Change and Corporate L&D

Business Climate Workforce Changes

Growth Globalization Millennials Competitive

Expansion THE ECONOMY Teamwork Multigen.

New Leadership Social Networking

Source: Bersin & Associates, 2009.

The Evolution of e-Learning

The evolution of corporate e-learning (see Figure 3) starts in the 1970s

The decision to “blend” media is made because the learning challenge

Figure 3: The Evolution of Corporate Learning

Collaborative, Talent-Driven Learning

Blended and Informal Learning

The e-Learning Era

Traditional and Computer-Assisted Training

Source: Bersin & Associates, 2009.

Today, there are three broad categories of e-learning.

• Self-Paced e-Learning – Web-based content that allows a learner

• Live e-Learning – Live, web-based programs that use virtual classroom

Case in Point: AT&T’s Collaborative Mobile

AT&T’s mobility applications consulting group is a sales function