eLearning as cross marketing tool

[Gary Molton]

OK let me put a few ideas here to start the discussion.
We have a couple of FREE programs that you might be able to use to improve the training you provide to your clients and cross market with other HRD Cafe members.

Firstly www.dvdcatalogues.co.uk is a digital library system and although it does have a simple Q&A system it is more a cheaper and easier way to deliver paper as PDF, PPT or videos etc. CD or DVD copies of a training course can be good to reinforce the training after the course has finished. They also work as good marketing tools by showing people what the course contains or giving a sample of other courses.
Would anyone be interested in using this to build a library of Magenta consultants and trainers so that everyone can give this away to introduce and cross sell each others courses.

Also we have a free website builder www.straight2web.net that can be used to create online training courses. We have a site www.e4training.com that just gives courses we’ve produced for our clients. They’re not impressive training but we use them to attract people from Google and send them to content provider’s website. We also have Google ads and while they don’t pay enough to live from, it is real money and should keep growing. Revenue and power in Google could be improved if this was linked to a series of other eLearning sites so we all cross market and boost our own sites. Is anyone interested or want to know more?

[Jorgen Grabow Faxholm]

Great idea, Gary. Some years ago I developed a Simulation Generator for behavioural, scenario-based simulations. Although technologically prepared, the resulting simulations are not presently suited for inter/intranet delivery, but they work wonders as integrated tools in a seminar - or via CD-distribution. The differentiation is the ability to write your own (quite complex) simulations - with no need for understanding technical gobbledygook, only mastering content and logic. There is also a tried and tested Effective Teams simulation (or Project Leadership/behaviour) in 4 languages, used in Germany, France and Spain. I plan to make both the Generator and some of the products available for other consultants. Perhaps via your idea? Some details on www.Orchardsim.com - but I'd like to discuss further with anyone interested
Best regards
Jorgen Grabow Faxholm

[Gary Molton]

You're right Jorgen. Simulation is the best way to teach electronically but it is the most difficult and expensive type to produce. If you have a good way of producing simulations then I'm sure it would be worth putting on a CD.
I like the saying 'you see you forget', 'you hear you remember', 'you do and you understand'. My proposal will only get to the hear bit but it 's benefits are that it's a cheap way to reach potential clients and it will never replace the need for consultants and trainers.

[Jorgen Grabow Faxholm]

I'd be delighted to discuss the pro's and con's here on the 'Cafe', Gary - but perhaps we also need an off-line chat ?
Yes - I have actually marched on from the hearing bit to the do-and-understand. I agree that constructing simulations can be a costly undertaking. That was the reason for me to design and construct a Simulation Generator. It takes all the technical pain and 70-80% of the cost/ time-to-market away and leaves you with "only" the content thinking, scenario relationship and scoring/feedback management. And with THAT there is no automatic help for humanity yet. I am now looking for people with creative minds to help pouring intelligent content into the machine. The first 2 simulations + 3 bespoke company specific simulations prove the point.

[sharpendtraining]

I would be interested in this also - maybe a skype conference call ?

[Jorgen Grabow Faxholm]

Hi - my skype address is jorgenfaxholm
perhaps we could start and then add people? Skype caters for max 4 in conference, as far as I know - and honestly, I find this cafe-forum very difficult to use, as my answers seem to go hither dither ;-)