When planning an e-learning initiative (or any web initiative for that matter) it is so easy to get drawn into fulfilling only the content and infrastructure requirements that we usually forget to cast an eye on other equally important areas of the initiative. One such area that often gets neglected is web-based support. In this article, we will take a look at how web-based support services can help increase the chances of adoption and success of an e-learning initiative and also provide for an enhanced learner experience along the way.
Why offer support?
Support services are the fuel and oil of any web-based initiative; they are the ones that keep the initiative going. Consider this scenario: you have just purchased an expensive software product. On installing the software you encounter a bug. Finding no mention of the bug in the manual, you get to the company’s website and find no information there either. You call the company and the receptionist tells you that there are no technical representatives currently available to help you. Feeling helpless? Planning to sue? Now, just imagine an e-learner’s plight if they found no support to help them answer some of their fears, uncertainties and doubts (FUDs)?
Web-based support services can help alleviate an e-learner’s FUDs. They can help foster a sense of comfort and security under which the learner can bask with an open mind. Now, I don’t have research reports to prove this, but it seems pretty evident that learning can bloom when the mind is without fear.
Web-based support can also be a boon for instructors, facilitators, and administrators of the initiative by helping them work faster and smarter and giving them the confidence of knowing that help is just a click away.
So, what different types of support services are there and how do we determine which ones to use? To find out, let us examine some award-winning support sites.
Learning from the best
The Association of Support Professionals (ASP) is an “international membership organization for customer support managers and professionals”. Every year, they come up with the “Ten Best Support Sites” award. Companies that have won this award include Apple Computer, Macromedia, Microsoft, Dell, Iomega etc. So what support strategies do these companies deploy to stand out from the crowd? Let’s consider some of them.
Knowledgebase
A knowledgebase is a repository of answers to problems that crop up every now and then. For example, if your iBook has got a white spot on the screen, you can search Apple’s knowledgebase to check if a solution exists (if no solution exists, then you would try other avenues described later).
In an e-learning context, a knowledgebase could contain notes on technical problems, bugs, updates, how-to guides etc for instructors, facilitators and administrators of the system. For example, if an instructor gets an error message when trying to bulk-register their students into Blackboard, they can search the knowledgebase for the solution to the problem. (This illustrates the need to make sure that the knowledgebase is constantly updated so that users find what they are looking for.)
If it is found that a particular knowledgebase entry is accessed many times, it should be elevated to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) list, which is another must-have feature on support sites.
Articles, Guides and Reports
Articles, guides and reports help educate users on using the product or service more efficiently and effectively. For example, Macromedia provides tutorials, tips, and how-to guides to help users use their software products more effectively.
In an e-learning context, simple articles, reports and how-to guides can help educate instructors and facilitators on effective e-learning practices such as content authoring, quizzes and assessments, facilitation techniques etc.
E-mail, Newsletters and Alerts
I get regular e-mail newsletters from Microsoft packed with tips and tricks on using their Office 2004 Mac Edition which I bought a few months ago. These tips and tricks help me understand the features and functions of the product better and give me the confidence to incorporate them into my daily work.
In an e-learning context, e-mail newsletters and alerts can provide an alternate means for instructors, facilitators and administrators to keep up to date with the latest developments on the initiative.
Discussion Forums
Nearly all winners of the ASP award have a vibrant discussion forum to cater to their users’ everyday problems and issues. In some cases, the discussion forum is the heart of all support-based services. It is here that users go to when they cannot find answers to their problems in the knowledgebase. It is here that a sense of community and loyalty can be fostered.
When implementing a large e-learning initiative, there will be many FUDs in many minds, and the knowledgebase may not be large enough to cater to all these different facets of problems and issues. This is where the discussion forum can be a real saviour. The discussion board not only helps instil confidence in all members of the initiative but also provides an opportunity for the management to prove their mettle when it comes to helping its members when they need it most. These are the actions that help build a sense of loyalty and evangelism for the initiative.
Live Help
Live help is when you are able to talk to the company’s support representative to solve your problem. This avenue for support is gathering momentum, especially now that the technology that can make it happen is easily understood and widely adopted (for example, see Skype).
For example, Iomega provides a live one-on-one chat service for users who cannot find solutions to their problems by other means (knowledgebase, troubleshooting documents etc).
In an e-learning context, providing live help can boost confidence in and adoption of the initiative.
Conclusion
Web-based support is a must-have to sustain any large-scale e-learning implementation. Skimping on the time and effort required for web-based support can undermine the very success of the initiative. Consider this Australian Flexible Learning Community itself. It can be thought of as a community support site to help vocational, educational and training practitioners. It uses many of the strategies that I’ve outlined in this article. Now consider the amount of dedicated time and effort that goes into sustaining an initiative like this. Keep this benchmark in mind the next time you plan for an e-learning initiative.
The strategies listed in this article are just some common ones used by some of the best support sites in the world. This, however, does not mean that all of these strategies are to be used for all purposes. Like content and infrastructure requirements, web-based support requirements have to be first drawn out and only those strategies that make the most sense should be used.
