E-learning and Change Management

“E-learning and Change Management – The Challenge” journal by Lesley Mackenzie-Robb helped me to better understand and recognize the difference and linkage between e-learning and change management. 

Implementing an e-learning system in schools can be seen as a challenge in various aspects.  Such new system brings a lot of change; therefore change management should be taken into consideration before actually implementing the whole system.  The stakeholders’ involvement is an extremely important element in such change over.  Various documents and people talk about e-learning in schools; discussing what it entails and its benefits but little has been said about the changes that it will bring along in this academic environment.  E-learning and change management are connected together even though many people just ignore the change management phase and start off implementing the e-learning system immediately.

Ideally change management should be taken seriously into consideration before bringing out e-learning in schools.  E-learning brings change to all school stakeholders including students, teachers, parents and school administration.  If this new technological system is drastically introduced without any phase-change over implementation, stakeholders may react negatively, therefore adopting a negative attitude towards e-learning. 

For positive attitude and successful implementation in the school, various measurements should be adequately followed.  In my opinion to minimize problems, before actually follow up any change management scheme; stakeholders should comprehend what e-learning is through talks and seminars if necessary to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretations.  If the schools cater effectively for change, e-learning will succeed in schools.  Schools should follow up change management schemes and models guided by professional people.  A very commonly used model is the ADKAR. 

This change model compromises five main phases: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement.  The first phase entails stimulating consciousness of what e-learning involves and why it is recommended to all stakeholders.  As its name implies, the Desire phase involves instilling desire to stakeholders to involve themselves in such change.  In the Knowledge stage, all required knowledge is used to establish how the change will occur.  Then during the Ability phase, the actual implementation of the change is needed.  The last stage, the Reinforcement consists of constant reviewing of the implemented e-learning system and support for all stakeholders.