goFLUENT outlines the key issues in determining the return on investment in blended learning
At the iLearning Forum Paris – France’s leading learning technologies event - Christophe Ferrandou, CEO of goFLUENT, one of Europe’s leading providers of business English via distance learning, is outlining the key issues involved in determining the return on investment (ROI) in blended learning.
The event – which includes a conference and exhibition - takes place at Espace Champerret in central Paris on 31st January and 1st February. It is now in its 12th year and regularly attracts some 4,000 visitors.
In 2012, the conference includes presentations about open source platforms; serious games; simulations; interactive instructional design; content development tools; mobile learning; the latest learning technologies; social networks in learning, and – thanks to goFLUENT’s Christophe Ferrandou - the ROI of blended learning.
Christophe Ferrandou said: “goFLUENT has a great deal of experience in helping its clients determine the ROI of the blended learning that comes from goFLUENT’s e-learning platform, customised content, written coaching and telephone lessons. We believe that all of these combine to provide a consistent and efficient learning experience.”
In addition, goFLUENT provides the organisation’s HR directors with tools to track their employees’ progress, ensuring an easy and effective way to monitor the ROI. Moreover, these HR professionals can also make use of goFLUENT’s products to perform level diagnostics during the recruitment process and when considering an employee for promotion.
“Blended learning can help address many critical business problems such as supporting global employee learning, reducing travel and subsistence expenses as well as increasing productivity in a competitive environment,” said Ferrandou. “Of course, organisations should assess the value of learning at all levels of the business, especially identifying the benefits, costs and risks.
“Many blended learning programmes, owing to their innovative nature and enterprise-wide - often global – scope become highly ‘visible’ to those in the Boardroom,” he continued. “Typically, learning programmes support overall learning strategies which, in turn, are aimed at achieving business goals – so it is perfectly understandable that organisations should try to measure these programmes’ ROI.”
Ferrandou, the only Frenchman in the recently published list of the top ten ‘movers and shakers’ in European e-learning, believes that, in trying determine the ROI of a learning project, people tend to focus on costs rather than results.
He said: “That’s because it’s easier to do so! Yet, assessing results is not only fairer, it’s also more closely allied to the organisation’s goals.”
Ferrandou added that, in order to define a learning programme’s net benefits, you must set some goals, define an evaluation framework and – only then – do the ROI calculations. He observed: “Setting goals is key not only to measuring ROI but also to engage learners and their managers.”
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About iLearning Forum Paris
For further information about this event visit http://www.ilearningforum.org/en/index.php
About goFLUENT (http://www.gofluent.com)
goFLUENT offers English distance training combing eLearning, telephone lessons and written practice solutions. Each year, goFLUENT assists more than 60,000 employees in over 2,000 companies across the word to enable them to perform better in their international relations. goFLUENT is present in ten countries and has 560 employees – of which 400 are trainers. NTT Communications (NTT Group) holds 30% of shares in the company.
Further information from:
Robert de Ocampo, goFLUENT, +33 (1) 72 71 83 31; rdeocampo@gofluent.com
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com