Evaluating the Effectiveness of E-Learning in Enterprises

E-Learning is a growing trend among many institutions and enterprises for its advantage, such as the flexibility of learning anywhere and anytime. Evaluating the effectiveness of e-Learning is important before implementing e-Learning in enterprises. Research has been focused on evaluating learners’ feedback and performance or learning outcomes, while studies on evaluating of the return of investment (ROI) generated by implementing e-Learning in enterprises are very limited. “The Four Levels” model reported by Kirkpatrick (1994) and an enhancement, “the Fifth level”, proposed by Phillips (1996) form a logical framework for evaluating ROI generated by e-Learning. The “FREEDOM” model established by Schank (2002) investigated characteristics of e-Learning courses and platforms. The objective of this study is to develop a framework combined these theoretical models for evaluating the effectiveness of e-Learning in enterprises and to study the key factors for the evaluation. We interviewed eight firms implementing e-Learning. Through case study and in-depth field investigation, propositions were developed for better understanding the key factors for evaluating the effectiveness and benefits generated by e-Learning. Results of our study are summarized as follows: 1. The main motivation for e-Learning implementation in Taiwan enterprises can be divided into inner motives and external motives. The process includes a seeding step, germinating step, communicating step, programming step, building step, testing step, reviewing and appraising step, and entire-practicing step. 2. The cost factors for implementing e-Learning in enterprises are financial cost, manpower cost, and opportunity cost. The benefits generated by implementing e-Learning in an enterprise are financial benefit, operating efficiency benefit, human resources benefit, organizational benefits. 3. Platforms and courses have an important relationship with e-Learning achievement in enterprises, and e-Learning should connect with the key performance indicator(KPI)of an organization. 4. Mini-frameworks of ROI could assist in increasing quantification benefits, dominating quantification costs, and accumulating un-quantification benefits.