Social eLearning Software Blog

The new economic realities mean that every manager up and down your organization is going to have to fight to spend money on anything.

You can expect eLearning to come under as much scrutiny as the next line item. It pays to be prepared.

If you’re responsible for commissioning eLearning or running an internal team, be ready to fight the good fight.

For this insight, let’s concentrate on the cost savings from eLearning, compared to instructor led alternatives.

Here are a few bullets to have ready when someone comes asking why we should spend on eLearning –

1. Travel costs = zero

For Example - Dow Chemical reduced average spending of $95 per learner / per course on classroom training, to only $11 per learner / per course with electronic delivery, giving rise to an annual saving of $34 million (Shepherd, 2002).

2. Marginal cost of delivery = zero

3. Learner time is better spent

For Example - Ernst & Young cut training costs 35 percent while improving consistency and scalability. They condensed about 2,900 hours of classroom training into 700 hours of web-based learning, 200 hours of distance learning and 500 hours of classroom instruction, a cut of 52 percent. (Brandon Hall, 2000).

4. It works for specialist content too

Let us show you, take the free TOPYX test drive and learn more about eLearning/social networking – http://www.interactyx.com/eLearning/Request-Solution.html

If in doubt, do the math

It’s not difficult to construct a side-by-side analysis of the cost of delivering one hour of eLearning vs. an instructor led session.  Prepare a simple spreadsheet showing what it costs for an hour of trainer time, learner time, travel costs, opportunity costs, material production, and room rental and then scale it up to the size of your target audience. Compare it to eLearning’s upfront development and delivery costs. Even allowing for maintenance costs for eLearning, the business case for eLearning is nearly always going to win out – especially in a downturn.

Request a quote here and find out how easy it is to start using TOPYX for all of your eLearning and social networking needs!

Check out this article from Kineo for some additional points: http://www.kineo.com/elearning-tips/tip-7-making-the-business-case-for-e-learning.html

Jodi Harrison

Vice President, Business Development

Interactyx Limited

jodi.harrison@interactyx.com

www.interactyx.com

Ever feel sometimes that you don’t get the joke?  I wonder if that is sometimes happening with respect to eLearning.  Cegos Group, Europe’s largest learning and development company, recently completed a survey that showed that employees wanted more eLearning (by 25%) and eLearning 2.0 (by 33%) (eLearning 2.0 is built around collaborative learning, using Web 2.0 tools such as blogging,  forums, shoutboxes, etc).  In addition, 75% of employees want more peer training and learning – social learning.

Which led me to thinking about some memorable quotes from one of my favorite movies - Wall Street… 

Gordon Gekko asked Bud Fox “What are you twelfth man on the deal team – last to know.”   Do you think the HR function is getting it? Is HR always the last to learn?

The good news is that we are talking to a lot of organizations that are getting it.  That’s why they are exploring how eLearning 2.0 tools with social networking, integrated with traditional learning management functionality.

But some are not.  Another great Gekko line comes to mind:  “If you’re not inside, then you’re outside, ok?” OK. 

How can this be? Why is HR behind the curve? Is it generational?

As CEO, the question I would ask my head of HR – do you have a Facebook™ page?  Over 200 million do...  Which means many, if not most, of your employees or students do.  If your HR head does not have a Facebook page, ask and ensure they are considering relevant collaborative eLearning tools that are on the market today.

In our marketing material, which you can review at http://www.interactyx.com/download-eLearning-topyx-brochures, we refer to research that shows that corporate learners, especially Generation X and Generation Y – are demanding eLearning tools that products, such as TOPYX™.

My last Gordon Gekko quote (I promise - at least in this blog): “This is your wakeup call pal. Go to work.”  Listen to what the staff (and Gordon Gekko) is saying.

Collaborative learning, cost savings and an environmentally friendly education distribution system our eLearning 2.0 and mLearning platform provides are just some of the benefits of TOPYX. For more information, blogs, forums, videos and even test driving TOPYX, please go to www.interactyx.com.

Alfred R. Novas

Chief Executive Officer

Interactyx Limited

al.novas@interactyx.com

www.interactyx.com

The explosive growth of social networking will impact your business in the near future, if it hasn’t already.  The need for quickly creating, distributing and adopting the best practices within and across functions to realize productivity gains in the business are critical now more than ever.  While many companies have portals, instant messaging and repositories of content, they lack the tools to actually facilitate the usage of these assets within the organization.  The ability to collaborate in specific subject matter areas remains an untapped resource in businesses today.

The business of knowledge sharing and collaboration has been left to “skunk-werks” projects within pockets of these organizations.  The E-Learning Guild has published research that identifies more than 50% of these initiatives have been undertaken by individuals that understand the benefits of providing Web 2.0 collaboration tools at a departmental level within companies.  These “one-off” solutions provide a start to attaining the benefits, but are typically limited in scope and lack the scalability for use across the business.

The ability to realize the benefits of collaboration on a diverse set of cross-functional issues begs for an integrated solution set for the entire organization.   Interactyx Limited has created an affordable alternative for companies to achieve these benefits through its TOPYX SaaS platform.   The solution has the following functionality to facilitate learning and knowledge sharing:

• Multi-level Communities of Interest with Moderator and Secure Access
• Discussion Forums within each Community
• Events associated with the Areas of Interest
• Posting of Relevant Articles
• Video / Audio Chat Capabilities
• Whiteboards for Problem Solving
• Instant Messaging
• Blogging Capabilities

Within the platform, the administrators can introduce these capabilities as their organization evolves and begins leveraging these tools.   The ability to manage these tools is as simple as checking a box and can be performed from a single console.  

The time has come for organizations to move these efforts from backroom experiments to a single integrated platform supporting the entire company. TOPYX provides the solution to the enterprise and will drive greater collaboration across your organization.   To learn more on how TOPYX can assist your company, please contact bob.brogan@interactyx.com or via phone at 708-243-7004.

Bob Brogan

Vice President, Corporate Solutions

Interactyx Limited

bob.brogan@interactyx.com

www.interactyx.com

NILRC (Network of Illinois Learning Resources in Community Colleges) and Interactyx Limited have partnered to provide revolutionary eLearning software with integrated social networking features at a discounted price to their member colleges!  Now, they can easily provide an intuitive, collaborative learning environment for their students, which uses modern Web 2.0 tools that students are already familiar with.  This affordable, complete eLearning solution is called TOPYX.

NILRC members will be eligible for a special discount until June 30, 2009!

TOPYX will create a collaborative communication channel for students and allow administrators to maximize time & effort with an easy to use interface.  We will be conducting live webinars to demonstrate what TOPYX can do for NILRC members in more detail.

Sign up for one of the live webinars today:

Wednesday, April 29, 11 AM – 12 PM CT

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/918261610

Tuesday, May 5, 2PM – 3 PM CT

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/758890619

Thursday, May 14, 10AM – 11 AM CT

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/321949914

See what TOPYX can do for you!  For the value, no other eLearning software can even come close to the features that TOPYX provides for leaning institutions of any size.

Are you leveraging modern tools to reach your students?  Are you providing a collaborative learning environment to keep students engaged?  It’s easier to get started than you may think!

Please contact Patrick Batty at patrick.batty@interactyx.com with any questions or if you would like to arrange for a personalized demonstration of TOPYX.

Interactyx limited is proud to partner with NILRC to provide this special offer.  If you know of any schools that have a need for modern eLearning with integrated social networking, please contact us to arrange for a time to discuss TOPYX in greater detail.

Patrick Batty

Vice President, Academic Solutions

Interactyx Limited

patrick.batty@interactyx.com

www.interactyx.com

This week I’ve been working on some integration between TOPYX and iTunes U.

In case you haven’t looked at iTunes , you should have a peek.

Hundreds of universities and colleges have uploaded audio and video lectures up to their own iTunes U site. Some of the content is available for all to see and use, and some content is specifically for their enrolled students. The content on iTunes U is quite interesting.

It makes me wonder whether the motivation to upload content is to allow a level of open education, to show or market the type of courses a university or college offers, or to simply make it easy for students to download content and to play it on their iPod or iPhone.

Regardless of the reason, I feel it’s important for us to facilitate the usage of content on iTunes U. 

Within TOPYX and TOPYX Mobile we can directly launch iTunes U courses and content. The nice thing about TOPYX Mobile is that the content can be played on an iPhone, Blackberry or Google Android phone. Also within TOPYX Mobile, the many of various social networking tools are also available to be used, similar to someone working directly on a PC.

It’s all just another way we try to allow our institution’s students to connect in whatever way the institution sees fit.

Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll be more than pleased to respond.

Until next week,

Patrick Batty

Vice President, Academic Solutions

Interactyx Limited

patrick.batty@interactyx.com

www.interactyx.com

FREE Webinar - Friday April 24, 2009 2:00 PM 

eLearning with Social Networking does it get any better?  Yes, add eCommerce and you have a 1, 2, 3, combo that can’t be beat!   Technology gets a lot of the limelight these days; new web applications are coming online every day that cloud the conversation around eLearning 2.0 .  The technology is important because it facilitates connecting people and their conversations. But it is more important to focus on the people and serving their needs than on the technology.  Learn how eLearning, social networking can move your organization forward with eCommerce so it’s a win-win for you and your customers.

In this session, participants will learn about three main areas of focus for delivering content/services - eLearning 2.0, social networking and eCommerce; Content, People, and Access. What makes these glitzy new applications so appealing? – You’ll discover how you can use this functionality in conjunction to your current business model.

Are you an entrepreneur, expert, trainer, coach, do you have a fan base?

Do you have file cabinets or a computer full of information and ideas?

Want to know how to make money (or more money) with content you already own?

Now, you can:

• Repurpose existing content and offer it for sale
• Use robust social networking tools to increase customer satisfaction, loyalty, buzz and “stickiness”
• Have a platform to attract and grow your brand and increase your customer base
• Provide a very affordable, new channel of distribution and revenue generation

How? TOPYX

Here’s what TOPYX can provide you:

• Modern social networking features to attract and retain loyal customers
• Advanced eLearning 2.0 tools for online & mobile content distribution
• White Label opportunity and use a unique URL – retain your brand
• eCommerce engine in bedded into the platform with shopping cart functionality for immediate purchase and access to course materials
• Easy to use, affordable solution
• Start expanding your market and selling 24/7

Join me for the FREE TOPYX eCommerce demonstration on Fri, Apr 24, 2009 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT

Bring your questions!

With the focus on cost-cutting, there are a number of questions that the Human Resource executives should be asking themselves before the CFO requests another budget cut.

1. Has the annual cost of your organization’s eLearning platform infrastructure and content exceeded the $250,000 mark?
2.  Have a number of “silo-ed” social networking applications sprung up in pockets of your organization?
3.  Do you know the costs associated with supporting these social networking tools?
4. Can HR do more training with less resource?

While you researching these answers, consider the benefits of outsourcing the infrastructure components to Interactyx Limited by using TOPYX.

1. TOPYX is an eLearning Management System, which is affordably priced and nearly 80% less than comparable LMS’s.
2. TOPYX partners with leading Corporate e-Learning Content Providers to address a wide variety of training needs including:  Sales, Finance, HR & Legal Compliance, IT, Operations, Leadership and Continuing Education courseware as well as other areas of your business.
3. TOPYX has integrated social networking which provides administrative and monitoring control through a single console.  
4. By utilizing TOPYX, HR executives focus efforts and limited resources on higher value training issues and create a sticky, collaborative mechanism for learners to share best practices across the company.

Outsource your eLearning & Social Networking to TOPYX, we can reduce your annual investment in these areas significantly.   So when the CFO requests another budget cut, you have an alternative to reducing headcount and cutting services.   TOPYX provides a path for you to achieve those savings and drive great value for your organization.   To learn more on how we can assist you in attaining these savings, please contact bob.brogan@interactyx.com or post a question on our forum.

Check out the benefits for yourself by signing up for a FREE TOPYX Test Drive.

Bob Brogan

Vice President, Corporate Solutions

Interactyx Limited

bob.brogan@interactyx.com

www.interactyx.com