Rating: 
Summary: Packed With Knowledge!
Review: Author Marc Rosenberg provides one of the first books devoted to strategies for developing organization-wide, online learning. He goes beyond the obvious technological challenges of Web-based training to explain that technology and content are meaningless without a culture of learning. But creating this culture means confronting dramatic strategic, organizational and political issues. In this roadmap for building and sustaining a learning culture, Rosenberg offers an essential balance between the structure of e-learning (design and technology issues) and its implementation (acceptance and support issues). His book is an impassioned wake-up call to all executives who are concerned about the future of their organizations. To begin building your company’s culture of learning, ... arm yourself with this practical, yet philosophical, manual — a weapon for professionals on the front lines of the revolution in workspace learning.
Rating: 
Summary: Knowledge Management = Learning Organization 2K
Review: Marc Rosenberg is the Peter Senge of Knowledge Management. He builds on the key aspects that Senge acknowledges as key competitive aspects of organizations that need to learn, adapt, and stay solvent. He starts from identifying the difference between instruction vs information and the fact that so many times organizations get caught up in the "who" and the "how" instead of the "what" and the "why." For any trainer this book was interesting from the standpoint of how he defines different levels of knowledge. There are some key graphics and useful charts that help one grasp the complexity of e-learning. I started reading and thought it would be more about on-line learning, but he really took it much broader quickly. On-line learning is only a drop in the bucket of uses for the intranet. As much as we have out there he points out that there is much more to be saturated. Technology is a useful modality that can complement and enhance existing training. There was no threat to the training industry in his book. Training is still essential--but it needs to accomidate the information age and be much more timely, flexible, relevant. The one criticism I have is the fact that he doesn't address the fact that some people still need to have the classroom experience. There is the framework that you can increase aquisition of information, but if some of the psychological aspects of employee needs are not met--you get a drop in productivity, employee satisfaction and employee retention. There is still a lot to debate but he makes a compeling case regarding e-learning and knowledge management.
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Summary: When e-learning becomes the learning strategy
Review: Rosenbergs book is a must for anyone who plans to develop a learning strategy for the corporate world, but applies also to the changing perspective on learning in general. By having you ask yourself many important questions during the pre-planning and planning processes, pitfalls may be avoided. Too often the technology gets the blame when something goes wrong, but often the preparatory work (analysis of culture, purpose etc) has been handled too lightly. Rosenbergs strategically important questions may assist in allieviating these problems. In addition, several "E-learning Journeys", the experiences and reflections of corporate learning executives, are included to add on to the "usability"-value of Rosenbergs writings. The book is organized into three parts: Part I The Opportunity - which includes several definitions/clarifications of central concepts and a brief historical overview of e-learning. Part II New Approaches for E-Learning - in which CBT, WBT, Knowledge Management, Performance Support etc are presented and combined to meet the needs of a changing learning community. Part III Organizational Requirements for E-Learning - has a very practical approach to planning the comapny's e-learning strategy, in addition to including very important discussion of success factors as well as why e-learning projects fail. All in all, a book that may be read and read again as projects develop.
Rating: 
Summary: E-learning is much more than putting courses on the web!
Review: Thanks for your interest in my book. Here are some of the book's key ideas...E-learning is huge. We are on the verge of a major sea change in learning. Internet technologies have fundamentally altered the technological and economic landscapes so radically that it is now possible to make quantum leaps in the use of technology for learning. Yet there is also a danger. If we focus too much on the technology itself and not enough on how well it is used, we will continue to fall short. But if we neglect the power of the Internet, we will never get off the ground. In the end, successful Internet enabled learning, or "e-learning" depends on building a strategy that optimizes the technology within an organization that is ready and willing to use it. E-learning is about change. One purpose of my book is to reinforce a key point - it isn't just a technical innovation that drives us to e-learning, it's also a change in the way learning is viewed and managed. We all know that the business world is being transformed by the need for speed. Businesses need to get information - even information that's changing - to large numbers of people faster than ever. They need to lower the overall costs of creating a workforce that performs faster and better than the competition, and they need to do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week for people located around the world. It's no longer "whether" organizations will implement online learning; but whether they will do it "well." For those of you who are training managers, this is a "do or die" issue. If you're in the front lines of your firm, it is do or die as well - as speedy, cost-effective performance improvement will be a key to winning in the marketplace. It's also about technology, but not just about technology. Another purpose of my book is to help you recognize that in order to leverage the potential of e-learning technology, a sound people and business strategy is essential. Too often we are so enamored with the opportunities that technology offers that we neglect the organization in which it will be implemented. For many of us, the question is not "if we build it, will they come?" More likely, the question should be, "if we build it, will they come back?" I have seen too many cases where great uses of technology withered on the vine because of a lack of focus on the "four C's" that can make or break e-learning: culture, champions, communication and change. The successful deployment of e-learning is absolutely dependent on understanding this important premise. Without a coherent e-learning strategy, you just have a lot of stuff on the web. As you consider this book, it's important to understand a few things about how I've approached the subject. First, technology is a tool, nothing more. Although Internet technology is the key to a profound revolution in learning, it should not be mistaken for a broader e-learning strategy. Second, there remains an enduring and important role for classroom learning. Using e-learning and classroom learning together can be more powerful than either used alone - the key is knowing how to create the proper blend. And third, if you look at learning as simply a collection of training sessions, you need to radically rethink this view. The broad field of learning is much more than education and training. It's a discipline and a profession where skill, creativity and experience still matter. This is a critical concern when you're about to invest in an online learning strategy. We learn from the web all the time. The book references many public web sites (many of which are not training sites) that have interesting examples of e-learning best practices - in online training, knowledge management, technology, etc. And, it includes essays from some of the key industry leaders and consultants in the field. In their own words, they provide perspective and insight that can be beneficial for all of us. This book is a great companion to the many good "how to build web-based training" books that are currently available. E-learning is not going away. To those of you who think e-learning is inconsequential or a passing fad, think again. E-learning may very well be the next killer application for the web. And to those of you who think that people don't want to learn this way, think about this - a few years ago, who among us would have said that ordering books on the web was what we wanted, yet here we are! The best way to view e-learning is the same way Wayne Gretzky became hockey's greatest player. "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been." E-learning is about creating the future; but don't waste any time - the future will be here any minute. The time is now to build an e-learning strategy that meets the needs of today's workers, some of whom are ready for this change and others who will need help in the transition. And now is the time to build an even greater capability to deliver on this strategy for an increasingly computer-savvy workforce. At the very time the corporation's need for learning and knowledge has outstripped what's possible using only conventional training methods, e-learning will allow us to respond more effectively. Despite the challenges, e-learning has never been so important and our opportunities have never been greater.
Rating: 
Summary: good overview and introduction to elearning
Review: The author brings a good overview and sense of sincere understanding to the elearning space. The book does any excellent job of arming the internal champion of elearning with the data required to show the executive team the importance, value and return on investment.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: This book is a must!!! It is an essential approach for understanding eLearning beyond the myriad of applications and placing it as part of a wider framework.
Rating:
Summary: Very comprehensive book with a broad look at KM
Review: This book is great. I work for an e-learning company and I am glad that everything in this book is what I am doing with my clients as I work with them. There are several layers of building an e-learning strategy. Most companies don't think about this. This book starts with first build your strategy. Then find a vendor that will fit. You may have a blended solution to take care of all your needs. Then look at how you will have to reorganize your organizaiton, are you willing to cut the Instructor lead training budget to make E-Learning work? Are you ready to compliment your Instructor Lead Training with e-learning. It also tackels talking to Senior managers. This book had really helped me focus on the issue and prepare for them.
Rating:
Summary: Very comprehensive book with a broad look at KM
Review: This book is great. I work for an e-learning company and I am glad that everything in this book is what I am doing with my clients as I work with them. There are several layers of building an e-learning strategy. Most companies don't think about this. This book starts with first build your strategy. Then find a vendor that will fit. You may have a blended solution to take care of all your needs. Then look at how you will have to reorganize your organizaiton, are you willing to cut the Instructor lead training budget to make E-Learning work? Are you ready to compliment your Instructor Lead Training with e-learning. It also tackels talking to Senior managers. This book had really helped me focus on the issue and prepare for them.
Rating:
Summary: E-Learning Review
Review: This book walks the reader through all aspects of elearning, from the human side of learning theory to the technical side of capability development and deployment. This was an excellent starter book that covers all the bases when it comes to the subject of elearning. The index clearly presents all of the content so the book may also be used as a quick reference guide where the reader can focus only on those areas of interest.
Rating:
Summary: E-Learning Review
Review: This book walks the reader through all aspects of elearning, from the human side of learning theory to the technical side of capability development and deployment. This was an excellent starter book that covers all the bases when it comes to the subject of elearning. The index clearly presents all of the content so the book may also be used as a quick reference guide where the reader can focus only on those areas of interest.
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