A survey tool to check an organisation\'s current capability in e-learning in four areas - strategic, management, design & delivery, content development. Free to use with acknowledgement, feedback welcomed.

1. The E-capability Checklist for RTOs
What is e-capability?
This checklist has been developed by LearnWorks to help training organisations implement or extend e-learning in their
business. It draws on research and consultancy work from 2004 to 2010.
The checklist identifies four main areas of capability which all appear to be necessary for organisations to implement e-learning
effectively over time. Getting a balance between them probably has a lot to do with achieving the magic goal of sustainability –
that is, integrating e-learning into the business so it’s just part of how you operate.
Capability areas for e-learning
Using the checklist
Although it has grounding in recent research, the list is a work in progress. We’d like to
shake it around and see what’s missing, find out how well it works, toss up ideas about how
you’d use it.
Some of the language won’t fit the size or culture of you organisation. Just boss it around
and make it work for you – whether, for example, you call the head honcho the director, the
principal, the chief executive officer, the owner, the manager, or something else. In smaller
RTOs one person may have several roles or “positions” and so on.
What to do now:
Use it try it out at your place
Give feedback hop onto the Forum at http://ecapability.com.au/ and tell other what you found out
Help improve the checklist additions, corrections, critiques: post your ideas and suggestions
Clint Smith
LearnWorks
learnwks@bigpond.net.au
0410 569 386
at the E-learning Capability Forum
http://ecapability.com.au/
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2. Current level
Rate your organisation’s current level of e-capability (tick one number)
Strategic e-capabilities 1=very poor, 2=poor, 3=average, 4=good, 5=excellent
Interpreting trends in using web-based technologies for training 1 2 3 4 5
Analysing business opportunities and threats from the technology trends, 1 2 3 4 5
Monitoring e-learning development in competitors 1 2 3 4 5
Identifying types of e-learning relevant to the training business 1 2 3 4 5
Articulating the role of e-learning in the business 1 2 3 4 5
Developing an e-learning game plan 1 2 3 4 5
Establishing clear leadership goals and targets 1 2 3 4 5
Identifying, developing and supporting e-learning leaders 1 2 3 4 5
Marketing, supporting, monitoring and updating the game plan 1 2 3 4 5
Recruiting or developing appropriate e-skills for the business 1 2 3 4 5
Evaluating, selecting and implementing e-learning systems and services 1 2 3 4 5
Integrating e-learning needs in web and intranet services 1 2 3 4 5
Designing and implementing e-learning embedding strategies 1 2 3 4 5
Total strategic score/percentage /65 or %
Management e-capabilities
Identifying opportunities for e-learning initiatives 1 2 3 4 5
Making a business case for using an e-learning solution 1 2 3 4 5
Selecting and resourcing leaders to drive e-learning 1 2 3 4 5
Forming and resourcing e-learning project teams 1 2 3 4 5
Providing and administering useable and reliable e-learning tools and systems 1 2 3 4 5
Managing e-learning projects, on time and on budget 1 2 3 4 5
Establishing flexible staffing to support e-learning 1 2 3 4 5
Establishing team workflow processes for e-learning initiatives 1 2 3 4 5
Contracting and managing e-learning specialists for skill gaps 1 2 3 4 5
Managing e-learning content development staffing and processes 1 2 3 4 5
Providing e-learning consultancy services to business clients 1 2 3 4 5
Managing contracted e-learning content development 1 2 3 4 5
Marketing e-learning internally, including to client employees 1 2 3 4 5
Promoting e-capability externally 1 2 3 4 5
Evaluating the impact and value of e-learning initiatives 1 2 3 4 5
Total management score/percentage /75 or %
Design and delivery e-capabilities
Analysing client/learner needs and readiness for e-learning 1 2 3 4 5
Selecting an appropriate e-learning mix (self-paced, facilitated, blended) 1 2 3 4 5
Selecting appropriate delivery tools for an e-learning solution 1 2 3 4 5
Designing e-learning sequences and activities 1 2 3 4 5
Using e-learning tools, resources and systems for training delivery 1 2 3 4 5
Using e-learning tools for assessing learning outcomes 1 2 3 4 5
Providing client/learner/employee induction to e-learning 1 2 3 4 5
Facilitating group learning online 1 2 3 4 5
Providing support for e-learners 1 2 3 4 5
Total design and delivery score/percentage /45 or %
E-capability Checklist v3.1 LearnWorks May 2010 2

3. Learning materials development e-capabilities
Sourcing content for e-learning courses 1 2 3 4 5
Customising available e-learning materials 1 2 3 4 5
Writing and editing content for e-learning 1 2 3 4 5
Designing and storyboarding e-learning materials 1 2 3 4 5
Producing media resources for e-learning (audio, video, graphics, animation) 1 2 3 4 5
Developing (programming) e-learning materials 1 2 3 4 5
Packaging e-learning materials (learning objects) 1 2 3 4 5
and/or
Managing contracted development of e-learning materials 1 2 3 4 5
and/or
Providing non-specialist (rapid) development tools for teachers 1 2 3 4 5
Supporting and coordinating individual teacher development of e-learning materials 1 2 3 4 5
Total development score/percentage /50 or %
Reflections on your organisation’s current level of e-capability
Where are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
Does this help explain anything about
your progress (or not) in
implementing e-learning solutions?
Which do you think are the critical
factors for success?
Which e-capabilities should be your
development priorities in the short
term?
What are the main
organisational/cultural systems or
processes you would have to change
to make an impact on e-capability?
What’s the degree of difficulty for
each?
E-capability Checklist v3.1 LearnWorks May 2010 3

4. Priorities
Where has your investment in building e-capability been focused?
Targets for developing e-capability (by expenditure and effort) 1=none 2=some 3=fair bit 4=lots 5=most
Director, Owner, Board 1 2 3 4 5
Planners, business managers, finance officers 1 2 3 4 5
Senior managers, education 1 2 3 4 5
Senior managers, corporate/admin/IT 1 2 3 4 5
Middle managers, project managers 1 2 3 4 5
Industry consultants/sales/extension 1 2 3 4 5
E-learning leaders/champions/innovators 1 2 3 4 5
Teachers/trainers/tutors/lecturers 1 2 3 4 5
Learning material developers 1 2 3 4 5
Media producers 1 2 3 4 5
E-learning support/admin staff/IT (LMS etc) 1 2 3 4 5
Library/resource centre staff 1 2 3 4 5
Other:
Reflections on your investment priorities
Who is missing out? Why? What
assumptions about e-capability does
this reveal?
Does this help explain anything about
your progress (or not) in
implementing and sustaining e-
learning solutions?
Who should be your priority targets
for building e-capability in the short
term?
E-capability Checklist v3.1 LearnWorks May 2010 4

5. Methods
What learning & development strategies have you used to build e-capability?
Strategic/developmental
specialist consultants eg strategy development
business mentoring (eg for senior managers)
conferences and briefings
benchmarking (eg comparing leading local, overseas e-learning providers)
measurement (eg monitoring your e-learning progress against agreed indicators)
membership of e-learning professional associations
targetted e-learning team projects for delivery outcomes
partnering with a mentoring provider (ie with e-learning capability)
visits to other providers
incentives for improved e-learning performance
integrating e-learning goals in performance management
training e-learning mentors/champions
leveraging external funding for capability building
hiring guidelines/policies to attract or ensure e-skills
internal marketing of e-learning
walking the talk: using e-learning tools for organisational communication (eg web conferencing)
walking the talk: using e-learning for staff training (induction, compliance etc)
Other?
Operational/upskilling
group coaching/mentoring
individual coaching/mentoring
web-based community/resources (eg wiki site)
peer networks, online communities
external online courses (webinars)
face to face group training
online group training
self-paced course/materials about e-learning
individual e-learning projects
accredited training options
manager follow up and support beyond the training
time release (eg for mentors/champions)
Other?
E-capability Checklist v3.1 LearnWorks May 2010 5

6. Reflections on your L&D methods
What’s your balance between
strategic and operational methods?
If it’s out of whack, why?
Any changes or improvements for the checklist?
E-capability Checklist v3.1 LearnWorks May 2010 6