Leslie Zucker , Vice-President and Training Consultant of echange has worked in e-learning since 2001. She was the director of a project financed by the MIF and Inter-American Development Bank that introduced three e-learning courses to the microfinance industry in Latin America. To see the results of that project, visit www.globalechange.com/files/elearning.  She is a training and organizational development consultant and can be reached at lzucker@globalechange.com.

On the microfinance e-learning landscape

FSTRC : What does the e-learning landscape for microfinance today look like?

Leslie Zucker : First, let’s all get on the same page. “Electronic learning” (recently known as “e-learning”) is an all-encompassing term generally used to refer to computer-enhanced learning, although it is often extended to include the use of multimedia CD-ROMs, discussion boards, collaborative software, e-mail, blogs, wikis, text chat, computer aided assessment, simulations, games, learning management software, electronic voting systems and more, with possibly a combination of different methods being used.   In other words, it is broader than the term “on-line learning” which generally refers to purely web-based learning, and can also be used in conjunction with face-to-face teaching, in which case the term “blended learning” is commonly used.

Now back to your question.  E-learning for microfinance has gained a lot of speed, recognition, momentum and results just in the last four years. There are now at least a dozen individual training courses and degree programs offered in topics on microfinance across the world.  Products, services, results and prices vary widely. Some courses consist of a single module requiring one hour of reading on-line, others consist of weekly modules that require up to 60 hours over a 3 month time period.  Some are completely self-guided, offering no facilitation and others are closely facilitated, offering a virtual learning community and personalized feedback.  Results?  One course in particular (Improving Customer Service - for Branch Managers), measures the participation, satisfaction, application of the concepts on the job, and the results achieved by the participants. Courses that can be downloaded for free off of the Internet will be hard to track (if and how people are using them and if they have any impact – positive or negative).

FSTRC : What types of courses are being offered?

Leslie Zucker : Courses in soft skills and hard skills are being offered to audiences ranging from credit officers in Bolivia to international donors in Brussels.  A few examples include customer service (offered by echange, http://www.globalechange.com/files/demo_servicio_al_cliente/inicio.htm),  delinquency management (offered by echange, http://www.globalechange.com/files/demo_mora/inicio.htm), financial risk management (offered by Women’s World Banking), rural bank credit officer training (offered by the “Microfinance Access to Banking Services” project in the Philippines), and multiple versions of introductions and overviews of microfinance (one is offered by the UNCDF, http://www.uncdf.org/mfdl/index.php?_mode=students.home). Many of these and more are listed on the Rural Finance Learning Center’s website: Rural Finance Learning Center.

On convenience and customization

FSTRC: Can you elaborate on the 4As of e-learning (Anytime, Any Place, Any Pace, Any Subject)? What does e-learning have to offer that other training mediums cannot?

Leslie Zucker : If you work for Microsoft and live in a country with reliable Internet connectivity, you may get your training anytime you want, anyplace you want, at any pace you want and on any subject you want, but this concept is just a dream to the microfinance industry.  Let’s look at the challenges for each “A”. 

Anytime and AnyPlace : The truth be told, the vast majority of microfinance practitioners still do not have much access to technology. The more sophisticated microfinance institutions and banks generally have one computer with Internet connection in the rural branches.  While this is a great start, it’s still not available to anyone after working hours. So, even though courses are technically available anytime (weekends, holidays, etc.), practically speaking, they are not.

AnyPace : This sounds good in theory, no?  One person can speed through while the other can crawl along and neither one impedes the other’s learning.  Yes? Wrong.  AnyPace means “totally left up to self-discipline” which means “drop-out.”

AnySubject : As long as it’s one of the few subjects that are offered, it’s in your language (note all but two courses I know of are in English) and you can afford it. 

Hopefully you get the idea. The 4 As of e-learning are something to aspire to, but we’re not there yet. Perhaps the most exciting thing that e-learning offers that other training mediums cannot is the potential to fulfill that dream.

On human interaction

FSTRC : Two of the most common objections to e-learning are that it is impersonal and that it only works for standard, fixed content material. Do you agree?

Leslie Zucker : Early e-learning experimenters faced with high drop-out rates learned the hard way that e-learning MUST NOT be impersonal and “fixed”. Looking on the bright side, however, those of us bringing e-learning to the microfinance industry now benefit from their mistakes.  We know that good e-learning courses today require the use of an informal tone and lots of tricks to mirror the benefits of face to face training as much as possible. How a course is designed, how it looks and feels and flows and changes are all critical to a powerful e-learning course. Still, perhaps the most important element is the facilitation, albeit virtual – the facilitation should represent a relationship between real-live human beings!

FSTRC: Collaborative learning theory claims that human interaction is a vital ingredient to learning. Doesn’t e-learning tend to isolate learners?

Leslie Zucker : I’ll simply quote someone else who says it well… “According to a 2000 survey by the Masie Center, 88 percent of learners and 91 percent of managers recommend that the trainer or facilitator be an active part of the online training program. Survey respondents placed a high value on having the trainer monitor progress and contact the learner, evaluate online project work, build and facilitate an online community for the course participants, and be available via email or threaded discussion to respond to content questions. It's clear that combining self-paced learning with facilitator support keeps the learner from feeling isolated, which assists in the successful completion of training.”

Let’s not forget that collaborative learning is only valuable if the participants have done their individual learning – studying, reading, experimentation, etc.—and can bring comments and questions to the group – their collaborators.  It is the responsibility of the instructional designer to create the right mix of self-study and collaboration, set the pace of the course and “coach” people through the process of learning.

On Consistency & Efficiency

FSTRC : How can e-learning improve on consistency and efficiency in learning within an institution?

Leslie Zucker : Enormously.  Despite our best efforts as trainers, we can’t be everywhere training is needed. We hire content matter experts and pour millions of dollars into “training the trainers”. In my experience, however, concepts get delivered differently and bad habits gets passed on. Often re-training is necessary and costs add up quickly.  

Compare and contrast these two scenarios.

Scenario 1) a microfinance institution sends its five regional trainers to a “Training of Trainers” in the capital city for a week.  They return and each one organizes a regional training.  The fifty branch managers go to the five regional training centers for a week of training. The training gets delivered differently by each regional trainer. Many of the branch managers have questions about how to apply the concepts of the training when they return to their branches, but there is little or no support, so many of them fail to apply the concepts. The indirect costs of this scenario include travel, accommodations, and per diem of fifty-five people, plus the opportunity costs of being away from their sites for a week.  

Scenario 2) a microfinance institution signs up its fifty branch managers for a course offered by a local e-learning provider. All the branch managers take the same course on-line directly from their respective branches with the same facilitator. Through continuous on-line discussions and chat sessions, the branch managers have the opportunity to apply what they are learning, integrate it into their daily operations and dialogue with their peers about the effects.  In this scenario, no travel costs and no opportunities costs are incurred.

FSTRC : When is e-learning an appropriate training solution for microfinance institutions?

Leslie Zucker : Whenever there is a need to “scale up” people’s capacity, e-learning is a great solution. Scaling up anything in the microfinance industry requires sharing and leveraging existing infrastructure. Scaling up training is no different. E-learning is most appropriate in these situations:

To keep the costs of e-learning down, microfinance institutions should consider managing the coordination and facilitation of e-learning courses in-house, but rely on external partners for the design and development of training content and the technology platform for content delivery purposes. For example, the Microfinance Management Institute (http://www.themfmi.org) is a good partner for providing material development support and high-quality content on microfinance for academic programs and soon will provide the same to microfinance training organizations. In fact, right now, the MFMI is expanding its global network, beginning with Latin America. (Side note: ask me for more details if you’re interested in this!)