e-Learning Blog

The foundation of ID was established in the United States during World War II.
Although it was over 70 years ago, it continues to incorporate new theories gradually, evolve, and maintain its status as a foundational theory. Even at the world's largest talent development event, ATD ICE, about 10% of the sessions still focus on ID as the main theme, and many other sessions are also based on it.

One of the main theories that make up the ID is the "ADDIE Model," which defines the process of "Analysis → Design → Development → Implementation → Evaluation". It is a concept similar to the PDCA cycle in business, and it defines the necessity of continuous evaluation and review, as well as prior analysis.
・"Analyze": What should the learners learn and who are the learners?
・"Design": What should be achieved (goals) and how to achieve it?
・"Develop": Production of education based on analysis and design.
・"Implement": Implementation of education.
・"Evaluate": Confirmation of whether the education contributed to the objectives.
(Supplement) Goals: What learners achieve through education, Objectives: The reasons for implementing education and what the organization wants to achieve.

However, the reality is that due to the inadequacy of educational systems in companies and issues such as cost (ROI), appropriate phases of "analysis", "design", and "evaluation" are still rarely implemented.

In addition, the ID is shaped by a combination of various theories, such as the ARCS model to enhance learning motivation and Gagné's 9 events of instruction.

From the perspective of psychology, analyzing how people learn and utilizing techniques such as material production and distribution to design optimal learning can be said to be a fundamental concept that individuals providing education, like us, should first learn.
Recently, there has been further exploration of actual brain responses from new perspectives such as neuroscience, leading to research on effective educational mechanisms.
In particular, in the field of e-learning, microlearning (a system that delivers necessary learning at the right time), adaptive learning (personalized learning), and social learning (supporting learning in informal environments) are among the trends that aim to fundamentally change the nature of education and materials.
These theories, concepts, and technologies can also be said to inherit the ideas of instructional design at their core.

In e-learning, the ultimate goal of implementation (the purpose of education) can be said to be the achievement of the company's business goals. It encompasses not only the achievement of sales targets but also sustainability, CSR/CSV, prevention of losses due to security incidents, and improvement of technical skills. Education/e-learning is one of the means to reach various goals.
Therefore, the purpose of the teaching materials themselves should not end with merely supplementing knowledge.
The purpose of education is to actually utilize that knowledge and lead to action (behavior change).
In ID, the goals that learners should achieve should be set as "not just to understand..." but "to be able to...".

Do you remember the content of classes you were not motivated in during your student days?

Corporate training in Japan is largely dominated by "coercive education" (doing it because you are told to do so / because you have to). In group training, there are opportunities for instructors to passionately convey that "this is the education you need" by reading the atmosphere, but this is not possible in e-learning, where real-time communication cannot be established.

Even so, motivated employees may desperately try to learn, but I must say that such employees are in the minority. I feel that the current significance of e-learning in Japan is very precarious. Abroad, there has been a desperate effort to think about how to draw out motivation and prompt action, such as through gamification and microlearning, while Japan has remained unchanged for over a decade, failing to evolve from a coercive education model.

It is necessary to reconsider incorporating methods that "draw out motivation," "transform knowledge into action," and "change the company" into education. If we do not nurture the people that make up the company, the company itself will not grow. We believe that creating a "culture of learning" through habitual learning is the company's responsibility towards its employees, rather than limiting education to just new employee training. The ID serves as the foundation to achieve this.

We would like to continue introducing various themes (such as systems and other technologies, as well as the latest trends).