My first blog

This is my first blog. My name is Barbara Gerbich, I am L&D Advisor Technologies at Manukau City Council.

What does this title mean? I am responsible for the technology training for council staff - not necessarily doing it, but influencing, coercing and bribing people to participate in the learning experience. These people that I persuade, ever so gently, are the SME's in their subject, but are usually not confident delivers/ facilitators, so I work with them to make it a good experience for everyone.

I also write e-learning which is provided for staff who cannot attend, or may not need to attend a class room session. This is often for something, like an upgrade to software - not something that necessitates taking time out to come to a classroom, but has information they need to know. So we give an option of e-learning.

We also use it as a blended learning solution. One way is some pre-learning to our Corporate Orientation workshop we hold every two months. It delivers information that people need to know about working at MCC, but hopefully in a more interesting way than having it all delivered in the workshop.

Our team also looks at providers of e-learning to see if it has relevance for our staff. We are constantly looking at different and better ways of helping our staff learn.

Over the last couple of years I have also been looking at methods of calculating Return on Investment of the workshops etc we provide. I have learnt heaps.

I am hoping that this course will assist in enabling me evaluate my own e-learning and the e-learning of external providers.