Accidents happen at construction sites for many reasons. Whatever the cause, these accidents cost money and lives. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. employers pay almost close to $1billion every week in worker’s compensation.

As per OSHA, out of 4,379 worker mortalities in the private industry in 2015, 937 were in construction. That means one out of five worker deaths belonged to the construction sector.

The main causes were:

• Falls
• Being struck by an object
• Being caught in between (e.g., an object and vehicle)
• Electrocution

These are known as the “Fatal Fours,” and they were responsible for almost 64% of deaths. Eliminating these four causes may save 602 workers’ lives in the United States every year. We know accidents cannot be predicted, but some of them can be prevented, especially the ones that are caused due to worker negligence. Construction companies are now adapting OSHA 10 online training, gamification-enabled courses, and occupation-specific training simulations to help workers correct their performance in real-time and enhance workplace safety.

What is gamification?

Gamification refers to the concept of applying game mechanics to keep learners engaged and motivated. Most of us love playing exciting board or video games. It relaxes us and pumps up the adrenalin. And, it’s not just about the excitement of playing. Games also bring out the competitive streak in us. The excitement of winning points or defeating our opponents gives us an incredible high.

A good game will have these three elements.

• Points where a numerical value is assigned to some action
• Levels that indicate the status reached by accumulating points; higher points lead to higher levels
• Quests or journeys that require the player to complete tasks by overcoming obstacles.

How can gamification help the construction industry?

Gamification has been used in various sectors like airlines, hotels, corporates, and so on. Now, it is time for the construction sector to experience the benefits it can hold. Gamification, along with, telematics in the construction industry can go a long way in helping organizations prevent unsafe employee behavior.

Operators and workers, in this sector, have risky jobs. They do not have the luxury to make mistakes while practicing. One mistake can cost several lives. But, what about workers who have no prior experience? Where will they learn and practice? This is where gamification comes in handy. It provides a simulated environment where the workers can practice their job tasks without the fear of causing real-world damage. They can make as many mistakes they wish to and learn from their mistakes in a safe environment. As a result of this, the workers get more confident about doing their jobs, which finally results in far lesser mistakes on the shop floor. Since they receive immediate feedback, the workers are likely to remember their mistakes better and avoid doing them at work.

Gamification allows organizations to bring out the competitive streak in their staff. For example, companies can assign scores to each participant based on their behavior and performance. These scores are then compared with other participants. When the participants try to compete against each other to better their scores, they automatically improve their performance. Over time this leads to safer practices on the shop floor.

Gamification blends psychology with technology to achieve the end. The purpose of pitting each worker against the other is to increase good performance by rewarding it. This is far more effective than punishing bad behavior. Punishment may not bring about the long-term change desired.

This approach helps each worker to identify their areas of weakness and work to improve. Practice make them perfect their work skills. Other than saving lives, reduced accidents save a lot of money for the organization. It is time that the construction industry realizes the long-term benefits of gamification and adapt it to deal with workplace safety.

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Julius Yego is the ruling javelin world champion. He was also a silver medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympics. Yego is from a small village in Kenya. He was keen to learn javelin when he was young but could not find anyone to teach him. There were no expert coaches or sports club that could help realize his dream. But he did not give up.

Instead, Yego visited a cyber café and watched videos of great javelin players like Andreas Thorkildsen and Jan Zelezny. That is where he learned how to throw a javelin. Today, ee is known as the “You-Tube man” in the sports world. While his story may sound unique, with the boom in online learning, training online may become a trend.

According to Thumbtack, the national average for a tennis lesson is almost $45 per hour. TennisConsult.com says that parents would need to shell out anywhere between $100,000 to $150,000 for a minimum of ten years for their children to learn to play well enough to secure a scholarship in college. If they fail to get a scholarship, then more money will need to be poured into private lessons.  This is where eLearning comes in.

How Can eLearning Help?

Online tennis coaching can slash one’s development cost. Instead of paying $45 per hour, you may pay a mere $200 per course. Of course, one will still need to practice on an actual tennis court from time to time, but the point is clear: acquiring tips from top players may be possible online at a low cost or for free.

Many people believe there is no alternative to one-on-one personal training. But what if you could get online coaching from Federer’s coach, Ivan Ljubicic?

The top four reasons why eLearning can make a different in how people train are.

• Access to expert coaches: Not everybody has access to expert coaching due to monetary and location factors. As a result, sports enthusiasts either give up on their dreams of training or make do with average coaches. Imagine what would happen if every enthusiast had the opportunity of being trained by experts regardless of where they are located or their income.
• Self-paced learning: Traditional coaching usually keeps pace with the fastest learner, especially in a group training scenario. As a result, athletes who are not as fast as the top performers are forced to progress to the next level even when they are not ready. Eventually, these athletes fail to make the mark as they had to rush their basic training. This may not be due to their lack of talent. With online instructional videos, all athletes can learn at their pace. They can take as much time as required to master each step before moving on to the next one.
• More free time for the coach: Since athletes learn on their own, their coaches can concentrate on other important tasks like strategizing, fine-tuning individual skills, boosting team bonding, and so on.
• Prevent injury: It is not always possible to prevent injury. But it is possible to decrease the probability of injuries with education. Online learning content can educate young athletes on the various injuries that can happen during practice and play. For example, many videos talk about  injuries, how they can occur, how to prevent them, what their symptoms are, and how to deal with them. In fact, there are several instructional videos that provide live examples and demonstration that may not be possible in the real-world without considerable risks.

eLearning is here for good. It’s only a matter of time that it revolutionizes the sports training world. While there is no question that athletes will continue to train on the ground, acquiring tips form top coaches is now just a bit more accessible. For athletes like Kenyan javelin champion Julius Yego, online learning has clearly already made a world of difference.

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Government officials, education specialist, and policy makers met at the Paris headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) between 20^th to 24^th March for Mobile Learning Week 2017. They discussed how they can utilize mobile learning to help refugees and other people in emergency circumstances. Refugees face several obstacles, but they also represent an opportunity to transform educational practices.

As per the report from UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), only 50 per cent of refugee children are able to access primary education. The global average is close to 90 percent. As they grow up, the gap intensifies. Only 22 percent of refugees are able to attend secondary school. The global average is 84 percent. When it comes to higher education, the number falls to just 1 per cent of refugees, far below the global average of 34 percent.

The main objective of the seminar in Paris was to work on solutions to help improve the education prospects faced by the growing number of refugees around the world.

Mobile Learning to Help Refugees Overcome Barriers

Mobile learning has been cited as an opportunity for refugees to invest in their future, despite obstacles like lack of Internet connection. Paul Frisoli, education technical advisor for the International Rescue Committee, believes that education protects life during conflict. It saves children from harmful labor, being forced into early marriages and pregnancies, and similar circumstances. Education can enrich an individual’s life like nothing does.

Since traditional modes of education may not be feasible, the next best option is to use smart phones, as they are now ubiquitous, even among refugees. Information and communication technology (ICT) enhanced learning have two major advantages in emergency situations.

The first advantage is bonding, where ICT tools help the displaced individuals to keep in touch with their home country. The second advantage is that ICT tools promote integration in the host society. The latter involves using the application to enhance involvement between citizens and refugees.

Since mobile applications also include diagnostic tools, they can also be used to personalize the learning experience based on the learner strengths and weaknesses. Mobile devices are easy to carry, so learners are able to access learning anytime and anywhere. This also means that their learning is not disruptive is they move to a new camp.

What’s the Flipside?

The world’s turbulent geopolitical situation has forced millions to migrate from their home countries. While, host countries are trying to accommodate and integrate refugees into their populations, there are certain constraints that cannot be overlooked. Mobile learning has multiple advantages. But can applications be designed in the same way for both refugees and citizens of the host country?

The first barrier is the availability of Internet connectivity. Some European cities do have free Wi-Fi areas but others do not. Simply put, it is not a common standard. As such, mobile applications need to be available for offline use too. Of course, refugees may not be able to pay for such apps. Civil society should provide safe, free Internet access areas and leverage open-source applications to help address such situations, but only time will tell if governments support such initiatives.

The next concern is about the protection of data. Due to cultural differences, some refugees may not be open to providing their personal information. If it is compulsory to create an account in order to access these educational apps, then it might discourage some refugees from embracing the technologies in question.

Finally, not all individuals are tech savvy. They might struggle to work with complex applications on a smart phone.This means that further training and support may also be required in refugee camps to ensure the widespread use of mobile technologies for educational purposes.

In spite of the barriers and obstacles, mobile devices can go a long way to support refugees in discovering their host countries and enhancing their learning at a time of flux and crisis.

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Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are seen as innovations that can be a turning point on how education is delivered. They are free web-based courses that are designed for a large number of students who are geographically dispersed. MOOCs are less structured and don’t always offer credits. But they provide education that helps in employment or further studies.

Advantages of MOOCs

There are numerous inherent advantages to adopting MOOCs.

• Are accessible 24/7: MOOCs are, mostly, free and are accessible round the clock. Learners do not need to wait for scheduled training sessions. They can access the learning anytime they want and from anywhere. There is no limit to the number of participants for a particular session. So, learners don’t need to worry about first-come-first-serve enrollment policies.

• Keeps the competitive edge: MOOCs help keep the competitive advantage. Since these courses offer varied classes on diverse topics, it makes it easy for learners to keep up with the latest trends and news. The job market prefers candidates who are well-informed.

• Is self-paced: Since many MOOCs are self-paced, learners can learn at their convenience. Some MOOCs may have deadlines for assessments, but they are not too difficult to maintain. Basically, the learner is allowed to learn in a more informal setting. The learner can choose their own convenient venue and learn around their own schedule

• Is collaborative: The participants of MOOCs can help each other learn and interpret the material. The discussion forums help them get answers to their queries. This distributed learning system is beneficial for participants to gain a better understanding of the learning material.

• Allows upskilling: MOOCs help learners upskill to keep up with job market requirements. Continuous learning is a vital differentiator, and MOOCs make it possible for learners to grow and continue to expand their horizons. None of us need to be stuck with what was taught in college. Technology is being upgraded every minute and we need to catch up with the changes.

Challenges that Inhibit Greater Use

There are three prominent challenges associated with MOOCs, but providers are working on solutions to address them.

• Measuring and validating the progress of the learners: It is difficult to assess and evaluate learners on MOOCs. To help measure and validate progress, providers are working on periodic assessments to test the understanding of the learners. Of course, it needs to be fine-tuned so that it’s neither too easy nor too hard. And, learners should not be able to “Google the answers”, either.

• Integrating the course credits: It is important for the learners to be able to integrate their MOOCs course credits into the existing educational system so that they can be counted towards future academic certifications or degrees. At present, very few Universities have launched their complete courses online. Some, like Leeds University and Open University, do allow learners to add credits from certain validated MOOCs. We hope and expect this number to grow.

• Personalizing guidance: It is not always possible to receive personal guidance in MOOCs. The teacher will not have a chance to know all the students personally due to the sheer size of the participants. Maybe, providers can consider getting teaching assistants to bridge the gap between the professor and the students.

The Future of MOOCs

MOOCs are popular for the free content they provide, often from premium industries. This feature is one of the many reasons MOOCs have been lauded by most learners. But, MOOCs may not remain free in the future. We don’t think this is necessarily a bad idea either.

Major MOOC providers like Coursera and edX, who partner with colleges and universities to develop ​online learning, have welcomed paid study models. Here, learners are asked to pay somewhere between $30 to $150 ​to earn a “verified certificate” ​after successful completion. The verification ensures the authenticity of the credential. Those who pay for the option will need to provide identity proof and pass tests by meeting requisite assessment requirements. The free option will be available too, but without the verified certificate.

MOOCs are here purportedly to provide a better educational experience. There is a lot of work that still needs to be done from a technological and pedagogical perspective. There is a long way to go to fine-tune learner experience but we believe it is safe to say, MOOCs are here to stay.

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Most driving schools in United Arab Emerates are now using eLearning to teach drivers how to be safe and responsible on the road.

Recently, the Emirates Driving Institute (EDI) in Dubai launched an eLearning module for their light motor vehicle license candidates. Each lecture is divided into five or six topics. The total learning runs for an hour. At the end of each topic, the learner needs to pass a short assessment if he or she wishes to move on to the next segment. Likewise, Belhasa Driving Centre currently offers classroom training at its centers in Al Quoz, Al Wasl, Jebel Ali and Nad Al Hamar, but it also has plans to offer eLearning courses in the near future. Finally, Emirates Driving Company, based out of Abu Dhabi, is in the process of digitizing their courses.

Benefits of Online Driving Lessons

While online learning may be a new phenomenon for UAE driving schools, in North America, schools have been offering online driving lessons to learners for several years. There are many benefits to moving online, but convenience tops the list. Online lessons can be accessed from the comforts of the home or office. Learners do not need to be physically present at the training to learn. This saves a time traveling to and from the venue. The learning can be accessed anytime and from anywhere.In addition, learners are allowed to learn at their own pace. Some learn quicker than the others. In a classroom setting, this may be a hindrance. It the class moves at the pace of quick learners, then the slow learners will miss out on important concepts. If the class moves slowly, then the fast learners tend to get bored. But with online lessons, students can decide their own pace. They can go over the same topic as many times they wish to without hindering the progress of other learners.

Another advantage is that there is no need for printing training materials. This saves on cost, and it also benefits the environment by reducing the carbon footprint.  Finally, it is a fact that not all learners learn in the same manner. Some like reading texts, some learn by hearing, and some prefer videos. eLearning is the best delivery format to cater to learners with different learning styles, as it does not depend on text and images only. Driving schools can embed other multimedia like videos, animations, games, audio clips, and so on. This goes a long way in helping learners learn better.

One of the most promising developments is the emergence of virtual reality applications, which are increasingly making it possible to produce realistic driving simulations. Lexus, an international manufacturer of automobiles, has used the virtual reality installation in their own driving simulator device. But virtual reality eLearning systems can also help to refine one’s elementary driving skills. Virtual reality simulators tweaked to adapt to cars that are difficult to control, like emergency vehicles, sports cars, and so on. Online simulators cannot be a replacement for hands-on skill development, but as already established in the pilot training world, these simulators can be used to build new drivers’ skills at a low cost and low risk.

ŠIOV Works on Electronic Cars Project

While exploring the topic of eLearning in the automotive sector, it is interesting to know that the State Institute of Vocational Education (ŠIOV) is working on a project that focuses on connecting old-style education with eLearning approaches in the maintenance and repair of hybrid and electric vehicles.

The project was launched in January 2017 and will last until October 2019. It is primarily designed for secondary vocational school students who are specializing in the automotive industry. The focus is on using innovative teaching methods, like investigative learning or critical thinking approaches. The project deals with online interactive teaching modules and videos for practical training. It has a unique feature of an online dictionary containing technical terms in language transformations of the project partners. As of now, there are 14 partners from Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom. The schools are involved in testing the eLearning materials. The partners are responsible for providing updated content and review the final product.

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As reported by the National Retail Federation, the U.S. retail industry is comprised of more than 20 million employees and generations over $3.5 trillion in gross sales each year.  It is natural that there is intense competition for customer dollars when so much is at stake. eLearning has the power to create a competitive advantage for smart retailers who are ready to embrace it. According to the 2015 Retail Sector Benchmark Report, roughly 46% of retailers are planning on increasing their training budget in the coming years, as compared to an average of 35% across all sectors. This is one reason why retailers need to embrace eLearning instead of other delivery platforms.

Addressing Staff Turnover

With an average of 40% staff turnover, attrition is a problem staring the industry in the face. Of course, the cost of hiring and training new recruits is high. Retailers need to ensure that the new employees are trained well and are able to hit the ground as fast as possible. But they cannot afford to compromise on quality. Customers are demanding and customer service incidents are major PR problems. Employees need to understand company processes and products thoroughly before they start working on the floor. eLearning is a cost-effective method of training new employees in a short span of time.

Accessible Anywhere

With eLearning, retailers can immediately update their staff on sales campaigns, promotions, new launches. Prior to online learning, they would have to print the materials and arrange for face-to-face training to update skills and inform their employees. Now, employees can access knowledge at the click of a button. They can access information whenever and irrespective of their location and time zone. This is one of the reasons why global retailers need to embrace eLearning.

Enhanced Customer Satisfaction

Consumers like to deal with well-informed shop floor staff. Imagine, you want to buy a formal attire for your big presentation. You walk into the apparel store and are thoroughly confused about what to buy. You approach the sales staff and ask for a suggestion. If he or she starts mumbling about random choices, would you feel confident enough to seek their advice? Of course, not. On the other hand, if the sales rep is confident about the product and provides you with options on what might work, you will be far more likely to consider going back to him or her a second or third time. Retail employees can consult for customers with confidence if they have access to relevant information at the time of need. eLearning makes that possible. All data is available online. The shop floor reps, simply, need to select the information they need to facilitate sales.

Lower Training Cost

With eLearning, there is no need to invest in travel, accommodation, venue, printed materials, and stationery. This brings down the training budget. Retailers can in turn utilize the funds for other activities. Again, in a competitive market, this is one reason why retailers need to embrace eLearning to flourish.

More Engaged Employees

Learners are given the freedom to choose what they want to learn and when. They can access training from the comfort of their living room or while traveling back home. They can tailor their learning path based on what skills they want to acquire. The freedom and customization keep the learners engaged and motivated. And, engaged learners are better at knowledge retention. Chunking and presenting content in small bite-sized modules is also highly effective. Micro-learning helps learners to retain information better. Some retailers are trying their hands at gamification. Gamification deals with using game mechanics in learning. It uses intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to drive learning engagement. It makes learning fun.

Social Learning Elements

The millennial workforce is hooked to social media. eLearning platforms can leverage the power of social media to drive learning. Employees can chat with each other, share ideas, answer queries, and collaborate with each other. It is a way to bring together a global workforce and to more accurately track training on a broad scale. Samsung and Rolls Royce are just a few of the large companies who have already embraced eLearning by adopting open source learning platforms to create engaging eLearning for their staff.

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According to a market research report by Technavio, virtual schools in North America are set to grow at a rate of 13% between now and year 2021. The main drivers of the growth are attributed to the demand for cloud-based learning, increases in digitization, and the growth of custom learning approaches.

Rising Demand for Virtual Schools

Schools, where learning takes place via online methods, are known as virtual schools. These schools appeal to parents who are in high mobility careers with busy schedules. There are some families that are unable to enroll their children in normal schools due to factors ranging from time-zone issues to lifestyle, financial considerations, and distance. For some, availability of courses in a desired time slot is impossible. Virtual schools take care of all these issues and more.

With the rising demand for distance learning, virtual schools have gained immense popularity. Distance learning is a boon for people who do not wish to travel to the venue and attend classes physically. In virtual schools, it does not matter from where you are attending the classes. You can learn from the comfort of your living room or while traveling. All learning assets are delivered virtually or through supplemental materials that students can access in any location. Students can earn credits in their choice of subjects and cite them while applying for higher education. The fee is comparatively lower than traditional private institutions.

The ease and flexibility offered by virtual schools is attracting more and more students from around the globe. Seeing the demand, nearly forty states in the United States have adopted virtual schooling. They have invested deeply in amenities and infrastructure. Some examples are Florida Virtual School, Guthrie Virtual School, and so on.

Competitive analysis and market segmentation

In North America, the virtual schools market includes both international and local vendors. The foreign players are driving to increase their market share. The local vendors are finding it difficult to compete in terms of price, quality, and technology. Some vendors are Mosaica Education, K12 Inc, Connections Education, and White Hat Management. Others include Alaska Virtual School, Abbotsford Virtual School, and Basehor-Linwood Virtual School.

As per the research report by Technavio, the virtual schools operated by private educational management organizations (EMOs) dominate the market. They are expected to grow faster in the coming years due to factors such as better facilities, suitable student-teacher ratio, and on-time graduation rates.

Moving forward

Virtual schools have huge benefits. But there are some cons too. Policymakers will have to keep them in mind while framing policies around virtual education.

One disadvantage is the lack of social interaction. Students may feel isolated and may not learn essential social skills . Sitting in front of a computer may not provide the mental stimulation that a physical class discussion provides.  Students also have limited communication with the instructors. Since virtual schools are technology intensive, a minor snag at the students’ end can result in them not being able to complete assignments or miss crucial sessions. It may be difficult to transfer virtual credits to on-site colleges that do not acknowledge them. Again, financial aid is not available at all virtual institutions.

Keeping all these aspects in mind, state and federal agencies need to take up the responsibility of overseeing the well-being of the nation’s educational system. Schools leaders must realize the popularity of online learning and make all efforts to adopt it. Local, as well as state policymakers should consider web learning an option for their students, but they should also try and work around the disadvantages.

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The Minnesota House of Representatives has introduced a new bill encouraging all schools in Minnesota to replace snow days with e-learning days. If this bill is passed, there will be notable benefits. Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are also playing with the idea of introducing web-learning on days of inclement weather.

Diving Deep into the Bill

Under the proposed bill, Minnesota schools will allow students to work on their assignments from home and communicate with their teachers either via phone or online. They can avail themselves of e-learning days up to five days every year. Other than the inclement weather, they can use these days for other emergencies like an outbreak of epidemics, and so on. Schools like Farmington and Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, have experimented with e-learning days, before, and have reaped good results. Rep. Debra Kiel R-Crookston clarified that the bill would not make it mandatory for the schools to adopt e-learning days. But, schools should consider taking it up.

According to the current law, the annual school calendar should include, a minimum of 425 hours of teaching for a kindergarten student, without any kind of disability, roughly 935 hours of training for a student studying in standard 1 to 6, and 1,020 hours of teaching for a student studying in standard 7 to 12. Notably, this does not include summer school. For all-day kindergarten students, the calendar must include a minimum of, 850 hours of instruction for the year. The annual calendar of a school board should have around 165 days of training for students in standard 1 to 11 unless the school has an approved four-day week schedule.

If the bill is amended, schools need to add five days of online instruction effective for the academic year 2017-18. Schools will be asked to develop an inclement weather plan based on Section 120A.414.

The e-learning days may be compared to flipped classroom models, where students are asked to watch a video lesson at home and do a class work based on that, the next day. They will have the teacher available to help them if required. This model may not be suitable for all subjects, but it may work for some subjects.

Things to Keep in Mind

While the idea of making up snow days with online learning may sound great on paper, there are some factors that must be considered before implementing the system. First, the school board and its teachers must agree to the e-learning day proposal. Second, connectivity may be an issue. After all, some students may not have access to the Internet at home or may live in a home with only one computer. This digital divide needs to be addressed. As such, schools may have to arrange for accommodation for students who do not have access to the Internet and a device at home. Third, teachers will also need to be available online or via telephone during school hours. Fourth, some students may have disabilities, so additional accommodations may be required to make the online learning modules accessible. Finally, students and parents would need to be notified about the e-learning days at the beginning of the academic session. In the event of a snow day, it is the responsibility of the school to notify the parents and the students, at least, two hours before the regular school start time.

Benefits of eLearning Days

Online learning has many potential benefits. Some teachers believe that other than explicit benefits, e-learning days have several hidden benefits that hone life skills for their students. If the Minnesota bill is passed, students will not need to miss school days due to inclement weather nor will local boards need to extend the school calendar to make up for the time lost. Students will simply learn without having to venture out. Another benefit of e-learning is that it increases students’ communication skills. Some studies suggest that it helps students learn to articulate their queries more effectively. Moreover, most students enjoy collaborating online. Finally, on e-learning days, students will have the flexibility of choosing when they want to complete their work. They can choose to start studying in the morning and finish early or start late and finish later. This provides an opportunity for students to also learn how to manage their own time and as such, to add another tool to their skill set.

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