The Business Case For ELearning [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

E-Assessment

Assessment refers to exams, online tests, and certifications that help determine whether someone has acquired the desired knowledge and skills. Even online quizzes can serve as a means of assessing learner retention and understanding of content. Planners should ensure that some form of assessment forms a core component of a learning effort.

Cisco experience has shown tremendous success with certifications. (See Figure 3-4.) Any discussion about Cisco certifications would be incomplete without explaining the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) phenomenon at Cisco. CCIE is the Cisco premier networking certification to date. The industry, time and again, has referred to it as one of the most robust networking certification available in the information technology sector. CCIE credibility results from its performance-based testing. Currently, fewer than 10,000 individuals worldwide hold the CCIE certification, making them an elite group of top networking talent.

The exam model developed and implemented under the CCIE program has served as a model for others in the technical industry. Besides sitting through a qualifying exam, a candidate has to pass a full-day grueling lab by demonstrating hands-on skills with setting up a network. The nature of tasks presented has made passing the lab exam on the first attempt a cherished goal for some of the most astute networking professionals.

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Certification helps achieve productivity objectives.

Survey data and anecdotal evidence suggests that networking credentials create a better understanding of solutions and deployment practices among certified individuals. In a market where productivity and profits are critical, the value of ensuring that a technical team can bring a networking project under time and budget cannot be overstated. Certified professionals provide employers confidence in their networking caliber. At the very least, certified individuals demonstrate a strong grasp of fundamentals and a willingness to learn advanced concepts. [6]

Slow markets are dynamic, too.

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Benefits to candidates

Certifications enhance job mobility.

In times of changing markets and evolving needs, certifications enable individuals to enter and pursue areas with the highest growth potential. A networking team that was once committed to infrastructure expansion can be redirected through appropriate training and certifications to deploy new applications, solutions, and services on the existing infrastructure. Upgrading skills in step with networking trends ensures that networking professionals remain versatile in offering value to the organization. In a slow market, this is one way for team members to ensure that they remain relevant and indispensable to the organization.10

Certifications increase job security.

Directly related to versatility is job security. Knowledge workers who can offer a wider array of skills to the employer are less likely to be adversely affected when teams are restructured. Many companies rely on certified employees to successfully obtain consulting projects and contract awards. Eliminating the very asset that constitutes a firm's competitive advantage is highly unlikely in any organization, and even less so in service and consulting firms. [8]

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Although we have discussed the Cisco experience in assessment by reviewing certifications as a means of assessment, many industries may find that internal quizzes, online tests, or proctored exams might serve the purpose of determining who has the requisite skills. On a more day-to-day level, supervisors might be able to make decisions about the strengths and weaknesses of employees based on their job performance. The essence of assessment is to assume a formal and objective process for determining whether employees indeed possess the desired skills.