Interview with Ana Maria Prado, E-learning Manager at HUNOSA
1/ Can you tell us a few words about your company and your role?
Hulleras del Norte S.A. (HUNOSA) is a state company dedicated to extracting and using coal. Its business has been based in the central basin of the Asturias region (Spain) since 1067. The company has around 2,000 employees. I am in charge of coordinating the company's e-learning projects.
2/ Before using MEDIAplus eLearning, how was your office application training organised and why did you change it?
We have been using e-learning since 2002, but we were not entirely satisfied with our provider. That's why we decided to change providers and we chose the MEDIAplus eLearning solution mainly because it offered excellent value for money.
3/ In concrete terms, what system do you have in place? Do all the employees take the training courses? Do they train at their workstation? Or at a resource centre?
We offer Internet-based training to internal and external users, at all the company's production centres, and also to users who request it directly through our website. Employees train at their workstation, and we also have a resource centre. They can train on any computer connected to the internet, which provides great flexibility in terms of time and geographical location.
4/ What type of learner support did you choose and why? How does it work?
We offer motivational coaching to support students and prevent them from dropping out.
5/ After several months of use, what is your assessment of the system? Are you satisfied with it? How have users reacted?
We are satisfied, the users follow the training programmes and the results are satisfactory.
6/ Finally, what advice would you give to training managers who want to change to e-learning?
It is very important to choose the right methodology for each training activity. Proper planning is therefore essential; you must start by clearly defining the objectives and competences that the student must acquire by the end of the course.
You choose the ideal methodology and resources based on this. With e-learning you must be able to rely on a well-prepared team to motivate and support the student, along with assessment tools which provide us with the feedback we need to keep on making progress.