Evaluating online work-based education for managers in SMEs: Some initial observations

Abstract

ELISC (European Learning in Smaller Companies) is a Leonardo da Vinci pilot project funded by the European Commission with the aim of evaluating the extent to which online delivery of course material is effective in supporting the work-based learning process of managers in small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) in Finland, Italy, Spain and Scotland. The authors' conclusions from this small pilot study are that online course delivery to SME staff may be effective only if the educational provider and the SME establish an intensive collaborative working relationship, in which learners in the SME receive strong support both from within their company and from the educational provider.