Fundeon – a consultancy centre for the building and construction industry in the Netherlands – has engaged eXact learning solutions to ensure that Dutch industry professionals are prepared for their industry’s future needs

Having implemented eXact learning solutions’ products and systems, Fundeon has seen its share of the Dutch building and construction industry training market increase – now making it the market leader in vocational training to the Dutch building and construction sector. Moreover, studies show that trainees believe that they have experienced higher quality training materials than previously and, thanks to improved instructional design, the effectiveness of the training has increased too. In addition, Fundeon has seen its operating costs fall and it has been able to optimise content creation and management processes – introducing a template-based approach, rapid learning content creation, and the reuse of existing learning objects (LOs).

Under Fundeon’s new learning solution (www.bouwinfranet.nl), trainees receive learning content via different channels, including printable pdf, classroom-based instructor-led training (offline) and web-based (online) training. In particular, eXact learning solutions tailored Flash LO models to Fundeon’s requirements to provide rich media content.

The complete learning solution includes a learning content management system (LCMS), learning management system (LMS) and an ePortfolio Management System. These systems cover the entire cycle from learning content authoring to delivery, based on identified, personal skill gaps. The solution for LMS, ePortfolio and apprenticeship management is based on the Percepium LMS, ePortfolio and Skills Management Solution. The solution is fully standard-compliant (SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004), which ensures the real-time information transfer between the ePortfolio system and LCMS and LMS platforms. Fundeon is able to manage information, such as personal details, course enrolments and tracking information across all these systems.

Comment: Once upon a time – in the early to mid-1990s – the Netherlands, along with the Republic of Ireland, were the two leading nations in Europe when it came to e-learning. That is obviously not the case now – with a Dutch company turning to Italy for its e-learning solution. Quite a ‘feather in the Cap’ for Italy, you might say.

But another lesson from this case study is that both the Netherlands and the Irish Republic have now lost their lead in e-learning and are importing their e-learning solutions. Currently, the UK has the largest single market in Europe for e-learning and is a net exporter of e-learning products and services, despite keen competition from e-learning producers in countries such as India and the USA. Nonetheless, if it wants to maintain that position, the UK needs to avoid making the decisions – some would say mistakes – with regard to e-learning policy and strategy that its Dutch and Irish European partners have made over the past ten years.