Training people to master complex technologies through e-Learning: Case of UML technology training in a global organization

E-Learning tools facilitate asynchronous (e.g., wiki) and synchronous (e.g., video-conferencing) learning. They may provide a cost effective way to train large numbers of people in global settings to leverage complex technologies such as Unified Modeling Language (UML) tools. Few industrial experiences from the use of e-Learning tools to train complex technologies have been reported. It is unclear whether eLearning tools can be deployed to learn three types of knowledge: application, business context, and collaborative task knowledge. This paper draws upon a case study in a global corporation to evaluate the applicability of several classes of e-Learning tools for supporting the learning of application, business context, and collaborative task knowledge required to deploy a UML modeling tool globally. Intranet, email, and a Virtual Meeting Tool (VMT) proved most beneficial for learning the three types of knowledge. Other organizations may benefit from using these classes of e-Learning tools to train people to use similar complex technologies in global organizations.