ScottishPower goes DIY with e‐learning : Induction course on health and safety brings 70 percent return on investment

Purpose – Explains that the course, developed using BrightWave's online development tool, WavePool, initially targeted some 500 new employees in the customer sales and service division, but senior management has since extended the project to cover the rest of the division's 4,700 employees. Design/methodology/approach – Shows that BrightWave supplies the e‐learning design expertise, the development process and the authoring capability, while ScottishPower authors the content using subject experts, supported by the company's own e‐learning consultants. Findings – Demonstrates that the course has achieved a 70 percent return on investment, calculated as cost saving in comparison to the tutor‐led alternative, with a total anticipated cost saving of well over £200,000. Practical implications – Gives the inside track on the development of a successful e‐learning course. Originality/value – Describes an interesting experiment that ScottishPower used to test the effectiveness of online learning, and shows how the company can track which aspects of the course need to be improved.