01 November 2001

Bespoke elearning for any business with the launch of KStutor

Performance Support specialist, Knowledge Solutions, has launched a new product to make bespoke elearning a viable tool for any business – from the smallest enterprise to the largest blue-chip company.

KStutor is an e-learning authoring tool which can be used by anyone – with no programming experience – after half an hour's instruction.

"As a tool for developing and amending e-learning packages, KStutor breaks new ground in its speed and simplicity," says Knowledge Solutions’ Managing Director, Adrian Palmer-Geaves. "Anyone can use it: you simply perform an on-screen process and KStutor captures the process and creates your lesson structure. It's then a small step to type in a few instructions and save it all as an e-learning simulation. Even more powerful is the ability to create user competence tests with just a few more key strokes, so that the simulation becomes a 'Test Me' process, with 'hints' for new users."

KStutor brings a new simplicity to supporting end-users on any application, including SAP, Oracle and Peoplesoft. Its ground-breaking advantages dramatically reduce the time and cost of developing e-learning simulations:

• Via existing methods, it typically takes 150 hours to build one hour of e-learning: with KStutor, this is reduced to around 8-10 hours. Interactive simulations can be produced at the same speed as classroom material, but are much more effective and can be re-used for new starter and refresher training in the workplace.

• Previously, in-house staff required several days' training even to update an e-learning programme, whilst creating the e-learning in the first place was a specialised discipline. With KStutor, half an hour's instruction is enough to enable any employee to both create – and amend – an e-learning package.

• In the past, bespoke e-learning has only been cost-effective when the number of end-users is in the hundreds, or even thousands. KStutor makes building an e-learning package so quick and simple that any business can enjoy the benefits of bespoke e-learning for its staff.

Barclays Puts KStutor to the Test:
In the run-up to the launch of KStutor, Barclays Private Bank has been using the new product to support the roll-out of a banking system to around 350 users. Richard Harknett, IT Training Manager at Barclays Private Bank, explains:

"Using KStutor, in-house staff with no programming experience have been able to rapidly create e-learning simulations from scratch. These simulations are being used to train our staff via e-learning classroom sessions and, back at their desks, trainees have further access to the e-learning to reinforce what they have learnt.

"But it doesn't stop here. Once the system goes live, staff will also have access to Knowledge Solutions' unique software tool, KShelper. This summons instant, online coaching directly relevant to the task in hand, via pop-up cue cards. And since we need to ensure full understanding of the core training, we will be using KSbeencounter, a web-based management tool which presents staff with a customised training schedule; tracks each trainee's performance; and highlights areas which seem problematic for a large number of staff, suggesting a need for further training or help."