Future Learning Systems

Transcription

1 412 Future Learning Systems Cameron Inouye, Geo Metrix Data Systems Inc.

2 INDUSTRY TRENDS IN LEARNING MANAGEMENT EVOLUTION OF LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Classroom training Jobs and skills elearning Enterprise learning Performance Social media by Justin Hearn GeoMetrix Data Systems Inc. 240 Bay Street, Victoria, BC Canada V9A 3K Wikipedia describes a learning management system as ʺsoftware for delivering, tracking and managing training.ʺ But learning management systems are becoming so much more than that. Gone are the days when LMSs were simple database applications for tracking training or, as Elliott Masie and other have described, ʺvending machinesʺ for delivering courses. Learning management systems have evolved over their short history in many ways.

3 EARLY HISTORY OF LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Around 1990, the first classroom training systems were introduced to the marketplace. These ʺTraining Management Systemsʺ were designed to manage classroom training only. The systems provided reports on who had completed training and what the costs of that training were. In the mid 1990s, the first attempts were made at managing the relationship of jobs and skills. But most attempts were too fine grained and failed. It was difficult to maintain a skills catalogue and cumbersome for users to access and update. By the year 2000, the first attempts at managing elearning were introduced. Content could be launched over the Internet, but often that content was of low quality, and no attempt was made to differentiate learning styles. The requirement to take online courses was often misaligned with organizational goals. Many rejected elearning in the beginning. THE INTRODUCTION OF ENTERPRISE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS At this point, market leaders attempt to differentiate themselves from content platforms. With the proliferation of LMS vendors and systems, market leaders sought to broaden their feature sets and brand themselves as ʺenterpriseʺ platforms. Around the same time came the rise of hosted learning management systems (in the early part of the decade). Hosted platforms found some success by reducing the complications that are associated with the purchasing and maintenance of large technical systems. This time period also saw the second attempt at managing elearning. Having drawn from the mistakes of early elearning failures, content developers responded with more engaging content and finally, elearning began to work. LMS vendors started to offer blended learning initiatives to incorporate the new elearning, and more attention was paid to targeting content to learners. Another attempt was made at managing the relationship of jobs and skills. Consultants, who had learned from early mistakes, recommended a less granular approach to competency management. With the availability of Web based self assessment and peer reviews, competency management came Winto its own. LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TODAY Today, market leaders are still attempting to differentiate themselves from content launching platforms. One strategy is offering analytics. By collecting and analyzing data from other platforms, LMS systems can provide insight into the effectiveness of learning initiatives. This can help align and drive organizational goals. The introduction of Human Capital Management (HCM) is another tactic used to draw customers from content platforms. In this arsenal are several areas of functionality. Job Roles: For a given position within an organization individuals have a variety of job roles. Each job role has skills associated with it. To perform their jobs effectively, these individuals require a certain level of proficiency with each skill. Competency Management: The process of defining, maintaining, and developing skills related to job roles. Job roles can be added by a template to an individual and reviewed by a supervisor to ensure they are appropriate. Departments within an organization may conduct a employee selfassessment to determine where gaps exist. Training can then be directed to address the gaps and transfer knowledge. Once the knowledge is applied in the workplace a level of skill will be developed. 360 Degree Reviews: In an attempt to break the cycle of top down management, 360 degree reviews can be used to identify gaps that exist within the performance of an individual employee. Performance Management: Identifying goals and timelines to achieve those goals has become mainstream within many organizations. Compensation management: By successfully meeting required performance milestones employees can receive a variety of compensation components including cash remuneration, variable pay, longterm incentives and stock options, perks, benefits and non monetary rewards. 2 of 4

4 Succession planning: Succession planning is achieved by blending individual aspirations with the organizationsʹ view of those individuals, thereby minimizing the potential of making incorrect assumptions about career moves. Succession planning tracks information about candidatesʹ levels of potential, performance over time as well as retention risk. THE FUTURE OF LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS "I hear, I forget. I see, I remember. I do, I understand." Confucius The future of learning management is fast approaching, and in this future, informal learning is at the head of the class. Charles Jennings, global head of learning for Reuters, defines 70/20/10 learning as a rule where: 70% of adult learning is self directed, 20% is peer topeer, and 10% is formal learning. We can say then, that the other 90% of learning is informal. Jennings goes on to say that, ʺmost organizations invest 80 per cent of their training budgets in formal learning.ʺ In Making Space for Informal Learning, Dori Digenti states, ʺInformal learning is based in conversations, social interactions, and team projects in which learning is part and parcel of interactions between people.ʺ But informal learning can also be self directed reading, web based research (Google), or even attending a session at a conference. Informal learning can also apply to subjects that do not relate to an individualʹs job role. The role of the LMS should be that of a hub to connect people who are searching for information with resources for learning. These can include learning content (courses, articles, elearning) or individuals with expertise in a given subject area (knowledge advisors). The knowledge interaction can be reading an article online, reviewing an elearning course, joining a community of practice, or contacting a knowledge advisor for peer to peer learning. This brings up a number of questions and issues. How do we capture and quantify information about informal learning? Itʹs easy to keep track of formal learning such as classroom based courses or elearning content within an organization. However, to manage informal learning requires a new strategy. People who acquire knowledge about a given subject need a way of easily documenting this. And people need to be motivated to take the time to do this through recognition or some form of consideration. The information that is captured needs to be audited for accuracy (contextual as well as grammatical). Individuals need a way of controlling whether they want to become an expert for a given subject area and how they would like to be contacted. By providing a rating of their knowledge of the subject area they can be screened by a search engine. How do we make this information accessible to others? Advanced searches: By employing the same techniques as sophisticated search engines, organizations need ways to provide content from across the enterprise that deals with specific knowledge areas. This includes access to documents, videos, podcasts, learning objects, and other types of learning content. Communities of practice: These searchable forums allow individual learners to join a community where live chat, forums, uploaded materials, and other communication mechanisms allow the exchange of knowledge. Knowledge advisors: These experts identify which skills they have that they are willing to share knowledge about. Learners can search for a knowledge advisor and communicate one on one to learn about a given subject. Methods of contact must be rigorously enforced to prevent experts from being overwhelmed. Listing requests for assistance with a system generated ʺnudgeʺ provides a more conscientious approach. Should informal learning within the workplace only relate to workplace knowledge? Organizations must consider if they should restrict knowledge capture and communities of practice to information that relates to an organization. 3 of 4

5 Despite the desire for Generation Y learners to want to have wide open access to any type of information from football scores to fishing techniques, most risk management departments will want to see strict controls of what information is tracked and managed as informal learning. How do we measure the success of informal learning in the workplace? Each knowledge request should be rated as to the usefulness for solving the knowledge gap. Reports on the number of requests and the success ratio will provide management with information to assess the effectiveness. How do we compensate experts and knowledge advisors? If organizations are going to expect otherwise busy staff to take the time to mentor others, then there needs to be some form of compensation. At the simplest level this can be a point system where they are scored based on the number of individuals they have provided help to and the rating of their help. This can lead to recognition by the organization of their achievement. It can also factor into performance goals that affect compensation and promotion. What are the risks of informal learning? Who audits the information that is exchanged? What systems are in place to manage inappropriate use? Super search will also play a role in this learning management future. Intelligent search engines will be able to find learning resources that include: Documents, PDFʹs, HTML, and other resources on company servers and trusted outside sources Permissible Learning Objects based on Learner profile and security Content from CMS based on Learner profile and security Internal Learning resources (Classes, Programs, elearning Courses) Internal Experts with knowledge of specified subject areas Communities of Practice Learning Blogʹs and Wikiʹs Company Forums These are just a few of the ways in which learning management systems are evolving to meet the new learning environment and the needs of modern learners. CONCLUSION Today, a fully functional LMS can provide a multitude of benefits to an organization, including improving the speed and effectiveness of the training process, ensuring that an enterprise is in compliance with industry standards, improving efficiency and communication, and the retention of employees. But as these systems transition yet again, they are connecting people in ways that they were never able to do before. Instead of simply tracking learning they are becoming engines designed to drive learning. Justin Hearn is the President and founder of GeoMetrix Data Systems Inc., which has produced the TrainingPartner suite of learning management products since With more than sixteen years of leadership and management experience in the learning management field, Mr. Hearn has contributed to many technologies that now define the learning systems space. He is a frequent speaker and panel contributor at conferences and industry focus groups. You can contact Justin by ing: communications@trainingpartner.com 4 of 4