Elearning! Magazine: Building Smarter Companies via Learning & Workplace Technologies.
Issue link: http://elmezine.epubxp.com/i/74275
TipsOn-Demand Learning Trains, Planes ... WHERE IS LEARNING TAKING PLACE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION? Oſten, it's not during the 9-5 office workday. Employees, a.k.a. corporate learners, want information and answers fast — anytime, anywhere. Much of this on-de- mand learning takes place dur- ing commute hours, business travel, or evenings when em- ployees work from home. Call it mobile learning, m-learning, informal learning, or portable learning, traditional learning has evolved to on-demand, mobile learning, which can now take place in the air or on the bus. Te term "on-demand" and Subways? refers to such learner-led ac- tivities as self-study e-learning, books, reference materials, video training tutorials, confer- ence proceedings, podcasts, and other forms of content that the learner uses on his/her own when needed or as directed. On-demand learning is, by na- ture, very content-centric, and sourcing on-demand learning content can be difficult for learning organizations. Which bring us to your em- ployees. Where is learning tak- ing place in your organization? Today's corporate learners need to master new technolo- gies and drive new business initiatives — in real time and in an on-demand environment. Just-in-time learning tools such as video tutorials allow for continual reinforcement and review of new concepts. Taking time out of busy schedules and interrupting workflow for for- mal learning can be more chal- lenging for corporate learners. Portability and access of mobile apps and video have enabled corporate learners to exercise greater control over the content they consume. Learners need the ability to collaborate and find real-time answers quickly for the projects that they are working on. To- day's corporate employees need to be empowered to learn any- where, anytime. Providing that information when and where they need it is imperative for the learning and development organization. Traditional bar- riers such as bandwidth issues for video and support for vari- ous mobile devices have been removed; native mobile apps, which support high-def video, are becoming the norm. Mo- bile devices have become ubiq- uitous; more than ever, em- ployees are using their personal mobile devices for on-the-go learning. Customers have taught the learning community a great deal in terms of how and when they learn. Spikes in video use occur during commute and evening hours, when employees are typically not at their place of work. Tis is especially true in the soſtware development and IT depart- ments, where staying current and learning the new program- ming language or technology is key to a project's success. Te benefits of accessing informa- tion and learning tools when and where they're needed has immediate corporate benefits, including employee satisfaction and talent retention. —Safari Books Online is an on-demand learning library. Its award-winning platform allows corporate users the ability to collaborate and find real time answers, tutorials, code samples, certification exam preparation materials, and training courses and video tutorials on nearly any subject. For more informa- tion, visit the Website www. safaribooksonline.com. Government Elearning! July / August 2012 49