Dec
16
Written by:
Chris Osborn
12/16/2010 9:36
AM
|
BizLibrary
just
launched
a new
feature
for our
LMS this
week
called
BizQuiz.
It’s a
test and
survey
engine
that is
fully
integrated
into our
LMS. We
asked
the
market
this
past
September
about
the next
generation
of
features
people
most
wanted
to see
in their
LMS, and
70% of
the
respondents
told us
a test
and
survey
engine
was
number
one. So
– less
than 90
days
later,
we
delivered.
It’s an
exciting
time for
us, and
it’s an
exciting
time for
anyone
involved
in the
training
and
development
world
right
now. |
 |
I am reading a
terrific e-book
called,
“The Masie
Center’s
Learning
Perspectives
2010.”
It’s a
fascinating
collection of
essays from many
of the world’s
leading
authorities on
workplace
learning and
employee
training.
The first part
of the book is
called “New
Learning
Frameworks,” and
Allison Anderson
from Intel
contributed an
essay for this
section called
“Learning
National Park,
Needs Rangers!
Getting to Know
Bob.” The
central theme in
the essay is
that many
organizations
develop a
training or
learning system
for their
“typical”
employees.
Allison said
that Intel
refers to this
mythical
employee as
“Bob.” Intel,
like a lot of
other
organizations
built a training
system designed
to help “Bob”
complete tasks
need to
effectively
perform his job,
and the analysis
led to a system
that simply
failed to
account for the
natural ways
adults learn in
the workplace.
Anderson said,
The more we
talked about
Bob, the more we
came to realize
that our
storyline was
too narrow.
There IS no Bob:
no single
prototype of the
“standard”
employee. In a
world with four
generations in
the workplace,
in a company
with locations
in so many
unique cultures,
in a place with
such diversity
of job roles,
our story about
Bob was much too
simple.
The result was
the development
of a learning
approach they
called Learning
National Park
where the
learning
experience is
compared to
travelers where
each individual
has different
things they
notice, things
they want to do
and things
they’d like to
see. There is no
way to make such
an experience
effective in a
one-size-fits-all
model.
We know – just
like Intel knows
– that each
learner in our
organizations is
different, and
that we have to
ensure we are
facilitating the
informal
exchange of
information and
ideas. That’s
how we learn.
How often do you
witness one
employee poking
her head into
the workspace of
another to ask a
question like,
“How do you
[insert you own
subject]?” It’s
natural, and
true learning
organizations
are starting to
“get it” and
work towards
making informal
learning much
more accessible
and a part of
well-designed
learning
environments.
Now enter
learning
technology and
learning
management
systems
specifically. We
are convinced
that having the
ability to ASK –
directly – your
employees
questions about
what they need
from training,
how they gather
and find
information, how
they react to
training courses
you’re now
offering, etc.
is an important
step towards
building,
developing and
delivering
training and
learning that
actually meets
the needs of an
organization.
But a quality
test and survey
feature can do a
lot more. With a
good tool in
hand, training
professionals
can create
pre-and
post-course
assessments,
tests and
quizzes, gather
data through
surveys, run
reports and then
take action.
We’d love to
hear how your
organization is
completing these
tasks. Are you
asking employees
what they need,
and are you able
to deliver a
training program
from which each
individual can
benefit?
