Learning takes center stage as BT enters new global markets

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-10
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technical Staff ◽  
Practice Approach ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Learning Pathways ◽  
It Training ◽  
Training Company

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to observe how telecommunication giant BT has used e-learning to prepare more than 6,000 information technology (IT) and technical staff over the past 2 years to support a move into new markets. Design/methodology/approach – Reveals how the company met the challenges of rapidly improving the skills of IT and technical staff, standardized a best-practice approach to IT training across key lines of business and increased levels of staff engagement. Findings – Charts the creation of flexible learning and development programs known as accredited-learning pathways (ALPs), which have since been developed to cover wider areas of employee training at BT. Practical implications – Explains that ALPs now form a key part of BT’s strategic workforce improvement initiatives and are instrumental in embedding continuous learning and accreditation for IT skills. More than 6,000 people have completed ALP content since the program inception in 2011. Social implications – Reveals that the success of the program resulted in BT being awarded the Best IT Training accolade at the training company Skillsoft’s annual user conference in 2013, by a panel of independent industry experts. Originality/value – Provides the inside story of a key development initiative at a major international telecommunications company.

Con-men and corporate trainers: show me the learning

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 3-6
Author(s):  
Jeremy Lamar Gray
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Workplace Learning ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effective Learning ◽  
Doctor Of Education ◽  
Current State ◽  
The People ◽  
Effective Learning Environments

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to increase awareness of how organizations can better recruit and hire Workplace Educators to increase organizational effectiveness through heighten learning and development programs. As a Doctor of Education in the field of organizational leadership, I have witness the task of workplace learning and development relegated to inarticulate and inauthentic trainers who lack the skills-set to provide effective organizational strategy needed in the workplace. The paper gives insight on identifying the less qualified and hiring the better qualified. Design/methodology/approach – The approach to this paper was one of gathering information from the professional experience of the author, literature written on organizational behavior and workplace learning and development. This paper was designed to review the history and examine the current state of learning and development in the workplace. Findings – The findings from the literature review gives creditability to the author’s view that it is time for organizations to create more effective learning environments that starts with recruiting and hiring the most effective Workplace Educators, organizations should separate learning and development from human resources and Workplace Educators should be given a sit at the executive table. Originality/value – This paper provides information for organizations and human resource departments to enhance their knowledge of how they are choosing the people to educate their workplace in the study organizational behavior and learning and development. The focus of the paper is to review the history and build more appreciation and respect for the study of organizational behavior and workplace learning and development.

scholarly journals Using e‐learning for student sustainability literacy: framework and review

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susannah Diamond ◽  
Brian Irwin
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Powerful Learning ◽  
Sustainability Literacy ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Sustainable Futures

PurposeThe paper aims to explore staff practices in using e‐learning to embed sustainability literacy, highlight best practice and determine areas for improvement.Design/methodology/approachA framework of four areas for developing student sustainability literacy (SSL) was proposed as a basis for analysing practice. A literature review then explored the extent to which e‐learning is used to support embedding SSL in the curriculum, and the types of e‐learning currently in use for this.FindingsE‐learning tools were most frequently used to provide flexible access to information, followed by support for communication and collaboration, and were less frequently used for the development of specific skills, personal identity and confidence.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample of case studies provided only limited evidence. A survey of practitioners could be undertaken to explore and validate the issues raised by the literature review.Practical implicationsThe review highlighted scope for a pedagogical shift away from using e‐learning for information delivery and practical communication, and towards supporting rich, student‐centred forms of learning in both blended and distance learning modes.Social implicationsThis shift would create more powerful learning experiences for students, more effectively develop students' personal identities and skills, and yield graduates who are more confident in their ability to create more sustainable futures.Originality/valueThis paper will be of value to academic staff and educational developers looking to develop practice in embedding SSL in teaching and learning, and to harness the potential of e‐learning.

Teamwork benefits in tertiary education

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 262-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arabella Volkov ◽  
Michael Volkov
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Student Perception ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Deep Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Assessment Design ◽  
Practice Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the development of students’ skills in the context of team-based learning. Academics have heeded the call to incorporate team learning activities into the curricula, yet little is known of student perception of teamwork and whether they view it as beneficial to them and their future professional career. Further, this study presents an instructional framework to guide best practice in higher education practitioners with regard to the design of teamwork assessment. Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a qualitative approach utilising 190 students’ reflections to examine their perception of the benefits of teamwork and whether it will contribute to their future professional work. Findings – Results indicate students perceive team-based assessment tasks require them to adopt a deep approach to learning together with a deep approach to study, as well as improving their skills in the areas of collaboration, team unity and cultural diversity. Further, the study identified a best practice approach that higher education practitioners should adopt in teamwork assessment design giving this study both national and international significance and aids fellow educators in their practices. Research limitations/implications – Because of the chosen research approach, the results may lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications – The paper presents important implications for those involved in the development of assessment items where objectives include the development of team skills and quality learning outcomes. The findings are vital for unit and course planning and design generally, and assessment planning, design and processes, specifically, both nationally and internationally. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study students’ perceptions of teamwork, whether they view it as beneficial to them and their future professional career, and presents a best practice approach for teamwork assessment design.

Kahoot! Predicts exam scores and promotes student engagement

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Joseph Figuccio ◽  
Marla Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Child Development ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Exam Scores ◽  
Optimal Set

PurposeKahoot! is a free e-learning tool that employs game-based learning which is often considered a best practice in education. The aim of the current study is to assess the effectiveness of Kahoot! in a child development course.Design/methodology/approachSections of child development were randomized in terms of review format prior to exams one and two. All sections had a Kahoot! review prior to the final exam. Regression analyses were employed to determine the optimal set of predictors of exam scores. Students also completed a survey assessing their opinions of Kahoot! reviews.FindingsKahoot! scores accounted for 31.3% of the variability in exam 1 scores, 11.1% of the variability in exam 2 scores and 19.9% of the variability in final exam scores. Students reported that Kahoot! made class more interactive and that Kahoot! helped their learning of course concepts. These findings indicate that Kahoot! is an effective review tool. Furthermore, students reported that the use of Kahoot! was a positive experience that added to their understanding of the topics taught in the child development classroom.Practical implicationsTo foster student engagement, instructors should consider incorporating game-based learning in their courses.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates that Kahoot! is an effective review tool in a sample of undergraduate students. Furthermore, this study indicates that Kahoot! promotes student engagement.

Optimising NPD in SMEs: a best practice approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 262-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Leithold ◽  
Tino Woschke ◽  
Heiko Haase ◽  
Jan Kratzer
Keyword(s):  
New Product Development ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Design Structure ◽  
Practice Approach ◽  
The One ◽  
Innovation Processes

Purpose – This study analyses new product development (NPD) processes of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this paper is to find successful innovation processes of SMEs on the one hand, and to reveal starting points to further improve these processes on the other. Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered from 49 semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with German firms. From the total of 49 cases, the authors identified three manufacturing SMEs with high-performing innovation processes, whose NPD processes the authors took as best practice examples. The authors then used the design structure matrix to map these three NPD processes, and optimised the sequence by applying an optimisation algorithm. Findings – The authors determined which activities could be done sequentially, in parallel, or overlapping. The authors also scrutinised the position of dynamic milestones and demonstrated that the best-performing SMEs had flexible NPD processes, which allowed for an accelerated innovation process. Research limitations/implications – Due to the qualitative design of the investigation, the research presented was not specifically designed to draw statistical generalisations. For this reason, the results may not be applicable to all SMEs. Practical implications – The authors recommend that SMEs uncouple activities as much as possible. In this regard, the findings revealed that that especially technical and economic activities may be conducted in parallel due to their low dependence. Originality/value – The paper offers an SME-specific NPD process to optimise the innovation performance. Moreover, the findings deliver new knowledge on how the best-performing SMEs innovate.

CSR governance and departmental organization: a typology of best practices

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Lock ◽  
Peter Seele
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
The State ◽  
Governance Structures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practice Approach ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose This paper aims to study the state of the art of corporate social responsibility (CSR) governance and operational structure within the most sustainable companies to arrive at a typology of CSR organization. Whether companies consider corporate social responsibility (CSR) a strategic management task is mirrored in the department and governance structure of CSR. Design/methodology/approach By conducting a web content analysis, the authors apply a “best practice” approach to examine the vertical and horizontal organization of CSR within the “most sustainable companies worldwide” (Robeco SAM, 2013). Findings The results show that most corporations have in place governance structures for CSR that organize it horizontally in stand-alone departments. Three types of CSR organization best practice emerged: the single-headed, two-headed and infused types. Practical implications The paper indicates three different ways that companies can organize CSR internally. The authors discuss the feasibility of such organization for large and small companies and their day-to-day business. Originality/value The paper addresses the under-researched area of vertical and horizontal CSR organization at the micro level. The authors analyze the state of the art of organizational and governance structures of CSR in the most sustainable companies and deduce three types of CSR governance and operational architecture.

Primary Care Trust benefits from radical e‐learning treatment

2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 16-18
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Management System ◽  
Learning Management System ◽  
Primary Care Trust ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Team ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Learning Management ◽  
Self Service

PurposeProvides a detailed account of how a UK Primary Care Trust implemented a learning management system incorporating self‐service and e‐learning functionality.Design/methodology/approachCase study. Written by workforce planning manager for Hertfordshire PCTs who was intimately involved in the management of the e‐learning project. Provides a detailed account of how the learning and development team of the newly merged PCT implemented self‐service learning.FindingsImagine you are part of a learning and development team that has been given the responsibility for training 3,500 staff spread across more than 100 different locations. This was the task facing the 20‐strong team at the Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust. The formation of Primary Care Trusts marked a radical shift in how the NHS is organized and financed at primary care level; its aim was to improve the delivery and quality of primary care and to reduce costs. It has long been recognized that the extent to which this can be achieved depends almost exclusively on the levels of competence and skills shown by NHS workers. The merging in 2006 of Herfordshire's existing eight PCTs into two new PCTs under a shared management team provided the newly merged learning and development team with the chance to completely revamp the whole operation. They aimed to create a learning and development system with self‐service learning and e‐learning functionality that would be universally accessible to all those working in the newly created PCTs.Practical implicationsProvides a useful case study example of how to create a learning management system accessible to all and which was able to raise the profile of training within the organization; identifies the benefits for staff, management and organization.Social implicationsDescribes how the learning management system was able to help maintain the quality of learning and development data for risk management and mandatory reporting.Originality/valueOffers management an account of how one UK Trust implemented a learning management system that incorporated self‐service and e‐learning.

scholarly journals ACODE Benchmarks for technology enhanced learning (TEL)

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Sankey ◽  
Fernando F. Padró
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Technology Enhanced Learning ◽  
Important Conclusion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Tools ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Enhanced Learning

Purpose This paper aims to present findings from a benchmarking exercise by 24 higher education institutions (HEIs) about the use of the Australasian Council on Open, Distance and e-learning (ACODE) Benchmarks and its benchmarking process to provide data about technology-enhanced learning (TEL) environments. Design/methodology/approach Results of the first instalment of a major benchmarking activity of the robustness of the benchmarks and of the benchmarking process itself based on two surveys provided participants, one during the collaborative session between participants from the 24 HEIs and nine months later. Findings The most important conclusion was the interest and usefulness of the benchmarks for participating HEIs, especially the sharing of information between HEIs. Six recommendations from the data indicated the desire to formally endorse the benchmarks, facilitate a formal benchmarking activity every two years, postpone the merger of four benchmarks into two and create more online tools to share practice. Research limitations/implications Data were collected and analysed through non-validated surveys based on ACODE’s need-to-know to develop baselines specific to the usefulness of the benchmarks themselves, the benchmarking process itself and next steps. Practical implications This paper provides a comparative view of how 24 universities approach online education and their use of the ACODE Benchmarks and how they facilitate HEI regulatory compliance. Social implications ACODE Benchmarks are one of few institution-wide quality improvement tools or frameworks for TEL available for universities to use. The benchmarking exercise provides a process through which HEIs can learn from each other how to improve their approaches to e-learning activities to better serve student learning needs. Originality/value Reporting of how universities seen as leading practitioners in TEL pursue good/best practice, decision-making and reporting.

A comparison of workplace-related labels in Switzerland

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 405-423
Author(s):  
Michael Gabathuler ◽  
Michael Kirschner
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Workplace Health ◽  
National Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Selection Policy ◽  
National Market ◽  
Practice Approach ◽  
Workplace Health Management

Purpose In Switzerland, the first and only Swiss quality label for systematic workplace health management (WHM) competes with a variety of national and international workplace-related labels for the attention of employers. The purpose of this paper is to compare the label “Friendly Work Space” (FWS) with ten other national and international workplace-related labels on the “Swiss label market” and to identify key success elements for the development and dissemination of WHM labels. Design/methodology/approach A literature review and qualitative analysis of publicly available documents were conducted. Information was obtained from providers or by the authors’ own research. A description of workplace-related labels is presented based on defined criteria and a typology classifying workplace-related labels available in Switzerland. Findings Workplace-related labels can be differentiated in terms of: deliberate registration vs non-requested selection, policy vs marketing approach and assessment vs survey-based analysis. In terms of sustainable dissemination, FWS is the most successful registration-based label in Switzerland regarding the number of employees and employers benefitting from the label. Therefore, it constitutes a best practice approach for developing and disseminating a WHM label. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to systematically analyse and compare a WHM with other workplace-related labels on a national market (supply and demand, quality, dissemination). The authors suggest a specific typology to describe the market. Recommendations are given to build up and successfully disseminate a WHM label on a national scale.

Learning isn’t changing

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 330-335
Author(s):  
Bob Little
Keyword(s):  
Learning And Development ◽  
Discussion Paper ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Learning ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Development Professionals ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Time Availability ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – An exploration of what’s changing – and what is not – in the world of corporate learning. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Discussion paper with special reference to the report “A Review of the e-learning markets of the UK, EU and China 2014”, published by Learning Light in 2014. Findings – Learning is not changing – but the need and the opportunities for that learning are expanding. What is changing in the learning world is not learning per se but delivery technologies – and also the relative importance in the overall learning delivery mix of this growing range of learning delivery technologies. Research limitations/implications – We’re standing on the shoulders of giants but we appear to be looking at an extremely foggy landscape. And, since we do not have “20/20 foresight”, our danger is that we spend our time “training to fight the last war” rather than “training to win the next war”. Practical implications – There are a number of technological factors as well as demographic factors that learning and development professionals need to take into account when designing and developing (online) learning materials. Social implications – As technology makes the work of subject matter experts more accessible, other factors – such as money or time availability – are likely to come into play to maintain some form of established intellectual elite. Originality/value – An attempt to discern some current trends and extrapolate them.

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