This is a fluid, iterative series of conversations with no hard and fast order. The conversations include:

• identifying organizational priorities
• surfucing learners’ needs
• setting priorities
• pinpoint experts

The potential learners in the organization can be a good source of priorities. What are people asking for the most? What activities prompt the most questions or the most anxiety?

Consider the following criteria when you are selecting the knowledge capture targets:

• Is the knowledge captured somewhere already (manuals, Federal websites, professional networks, etc.)?
• Is there at least one clearly defined use for the eventual product (training, onboarding, hiring, etc.)?
• Is the knowledge capable of being written down? Or is it expressed only in intuitive expert judgement?
• Is there a well-defined audience or customer group that focuses the development of the knowledge?

Cataloge the knowledge: By whatever means seems workable, attempt to map the full range of possible knowledge to be captured. This might be the knowledge of a particular expert, or a characterization of a particular position ( involving multiple experts ). It might be knowledge relevant to a particular work process ( cutting across multriple positions or even departments ).

Source: Jerry Talley and Laleh Shahidi

The next step after establishing the foundational agreements ( support of the top management, and the support of the IT department, and buy-in from the users and stakeholders ), it’s best to form a steering committee. This group would identify the knowledge needs to capture for minimizing the risks as more baby boomers retire. That would create a number of topic teams to refine the definition and initiate this whole process. Each team will have a moderator. Each topic team would:

• identify the topics to be captured
• identify the experts for each domain
• create a knowledge table to catalogue the captured knowledge and identify the priorities

Source: Jerry Talley and Laleh Shahidi

In this model learning strategy drives methodology which determines delivery technology

Source: IBM
 

Formal Learning is mandated by organizations and it’s usually offered through training events such as scheduled courses, workshops, seminars, virtual classrooms, certification programs, etc. However, the evidence is overwhelming that Informal Learning is the biggest component of learning in the workplace. An important aspect of creating a learning culture is to offer a learning environment where individuals are accountable for their own learning needs. So the challenges are:

• Can formal learning lay a foundation that will support the informal learning process?
• Can we provide tools and systems (e.g. Subject Matter Expert Location Programs, Knowledge Repositories, etc. ) that enable the informal process to be more efficient and effective. Reduce the 15 hours a week to 10?
• What can we learn from the informal process that may – or may not – inform a somewhat more formal approach?
• How can we figure out when any learning – formal or informal – is not even needed? Where does ‘just doing it’ and moving on without ever learning a thing, become acceptable in terms of performance?
• Can we discern where a more formal approach is really useful? Where does it realy help someone learn to begin to know and/or do something?

Click here to view Formal and Informal Development Options at Reuters.

Source: David Grebow and Reuters

Personal Learning Environments are systems that help learners take control of and manage their own learning. This includes providing support for learners to

• set their own learning goals
• manage their learning; managing both content and process
• communicate with others in the process of learning

and thereby achieve learning goals.

A PLE may be composed of one or more subsystems: As such it may be a desktop application, or composed of one or more web-based services.

Important concepts in PLEs include the integration of both formal and informal learning episodes into a single experience, the use of social networks that can cross institutional boundaries, and the use of networking protocols (Peer-to-Peer, web services, syndication) to connect a range of resources and systems within a personally-managed space.

The following are some models of Virtual Learning Environments:

• Derek Wenmoth
• David Delgado
• Scott Wilson

Source: Wikipedia

The Knowledge Management dimension of learning systems provides the ability of the learning platform to manage learning content in various formats, to re-use learning modules, and to support knowledge management processes; such as creating, codifying, classifying, storing, sharing, publishing, and distributing content or knowledge pieces. 

Document Creation
Learning systems can offer capabilities to help learners / users collect, organize, catalog, and store relevant data like professionals. Tasks such as collecting reference information, and allowing users to quickly locate, trace, assemble, present, and publish content can all be accomplished within a few clicks on one screen. They can provide learners with capabilities to:

Structure and expand on their intellectual capital;
Produce the versatile and portable content;
Manage content catalogs and workflows;
Produce annotated and structured content;
Utilize a host of best-practices templates such as research proposals, user guides, reference and training multimedia, and policies and procedures;
Set up well-architected personal or class websites.

Assembling Knowledge
Learning systems can promote structured concept development process so users can assemble content into usable content pieces. Transparent to the casual user, knowledge support methods can be incorporated into common tasks to simplify and guide learners in seeking, processing, and utilizing knowledge, for example:

Managing personal information, collecting relevant infromation;
Managing training / learning inventories or presentations;
Researching and analyzing key topics, while tracking trends to historical data;
Collaborating and brainstorming for innovation;

Sharing Intellectual Capital
Content may originate around information portals, but can quickly be disseminated across multiple information platforms and devices, such as mobile phones to HDTV sets. Data can thus be transformed into information that can be shared and acted upon to create valuable knowledge.

Learning systems can eliminate the need for advanced skills to publish content in a variety of formats, including web pages, CD and other portable media, or secured repositories.

Incremental Enhancements
By leveraging specialized tools for personal and group knowledge support, learning systems can add knowledge management capabilities so users have added functionality, including:

Structured repositories, not just files and folders
Meta-tags and Referencing (user-defined or standards-based)
Glossaries for popular topics (share with Web Directories)
Content classification

Source: Active Path Solutions

The organizations need to choose the technologies, applications, and tools that meet their needs and goals. For example, at some companies like Cisco the use of advanced network infrastructure is central to their core business and the use of advanced network infrastructure is an important part of the learning architecture. For some other companies the underlying network, server, and communication infrastructure is not as important as the application services and technologies that they need. How the organizations decide to choose and implement the following depends on their learning and development goals.

Network Infrastructure:

Content Delivery Networks
Architecture for Voice, Media, and Integrated Data
Intelligent Network Services

Application Platforms

Business Operations Services
Performance Management Services
Learning Management Services
Content Management Services
Delivery Management Services

Delivery Platforms:

Windows OS ( Vista / Xp / 2000 )
Mac OS ( OS X )
Mobil Device OS
Btowsers ( Intenet Explorer, Fire Fox )

Technologies such as:

Oracle DB, ASP, HTML, Video and Audio Streaming, Java, MS SQL, XML, Web Services

Web 2.0 and Social Networking Tools

Click here to view the technologies of social software for collaborative learning environments recommended by Gartner:

To achieve the most effective and efficient learning environment organizations need to recognize that the realities of learning in organizations have changed; and a) learning goes far beyond training, b) the make or buy decision requires rethinking, c) new tools and technologies transform learning, d) alternatives to courses and formal learning are inevitable. The excutives and managers active in learning must recognize these developments when creating plans to achieve the most effective learning environments for both individual and organizational learning. ( SRI Report )The following are the building blocks of our proposed “learning architecture”. These building blocks and their components are designed to make planning easier. They serve as the communication and coordination tools for people active in planning, designing, deploying, and using the learning systems.

• Technology Infrastructure, Platforms, and Tools
• Knowledge Management Specifications
• Virtual and Personal Learning Environments
• Formal and Informal Learning
• Learning Approaches
• Learning Production Services
• Online Learning Communities
• Organization’s Learning Culture

The metric tools used by some organizations are Hitbox, Omniture, Google Analytics, Jive, Comscore, Yesmail, and Web Trends

Source: Forum One Communications

Community leaders share a number of metrics to communicate ROI back to their management and stakeholders:

• Page Views: This is not an insightful metrics for most communities, but it is essential to understand page views for ad-driven communities in order to establish CPM rates
• Registrations: Membership of a community, which some tie to “awareness”
• Satisfaction: Satisfaction with the community as well as with the host organization
• Downloads / Trials / Lead Generation: Software companies and communities with a
  premium (paid) layer can compare this metric with other marketing activities and
  channels
• Cost Savings: Cost displacement or reduction as a by-product of community activity  This could be call deflection for support communities, or R&D benefits for product teams
• Content that ties back to “Mission”: This is particularly relevant for non-profits, who generally have a very clearly defined mission. Showing examples of content and
  activity that support an organization’s mission help justify the return on the community investment by demonstrating effect
• Direct Revenue: Perhaps the ultimate metric is showing direct revenue from a community;  and comparing revenue (and donations) from members and non-members is becoming possible because of better metrics

Source: Forum One Communications