Using the intranet to establish learning communities

Why training needs the intranet

Why intranets work

Why the training department should take note

Using the intranet:
to analyse needs

for training design

to spread the word

to deliver training

to establish learning communities

to manage training records

for evaluation

How to build the training intranet

THE PRESENTATION of training modules is only one of the possible elements of an on-line learning system. We are, of course, social animals and receive a great deal of benefit through interaction with other learners, subject matter experts and facilitators. Although it may seem an impersonal tool, an intranet can do much more than deliver information from a centralised source it can provide a means for learners to collaborate with one another and get support from the experts.

Imagine a web site on your intranet dedicated to the needs of those people in your organisation going through a major training programme. The web site brings together a learning community providing a wealth of facilities:

information about the course
a directory containing details of whos on the course
news dates, completions, changes, etc.
on-line training modules
papers submitted by subject matter experts or trainees for review
discussion forums where topics from the course can be debated
e-mail links to subject matter experts
links to related World Wide Web sites
book lists
feedback surveys
assessments

A good example of the use of web communities can be found on the intranet at J Sainsbury plc. Community sites can be established within minutes with the completion of a simple on-line form, providing news, document sharing, discussion forums and links to the Internet.

For those of you whose intranet is based on Lotus Notes Domino and thats quite likely if youre already heavy users of IBM and Lotus products then Lotus LearningSpace (www.lotus.com) may be of interest in that it provides a ready-built structure for creating learning communities.

Next: Using the intranet to manage training records

MORE FEATURES | SINGLE PAGE VERSION | CONSULTING SERVICES