Author: Herring, S. Reference number: 61 Year of publication: 2014 Introduction
Companies are struggling to scale up traditional delivery approaches online that also incorporate more collaborative learning opportunities. The potential of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for corporations lie in the combination of scaling up expert-driven learning to global audiences with peer-to-peer collaboration.
Key findings
Core to the value proposition of a corporate MOOC is the integration of self-paced learning with peer-to-peer collaboration.
Some companies use MOOCs to provide training for their technology professionals. The certificate of completion is valuable for employees and saves companies the costs of developing a similar programme.
MOOCs can reach a global customer base and allow firms to interact with their key stakeholders. For example, SAP ran a MOOC on the topic of mobile software development on one of its platforms which attracted 40,000 learners from 158 countries. Its nearly 20 percent completion rate is much higher than MOOCs offered by tertiary education sector institutions. Firms are building a variety of ‘private MOOC’ learning solutions for both internal and external partner audiences. MOOCs, in conjunction with traditional delivery allow partners to join when they wish and complete at their own pace. Learners watch instructional videos and self-study while instructors and other skilled tutors facilitate and curate personalised learning experiences. Recommendations for firms considering adopting MOOCs include:
1) Clearly identify the business problem that needs solving and develop a MOOC value proposition that solves this challenge.
2) Develop a plan which includes a high-level learning design, learner support requirements, guidelines for tutors and facilitators, a marketing plan, a business case, and business model. 3) Ensure content is relevant and modular, and create meaningful opportunities for practice and application. Videos should be short (i.e. four to six minutes) and of decent quality. Challenge and enable learners to apply their MOOC experience to solve a practical challenge in their work environment.
4) Award badges to recognise learner mastery. Digital badges demonstrate the achievement of real skills. In addition they are verifiable and can be accumulated as recognition for a series of associated credentials. And over time, a badge helps to build an organisation’s brand in an area related to the skills it badges.
5) Select technology that enables an integrated learning experience. The MOOC platform technology at minimum must be robust, scalable, and support the integration of self-paced learning with peer-peer collaboration.
6) Prioritise learner success and support services. Facilitation and support services should be used to promote and encourage interaction including regular feedback to learners as well as input from technical experts and regular, lively updates from course leaders.
7) Identify partners to help get started if needed. Organisations may find it helpful to work with other firms that offer integrated MOOC solutions.
E-learning in the corporate university
Authors: Homan, G., and Macpherson, A. Reference number: 63
Year of publication: 2005 Introduction
While an increasing number of organisations are using the title ‘corporate university’ there is no consensus about what these consist of because they are created for varying purposes. However, these entities are likely to grow in importance with the UK Government at the time of writing considering giving them award-bearing powers. They are also important because the companies that support corporate universities tend to be large multi-nationals and are therefore likely to have a significant impact on the nature and direction of the education of the current and future workforce.
More recent corporate universities seek to make the best use of new technology for learning and adopt the structure of a virtual organisation
Methodology
This case study reviewed three large London Stock Exchange top 100 companies. One is a large bank, the second an aerospace industry participant, and the third a major telecommunications company. Interviews with senior and e-learning development staff were held, as well as seminars with academic practitioners from two of the organisations and consultancy in the third. A review of the organisations’ e-learning materials was undertaken and. this was compared and contrasted with the interview, seminar, and consultancy data.
Key findings
E-learning is making learning widely available, contributing to an organisation’s learning culture, and the delivery of new projects as well as management development which in turn plays a key role in simulating the ‘intellectual engine’ of the organisations.
The case study organisations are all using e-learning to support virtual communities in the shape of online forums which provide extended interaction by building a database of learning information and past experiences (aerospace), by delivering strategic management qualifications and key projects (telecommunications), and to support their change initiatives and projects (the bank and aerospace).
Technology does not shape the approach of the corporate university. Its use is dependent on the strategy adopted by senior and human resources staff.
The decisions by the case study companies to implement e-learning were significantly dependent on its potential return on investment. However there are risks of this emphasis hampering the effectiveness of e-learning solutions.
E-learning’s role should be seen in its contribution to a firm’s competitiveness and learning culture. Corporate universities can use e-learning to centralise company-wide learning strategies that address organisation-wide needs, but how e-learning might contribute to bottom line performance was unclear. In some cases the organisations’ base technologies meant the learning materials were not interactive, nor were they sufficiently different from other distance learning materials. Generic and customised materials can be sophisticated and well designed, but the time and cost necessary to achieve this are a barrier to their realisation.
In all organisations the learner experience is absent from discussions. Only when corporate universities address all issues relating to the learner experience and learner responses will they be in a position to claim that e-learning makes a significant contribution to their corporate university’s strategy.