February 23rd, 2010 by Learning Systems

The Learning Management System is currently taking the lead in helping over a thousand companies to use in their application processes. There are some who find it a relief to acquire such program and there are a lot of people who commends the computer based training program as convenient and user-friendly. Here are some more reasons why it is very important to acquire this type of software for your organization.

First of the advantages that Learning Management System can provide is that it has a comprehendible course management feature. Anyone or people who are not that equipped with such knowledge regarding high end technologies can easily comprehend every single detail of the process being assessed as the system can sort and organize courses and lessons.

You may have noticed a lot of companies have already adapted this kind of system online. It is just in your discretion on which one has caught your interest or which system provides you better outputs. However, it does not matter what company you select. Comparing it to traditional ways of learning programs, it is better by a mile. Your stressful task has just been solved through these types of programs.

These programs are generated through hard works of the best programmers and developers in the world. They were able to come up with various courses from a set of fields ranging from health, education, computer courses or accounting and other. An organization has the option to choose the specific field they are interested to deal with in this type of technique.

Learning Management System also manages to have a systematic compilation and organized documentation of ever course and lecture a company or an organization has, which makes it easier to understand. Not only that, it is more convenient for people as they can allocate time by considering their pacing in understanding the course. Bid farewell to piles of lecture notes as Learning Management System do everything for you by not compensating the knowledge you would be getting from the program.

With the best things Learning Management System could provide, it just proves why it is leading the current trend of computer based training programs that companies and organizations love to use.

February 8th, 2010 by Learning Systems

Although there’s no denying that the education trend (not only online learning via learning management systems, but non-virtual learning as well) has shifted toward an independent, self-guided mode, people still require incentives to learn just about anything. For this reason and others, monitoring trainees’ learning processes is critical.

Despite the widespread pedagogical pressure to believe the contrary, intentional learning doesn’t happen for most people. Or perhaps it does in some areas, but not for all kinds of content. Of course, anyone can get excited about learning a particular skill or topic that interests them. There’s no need to keep tabs on a teenager’s learning of their new video game, for example. The intention already exists.

But the hard truth is that although company training certainly can be fun and engaging, it’s often not centered around the most exciting topics trainees can imagine.

At its core, learning is about always wanting something. For people in a classroom setting, that something may be good grades. In a company training session or learning management system (LMS) course, the desired objective may include rewards for good performance, or simple verbal encouragement and acclaim.

People of all ages–both children and adults–are typically responsive to simple words of encouragement from a respected superior. Along with a user-friendly training program with its own system of points and rewards, employees benefit greatly from human motivation. A leader who motivates trainees not only facilitates the learning process, but instills a sense of team unity, which improves work relationships.

But beyond encouragement from a supervisor or training leader, another way to aid effective training is to monitor student progress. Some LMSs have features like the Activities monitor, which helps solve a problem all too prevalent in online training. The Activities tool makes simple the administrative responsibility of overseeing and guiding students in their learning process. It provides training administrators with a simple tool to track, in real time, the online course activities of students through a tab in the LMS interface.

The Activities feature serves a practical purpose. Using the feature, administrators can track student activities to find out where each one is exceeding, and in what areas extra attention may be required.

Monitoring trainees with the aid of a feature like Activities helps ensure that students are actually absorbing the content they are learning. Why is this important? First of all, ensuring training effectiveness saves organizations and educators valuable time and energy. In what ways? Many–and each depending on the kind of training you’re delivering.

On the other hand, some kinds of training may not necessarily benefit from such a feature. For example, training material given to new employees, teaching them the ins and outs of their new position, may not cry for a feature that monitors student progress in such an active way. After all, newcomers to an organization are typically excited about their new job–they want to learn. They are intentional learners.

With compliance training, however, that story changes. Here organizations save money in the long run if they ensure successful training. Conflict can be avoided, and employees can be protected. And of course, productivity is always increased when employees are well educated on workplace issues which are meant to facilitate communication and prevent conflict.

Automated tracking of learning allows trainers and educators to concentrate on teaching and administering content. Trainers can focus on the content and guiding student interaction with the material, rather than actively keeping tabs on them.

However, the most effective way to ensure that learning is taking place is the existence of a strong and engaging training course. It’s not enough to create satisfactory content, get it out there, and expect students to eat it up. A complete and flexible learning management system which provides a variety of robust features is the best way to create content that entices all learners to become intentional ones.

February 4th, 2010 by Learning Systems

It may be an understatement to say that for distance learning and online training, a big hefty tool like a learning management system (LMS) is the most efficient and cost-effective means of delivery. In fact, online tools may be the only method to deliver training for companies with distance learning requirements. As extended networks of employees become the norm, with employees working in Singapore, London or New York, an LMS becomes vital to manage online training.  It not only delivers learning content, but companies can use an LMS to keep track of employee achievements and ensure that the training delivered is really effective.

Of course, managing a distance learning classroom or training program is simply too much for one person or even a group of people to handle.  An LMS takes care of content management, collaboration techniques, agendas and announcements, assignment and coursework management, and learning path development, among other things. It allows for online classrooms to be organized internationally, linking a company LMS to its various human resources departments and ERP systems, to perform long distance, cost-effective, and efficient training.

Collaboration is the newest wave of our increasingly service-oriented business world, and therefore a must in training. Oftentimes, both in training and product development, collaborative groups are composed of a loose group of individuals working together to achieve a common goal. These may be a group of individuals with different backgrounds, cultures, education and languages. For collaborative learning, an LMS serves a crucial role in its ability to track members’ individual and collective progress in an online course.

One way that collaboration may be utilized to benefit a company is in introducing a new product or service. For example, if the employees in training are in customer service or sales, a company could introduce the new product, delivering training on the product through the LMS, and prompt trainees to work together to develop strategies and solutions to given situations when dealing with customers, etc.

For this, companies that have been experimenting with virtual worlds like Second Life to provide trainees with a 3D meeting space and collaborative educational space have experienced mixed results. Educational software like Second Life still has many challenges to face in offering an efficient and robust learning experience.

Training for a role in a service team is something easily charged to an LMS, with video tools, simulations, and audio tools like those used by Coggno, to create situations where an employee must deal with a customer. Some systems are even multi-lingual, providing a number of built-in languages to personalize each employee’s training.

Distance learning collaboration isn’t always easy, of course. We’ve all experienced the frustration of technical problems with the very same tools intended to facilitate group collaboration. Inevitably, a conference call is interrupted by technical problems, or one or two team members aren’t familiar with how to use a new technology. Web 2.0 tools like conferencing may sidetrack members and draw them into a distracting cycle of tool experimentation. Some tools may take hours for users to get the hang of, and ultimately may not even function efficiently.

Although some tools like virtual worlds can help virtual teams achieve goals, introducing these technologies can also impose distractions which waste valuable time. A slick new piece of technology is only as effective as the effects it produces.

An LMS is able to automate many training processes that would otherwise cost organizations a great deal of time and money. Learners all over the world are able to access online training via an LMS any time, without complicated plug-in software. Learning management systems take care of staff orientation and induction programs, reaching out to employees from all around the world.

January 29th, 2010 by Learning Systems

As online training continues to get accepted in the corporate world, other industries are also looking at it as a solution. In sports, injuries to head are most common. When the head injuries are not serious, it is vital to evaluate sport related concussions before allows playing to return to play. Many injuries are not reported because of their mild nature and are overlooked by coaches, team mates and athletes as well.

Using online training as an assessment tool with parameters like reaction time and memory it is possible to assess cognitive function. The assessments ask the patient to identify shapes, words, and colors for at least thirty minutes. With the help of concussion guidelines and comparing the results, it is possible to categorize the severity of concussion.

The evaluation tool when used in an online training environment can be used for individual athletes or to a group. This assessment is designed to aid trainers and athletic physicians to make decisions of allowing players to return to play when they are unsure. The online setup provides easy access and quick administration of the test and has a reliable baseline. The result of the players can be sent to neurophysiologist for quick consultation.

The data provided is comprehensive and can also include processing speed and attention as parameters.  By repeating the tests, the data can be compared and ensures that the decision to play is safe. There are a number of tools that use online training setting to administer during play to identify cognitive deficits.

Besides athlete’s, children are also prone to concussions and neuropsychology focuses on assessment and management of concussion. Today, using assessments in an online training environment has proved to be reliable to distinguish between individuals that suffered from a concussion. The neuropsychological tests to baseline and identify post concussion syndromes include word discrimination, design memory, x’s and o’s, matching symbols, color match and three letters.

ImPACT is one such tool that evaluates concussions and post concussion syndromes along with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT). Some other online training environment based neuro-cognitive tests available for the evaluation of concussions include and the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics, CogSport and Headminders.

In order to teach doctors and sports trainers more about concussion or effects of mild traumatic brain injury, online training has been quite effective. They have provided clinicians with the knowledge required to understand the severity of concussions and suggest the duration for rehabilitation.

When athletes that has symptoms of concussion over one to two weeks is considered to have a post-Concussion Syndrome. In such situation, it is best to treat the individual by an experienced physician and facilitate quick neuropsychological testing. Using an online training setup, it is possible to take a quick test and use the data to baseline in case of injuries during a game.

Over the last few years, a lot of literary research has been conducted to manage head injuries and identify concussions.  There is a not too much controversy surrounding this simple and quick method of identifying concussion in online training by sports physicians and trainers to avoid further complications.

January 29th, 2010 by Learning Systems

Using a learning management system provides organizations with an end-to-end approach to develop talent and guarantees visible priorities of individuals, activities and events. We are aware that a LMS can perform a number of functions, administrative requests from scheduling trainings, to strategic requests like training gap analysis, aligning training modules with business goals etc.

In a classroom environment, we lose out on a number of features that can provide a lot of flexibility to the learner and trainer. Organizations are aware that they can leverage the use of a learning management system to improve productivity, reduce costs and achieve business goals efficiently. Once training modules are deployed on a LMS, trainers and learners can benefit by getting access to a variety of e-learning modules.

Activities are much easier to update and these can include tasks like assigning budgets, enrollments, managing assessments, generating report, classroom logistics etc. It is easier to measure the ROI on training. An LMS allows you employees to develop career paths, and managers to identify the development paths based on employee goals. In fact, assessments to measure competency that can be linked with performance appraisals can be managed via a learning management system for employees and managers

A learning management system allows clients to examine the workforce and provide skill management and analysis. It also provides automated certification for safety programs and supervisory roles. For employees that need to take mandatory training - training requests and progress tracking to achieve competencies for a particular position is available.

After completing a module, employees are requested to provide feedback about the effectiveness of the training module. This enables management to review the training results and measure improvements in employee performance.

For organizations that have a workforce which is spread over a number of regions, a learning management system allows overall tracking of skills sets and identifying development needs. It empowers managers to approve training requests, monitor employee progress, generate reports to understand employee readiness and relate job performance to identify employee development needs.

In a classroom environment or without a learning management system, organizations incur additional costs to manage training requirements. They do not have the flexibility of generating detailed reports and the data accumulated can be inaccurate. As employees undertake training courses that are available on a LMS, managers can assess employee strengths; compare skills of an employee with their performance objectives.

In summary, a learning management system implements state of the art training modules that allow self service requests for employee training, managing content, support for learning, updating courses to sync with positions or employee competencies. Instructor availability, training effectiveness, scheduling classes, hours spent training etc can be managed with ease with the help of LMS. For management, tracking employees and maintaining a history of their training, identifying the budget for training and other bottom line figures necessary to business can be easily acquired with a LMS.

With these advantages, using a learning management system can ensure compliance with business goals and quality training to improve employee performance.

January 18th, 2010 by Learning Systems

If you need a productive and efficient employee, you can consider online training to overcome the performance gap. As a company one of the greatest assets is a valuable employee. When a company hires an employee they are making an investment in their future. Employee retention is extremely important because every time the company has to start from scratch training a new employee it costs more money to them. Therefore, it is more cost effective to the company in the long run to ensure the employee is happy in their job. Part of this entails paying a fair wage and benefits for the position but another responsibility of an employer is to ensure proper training.

Why Train Employees?
Online training can help facilitate your organizational training needs. Employee training includes ensuring the employee is qualified and trained in the position for which they were hired. However, it goes even further than that. If the company wants to ensure employee retention they have to provide a stable future to the employee. An employee wants to be challenged in their area of expertise and they also want to know that there is room for advancement. If they can not advance both professionally and financially internally with the company, the employee will start looking elsewhere. In addition, it simply makes sense to ensure the employee has all the available tools needed to work efficiently and effectively. The more knowledge the employee has, the better they will be at their job.

What can Online Training Offer?
Online training allows employers to offer employees tools to advance themselves within their career and personally. Internal online training can mean training materials and course work geared toward a specific position. New hires can take online training courses to learn how to do their job and test on policies and procedures. Existing employees can begin taking job specific courses that will ready them for their next steps within the organization. For example, if an employee wants to move to another department, that employee can begin taking coursework to become familiar with the operational procedures within that department.

Additionally, online training can provide personal improvement possibilities. This can help the employee do their existing job better as well as prepare them for more advanced positions within the company. For example, an employer may have available computer courses. This will allow the employee to add skills to their resume. A savvy employee will look first at their existing position to see how they can apply their new found knowledge to improve their work. This will result in getting noticed my management and their proactive stance in their position will give them an advantage on the competition when it is time for internal advancement.

Advantages to Online Training
Many companies are moving toward online training as opposed to sending employees to traditional brick and mortar learning institutions. The two primary reasons for this are cost and convenience. First, online courses typically cost less so the company can provide more training at the lower cost. Next, the employee has the advantage of being able to work from the office or home as is convenient. In the office they will be available for questions or in case of emergency. But, they also have the option of taking continuing education classes in the convenience of their own home when they have free time to do so.

January 15th, 2010 by Learning Systems

A learning management system or LMS is a database system that allows you to customize and track a training program or training system.  For an organization this can be extremely convenient.  You can create your course work for employees or students and track all aspects of the curriculum.  This is especially useful when it comes to updating the course work.  Instead of needing to republish printed materials continually which may delay important changes, they can be accomplished immediately and as needed in a learning management system.

The Need to Update Training Materials
Fluidity is essential when it comes to all aspects of business.  In order to be successful a company needs to be able to recognize when there are issues that need to be addressed and how to address them when it occurs.  This sometimes means changing processes in order to address potential customer service issues or to adopt emerging technology for e.g., implementing a learning management system to facilitate better efficiency.  If training materials address the outdated processes it defeats the purpose of training in the first place.

Therefore, it is imperative that training materials be updated regularly and as needed to address any changes in processes.  This way anyone taking the course will get the most up to date information and it will avoid having to retrain in person or possible errors that may happen with an employee.  Training employees by leveraging a learning management system begin with is more efficient, will save time and is less confusing.

Uses for an LMS
An LMS is useful for two basic purposes:  internal training courses within a corporation and learning institutions that specialize in training materials for outside training.  A learning management system is most useful in a corporation that has multiple departments with specific training needs for each position.  This is an ideal vehicle for housing all the training needs for each position.  It can accomplish the tasks of:

• Training new hires in the policies and procedures of the position for which they were hired;

• Being available as reference materials for those who are currently in a position and need to know the way to accomplish a particular job; and

• Allowing others outside the department to learn about the position in order to be proactive and prepared for possible advancement opportunities internally.

For learning institutions that provide continuing education, the learning management system can provide many functions that will help administer all aspects of the training courses.  An LMS can:

• Administer the course calendar;

• Track registrations, changes and drops;

• Conduct the online training work;

• Gather assignments, administer tests or homework; and

• Report grades

A learning management system is a highly valuable system that will help administer all aspects of coursework for organizational training.  It can be used within a company for internal training as well as in learning institutions specializing in outside training courses.  It is especially useful as an easy way to facilitate necessary changes within the training materials.  Training processes will change occasionally due to advancements in technology or because of altered policies.  It is important that training coursework also be updated as needed in order to remain current.  A learning management system can administer such changes quickly and easily for maximum efficiency.

Do you want to receive news and updates on learning management systems? Follow us on Twitter, http://twitter.com/coggno.

January 10th, 2010 by Learning Systems

Advances in online training have led to a revolution in the learning space by providing learners with skills they need to have to succeed in their job. For a successful business, e-learning needs to focus on learning for adults and with primary focus related to their job. This simply means, leveraging technology, training needs to be delivered to ensure they have necessary knowledge to be productive and have a constructive impact for their employers.

How would online training guarantee this learning transformation? Most training delivered in class is made for the organization or to achieve business goals. This might not be the solution since training should be designed for learners and help each learner achieve a superior performance. E learning makes this possible by moving away from a ‘one course suits all’ approach to an individual training method.

For any organization that has a large geographic spread, online training of employees can ensure consistent learning. A well designed e-learning provides learners with up to date knowledge using practical scenarios. Most e-learning helps organizations, both small and large reduce training costs tremendously.

For instance, if you have are a product based company, that has regular updates to a product or have a global product launch, you will need to ensure your employees are knowledgeable about the product. In most cases, you will need to send trainers to each region to train the staff or even have regular trainings scheduled to ensure that the information provided to customers is accurate. With such requirements, online training ensures uniformity in training delivery within a fast paced environment.

It reduces travel costs and provides your staff with the flexibility of taking courses to their convenience. Deploying courses online is easy and can be done quickly which allows employees to get up to speed as early as possible. With online training gaining popularity, it is not a huge expense on the budget but can be built rapidly and cost-effective. Some of the training designed includes audio, video and other audio-visual enhancements that can keep the learners engaged.

Some online training for business includes simulations that help learners to understand the product without actually risking a live environment. Tailor made courses are not high-priced and can be built in-house with the right tools. In fact, there are e-learning service providers that identify training gaps, design a training strategy and recommend solutions that can suit your budget.

Usually, online training is a one time expense, you can always choose from customized solutions to ensure the training is focused to the business in entirety or you can pick off the shelf courseware that can be aligned with your business requirements. Corporate training and e-learning are quite sophisticated and have drifted away from usual page turners. The training designed is more oriented to meet higher learner retention and improve employee productivity.

Online training is available for most industries and can be used to train unskilled laborers to prepare them for management. E-learning has had a positive impact on business that have implemented it has a training solution.