U-Blog 1

Last weeks assignments included a section about Corporate Universities, more specifically, how Jet Blue has incorporated their own corporate university, JetBlue U, into their organization. I found this section interesting, and was really impressed with JetBlue U's role in training the employees.

In reading other students reactions to the topic, I was suprised by how many of the class felt that their program was mostly hype, and felt like their use of buzzwords was an insult. I feel like the "hype" and buzzwords is part of what makes the program so successful. When you create a training "culture" like they have by using the lingo, it seems to get people excited and promote more of a team atmosphere. Just think of all the slang terms that people use. Why do they use them? Because it makes them part of the "club".

This was one of my responses in the discussion board, to Christopher Lamberts original post:

I agree with what you said about getting attention from the employees by calling the department a “corporate university.” People may feel like this whole “smoke and mirrors” aspect of it is an insult to their intelligence. But really, when a company creates a training culture like JetBlue U has, it makes it easier for their employees to get excited about training.

It’s similar to product packaging… take two of the same product, put one in a flashy package, and one in a cardboard box. I guarantee that the flashy package will be the first off the shelf!

I really do feel that the whole package of JetBlue U is part of it's reason for success. While I will stress that there has to be substance to back it up, the excitement comes from the way the training is presented.

S-Blog 1 – Workplace Learning

The topic this week was workplace learning, trends in learning, and the importance of training to retain a competitive edge.

In my research on trends, it was not surprising to see that many of the trends involved e-learning. What was surprising to me was the method of delivery for the content. Many of the trends emphasized content presented through web 2.0 outlets such as social networking sites, interactive media, and even gaming/simulation environments. As someone who embraces technology and finds it’s use as a training tool exciting, I think this is a great trend. However, I do wonder how it affects the way knowledge is passed on from the older, retiring generations. Part of my job involves training users on our system, and while I can see how e-learning could benefit some employees, I think it would hinder the passage of invaluable knowledge from older employees that are more resistant to technology.

Another interesting trend I came across was the use of personal learning environments (PLEs). Michele Martin, who writes a training and development blog called “The Bamboo Project,” wrote an informative series on PLEs. In summary, her description of a PLE is that:

• They are personal - what is learned is dependent on the interests of that person. How it is learned is dependent on the tools that the person prefers.
• They are about Self-Directed learning – The person uses their own research and information processing skills in the PLE.
• They are dependent on a supportive environment – The organization implementing a PLE must provide a supportive and nurturing environment… a “culture of learning.”

The concept of a PLE is similar to what we are doing in this course. Though we as distance learners create our own learning environment, the tools used are similar. Some examples of PLE tools Michele gives are blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, books, magazines, engaging in activities, and writing in journals (blogs).

While looking at websites on the topic of workplace learning, there was a lot of focus on the need to train America’s workforce in order to remain competitive. It seems that the sources I found agreed that knowledge is a major component in retaining a competitive advantage, and is something that needs to take the front seat in US organizations.