Implement and manage your learning environment

A technical implementation consists of making your learning environment available in Moodle Workplace under a (sub)domain (URL) that is determined and created by you. Your website administrator creates a specific URL for the learning environment. For example, consider the following URLs:

• leeromgeving.klantnaam.nl
• learning.klantnaam.nl
• kennismanagement.klantnaam.nl

We will work with you to develop a theme in the corporate identity of your company or institution. The logo, colors and images make the learning environment familiar to users (for example internal and external employees, pupils and students, customers and suppliers). We recommend making a smooth transition from your website to your learning environment. This ensures that users quickly become familiar with the learning environment and want to use the programs. Your learning environment is of course the calling card for your customers and/or employees.

Managing the internal organization

An internal functional business organization consists of departments and a department consists of roles. Managing such an organizational structure is necessary for effective knowledge management logistics. We have identified a collection of roles with tasks, powers and responsibilities in the learning environment. Consider roles for the ‘training manager’ and ‘training programs manager’ of the company and ‘training coordinator’ of departments of sales, purchasing, personnel management, and the like. With the roles ‘Data Protection Officer (DPO)’ and ‘(Chief) Information Security Officer (ISO)’ you organize the management of your learning environment.

To manage the internal organization, a company can use the following options:

• In collaboration with SBRPowerhouse, we have established an automated relationship between an SBC Management System and the learning environment. The advantage of this relationship is that the legal and functional structure from the SBC Management System is automatically applied and maintained in the learning environment;
• We have provided an automated link aimed at users (for example employees and customers). Here the ‘training manager’ and the ‘training coordinators’ connect users to roles; and
• If desired, a company can expand the set of roles.

Assign employees to roles and authorities

A company or institution, the ‘training coordinator’, wishes to link its internal and external employees to roles in the learning environment. This step is possible by introducing the employees into the learning environment or using the SBC Management System in which the internal and external employees are included. The ‘training coordinator’ then links the employees to roles.

This is one of the most important steps in implementing and managing the learning environment because it determines the organization of knowledge management.

New releases and cost estimation

IT suppliers are improving their services and offering more and more functionalities. We test new releases in collaboration with eFaktor and estimate the moment when the new releases can be safely offered to the users of the learning environments.

Users of the learning environments ask the Functionality Board for adjustments that are placed on a development list. The Functionality Board puts together a release agenda and develops it with eFaktor. Together with eFaktor, we spend time and resources on the technical management of the learning environments.

We use licenses for the learning environment and training programs. There are also ‘separate training programs’, such as the DPO Training Program. For more information, see User License Fees.

Functional management is aimed at implementing, managing and applying training programs. Ultimately, it is about management and employees becoming aware of implementing potential improvements in processes that effectively organize business activities. Awareness leads to a demand for knowledge and training. In terms of learning, learning paths are created here that are supported with programs and the logistics of the learning environment.

The central question is: ‘what do you want to achieve with your learning environment, the categories of courses and training programs aimed at strengthening the knowledge capacity of employees?’

We offer you training programs such as knowledge management and protecting personal data. Our professionals maintain these training programs. You can use these training programs for your own employees. You can also use the training programs as an example for developing your own categories of courses and training programs.

We provide you with methods for developing categories of courses and training programs, teach you the basics of Moodle Workplace and how an (interactive) course can be designed, developed, managed and applied. We show how learning processes or learning paths can be included in the logistics of the learning environment. Ultimately, your own training programs are created.

The acquired knowledge offers you the opportunity to make a well-founded choice for effective functional management of the training programs. We are happy to assist you where appropriate.

Categories of courses and training programs

We could think of course categories as libraries from which you build training programs. There are often two libraries, one yours and one ours.

An example of a collection of training programs is protecting personal data. In these training programs we recognize a series of programs for the entire company. The awareness program is aimed at knowledge transfer in the workplace. After completing the awareness training, the ‘training coordinators’ will need in-depth training programs. The training program goes so far as to include a complete training for the data protection officer (DPO) and/or the privacy officer, the DPO Training Program.

Depending on the level of an employee’s role (executive operational or management), you select appropriate training programs or learning paths for your employees. We have created a role in the learning environment for this purpose, the ‘training manager’.

The management can instruct the ‘training manager’ to compile and maintain its own library with the categories of courses and training programs for the primary business activities. The purpose of learning determines the design of the categories of courses and training programs. Part of the functional implementation is discussing an approach for building, managing and applying the training programs.

Report

At times determined by you, you will receive a report on the results of applying training programs. The scope for the ‘training manager’ is the business activities and for the ‘training coordinator’ the activities of the department. Naturally, the employee also receives the results of building knowledge.

The ‘training manager’ can make the design of the reporting and the reporting frequency company-specific. Of course, this can always be adjusted or expanded at a later stage.

Cost estimation

A company may decide to use our professionals to functionally implement the learning environment and appropriate training programs. We charge an hourly rate from € 110 excluding costs and VAT. Of course, it is also possible for companies to purchase strip cards of 24 and 48 hours.

Properly organizing knowledge management results in better management of business processes with which business activities are organized effectively. Depending on the nature and size of the business activities and the knowledge capacity of the employees, there is a business interest in tackling knowledge management decisively.

It’s all about the question: ‘what does company management expect from knowledge management, what are the risk factors for the lack of knowledge development and what is the approach for properly organizing knowledge management?’

Based on a technical and functional implementation of the learning environment and appropriate training programs, we often use the ADKAR model to find answers to the above questions. Which didactic methods, learning activities and learning paths can you use to achieve the learning objectives? We are happy to work with you and the training manager to prepare and test knowledge management, involve training coordinators, create courses and put together programs for roles. You are then able to implement the desired and supported changes on a project basis. During these processes, knowledge is also transferred in addition to the realization of the learning content.

See blogs: What is the ADKAR model? and Creating awareness for change.

Implementation and management plan

A technical and functional implementation of your learning environment and training programs makes it possible to focus knowledge management on improving the organization of specific business activities.

The reason for this may be that business activities need to be organized more effectively. This requires strengthening the knowledge of management and employees with which business processes are controlled. The efforts aimed at strengthening knowledge capacity are often not one-off but require continuous attention.

The reason may also relate to the need to organize new business activities or the loss of existing knowledge. It is increasingly the case that legislators impose additional requirements that influence business activities and processes. It also happens that suppliers introduce new versions of their IT systems that better support business processes.

Well-trained employees are necessary for organizing and carrying out ever-changing business activities. This requires continuous knowledge development or knowledge management among management and employees. The learning environment and training programs support knowledge management.

The training manager manages a company’s knowledge management by continually assessing the effectiveness of the programs and, if necessary, adjusting the programs and including new programs. Successful programs have been set up, developed and applied by the employees of a department, in particular the training coordinator. For didactic issues, the help of an (external) educational expert can be requested. This also applies to collecting and presenting the content.

In broad terms we recognize the following steps:

1. Recognizing the learning objectives and learning paths. What knowledge is essential for the adequate functioning of a target group? During the awareness phase, the target group asks the question: Why do I have to change? What do I benefit from it or what does it bring to me, my department and the company (also in this order)? Only when there is consensus in the target group about the need for change can the ‘training coordinator’ design the learning objectives and learning paths.
2. The learning paths are given a place in the training programs. After a successful pilot with a select group, the ‘training manager’ and/or ‘training coordinator’ opens knowledge management for a relevant group of employees by linking their roles to the programs.
3. The training manager, the training coordinator and the manager monitor the results of this targeted knowledge manager. The results may give reason to adjust the approach and/or the programs. The management of the relevant programs is seamlessly created by the training coordinator.

Supporting knowledge management with a learning environment and training programs ensures that the employees responsible for the functioning of certain parts of business operations are focused on knowledge development.

We provide the preconditions for the learning environment and training programs. Using the knowledge base and knowledge management program, you can build, manage, and apply your library of course and program categories. We advise you on call and, if desired, we ensure the business continuity of your learning environment and programs.

Control over the logistics of the learning environment and programs lies with the company, the management, the training manager and the training coordinators. If desired, we advise on and implement parts of knowledge management. Advice can concern building and maintaining knowledge management or jointly compiling and developing courses for program learning paths. The courses in the knowledge management program can be taken in-house. During the preparation, we strategically agree on business, tactical and operational issues for your specific situation (for example, designing and compiling courses and the use of H5P).

Knowledge management serves to build the knowledge capacity of management and employees who manage business processes and IT systems. Our role can only be advisory and operational. Experience shows that clear agreements about collaboration lead to good results.

The nature and scope of knowledge management and the extent to which the learning environment and training programs support this management can provide scope for operational deployment of our professionals. The operational activities relate to building and managing categories of courses and putting together programs.

The ‘training coordinators’ offer employees and students relevant training programs. Assessing the results of conducting the training programs provides input for company management and management to make adjustments to the content and learning paths.

It happens that knowledge about knowledge management disappears. We can take over management and ensure that other employees are trained and in turn take over management. This ensures the business continuity of knowledge management.