Elearning - April/May 2008 - (Page 20)

webservices ZARRABIAN: OutStart’s goal is provide solutions that help knowledge workers easily get the information they need, when they need it. This crosses the spectrum from formal and informal learning to sharing knowledge through social networking and expertise exchange, all in an integrated fashion. No one way of learning, of getting knowledge, is best or right. It’s the combination that gives users the breadth of knowledge they need. OutStart [offers] a portfolio of solutions, including LCMS, LMS, informal learning, social networking software, and expertise exchange. We feel that traditional e-learning is competing with ‘knowledge management’ (KM) when it shouldn’t be. Combining the set of capabilities that are considered KM technologies with learning technologies creates a single dynamic environment of interactions, information exchange and collaboration. OutStart TrainingEdge.com, is our new on-demand SaaS e-learning platform that integrates traditional learning capabilities (LMS, LCMS) with Web 2.0 functionality including communities, wikis, private messaging, expertise exchanges and expert events. A second new offering, OutStart SellingEdge.com, is a SaaS solution that addresses the learning and knowledgesharing needs of the sales organizations. It focuses less on formal training and more on providing them with the just-in-time knowledge required to facilitate and accelerate buying cycles. OGILVIE: Search functionality is key to the on-demand approach to learning and is available to other systems as a Web service via OLSA. Our Books24x7 product line is a great example of an on-demand resource that enables enterprise agility. It provides a database of over 18,000 titles, including business and technical books; summaries of best-selling business books; articles authored by leading executives; and reports from leading analysts. Using the patented Books24x7 search engine, users can effectively pinpoint the precise piece of information they are looking for in an extremely efficient manner. ment system with rapid authoring capability and knowledge management type functionality. For example, end-users can use a Knowledge Share portlet to contribute content in the form of relevant URL’s, journal or book references, stories, best practices or lessons learned. Once ‘The real obstacle is entrenched models of training and development.’ —Steven Shaw, Eedo Knowledgeware In addition to Books24x7, SkillSoft also offers many other resources that can be searched and quickly identified by learners. It is increasingly common for learners to use formal resources (such as courses) in informal ways. For clients who want to be able to track learning usage data no matter how the learner accessed a Book or course, SkillSoft offers an On-Demand Communications service. This Web service allows clients to maintain a single data repository, important especially if the content was launched from an enterprise system other than an LMS (e.g., portal, HRIS, ERP, etc.). Finally, the OLSA asset integration feature allows for automated content importing and updating into any system. This allows customers to provide richer, up-todate learning faster. SHAW: Our technology is designed to allow organizations to develop, manage and deliver on-demand learning. We offer a best-of-breed learning content manageapproved, the information is available to end-users through a search portlet. [That] portlet also allows end-users to search for courses or learning objects (on-demand, just-in-time learning), along with knowledge-share objects. Content is stored in the LCMS in an object format: Text and graphic objects are aggregated into pages, pages into learning objects, learning objects into modules, modules into lessons, lessons into courses. Our technology uses a dynamic publishing paradigm [that] integrates LCMS and LMS platforms. Once a course is catalogued in the LMS or an HR portal, users will access the content from that point of entry. However, in delivering the content, the LMS will reach back into the LCMS to serve up the latest content. The LCMS makes content available through search to users based on profiles that can include elements such as role, department, region, language, experience. We can also make content available in an appropriate format to devices [like] Blackberrys. In addition to the LCMS, we offer other products to support on-demand learning: a taxonomy management tool; a federate search and retrieval and metadata harvesting tool; a tool to develop performance support and deliver workflow-based learning resources; and tools to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of both formal and informal learning support strategies (Dashboard analytics tool). ‘No one way of learning, of getting knowledge, is best or right.’ —Massood Zarrabian, Outstart Inc. 20 April / May 2008 Elearning!

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Elearning - April/May 2008

Elearning - April/May 2008 Editor's Note Contents News Targeting Africa Locating Courseware People in the News Upcoming Events Deals Trendlines Web Services Building a Learning Culture Measuring the Learning Experience Making Learning Fun and Social LMS's 2008: What You Need To Know Learning Leader: CA Case Study: AVI Case Study: IBM Case Study: QualComm WBS Case Study: National Center for State Courts Case Study: Grundfos Pumps Case Study: Virginia Tech Pop Quiz Last Word

Elearning - April/May 2008

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