HR Pulse - Winter 2007 - (Page 56) >> THE VALUE OF A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The system allowed more training to occur and reached more people with a variety of topics without having to schedule meetings or classroom sessions. 56 HR Pulse Winter 2007 with approximately twelve employees in each session. The purpose of these sessions was to expose the staff members to the software, introduce the courses and explain the method to complete courses and assessments. An online tutorial was utilized by most staff members to guide them on the use of the LMS. “Using the online tutorial was very helpful, particularly for those staff who were less than comfortable using the computer system,” says Pickler, “and staff who needed any additional assistance were supported by the staff development colleagues.” But as Hobbs points out, “the use of a tutorial is great; however, the best learning did occur when the staff actually just started to use the system, to learn it and feel comfortable with it.” What Have Been the Benefits of Using an LMS? The I-HEAL LMS implemented within the IASIS Healthcare System has just ended its first year post-implementation and use. The benefits from this system can be viewed from both a human resources and nursing perspective. “From a human resources perspective,” states Pickler, “the tracking mechanism has been very beneficial. With this tracking, it’s easy to see which staff members need to do which courses. Also, it added flexibility with training and actually helped to standardize the training. The system allowed more training to occur and reached more people with a variety of topics without having to schedule meetings or classroom sessions. The system has also been used to introduce and orient staff to new policies and procedures.” Other positive benefits of the I-HEAL system include “an integrated feedback system should any staff member experience difficulty with any of the courses or assessments,” says Hobbs. “This feedback system sends an immediate message to the technical support team, who addresses the difficulty. The technical support team follows up with a response to the staff member through e-mail.” Another positive feature of the LMS is the way a class schedule can be set up within the system. “This permits the staff to self-enroll in a class,” continues Hobbs, Advantages of Implementing an LMS for Training 1. Standardize training 2. Ease of reporting for regulatory bodies 3. Flexibility for staff to complete courses 4. Online tutorial 5. Ability to upload organizational-specific training programs and/or policies. Challenges 1. Staff comfort with computer use 2. Staff comfort with changing from classroom to independent learning approach. LMS Features that Enhance Implementation 1. Feedback mechanism 2. Immediate response from the vendor for issues/concerns 3. Onsite vendor training 4. Ongoing software vendor support.
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.