ALifelong learning means providing employees with continuing learning experiencesover their tenure with the firm. This helps with the aims of ensuring they have the opportunityto learn the skills they need to do their jobs and to expand their horizons. By one estimate, about 39 million people in the UnitedStates have learning disabilities. Employers often turn to private firms to provide the requisite education.
Teamwork is not something that always comes naturally. Companies therefore devotemany hours to training new employees to listen to each other and cooperate.
Trainers increasingly employ Internet-based learning to deliver programs. There are two basic ways to offer online courses to employees. First, the employer canarrange for its employees take relevant online courses from eitherits own online offerings or from online training vendors on theWeb. The second approach is to arrange with an online trainingvendor to make its courses available via the employer’s intranet-based learning portal.
Learning management systems (LMS) are special software tools that supportInternet training by helping employers identify training needs. An LMS also can help in scheduling,delivering, assessing, and managing the online training itself.
A virtual classroomuses special collaboration software to enable multiple remote learnersto participate in live discussions, communicate viawritten text, and learn via content such as PowerPoint slides.
Mobile learning (or “on-demand learning”) means delivering learning content ondemand via mobile devices like cell phones, laptops, and iPads,.
Employers also are moving from textbook and classroom-based learning to interactivelearning.