On demand learning

• US 7,914,288 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2004
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dorsett, Lynn, Cowherd, Kevin Ray, Fuller, Gordon, Ughetta, Karen A., Wattendorf, John Martin, Orton, Peter Z., Richardson, Dick W., Lewis, Nancy J., O'Driscoll, Tony Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Xuan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRISBY, KESHA
• Application Number:
  US10/960,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,364 Days
• Field of Search: 434/219
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning

Abstract

Learning activities in an organization are allocated for work apart, work embedded, and work enabled learning types. In work apart learning, employees leave the work itself and learn through traditional classroom or technology enhanced methods. Work embedded learning occurs on the job without interrupting the flow of work. Work embedded learning uses the power of experience and execution with small responsive training modules embedded in the work process. Work enabled learning provides knowledge transfer and comprehension through experiences and interactions within the context of the work place. A business process permits an organization to rework existing learning programs and allocate resources for new programs to optimally address employee learning needs.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising a communications adapter connected to a network over a medium, a CPU, a computer screen, and a memory having computer instructions for implementing a method of providing learning activities in an organization, including computer instructions for operating one or more spreadsheet databases, said method comprising the steps of:

mapping existing learning programs to job categories in a computer spreadsheet, said spreadsheet operating on said system;

defining a desired mix of learning types, said learning types consisting of work apart, work embedded, and work enabled learning types, for each of said job categories in said computer spreadsheet;

prioritizing said categories by entering priorities in the columns of said computer spreadsheet based on a criteria consisting of business impact, strategic alignment, ability to influence, or primary learning type;

mapping new programs to said work apart, work embedded, or work enabled learning types by entering mapping data in the desired mix spreadsheet;

mapping said new programs to content types in said computer spreadsheet;

for said job categories having a high priority, reworking said existing learning programs into said desired mix of learning types, and allocating resources for new programs according to said mapping to content types;

procuring learning packages or developing new packages of said work apart, work embedded, or work enabled learning types by using the allocated resources; and

displaying on said computer screen said mapping including the procured packages or developed new packages.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said work apart learning type consists of learning activities performed separate from doing a job in one of said job categories.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said work enabled learning type consists of learning acquired from experience doing a job in one of said job categories.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said work embedded learning type consists of integration of modularized learning content embedded into workflow for one of said job categories.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said mapping consists of defining the elements of a matrix or spreadsheet.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said desired mix is defined by percentage of resources.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said mapping of new programs further consists of mapping by percentage of resources for learning activities.

8. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable diskette, CD or DVD ROM, a ROM, or fixed disk, for operating in a system comprising a communications adapter connected to a network over a medium, a CPU, a computer screen, and a memory having computer instructions for implementing a method for allocating resources for learning activities in an organization, including computer instructions for operating one or more spreadsheet databases, said method comprising:

computer spreadsheet means operating in said system for mapping existing learning programs to job categories;

computer spreadsheet means operating in said system for defining a desired mix of learning types, said learning types consisting of work apart, work embedded, and work enabled learning types, for each of said job categories;

computer means for prioritizing said categories by entering priorities in the columns of said computer spreadsheet based on a criteria consisting of business impact, strategic alignment, ability to influence, or primary learning type;

computer means for mapping new programs to said work apart, work embedded, or work enabled learning types by entering mapping data in the desired mix spreadsheet;

computer spreadsheet means operating in said system for mapping said new programs to content types;

for said job categories having a high priority, computer means for reworking said existing learning programs into said desired mix of learning types, and computer means for allocating resources for new programs according to said mapping to content types; and

displaying on said computer screen the allocated resources for new programs according to said mapping to content types.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said work apart learning type consists of learning activities performed separate from doing a job in one of said job categories.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said work enabled learning type consists of learning acquired from experience doing a job in one of said job categories.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said work embedded learning type consists of integration of modularized learning content embedded into workflow for one of said job categories.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said means for mapping consists of means for defining the elements of a matrix or spreadsheet.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said desired mix is defined by percentage of resources.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said means for mapping of new programs further consists of means for mapping by percentage of resources for learning activities.