http://www.e-learning-congress.de/ imc AG de http://www.e-learning-congress.de/typo3conf/ext/tt_news/ext_icon.gif http://www.e-learning-congress.de/ imc AG TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 +0100 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/survey-to-take-the-pulse-of-m-learning/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/survey-to-take-the-pulse-of-m-learning/ Mobile Learning in business – expectations, attitudes and barriers Mobile Learning in business – expectations, attitudes and barriers IMC AG, one of the world’s leading providers of learning, talent and new media solutions, is calling on organisations to participate in a survey on the status quo of mobile learning and the current use of mobile devices. IMC hopes the results of the survey will help both the learning industry and HR managers in the further development of mobile technologies and mobile learning strategies. For every submission, 2 Euros will be donated to a charity organisation working with children in Uganda.

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How much mobile learning have companies already implemented? Which types of employees use m-learning the most? What do users expect of such technologies and what barriers will the learning industry have to deal with? The learning industry is currently facing many questions triggered by the technical progress of mobile devices. To learn more about what users need when using their smartphone or tablet and to take the pulse of m-learning in business today, IMC has started a survey on just those questions.

Participants can order a free copy of the results. Furthermore, for every response submitted IMC will donate 2 Euros to the Charity KISS (Kiddies Support Scheme, www.kiddiessupportscheme.org), an organisation that has been improving the lives of children in Uganda, Africa, since 1995 – two pretty good reasons to invest those few minutes!

The survey will remain open until midnight on May 3rd 2012.

]]> Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:38:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/company/press/expert-interviews/10-questions-about-hr-development/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/company/press/expert-interviews/10-questions-about-hr-development/ Rosemarie Clarner answers 10 questions about HR development and the war for talent Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:16:00 +0100 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/learning-technologies-25th-26th-jan-london/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/learning-technologies-25th-26th-jan-london/ IMC (UK) Learning showcased our complete range of products and services in London this January with our innovative new SMART SHOW concept attracting high visitor numbers to our stand. IMC’s stand at the recent Learning Technologies exhibition in London (Olympia: January 25th-26th) attracted lots of interest from organisations of all sizes. Alongside our industry leading Learning Management System, CLIX, we showcased our new EPSS system LIVECONTEXT. Our senior UK sales consultant, Steve Elliott, gave a compelling and well attended seminar on micro learning and supporting productivity in the workplace which resulted in a number of engaging conversations with prospective clients. Although the idea has been around for a few years, EPSS systems have not yet achieved the breakthrough in acceptance that they deserve. But judging from our experience in London, EPSS’s time has definitely come! Something new this year was our SMART SHOW: we were able to show samples of our innovative new SMART SHOW communication videos for the first time and these got many visitors thinking on their feet about how this snappy and entertaining communication format could capture their viewers’ attention and add value to their communication message.     This year we invited a talented caricaturist to join us on our stand. Many of our clients and interested visitors were able to take away a portrait caricature of themselves and said how much they enjoyed the experience. Well, most people are more curious what they look like in caricature if they don’t have to pay! ]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:05:00 +0100 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/the-new-towards-maturity-2011-benchmark-study/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/the-new-towards-maturity-2011-benchmark-study/ Boosting Business Agility
The Towards Maturity 2011 Benchmark Study again publishes plenty of figures and numbers about the current state and future trends of learning and development tools in all kind of organisations.

Built on the results of preview surveys, the 2011 Towards Maturity Benchmark can be seen as an in-depth long-term study and shows that learning and development tools are still of vital importance:
For example, 69% of organisations plan to improve talent management in the future.

Furthermore, e-learning is not only seen as a tool to develop new skills: 77% of respondents see learning technologies as a solution that helps them to react faster to changes in the business.

These are the top 10 drivers for the use of e-learning:

1. Increase access to learning
2. Increase flexibility
3. Improve quality
4. Reduce training costs
5. Extend reach of training
6. Achieve greater consistency
7. Improve induction
8. Increase sharing of good practice
9. Reduce time away from job
10. Help implement new processes/products
To find out more, download the complete study here.

]]> Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:06:00 +0100 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/neue-boston-consulting-group-studie/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/neue-boston-consulting-group-studie/ Good things won't come to HR executives who wait New Boston Consulting Group Survey “Creating People Advantage 2011” More than 2.000 executives in 35 European countries from a broad range of industries and government bodies shared their experiences of HR-Management in this online survey.  The topics "Managing Talent", "Improving leadership development" and "Transforming HR into a strategic partner" are the top priorities in Europe overall. By 2030, an additional 45 million employees will be needed in Western Europe in order to sustain economic growth. HR's willingness to change itself is a prerequisite for creating people advantage and dealing with these demographic challenges. "Good things won't come to HR executives who wait. It's time to act." A robust talent management strategy provides "option value" – the option to develop inherent talent rather than buy it at extreme prices. Diversity Management becomes more important for HR-managers and can meet the challenges of globalisation when it's hard-wired into the business.  In spite of risks such as a lack of control over posted comments, the headhunting of employees and publishing of confidential data, HR executives see the main opportunities presented by social media technologies: Employer Branding, Recruiting and Knowledge Sharing. The social media strategy has to be aligned with the overall HR and business strategy to avoid dissonances. It is also important to define clear responsibilities for social media tasks, budgets and progress by laying down guidelines for communication. The survey "Creating People Advantage" is the third conducted by Boston Consulting Group and the European Association for People Management.  Download the survey now. ]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:25:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/company/research-projects/tel-map/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/company/research-projects/tel-map/ TEL-Map objectives Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:54:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/solutions/learning-management/clix-learning-suite-saas/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/solutions/learning-management/clix-learning-suite-saas/ Cloud computing – more than a trend Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:47:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/performance-support/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/performance-support/ When knowledge must be applied Performance Support is of such an importance for everyone who has to learn how to deal with new software on their job.]]> Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:42:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/new-media/standard-learning-courses/data-protection-and-information-security/wbt-data-protection/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/new-media/standard-learning-courses/data-protection-and-information-security/wbt-data-protection/ Data privacy survey: consumers concerned Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:31:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/solutions/mobile-learning/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/solutions/mobile-learning/ From e-learning to m-learning Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:29:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/new-media/individual-productions/smart-shows/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/new-media/individual-productions/smart-shows/ Smart show- IMC’s new content-format Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:21:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/solutions/performance-support/livecontext/functionality/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/solutions/performance-support/livecontext/functionality/ Informal Learning with LIVECONTEXT LIVECONTEXT supports employees by providing help instructions for software applications of different types - directly in the application without any breaks in media. Have a look at our new product video and see how LIVECONTEXT boosts the performance of your employees, applications and processes. ]]> Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:16:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/new-survey-focus-on-e-learning/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/new-survey-focus-on-e-learning/ 78% of organizations use e-learning The survey shows that 78% of organizations provide e-learning. 63% even offer it for the vast majority (i.e. more than 75%) of their staff.
The public sector is most active in its use of e-learning (93% have it), while in the manufacturing and production sector less than half (44%) of the respondents offer some sort of e-learning.
53% of all interviewed organizations stated that they have increased the application of e-learning, which is part of a general trend towards changing to this very cost effective alternative: 64% of respondents state that e-learning is an inexpensive and competitive way of training.

]]> Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:41:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/e-learning-award-winners-unveiled/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/e-learning-award-winners-unveiled/ IMC UK wins e-learning award IMC UK wins e-learning award With its Web-based training about the handling of hazardous material IMC UK helps Fire Service College (FSC) to realise a blended learning solution and wins the e-learning award in the category “Best online or distance learning programme-not for profit.

IMC’s skillfully blended and powerfully implemented solution made an excellent impression on the judges. It re-energised an uninspiring 5-week residential course in how to deal with hazardous materials that was keeping firefighters away from their stations far too long.

An online pre-study was introduced to bring all students to a similar level of understanding before they start the residential phase, which was reduced to 3.5 weeks. During the residential course, delegates have one-to-one tutorials and get detailed feedback on interactive exercises through working in small groups.

A post-residential phase has also been introduced in the form of an online community of practice for all delegates who pass the course. They can share experiences and best practice, access the latest operational protocols and technical information, and contact course tutors and experts at the FSC online. The e-learning has galvanized a traditional course where attendance had been falling. The course is now fully booked, with just four places left out of 112 for the next 12 months, even after FSC put on two additional courses to cope with demand.]]> Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:44:00 +0100 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/draft-text-for-explaining-tel-map-objectives-main-idea/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/draft-text-for-explaining-tel-map-objectives-main-idea/ TEL-Map is a support and coordination project to the European Commission. TEL-Map is to help establish a world-leading position for European stakeholders within technology enhanced learning. We do that by exploring new forms of learning, analysing all factors influencing them; and working with the stakeholders to raise awareness, carry out global leadership and explore their futures through creating roadmaps.

The European Union has through many years supported research and development in this area. TEL-Map is a Support and Coordination Project to the European Commission, which naturally wants investment of public money to have a strong impact. Therefore, TEL-Map will explore what impact has already been made by completed TEL projects, the take up of these results by a different stakeholders; and discover the forces enhancing or blocking take up and use of the results of research and development work funded by the EC.

The way TEL-Map will work towards an increase of the take up, use and beneficial outcomes of past and current TEL projects is to identify key players in their target areas and working with them to find their current plans and longer term desired futures. And we will work hard together with the communities to give them tools to navigate towards these futures.

TEL-Map will follow two tracks. One is to map the state of the art within the area of technology enhanced learning; and work with the communities to create stakeholders' (vana) roadmaps. The other is to create awareness of European TEL and strengthen the global leadership of European TEL communities.

Through mapping and roadmapping we will ask what factors would increase the flow of project outputs to potential adopters? First, ideally, projects know what adopters want. Second, ideally again, adopters know of project outputs, that are presented in relation to their (future) concerns.

Our approach to finding what adopters want is to work with stakeholders to establish adopters' desired futures. Then we create the adopters roadmaps (mapped into scenarios that describe the context of these developments). The third step will be to scan for new signals and tracking relevant drivers and trends (especially within learning and technology) and assess the impact of such signals in terms of infulencing  the effectiveness and efficiency of these roadmaps (Vana).

Our approach to making sure potential adopters know of relevant project outputs is to determine the projects' intended target adopters. Then we map these to actual potential adopters and present selected relevant project outputs to potential adopters as part of a Roadmapping and foresight process. We will also assess and provide emerging new project outputs to adopter groups that may be interested.

The TEL-Map website will be an observatory for the development of technology enhanced learning, both in Europe and internationally. The portal will provide a meta perspective on previous and current TEL projects and engage stakeholders in sense making of the complex picture hidden in the data that the TEL-Map partners and portal tools will work on.]]> Tue, 02 Nov 2010 09:39:00 +0100 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/successful-wbt-projects/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/successful-wbt-projects/ A classic is winning through Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:27:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/datenqualitaet/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/datenqualitaet/ LIVECONTEXT provides competitive advantages LIVECONTEXT with context-sensitive support is an ideal solution to these problems. LIVECONTEXT acts like a glass plate which is laid over the respective application and gives staff the support they need directly within their particular work process. Errors during the manual entry of data are prevented, staff and customer satisfaction increase, unnecessary costs are avoided and the potential sales volume can be fully utilised.]]> Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:23:00 +0100 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/uk-e-learning-report/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/uk-e-learning-report/ Everything's coming up roses.
The authors identify hosted services such as ASP and ‘Software as a Service’ as becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to capital investment in behind-the-firewall implementations. They expect LMS vendors to adapt their business models by offering SaaS deployments and deeper integration with the ERP and HR systems that exist in closed corporate worlds where open source solutions may not be viewed quite so favourably as in the academic marketplace. IMC UK Learning Ltd. has its finger on the pulse as it offers the new release of its Learning Management System CLIX as an SaaS solution. With CLIX SaaS, IMC provides an “on-demand” solution via the Internet and charged according to actual usage. IMC takes care of the installation, configuration, maintenance and updating of the software. In principle, customers no longer pay for the technology, but for the service, whose quality becomes the focus.]]> Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:08:00 +0100 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/the-e-learning-iceberg/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/the-e-learning-iceberg/ Invisible reasons for success or failure But it is the hidden dangers, those deep within the iceberg, which determine whether an e-learning strategy succeeds or fails. Many organisations forget to ask the important questions: Who is our target group? How will we roll out our strategy? What is our change management strategy? How will we evaluate its success? Stefanie Klein, Regional Director for Europe’s largest e-learning provider, IMC, spends her working life helping organisations adopt effective e-learning strategies.
At the recent eLearning09 conference, Stefanie gave guests an insight into three of the major factors which determine the success of an e-learning program. 1. Learning strategy An e-learning strategy must align with the overall organisational strategy. There should be a real reason to adopt e-learning and this should be underpinned by clear objectives, such as to reduce training costs or improve training flexibility.

• Formulate a detailed and specific business case for e-learning.
• Senior management support is the ultimate key to an effective e-learning strategy.
• Avoid overly complicated solutions. Simple technology delivered effectively can be just as successful as flashy technology.
• Learning infrastructure can be modelled on any strategy, as long as it aligns with the main goals of the organisation.
  
  

Case example – Chemical Company Stefanie highlighted a case study from one of their clients – a chemical company - as a best practice example. In 2006 the chemical company developed a corporate strategy on which all corporate decisions for the next 10 years were to be based. This strategy included encouraging self organised and self-motivated learning amongst staff.

The chemical company set up a European online platform which was basic in functionality, but provided employees with everything they needed to undertake their own self-directed e-learning. Consultants were available to help employees decide what they should learn and their best learning style. Learning centres were available onsite for staff to browse available learning resources.

An internal promotional campaign supported the launch of the e-learning program, and acceptance amongst staff was unexpectedly high. Employees who had never used a computer and those based on factory floors embraced the new program due to the vision, strategy and infrastructure that supported its roll out.

2. Operating model One of the most common frustrations Stefanie sees is the organisation that makes a significant dollar investment when implementing e-learning infrastructure, but then lacks the financial backing to keep the program going. Without ongoing investment, content becomes out of date, and the facilitation required to engage learners is not possible.

Stefanie’s tips

• Don’t assume that the e-learning operating model adopted by your competitors is the best option for you. Shop around and find a model that suits your specific needs.
• The cheapest solution is not always the best.
• Make sure management realises it can take time to see a return on investment from your e-learning strategy, and ongoing funding is a key part of success.
• Consider the full range of operating models available – for example, cloud computing is developing as a viable alternative to hosting your own internal e-learning operating model.
  
  

Case example – UK Government Department
A UK Government Department made a commitment to train 500,000 healthcare professionals, using more than 6,000 e-learning modules at a cost of a few million over two years. After a detailed cost analysis they discovered that contrary to popular belief it was cheaper to use an externally hosted solution rather than an in-house e-learning operating model. This gave them flexibility in delivery and the freedom to change providers if they weren’t satisfied with the service.

3. Target groups
Very few organisations really know what their target groups want. While the information is often collected, Stefanie believes it is rarely analysed to ensure ongoing engagement with learners. 

Stefanie’s tips

• Different people will respond to different types of learning, so get to know your target audience before you start implementing your e-learning strategy.
• If you don’t have the time or money to implement e-learning to all your employees at once, take it a step at a time but ensure you reach the most influential group of staff in the initial phase (ie senior management who make the budget decisions).
  
  

Case example – Car Manufacturer
Stefanie cites a European car manufacturer as an organisation who truly knows the learning and development needs of their staff. This car manufacturer has a highly diverse workforce from top level managers to butchers who cater for their in-house canteens.

To ensure the e-learning strategy was targeted the company started with top managers in order to get their buy-in and to gain the experience needed to roll out e-learning to the rest of their staff.

They discussed with staff their learning preferences and created specific learning solutions to suit each target group. For example, construction staff with limited computer experience received face-to-face coordination at their place of work to make them feel comfortable about using technology.

It took the car manufacturer six years to fully implement their e-learning program to all European-based staff, but this ensured that the program was tailored to each target group and was therefore sustainable.

eLearning09 is the Australian Flexible Learning Framework’s NSW end of year event. Stay tunned to Flex e-News for updates on relevant e-learning and education events in 2010.]]> Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:33:00 +0100 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/royal-navy-succeeds-with-lecturnity/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/royal-navy-succeeds-with-lecturnity/ The Royal Navy's HMS Collingwood is the largest naval training organisation in Western Europe. Read the full story]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:25:00 +0100 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/imc-und-empolis-buendeln-kompetenzen-fuer-forschungsprojekt-sabine/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/imc-und-empolis-buendeln-kompetenzen-fuer-forschungsprojekt-sabine/ IMC AG and Empolis GmbH will be working together on the award-winning research project SABINE from now on.
SABINE ("semantic support services for professional integration and personal skills development") is an instrument for the development of Web technologies at the points of contact between placement services, recruiting, skills management, learning, and social networks. These Internet-based semantic support services search, filter, assess, and connect potential jobs, effective training and continuing education opportunities, ideally suited learning content, professional integration opportunities, and people.

SABINE will in the future benefit from the functionalities of the Empolis open source platform SMILA (Semantic Information Logistics Architecture). SMILA is an official open source project of the Eclipse Foundation, an international association of companies, research institutions, and private users, who jointly develop open and standardised platforms. SMILA is an extensible system for processing unstructured company information (emails, documents, pictures). It provides essential infrastructure components, infrastructure services, and comprehensive additional components such as interfaces for common data sources. On this basis, developers can focus on creating high-quality solutions, such as for example semantic searches or information extractions. The additional integration of the Empolis state-of-the-art search technology "Intelligent Search" into SABINE greatly improves search functionality of the service and thus user benefit.

"I’m looking forward to further developing this project on the basis of SMILA after our success at the THESEUS SME competition. The integration of the 'Intelligent Search' by Empolis will significantly advance the SABINE project", says IMC Board Member Dr. Volker Zimmermann.

]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:01:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/elearning-fuer-das-britische-gesundheitswesen/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/elearning-fuer-das-britische-gesundheitswesen/ CLIX has been chosen for one of most significant LMS projects in the UK.
The e-LfH team were looking for an enterprise scale LMS to be hosted by the supplier and integrated with NHS wide corporate networks and systems. One of their major concerns was to solve the problem that "Experience to date has shown that the regular interface of most LMS packages is difficult for novice/non-dedicated users to navigate and exploit." IMC has long claimed the intuitive usability of its software products as a unique feature and the award of the e-LfH project confirms us in this view. The review of the market for highly capable and user friendly learning management systems left IMC’s LMS software CLIX the clear winner.

A major feature of this ambitious project is the provision of wide ranging technical and consultancy services by IMC to help the e-LfH team turn the project’s vision into reality.

A brief review of the project’s scope illustrates its importance to the provision of professional and accessible learning for specialist staff in the UK’s National Health Service, one of the world’s largest employers.

E-LfH is committed to a current portfolio of work that envisages the delivery of 9 major e-learning projects, delivering 6000 hours of e-learning materials to 100,000 users in the period 2007 – 2011.  These materials will address, primarily, the educational needs and requirements of medical professionals, NHS staff and associated disciplines (including, but not exclusively Social Care, Primary Care, Prison Service and other groups with a responsibility for care).  An initial audience forecast is for around 500,000 users by 2010 rising to 3 million users by 2020.

After exhaustive development and testing the first pilot projects are due to be imminently launched. IMC is proud to be part of such a significant undertaking by the UK Government on behalf of training specialist staff both in UK and abroad.]]> Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:09:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/web-20-die-demokratisierung-der-lernwelt/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/web-20-die-demokratisierung-der-lernwelt/ What impact does the information superhighway and further deregulations will have for eLearning? The meaning of Web 2.0 The comparatively easy manageability of the World Wide Web has led to the internet being developed into a mass phenomenon. The term “Web 2.0” incorporates applications which, through technical concepts, facilitate the active participation of users. This has led to significant changes in the way the internet is used. The amount of content available and the potential business partners, collaborations and contacts are endless. Web 2.0 can therefore be seen as a metaphor for the public sharing of information on the internet (Social Software) and the consequent further development of the Web. The potential of Web 2.0 Web 2.0 opens up countless possibilities for interaction. Linked internet diaries (blogs), collaborative websites (wikis), new forms of product recommendations (through user reviews), new forms of exploitation of knowledge by collaboratively creating and managing tags to annotate and categorise content (folksonomies), as well as the ability to share and comment on content (for example videos, photos, podcasts), have all become more and more popular and accepted. Furthermore, new cultural practices have arisen, for example in terms of communication, a lot has been learnt from analysing user data, and this will change teaching and learning methods. This is especially relevant to informal learning, which is already gaining more prestige and popularity in the work environment. Challenge: “digital division” With Web 2.0 it is no longer about simple consumption, but the active creation of content, communication and social interaction in communities. This leads to participation-based use of the internet that implies a certain autonomy and co-determination on the part of the user. This therefore requires enhanced educational policies and combined efforts for the provision of essential skills for people to be able to use the innovative design possibilities of Web 2.0. Nowadays, the much talked about “digital division” is less of a division in terms of access to technology than a new form of a divide in terms of knowledge and training which, given the increasing importance of the internet, needs to be confronted. The ability to have access to the whole world, as well as the possibility for companies and institutions to use the internet to their competitive advantage, requires close integration and interaction in terms of staff development and training, knowledge acquisition and work processes.]]> Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:55:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/lerndesign-beratung-was-habe-ich-davon/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/lerndesign-beratung-was-habe-ich-davon/ Kathrin Bergenthal, Director Content Services, IMC AG E-learning design begins far before the content design or the choice of learning platform, with the creation of an integrated learning environment. All factors that influence the learning processes of individuals belong in a learning environment. This includes the informal exchange of knowledge between colleagues, learning using online media, internet research, reading newspapers, watching the evening news, listening to the news on the radio in the car, discussions in forums, participation in a conference or the use of electronic performance support systems. Learning today is, per se, blended learning, insofar as the use of both electronic and non-electronic learning and information sources for most of the employed population, as well as for young people and children, go hand in hand. Additionally, informal learning processes within companies and public bodies are valued in terms of their actual relevance, and are often supported electronically. Good e-learning design consultancy takes these aspects into consideration, as well as the normal reception of media as a whole, and develops recommendations for the design and optimisation of learning environments. As a specialist in e-learning, IMC can offer advice, particularly in the following areas:

• Identification of content that is especially suitable for e-learning
• Identification of content that does not offer any specific advantages for e-learning
• Curricula development using e-learning
• Choice and design of suitable digital learning formats available, e.g. WBT, learning games, forums, video
• Application of multimedia and interactivity
• Application of Serious Games
• Modularisation, structuring and segmentation of e-content under educational topics and in terms of reusability
• Combining various learning formats
• Choice of standard content
• Motivation in e-learning
• Communication with online media
• Professional tutorial support and coaching for e-tutors  

Our consultancy aims to support you in choosing the best possible ways to use the various online media and communication systems available – regardless of which platform, which content and which tools you use. Regardless, also, of whether you just want to develop content with us. You can trust our consultancy expertise – which we have gained from carrying out a high number of projects – and from the outset opt for a professional e-learning design that really caters for your target group!]]> Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:43:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/corporate-learning-2x-neue-trends-aus-der-forschung/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/corporate-learning-2x-neue-trends-aus-der-forschung/ Dr. Volker Zimmermann, Member of the Board, IMC AG Trend 1: Learning management systems are becoming open to network platforms such as Facebook and iGoogle LMS systems are being given open interfaces for use in social networks, mini learning applications and widgets. The OpenSocial virtual standard plays an important role here. The interfaces for mini applications and widgets are established within the scope of OpenSocial, enabling the connection of special applications in communities such as Facebook and iGoogle with learning processes in LMS systems. Against this background, IMC is, for instance, currently developing and testing an OpenSocial-compatible CLIX system. International companies such as Festo and training organisations such as BILD (the British Institute for Learning and Development) are involved in this project. Trend 2: Informal learning is becoming structured Companies currently still face a problem with wikis, blogs, e-lectures and other “social” technologies in the field of education and training. While they are increasingly open to these applications, targeted and “controlled” learning and skills management therefore only function under specific conditions. Integration into LMS systems, as has been available for some time in CLIX, does improve this aspect, but is not sufficient for broad application. The Web 2.0 components need to be enhanced with learning process control elements to make the Web 2.0 tools really useful for the enterprise, and to justify the time and money spent on training. For this reason, tools for structured informal learning will be researched in the future. So-called “recommender systems” are also technically integrated into these social technologies. They help tutors, trainers and learners to target specific skills. Learning systems are also being developed in such a way that they are directly associated with employees’ working processes. Information, support and informal communication are developed around an operational activity. IMC solutions such as LIVECONTEXT already use these concepts; the aim now is to extend this usage to LMS systems, wikis and blogs. Trend 3: Learning game platforms The most recent evaluations in the area of didactics at the University of Erfurt have found that learning games which follow the paradigm of adventure games are not appropriate for learning. However, at the same time it was established that games which combine narrative learning with storytelling, and which implement exercises at different levels in a competitive way, are efficient. According to these “requirements”, a market for (mobile) learning games will be created. The Scoyo initiative has given this concept additional stimulus in Germany, and further developments will also follow in the corporate sector. Learning platforms for learning games play an important role: they allow multiple games to be developed in succession and embedded in an overall learning scenario. Platforms themselves must also contain game elements, such as the comparison of points with other players or gaming communities which provide tips and tricks. Conclusion: e-learning solutions are becoming more open, intelligent and game-orientated. Over the next few years, the nature of LMS systems will change and user interfaces will be adjusted according to these trends. The complexity of training processes within companies will, however, remain. Although this is not of interest to users, it is to the training organisation. ]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:54:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/mit-livecontext-softwareanwendungen-optimieren/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/mit-livecontext-softwareanwendungen-optimieren/ Mike Schumacher, Sales Manager Germany, IMC AG Global Graphics confirmed. The study found that user problems and process uncertainty still cause a loss of up to two weeks’ worth of working hours – and that’s per user. LIVECONTEXT, the next-generation Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS), offers an innovative and cost-effective solution to significantly simplify the everyday use of business software and to reduce associated costs. LIVECONTEXT, which can be placed over the user’s display like a plate of glass, recognises which application is currently in use. LIVECONTEXT can therefore always offer the user the appropriate support – but only when required, and without the user needing to leave the live application.  With the help of LIVECONTEXT, training and support costs are significantly reduced. LIVECONTEXT not only acts as a navigation support in complex systems, but also offers “learning on demand” and “just in sequence” with a quick return on investment:

• Clear reduction of incorrect entries in software systems, resulting in a higher level of user acceptance
• High level of data quality and securing of company-wide business processes
• Improvement of software use and therefore employee productivity
• Reduction of expenses for on-site training, travel and hotel costs and time away from work

Take our guided tour to experience how LIVECONTEXT can support your users, so they can work with business software in a more efficient way. ]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:28:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/lernarchitekturen-fuer-mehr-als-eine-million-benutzer/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/lernarchitekturen-fuer-mehr-als-eine-million-benutzer/ Frank Milius, Member of the Board, IMC AG During a global economic crisis, major companies review their IT budgets, with the aim of cutting costs, and replace comparable applications, which often exist in parallel for historical or regional reasons, in favour of a standardised company-wide solution. In such cases, the number of registered users in major companies can quickly increase to 400,000 people or more. If an LMS is managed for a company-wide group of customers, even groups of over 1 million users are possible. Examples of this include operator scenarios for nationwide collective organisations or public-sector organisations with a legally binding training order. In contrast to the situation within companies and universities, these scenarios involve a high level of uncertainty with regards to anticipated user behaviour. This results in difficult challenges for the technology and particularly the specialist architecture and scalability of LMS applications. Specialist scalability requirements Leading LMS applications in the market, such as CLIX, today offer their operators almost unlimited options for the design of online supported teaching and learning arrangements – whether this involves the support of complex workflows for booking on-site events, the presentation of training programmes based on a blended learning application, or basic online courses for the autodidactic appropriation of knowledge. This is made possible due to the high level of configurable characteristics and functions of an LMS, which can help to create individual virtual learning worlds. However, from a specialist point of view, it is doubtful whether making use of the entire range of these theoretical opportunities within the scope of an LMS operation is a sensible option when there is a very high number of users. Upon closer examination, it quickly becomes clear that a tutor would only be able to accompany a course with 200,000 booked users at a very high organisational cost. For data protection reasons, in the selected examples it would also be critical for course participants to be able to follow the learning status of their co-learners. Opportunities to make the teaching process applicable to the mass market are far more in demand from an administrative point of view. Typical examples are administrative functions for the batch processing of course bookings, interfaces for credit card-supported accounting systems and the standardisation of course curriculums and learning paths, usually in order to provide user groups with easy access to the learning content. Technical scalability requirements From a technical point of view, user numbers of over 1 million represent difficult scaling challenges for the LMS, which can fundamentally be achieved by expanding the hardware infrastructure. It is ultimately in the interests of the customer to keep transaction costs as low as possible while simultaneously providing the highest level of accessibility. In addition, this also implies that the application will not only include shared data management and operations, but also the vertically scaled hardware resources which are available today. A software design is therefore required which is able to accommodate constantly-growing numbers of users and can deal with the required expansions for both hardware and software during ongoing operations, without the basic system architecture needing to be changed. Finally, the careful selection of other types of technology required for operation, such as databases, application servers and web servers is also of decisive importance. These technologies must be robust, reliable and suitable for unproblematic integration. Due to the high user numbers, the LMS must simultaneously be able to make use of optimisation options which basic technology already offers within many companies, to guarantee performance and low response times.]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:45:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/die-chance-fuer-kmus-die-ausbildung-zu-optimieren/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/die-chance-fuer-kmus-die-ausbildung-zu-optimieren/ Start and Learn Package
What is the Start and Learn Package?
The Start & Learn Package is a combination of award-winning, high-performance e-learning software with training and support services tailored to the needs of the customer, offering a tangibly applicable result which the customer can use as a model for their entire future approach. And all this is available at a budget which has been adjusted for SMBs.

What can the Start and Learn Package be used for?

• To cut the cost of expensive training sessions.
• To develop existing training in a more sustainable way.
• To transfer important and relevant content to a large range of people more quickly and simply.
• To present long-term essential topics (e.g. work safety), products, software, operational aspects etc.
• To carry out training control and training requirement assessments using electronic tests.
• To keep external workers up to date, even if they are travelling and have variable working times.

What can I achieve with the Start and Learn Package?
Using this package, it is possible to sustainably and successfully implement e-learning in the record time of 3 to 5 months. Due to the possibility of developing the systems with practically no limits, IMC offers its customers a level of investment security which no other suppliers provide in this form. If this isn’t a strong enough argument, please also consider the huge savings which the Start & Learn Package will result in. Ask our advisors how we can minimise your training costs while simultaneously increasing quality.
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]]> Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:30:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/mit-livecontext-softwareanwendungen-und-datenqualitaet-optimieren/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/mit-livecontext-softwareanwendungen-und-datenqualitaet-optimieren/ LIVECONTEXT offers “learning on demand”.
However, users are not only faced with these new processes: the software is usually also subject to a completely new user interface.  The need for user training is clear and surely undisputed. At the same time, though, it is important to limit the costs and expenses for comprehensive training measures and user support. No easy undertaking!

A solution to this dilemma is the use of new software technology which either supplements or even completely replaces on-site training. Traditional on-site training involves high costs for the transfer of knowledge from key users to trainees. And the success rate is often doubtful, despite the best efforts, as the most recent study by British software supplier Global Graphics confirmed.  The study found that user problems and process uncertainty still cause a loss of up to two weeks’ worth of working hours – and that’s per user.

LIVECONTEXT, the next-generation Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS), offers an innovative and cost-effective solution to significantly simplify the everyday use of business software and to reduce associated costs.

LIVECONTEXT, which can be placed over the user’s display like a plate of glass, recognises which application is currently in use. LIVECONTEXT can therefore always offer the user the appropriate support – but only when required, and without the user needing to leave the live application. With the help of LIVECONTEXT, training and support costs are significantly reduced.

LIVECONTEXT not only acts as a navigation support in complex systems, but also offers “learning on demand” and “just in sequence” with a quick return on investment:

• Clear reduction of incorrect entries in software systems, resulting in a higher level of user acceptance
• High level of data quality and securing of company-wide business processes
• Improvement of software use and therefore employee productivity
• Reduction of expenses for on-site training, travel and hotel costs and time away from work

Take our guided tour to experience how LIVECONTEXT can support your users, so they can work with business software in a more efficient way (guided tour only available in German language).

]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 14:29:00 +0200 http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/public-sector/ http://www.e-learning-congress.de/global/en/nc/help/rss-feed/detail/article/public-sector/ Leading the way in e-learning in the UK
In a world where 24/7 access is expected, using e-learning the public sector is able to provide a consistent source of current training and information to all employees, no matter where they are located. e-learning can specifically help deliver the flexibility that the public sector needs to keep staff and local communities in step with the ever-present changes in government policy.

An example of effective e-learning adoption in the public sector comes from Fire Service College that has built an enviable reputation as the premier training establishment of its kind in the world. The Fire Service College has implemented FireLearn, an enterprise IT system for the management of all learning activities and the development and delivery of e-learning, in April 2008. It was developed to introduce a smarter and more flexible approach to delivering and monitoring training and development for the Fire Service College. One of the fundamental benefits for users of FireLearn is that it provides learners with the opportunity to undertake and manage their learning in a more flexible way - accessing materials, assessments and records, online, from home or work. It also enables learners with the Fire Service College to take advantage of life long learning opportunities rather than just physically attending courses on site.

This example of e-learning in practice shows how the public sector is actively embracing eLearning in order to improve its learning and development programmes, and ultimately provide greater benefits to the learner and organisation as a whole.

The next step for the public sector is to tighten its use of e-learning tools and content to ensure it can reach its full potential and continue leading the way. The need for cross organisation and department collaboration is regularly highlighted and this is one area where e-learning would be greatly beneficial.]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 16:57:00 +0200