CASE STUDY: Using NewMindsets as a learning portal
© NewMindsets 2004

The Situation and Project Objectives:

Many organizations are making huge investments in online corporate portals that will provide employees easy access to all the information and materials they need to be successful in their work. But the success of these initiatives ultimately depends on the quality of what lies behind the front page. If the portal leads to resources that users find disappointing, or difficult to use, usage rates usually drop very significantly. This creates major dilemmas in implementing a portal strategy -- e.g. in relation to how long one should wait before "going live." If background materials are not available on time or at the right quality level, or content development budgets are tight, launch dates can slip by months, and sometimes years. NewMindsets has been able to provide its clients with a powerful solution to this problem. By installing the NewMindsets learning system as a comprehensive online resource for tackling job related learning needs, or for upgrading skills and competencies as part of personal development plans, immediate value can be created. With one click on the relevant learning portal button they can be given access to a wide variety of learning resources, customized with the corporate logo and organization-specific learning materials, personal learning directories, quick polls and corporate surveys, and a variety of other features that can be used to achieve overall corporate portal objectives.

Implementation Approach:

Typical implementation steps include:

• Refinement of the learning portal strategy: This typically involves a collaborative effort between representatives of the HRD / Knowledge Management / Training Departments, IT, Corporate Communications and NewMindsets to ensure that overall objectives are clear. As far as learning design is concerned, the former usually takes a lead role in consultation with IT and Communications on platform and visual presentation requirements. NewMindsets has implementation templates that help to make this a smooth and easy process
• Matching of NewMindsets learning resources against corporate leadership competency requirements: The NewMindsets content and associated "drop down" content menus can be quickly matched to a specific corporate competency development program or scheme -- to ensure maximum integration and synergy with corporate-wide strategy and learning objectives.
• Creation of self-authored material to create organization-specific learning resources within the NewMindsets learning system and web links to relevant outside resources: This process can be rapidly executed using NewMindsets self-authoring templates and support. The aim is to create a critical mass of corporate-specific material so that the learning system has a clear corporate identity, and to develop a strategy for adding further self-authored material as detailed learning needs and requirements evolve.
• Launch: The process leads to rapid development of an online learning resource capable of supporting multiple learning activities, as illustrated in the following diagram. Once basic design decisions have been made a live operating system populated with corporate specific NewMindsets materials and web links to relevant external resources can be delivered in days or weeks -- according to the urgency of the application. For maximum impact the portal implementation strategy can be supplemented with ongoing learning support. HRD, Training and Knowledge Management staff can play a major role here in creating new sources of value from the learning portal strategy.

See a diagram?

Achievements:

• The power of the NewMindsets approach to learning portal design and delivery has been featured as a best practice case study on how new models for portal and e-learning integration can deliver value in an industry-wide report produced by Giga Research (Forrester Research Inc.), 2004
• Many of our clients have been able to develop extremely cost effective learning portals -- at a fraction of typical development costs -- and launch them well ahead of their original portal development schedule
• The fact that NewMindsets has an in-built content and course management system eliminates the need for investment in an independent Learning Management System (Unless an LMS has to be required for other reasons -- such as independent regulatory or accreditation purposes )
• All learning applications can be completely aligned with corporate strategic learning goals
• Our applications deliver major benefits and synergies in relation to the goals of corporate IT, KM and HRD/Training Departments, allowing costs to be spread over multiple budgets. For example, the IT department can often increase the return on existing technology infrastructure through relatively small additional expenditures on the learning portal with minimal maintenance and service demands.

For further information contact info@newmindsets.com

Copyright © 2001-2005 NewMindsets Inc. Privacy Policy.