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Selecting/Implementing Learning Technology

Learning Technology – A Brief History

From the turn of the millennium to roughly 2010, the process of picking learning technology (learning management systems (LMS), content development tools, and virtual classrooms) was a lot simpler than it is today. There were fewer technologies and vendors available, and they all required an IT network to run the software. Between 2006 – 2010, cloud storage quickly changed the learning technology landscape, with the introduction of Software as a Service (SaaS), making it much easier for vendors to support their software.

They no longer needed on-site installations and support of multiple versions of their software; instead, vendors could quickly enable or disable client access to their software virtually. Since the advent of SaaS, the learning solution space has seen a surge of new vendors. Add to that the growth of mobile, and it is easy to see how the learning solution space has become a lot more complicated.

Finding the "Best" Learning Technology

A quick Google search for LMS, Training Course Development tools, Webinar tools, Training Content will return a page full of “The Best…” and the “Top 10…” lists of Learning Technologies. Unfortunately, the vendors that appear on the first page of web searches have paid to get there and are not necessarily right for your organization. What’s more, the top 10 (or Top X) lists typically involve a quid pro quo between the author and the vendors that appear at the top of those lists. What’s worse, choosing the wrong Learning Technology can not only cost you time, and patience but also budget, and credibility. The result is all too often trial and error as you search for the best learning technology.

There is a Better Way

At CLO2GO, our clients can find the Learning Technology right for their organization the first time using our award-winning selection process. The essential elements of our methodology are as follows:

  1. Identify our client’s current learning people, processes, and technologies
  2. Understand the “what” and “why” of our clients learning challenges
  3. Define your organizations learning technology requirements
  4. Identify vendors that can address the technology requirements
  5. Apply the selection method or requirements, demo, and total cost of ownership

If You Build It, Will They Come?

After selecting Learning Technology, depending on the complexity of the solution (an LMS will be much more complicated than a webinar tool), CLO2GO will work with your organization to navigate the pitfalls of implementing the technology in your organization. It is a common belief that a vendor’s services group will do this when you purchase their technology, but the reality is that the vendor’s goal is to ensure their product is working, which is not the same thing as being utilized by the client. By understanding the people and processes of your organization, CLO2GO can define the complementary services needed to ensure the best utilization of the technology