During the 1990s, the workplace was rediscovered as a rich source of learning. The issue of workplace learning has since received increasing attention from academics and practitioners alike but is still under-researched empirically. This book brings together a range of state-of-the-art research papers addressing interventions to support learning in the workplace. The authors are experienced international scholars who have an interest in making HRD and workplace learning practices more evidence-based through practical relevant research. Although workplace learning is largely an autonomous process, many organizations want to manage it as part of their broader HRD strategy. There are limits, however, to the extent to which the complex dynamics of learning in the workplace can be guided in pre-determined desirable directions. This tension between the possible strengths of workplace learning and the limits of managing it is at the heart of this volume. The book is broken into three sections. The first section deals with workplace learning interventions, including HRD practitioners’ strategies, training and development activities, and e-learning programs. The second section investigates the impact of social support, or lack thereof, in workplace learning, such as mentoring, coaching, and socialization practices. The third section addresses collective learning in the workplace, looking at teams, knowledge productivity, and collaborative capability building.

Explores workplace learning as a means of enhancing both work performance and the quality of working life. Identifies characteristics of high performance work organizations, considers the implementation of high performance work practices and investigates how far these practices are embedded in different countries. Examines ways in which public policy can be used to encourage organizations to make more effective use of the skills of their employees.

For a company to compete effectively in today's business environment, its employees need to be adaptive and agile so they can develop the required skills and knowledge. To achieve this, L&D professionals must create a culture of workplace learning that encourages employees to constantly develop. This means moving away from the traditional approach of simply offering a catalogue of courses to embedding learning in every part of the company. Workplace Learning is a practical guide to all aspects of developing a culture of continuous workplace learning, from how to introduce and implement this culture to how to develop it. Showing that learning is not finite and is instead something that all employees should be doing continuously throughout their careers, Workplace Learning covers how to identify key areas to focus the most effort on, measure success and determine next steps. It also outlines how to use technology to support workplace learning from MOOCs through to apps such as Knewton and Degreed. Packed with case studies from organizations who have effectively established outstanding workplace learning including Microsoft, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), HT2 and The Happy Company, this is essential reading for L&D professionals looking to make a real difference to the development of their staff and the future success of their organizations.

This book is an edited volume of case studies exploring the uptake and use of computer supported collaborative learning in work settings. This book fills a significant gap in the literature. A number of existing works provide empirical research on collaborative work practices (Lave & Wenger, 1987; Davenport, 2005), the sharing of information at work (Brown & Duguid, 2000), and the development of communities of practice in workplace settings (Wenger, 1998). Others examine the munificent variation of information and communication technology use in the work place, including studies of informal social networks, formal information distribution and other socio-technical combinations found in work settings (Gibson & Cohen, 2003). Another significant thread of prior work is focused on computer supported collaborative learning, much of it investigating the application of computer support for learning in the context of traditional educational institutions, like public schools, private schools, colleges and tutoring organizations. Exciting new theories of how knowledge is constructed by groups (Stahl, 2006), how teachers contribute to collaborative learning (reference to another book in the series) and the application of socio-technical scripts for learning is explicated in book length works on CSCL. Book length empirical work on CSCW is widespread, and CSCL book length works are beginning to emerge with greater frequency. We distinguish CSCL at Work from prior books written under the aegis of training and development, or human resources more broadly. The book aims to fill a void between existing works in CSCW and CSCL, and will open with a chapter characterizing the emerging application of collaborative learning theories and practices to workplace learning. CSCL and CSCW research each make distinct and important contributions to the construction of collaborative workplace learning.

This book aims to provide insight into how digital technologies may bridge and enhance formal and informal workplace learning. It features four major themes: 1. Current research exploring the theoretical underpinnings of digital workplace learning. 2. Insights into available digital technologies as well as organizational requirements for technology-enhanced learning in the workplace. 3. Issues and challenges for designing and implementing digital workplace learning as well as strategies for assessments of learning in the workplace. 4. Case studies, empirical research findings, and innovative examples from organizations which successfully adopted digital workplace learning.

During the 1990s, the workplace was rediscovered as a rich source of learning. The issue of workplace learning has since received increasing attention from academics and practitioners alike but is still under-researched empirically. This book brings together a range of state-of-the-art research papers addressing interventions to support learning in the workplace. The authors are experienced international scholars who have an interest in making HRD and workplace learning practices more evidence-based through practical relevant research. Although workplace learning is largely an autonomous process, many organizations want to manage it as part of their broader HRD strategy. There are limits, however, to the extent to which the complex dynamics of learning in the workplace can be guided in pre-determined desirable directions. This tension between the possible strengths of workplace learning and the limits of managing it is at the heart of this volume. The book is broken into three sections. The first section deals with workplace learning interventions, including HRD practitioners’ strategies, training and development activities, and e-learning programs. The second section investigates the impact of social support, or lack thereof, in workplace learning, such as mentoring, coaching, and socialization practices. The third section addresses collective learning in the workplace, looking at teams, knowledge productivity, and collaborative capability building.

Across the western world, there is a growing awareness of the importance of workplace learning, seen at the level of national and international policy, as well as in the developing practices of employers, training providers and Trades Unions. Authoritative, accessible, and appealing, it presents key findings on work-based learning, bringing together conclusions and investigating a variety of workplace contexts to show how such learning can be improved. An extensive practical treatment, brought to life with illustrations from both the public and private sectors, this book has a unique combination of breadth of coverage and depth of understanding. Grounded in rich and detailed empirical studies, this volume challenges conventional thinking. An important new addition to the Improving Learning series, it focuses on guidelines for improving learning by marrying the very best theory and practice to provide an accessible and authoritative guide to workplace learning. Practitioners, policy makers, students and academics with an interest in learning at work will find this an invaluable addition to their bookshelves.