The key to managing staff training: a learning management system. (2024)

Because the field of corrections is a specialized, evolving field,staff receive an extensive amount of preservice and in-service training.Ensuring that staff receive the training they need--the what, where andwhen--requires a concerted effort on the part of all training staff.Managing the process of scheduling/assigning courses, monitoring staffprogress and documenting course completions in order to comply withlegal, judicial and ACA standards requirements is one of the mostchallenging responsibilities of managing staff training. In the distantpast, before computers and cell phones, records were kept manually,requiring a deep trail of paper. Today's technology has drasticallytransformed the learning landscape. Perhaps the best way to managetraining, regardless of the number of staff or type of trainingprograms, is by using a learning management system.

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A Learning Management System

A learning management system (LMS) is "software designed tomanage, track and quantify all of an organization's learningactivities." (1) An LMS offers benefits from the standpoint of bothlearning outcomes and training operations. It addresses four basiccategories of learning:2

* Initial--acquiring knowledge and skills for the first time;

* Continued extending knowledge and skills in a particular field;

* Refresher--refreshing knowledge and skills (may be done forremedial purposes as well); and

* Upgrade--moving to a higher level of competence in knowledge andskills already acquired.

In addition, a well-designed LMS streamlines and strengthenstraining operations by:

* Centralizing and automating administration for all trainingprograms, including classroom-based;

* Assigning and tracking each learner's progress--e.g.,assigned groups of courses and classroom trainings;

* Storing records for each learner;

* Generating reports on learners' progress and trainingcompletions;

* Securing all training documentation; and

* Managing and deploying e-learning.

Respondents to a survey by the American Society for Training andDevelopment identified centralizing the management of learning as thenumber-one reason for having access to a learning management system.Table 1 rates the most valuable features of an LMS based on surveyresponses. Although the percentages would undoubtedly change if therespondents were in the corrections field, the value and necessity ofthe features is universal.

Table 1. Learning Management SystemsLearning Management SystemsFEATURE PERCENTAGEReporting 52.8ComOance and Tracking 46.5Assessment and Testing 42.5Learner-Centered 39.4Content Management 29.9Course Catalog 28.3Security 14.2Learning Circuits, American Society for Training and Development,2009

A good, effective LMS needs these key features. However, bothtechnology and training experts agree that usability or ease of usebelongs at the top of the list. As one learning professional explained,"Good [online] training shouldn't have a large learning curve,or, for that matter, any learning curve. It should be practicallyinvisible. Users should be able to hop right on and begin trainingwithout being challenged by a confusing interface. The same goes fortrainers--they shouldn't have to jump through hoops to createonline training modules or generate the reports and documentation thatthey need." (3)

Selecting a LMS

Selecting a LMS that fits both learning and operational needs iscritical, as illustrated by the results of a study by the Masie Center(4) in which participants critiqued the LMSes currently being used bytheir organizations. (5) In response to the question, "Assuming youhad the authority and resources, would you replace your current learningsystem?," 61 percent of the respondents said "Yes." Morethan half (53 percent) of the respondents "knowing what they knowtoday" would not choose the vendor again. This is not surprisinggiven the negative feedback about the systems. Participants were"most dissatisfied" with the product limitations (36 percent)and lack of flexibility (34 percent). More than half the respondentsreported that the ease of use of the course administration (53 percent),user administration (55 percent), and general system administration (58percent) were only "somewhat effective." Of great concern,more than half (59 percent) the respondents reported that their vendorcharged extra for customer service and more than half the respondents(54 percent) reported that their vendor was only "somewhateffective" in responding to issues with the system. Table 2identifies what respondents expect would be better/different if theirorganizations replaced their current LMS.

Table 2. Learning Management System FeaturesLearning Management System FeaturesFEATURE PERCENTAGEReporting Options 70Usability 69Administration/Management 57Interface/Look and Feel 54Ease of Operability 5269 percent of the respondents "wished that their LMS providedsocial networking tools and opportunities."The Masie Center, "Iearning Systems Survey Results," 2009

To Build, or Not to Build

Convinced that a LMS would be a good asset for their trainingdepartment and concerned about controlling the cost and avoiding thepotential problems of outsourcing, some organizations have considereddeveloping their own LMS. A question posed to LinkedIn members of ChiefLearning Officer, an online learning community, addressed this issue.(6) The question was, "When you're stuck with an outdated LMS,is it better to build or buy?" Below are some responses fromprofessionals who do not work in the corrections field:

* Don McIntosh, Ph.D., president of Trimeritus Learning Solutionsfrom Canada, said, "With more than 400 LMSes available, it seemsfoolish to build one from scratch. The process would take longer, bemore expensive, and have many headaches."

* Susan Fore, a learning professional from Lincolnshire, I11.,said, "Years ago, we were asked to cut operational costs and onesolution was to stop funding our LMS and having a replacement systemcreated internally. The IT guy spent a couple of hours reviewing ourcurrent system and our requirements. He walked away shaking his head andsaid no way did they want to touch the project. We continued with ourpurchased system."

* Ironwood Learning in Pittsburgh said, "There are some verygood products available that are very easy to use and configure for bothadministrative staff and the end-user. Remember, it is all aboutdelivering learning to the end-user so we can measure the transfer ofknowledge, improve skills, and reduce errors ... Keep it simple solearners can find, register and consume content to support theirjobs."

* David Mallon, vice president of research at Bersin and Associatesof Oakland, Calif., noted that "most organizations lack theexperience and expertise" to build a LMS and that "it can bemore expensive and time-consuming to build a LMS versus buying[one]."

A LMS for the Correctional Environment

In his article, "What to Do with a Broken LMS," authorRamesh Ramini states that "learner-centric LMSes are solid choicesfor [organizations] that want traditional and state-of-the-art learningsystem features and functionalities in one ready-to-go,simple-to-implement, proven and tested platform." (7)

Elevate[TM], the LMS offered by the American CorrectionalAssociation through its online training program, the Corrections OnlineTraining Collaborative (COTC), fits this description. Although there area vast number of learning management systems on the market, Elevate[TM]is the only one affiliated with organizations devoted to the correctionsfield. COTC staff work exclusively with correctional facilities/agenciesand have an in-depth understanding of the field and its needs; and, thesystem is affordable. Correctional facilities and agencies throughoutthe U.S. that are using Elevate[TM] praise its user-friendly interfaceand easy-to-use administrative functions, as well as its flexibility;many of its features can be customized. Both agencies/facilities andstaff benefit from the LMS.

On the operational side, the LMS is designed to manage a highvolume of training, which makes it a perfect fit for the correctionalenvironment. In addition, many labor-intensive tasks that tend to beunreliable or difficult to administer become automatic, and key featureshelp agencies/facilities comply with training requirements. For example,courses (classroom and online) can be bundled together and curricula canbe set up to recur on a regular basis, such as with preservice orin-service training requirements, or to be taken on a one-time onlybasis. Training managers can assign staff trainings by job title,department, organizational hierarchy level, user groups, hire date andthree usercustomized fields. Classroom trainings can be managed throughautomated email confirmations of registration, automated certificategeneration, and testing and surveys. Staff can be placed on a wait-listfor live classes and notified by email when the classes becomeavailable, as well as reminded about training deadlines.Agencies/facilities also have the ability to upload their own policiesand procedures and courses (including a final exam), using theintegrated authoring tool. Social media tools are available throughsecure channels.

Agencies/facilities can conduct surveys and evaluations such astraining needs surveys, course evaluations, employee satisfactionsurveys and exit interviews. Training managers can access real-time,customized reports to ascertain compliance--who took what, where andwhen. In terms of meeting ACA standards, reports can be obtained toidentify compliance with a standard requiring specific training such assuicide prevention, sexual harassment or fire safety. When a facilitymust document that employees have read a particular policy, the systemcan require staff to mark electronically whether they have read thepolicy. A report can be run to monitor and document compliance.

On the learning side, the LMS provides staff with access to anintuitive and user-friendly interface and real-time learning. Itpersonalizes the learning and puts them in charge. Staff have easyaccess to courses and can see ahead of time what they need to learn.They monitor their progress with training (or a career path), and in thecase of online courses, receive immediate results with final exams.Facilities/agencies with access to Elevate[TM] also have access to morethan 200 COTC online courses; new courses are added regularly at nocost.

To ensure successful implementation, COTC staff collaborate andwork together with facility/agency training and technology staff. Thegood news is that the system training, maintenance and upgrades aremanaged by COTC. Also, curriculum development assistance is provided byACA through the administrator of ACA/COTC online training at no cost.

Regardless of the size of an agency/facility, having a LMS is avital, cost-effective tool for managing staff training. It enables theagency to streamline, centralize and automate training administrationand ensure that each employee receives the appropriate training.

ENDNOTES

(1.) Brainy Betty. 2012. LMS: Learning management systems.Retrieved from: http://www.brainybetty.com/LMS.htm.

(2.) Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratories. 2010. Choosinga learning management system. Alexandria, Va.: Advanced DistributedLearning Co-Laboratories.

(3.) Prosperity LMS Blog. 2010. What to look for in a learningmanagement system. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ziiva.com/biog/bid/40348/What-to-look-for-in-an-Learning-Management-System.

(4.) The Masie Center. 2009. Learning systems survey results.Saratoga Springs, N.Y.: The Masie Center.

(5.) Most of the organizations had a large number of employees--70percent had more than 10,000 and 25 percent had 500 to 9,999.

(6.) Ramani, R. 2012. What to do with a broken LMS. Chief LearningOfficer. Chicago: Mediatec Publishing Inc.

(7.) Ibid.

Diane Geiman is administrator of online training for the AmericanCorrectional Association/Corrections Online Training Collaborative.