The Center for Workplace Development, in partnership with system managers and business owners, is launching an initiative to improve access to application training. After hearing feedback from users and business owners, HCOM training will transition to a new, blended model beginning in November. This new model will focus on delivery of foundational system knowledge via online training and delivery of advanced or specialized topics via drop-in labs staffed by subject matter experts.
The new model will consist of:
- Short, modular tutorials available on the HCOM group page in the Harvard Training Portal. These will cover all of the content that is required for most users, as determined by the subject matter experts.
- Drop-in labs at which users can bring their actual work and questions about their particular problems to HCOM subject matter experts. These labs are currently being developed with staff from Procurement; more details about the labs will be in next month’s eNews.
- Task-specific job aids, quick references, and step-by-step guides on the HCOM group page.
Some of the advantages of this model include:
- Self-Directed Learning – Supports focused learning on the specific tasks a user needs rather than having them sit through lengthy, in-person classes that cover a wide variety of tasks.
- Just-in-Time Training – Provides convenient, on-demand training instead of requiring users to wait for an available seat in a future scheduled class.
- Access to Experts – The drop-in labs will provide users with direct access to subject matter experts for help with unusual or specialized topics that weren’t covered in the existing in-person classes.
In continued partnership with business owners, additional CWD training classes on current applications will also transition to this model over the remainder of FY19. For future applications, appropriate training models will be determined on a case-by-case basis with the business owners.