Background to the studyRapid technological changes and the emergence of the global knowledge-based economy have encouraged national governments to develop policies encouraging investment in Internet technologies and infrastructure, for example, Scotland (The Scottish Office, 1999), Canada (Advisory Council on Science and Technology, 1999) and Australia (Beazley, 2001). Upgrading the skill shortages in the workforce, particularly information technology skills, are promoted as the basis of this new economy. Owing to the need for a rapid uptake of these new skills, providing effective workplace learning has become essential for many companies to gain competitive advantage (Bassi et al., 1998).In the face of the Internet and its related technologies, retaining staff, remaining competitive and ensuring long-term profitability are seen as potential organizational benefits of the emerging knowledge-based economy. Implementation of flexibility in training and user control of learning, particularly through online delivery, have in turn created pressures for changes in the way people and organizations work (Eccles, 1998; Stephenson and Yorke, 1998;Bates, 2000). Accompanying these expectations,``training'' is also being redefined, for example:As we enter the next millennium . . . training as something provided for employees will be replaced by learning that employees initiate themselves. Training for the masses will be replaced by highly customized, just-for-me learning (Garger, 1999).
PurposeThis case study identifies factors influencing the implementation of e‐learning within the Australian Army training context.Design/methodology/approachA grounded theory approach was used to gain an understanding of the concerns of stakeholders involved in e‐learning implementation. This research included interviews with Army managers, course developers, instructional designers and instructors.FindingsThe main factors that were important for respondents involved in e‐learning management, design, development and delivery could be identified. This case study demonstrates the importance of maintaining focus on organisational priorities and learning goals while meeting the demands of change pressures.Research limitations/implicationsThis is an initial study to gain an overview of the main issues. More research will be required to understand the Army's e‐learning context and to confirm these findings. Further research will include other stakeholders, including trainees' perspectives and extend to other Army sites.Practical implicationsFor effective implementation there needs to be a process of continual adaptation and alignment of e‐learning to reflect changing demands while meeting the priorities of the organisational culture and learners' needs.Originality/valueThis paper analyses the first independent external research into e‐learning in the Australian Army. Although this is a specialised context for e‐learning, the issues raised in this case study will inform research into other workplace e‐learning projects.
Today's literature is filled with new paradigms for learning, specifically in relation to the increasing adoption of computer mediated techniques for interactive learning. In many cases, learning may now be enhanced through the experience of a shared online environment for critical discussion, knowledge building and the establishment of supportive social communities. Research data obtained from social science students at Southern Cross University over two semesters reveals students' perceptions of the importance of online discussion whether these are assessable or not. This paper presents some findings and explores the impact of the emergence of a student-centred social learning environment.
of freight into many statewide and regional plans and transportation investment decisions" (3). The FHWA advocates freight planning through courses, such as 139001-Integrating Freight in the Transportation Planning Process, Freight Data Made Simple (FHWA Resource Center course), and the Freight Studies Seminar (FHWA Resource Center course). These courses provide practical tools, techniques, and noteworthy practices to support the freight planning interests of state departments of transportations (DOTs), metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and local governments. Implementation of these tools and techniques varies widely from state to state and region to region. Progressively more states are seeking to require accountability in the identification, selection, funding, and execution of transportation projects, especially projects contributing to the improved movement of freight. Freight-specific planning metrics and benchmarks can help predict areas of congestion, and thereby allow freightdependent communities to plan freight-based improvements and private companies to improve their routing and scheduling practices. Furthermore, freight planning metrics and benchmarks can help state agencies assess the impact of selected improvement projects with respect to freight mobility. The need for such metrics has long been recognized. A 1998 review of freight planning techniques performed by the University of Virginia reported on a survey of state DOTs that indicated the use of approximately 211 performance measures associated with freight planning (4). This same study also noted that the development and use of freight-specific planning metrics is dependent on data availability. Given the unique patterns of freight flow, freight metrics must be based on freight-specific data. Extraction of timely freight-specific data to support freight planning efforts is not always straightforward. In some instances, public agencies deploy intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and collect general transportation mobility data. The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) regularly selects and reports on best practices in transportation planning (5). A recent review of AMPO's selection reveals three locations (Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Maryland; and Hampton Roads, Virginia) heralded for their use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology to derive origin-destination data, travel times, and travel speeds. In addition, AMPO's review of best practices noted plans of San Francisco, California, to use toll transponder data for collecting travel time data. Unfortunately, extracting freight-specific data from these general sources is not always feasible. Many private companies use ITS technologies to track vehicles and optimize routing and scheduling; however, the issue of proprietary data often prevents the sharing of these data assets for planning
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