Purpose -Little attention has been paid to the employability of academic staff and the extent to which continuous learning contributes to academic career success. The purpose of this paper is to explore the contribution of formal and informal learning to employability. Design/methodology/approach -Survey data were obtained from 139 academic staff members employed at the Open University in the Netherlands. The questionnaire included employee characteristics, job characteristics, organizational context factors, formal learning and informal learning and employability variables. Findings -Informal learning, such as networking and learning value of the job, appeared to be solid contributors to employability, while the impact of formal learning activities was far less significant. Further, the study revealed the impact of employee and organizational context factors upon informal learning and employability. Age, salary and learning climate appeared to be strong predictors for informal learning, while promotions were shown to be highly positive contributors to employability. Practical implications -The findings stress the value of informal learning, although human resource policies that encourage both formal and informal learning are recommended. Originality/value -Academic careers comprise an under-researched area and the same applies to the relationship between learning and employability in the context of these types of careers.

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In the digital age, instructional designers must possess both a sound instructional design knowledge base and solid project management skills that will enable them to complete courseware projects on time, on budget and in conformance with client expectations. Project management skills include the ability to apply repeatable processes, along with interpersonal skills such as communication and leadership skills. However, courses in project management are often absent from the higher education instructional design curriculum, creating a gap between what is learned in instructional design programmes and real-world practice. In this paper, the author draws on the education and project management fields to examine this gap. The author argues that the gap between instructional design project management models and how instructional design practitioners view project management is a consequence of the divergent perspectives of higher education subcultures and the extent to which those subcultures are likely to embrace cross-disciplinary subjects such as project management. The author proposes some research and advocacy opportunities for closing the gap between instructional design education and practice.

Higher Education institutions in the United States are considering Open Source software applications such as the Moodle and Sakai course management systems and the Kuali financial system to build integrated learning environments that serve both academic and administrative needs. Open Source is presumed to be more flexible and less costly than commercial software. This article reviews the literature from the fields of Software Engineering and Education to determine the state of the current body of knowledge around the key drivers of Open Source adoption. The author discusses gaps in the literature and identifies opportunities for more rigorous research to measure the effectiveness of Open Source software in creating a balance between sound pedagogy and business efficiencies.