This document summarizes the journey of Dorset County Council's online learning portal over 5 years. It started as a place to store elearning modules with low usage, but it has now become an integral part of the organization's learning and development. Through collaboration with Learning Pool and refocusing efforts on learner experience and engagement, the portal was relaunched as Dorset Learning Online. It is now a total learning management system providing online resources, reporting, and performance management tools. While more improvements are planned, the council has learned that online learning requires leadership from learning and development professionals to guide learners' experiences.

1. Learning Pool Live March 2018
Our Online Journey – “Are we nearly there yet?”
Helen Sotheran L & OD Lead.
Dorset County Council.
Dawn Stacey Learning Consultant.
Learning Pool.

2. Learning Pool Live March 2018
What was our starting point?
A culture of training not learning
Somewhere to ‘put’ some elearning
modules
“Never going to take off”
“Not everyone has access”
“People don’t have the IT skills”
“People don’t have the time”
A healthy L&D budget
A few early adopters
Where did we want to get to?

3. Learning Pool Live March 2018
Fast forward – 5 years ...
Working with Learning Pool – Essential package
Known across the organisation as The Learning Portal
Writing our own modules
Dorsetising other modules
Using blended learning models across programmes
Just a part of what Learning and Development do
Fast forward - 2 years ...

4. Learning Pool Live March 2018
Following restructure …
Responsibility and resource moved to a
systems team
Became all about the technology
Still ‘writing’ modules
Learning & Development lost the overview
What did this mean for our online journey? ...

5. Learning Pool Live March 2018
Knocked off route!
Complete focus on search activity
No reporting
No module review
No input from subject matter experts
Learner needed to know what to look for
Very quick searching
Hundreds of modules
Thousands of learners

6. Learning Pool Live March 2018
Lost our way ...
Didn’t know the direction of travel, or
where we were trying to get to
Not coherent with organisation learning
Lost sight of the ‘learners’ journey
Not reflecting recent developments in
learning and development
18 months ago we got back on track …

7. Learning Pool Live March 2018
The Learning Portal responsibility and resource came back to Learning &
Development ...
We renamed , rethemed and relaunched
(in collaboration with Dorset Councils Partnership (Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, West
Dorset District Council and North Dorset District Council).
The Learning Portal became Dorset Learning Online
We had a retheme, making the opening screens very simple
We created groups of learners according to service/area
We tagged all learning modules to specific audiences
We removed inactive learners
We re-engaged subject matter experts
We removed any modules that hadn’t been reviewed
Most importantly ...
We decided where our B was and where we
were planning to get to

8. Learning Pool Live March 2018

9. Learning Pool Live March 2018
Outcome
A total Learning Management
System integrating learning
provision with effective
reporting
Success Criteria
Clear purpose known about by all
In common use at all levels
Self-service
Easy to use/navigate
Good functionality for managers
Accurate reporting
Timely interventions
Responsive to learner requirements
Just the way we do
things around here

10. Learning Pool Live March 2018
Learning
Online
Management
Information
System
Administration
&
Management
Tool
Learning
Resource
Additions
Online Learning ‘Total’
Upgrade Plan 2018

11. Platform for online learning resources, not an
information repository
Reduces investment compared to face to face
Provides flexibility
Multi device compatibility
Reduces time away from workplace
Required/mandatory learning
Assessment tools
Just in time learning and refresh
Reaches bigger audience, including virtual groups
Specific e.g. Safeguarding, Prevent, GDPR etc.
Learning Pool Live March 2018
Learning Resource
Links in to our business change and efficiency model
Reporting accuracy
All learning including face to faceManagement Information
System

12. Learning Pool Live March 2018
Administration &
Management Tool
Additions
One stop shop for all L&OD reporting.
Can be used by multiple administrators
Easy to access
Accurate
Flexible
Ability to manipulate data (by individual course)
Ability to change information e.g. joining instructions by course
System based automated communication
Built in evaluation
PDRs/updates
Performance management and development
360 degree feedback
Store for badges and certificates
Record keeping for the learner

13. Learning Pool Live March 2018
“Are we nearly there yet?”
For us Learning Online is an ongoing journey
not a destination!

14. Learning Pool Live March 2018
What have we learned along the way…
 Online learning in all its different forms needs to be led and managed by L&OD
professionals
 The shape of learning has changed L&D professionals need to be expert in learning
curation, authenticating learning resources, presentation and learner engagement
 There is greater demand for focus on the ‘development’ aspects of L&OD including
integrated performance management
 The technical system is only the vehicle – it’s the learning that’s the journey
 Technology is driving learning models – we need to ensure learning is the
destination

15. Learning Pool Live March 2018
What next for Dorset Learning Online? ...
 Complete the ‘Total’ Upgrade 2018
 Complete our SAP integration project – using corporate HR system to populate and share
data with Learning Online.
 Continue maximising take up for learners (including non traditional areas)
 Building bite size learning for ‘just in time’ learning
 Packaging learning together to create complete learning programmes for specific learners
 Using reporting to drive performance culture

16. Learning Pool Live March 2018
Over to you ... For questions