Elearning! Magazine: Building Smarter Companies via Learning & Workplace Technologies.
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helps ensure that staff serving these areas, especially employees who operate in shifts or in stressful, unpredictable environments, are afforded equal oppor- tunities for growth. A central component of this strategy is
using Webinars that provide instruction on topics ranging from clinical care to trans- formational leadership. The Webinars allow staff in dispersed geographic locations to engage directly with one another, increas- ing opportunities for information sharing and cooperation. "The outcome of the VALU training
has been amazing," says Bonnie Pearce, associate director for Patient Care Services at the Jack C. Montgomery Medical Center. "After the VALU team worked with us to deliver training pro- grams on leadership and change, we saw an incredible uptick in collaboration. Professions that normally would not talk freely to each other began to share thoughts about patient care, and the level of tension declined as staff applied their conflict resolution skills." The V.A. understood that building a
rich, engaging learning system required a fundamentally different approach than offering a static "how-to" series of train- ings. As it seeks to recruit diversified tal- ent, a central part of its strategy is to speak to digital natives in their own lan- guage by pursuing an experiential approach to training. The V.A. is intro-
Learning Summit, which brought together industry thought leaders such as Elliott Masie and internal V.A. social learning champions to discuss the benefits of col- laborative technologies and highlight their use within the V.A. One such program is the V.A. Leadership Portal, a Web-based resource that hosts a series of online com- munities which enable V.A. leaders to con- nect with each other and subject matter experts to share content focused on improving leadership.
THE ROAD AHEAD
VALU is currently exploring options to make its M.C.A. training available through mobile technologies.
example, the V.A. has replaced standard multiple choice baseline and evaluation tests with a "Jeopardy!"-style format that allows users to select categories from which they can answer questions of vary- ing difficulty. It has also added animated
'We understand that we need innova- tive, agile approaches to design and
deliver education, leadership develop- ment, learning and training-both now and in the future.'
-John U. Sepulveda, assistant secretary
ducing innovative technology and learn- ing delivery methods that will attract future employees. With that in mind, VALU has bolstered
several e-learning courses with interac- tive and multimedia features that enhance the participant experience. For
48 November / December 2011 Government Elearning!
narrations to several classes, providing participants with the look and feel of an instructor-led session with the conven- ience of a Web-based format. Social learning plays a central part in
VALU's core offering. On July 20th, VALU hosted the department's first Social
As a living community designed to adapt to the needs of a changing workforce, VALU will continue to evolve over the coming months. The V.A. plans to expand the program's footprint into mobile platforms, allowing its employees to access content on the go. As the pro- gram continues to expand its impact throughout the V.A., it will promote open dialogue via imbedded communi- ties of practice, enabling employees to communicate directly with their peers regardless of work location. To support the range of training offer-
ings provided by VALU, the V.A. is launching MyCareer@VA (www.mycareer atva.va.gov), an innovative, Web-based career development portal targeted at future and current V.A. employees. The program, led by Dr. Arthur P. McMahan, deputy dean of VALU, will help current employees plan both linear and lateral career paths, identify competency gaps, and generate training curricula to achieve personal and professional growth objec- tives. Prospective employees can explore the portal's listing of V.A. job vacancies and store multiple résumés in a search- able database. "We understand that we need innova-
tive, agile approaches to design and deliver education, leadership development, learn- ing and training — both now and in the future," says John U. Sepulveda, V.A. assis- tant secretary for Human Resources and Administration. "In the months ahead, VALU will help us build upon our existing successes by ensuring that our learning initiatives continue to meet the changing needs of our employees and the veterans we serve."