Beyond Courses: Building Effective Learning Resources
- Joanna Smith
- Apr 15
- 2 min read
Do your staff ever feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of training materials and resources available in your environment? Sometimes despite having a wealth of resources available to them, staff just don’t quite know where to start.
Part of the workplace learning puzzle is making sure that learners know what resources to access when they need it.
Workplace training doesn't always have to come in the form of a traditional course, whether online or in-person with a facilitator. In a previous blog post from December, we talked about the importance of staying adaptable and recognising the many different types of learning resources available. Today, we want to dive deeper into one particularly effective approach: creating a well-crafted repository of helpful resources that learners can access in the flow of work.
The Power of a Knowledgebase
Knowledge repositories like SharePoint sites or Confluence workspaces can house a wealth of information, from process summaries to detailed guides. And if they’re well-designed, it’s easy for employees to find the resources they need, exactly when they need them.
Case Study: Ministry of Education
When working with the Ministry of Education, we were presented with a need for teachers to easily find great resources for teaching literacy and maths. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we aimed to make existing resources more accessible. Since there was no one site that would be relevant to use, we chose to use Adalo to create a stand-alone web app. This app streamlined access to these valuable materials, saving teachers the time and effort of endlessly googling for what they needed.
Case Study: User-Friendly Knowledgebase
In another project, as part of an overall L&D strategy refresh, we recommended that our client design a user-friendly knowledgebase. Although there was a basic intranet in place, it had not been maintained, so new staff were actively being told not to use it! Instead, staff had developed the habit of emailing documents around, which of course led to a lot of confusion about accuracy and versioning. As part of the L&D refresh, the IT department worked closely with the operations team to create a new SharePoint site that housed the most up-to-date resources. Now, staff can easily find the right documents and forms at the right time, improving efficiency and reducing frustration.
Why This Matters
These examples highlight the importance of providing accessible, up-to-date resources for employees. A well-organised knowledgebase can significantly enhance learning and performance by ensuring that employees have the information they need at their fingertips. This approach not only supports continuous learning but also empowers employees to solve problems independently and efficiently.
By thinking beyond traditional courses and embracing a variety of learning resources, companies can create a more dynamic and responsive learning environment. How could a well-organised knowledgebase transform the way your team accesses information?
