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While distance education is on a fast growth curve currently, there are many barriers that must be overcome. The results reported here are from persons working in corporate organizations (n=448). Takes the perspective that various organizations are at different stages or levels of capabilities with regard to distance education. The research questions reported are: do distance educators in the corporate sector perceive different barriers depending upon the maturity of their organization’s capabilities in distance education; and as the organization’s distance education competency as a whole matures, will the overall number or intensity of perceived barriers to distance education be reduced? The evidence from the responses to this survey indicates that there is a relationship between an organization’s level of capability in distance education and the barriers to distance education reported by respondents for some but not all barriers. The analysis of this survey also supports the proposition that corporate trainers and educators perceive fewer, or less intense, barriers in organizations that are more capable delivering distance education.

The purpose of this article is to examine e‐mentoring as a way to sustain distance training and education.

The paper describes a framework for sustaining distance training and education by adding e‐mentoring (mentoring over the internet). It also explores the role of mentors, the benefits of the programs to the mentor and the sponsoring organizations, and ways of overcoming challenges faced by e‐mentoring in distance training and education.

One effective and cost‐effective way to monitor and improve the effectiveness of training and education in the workplace is to involve expert peers, subject matter experts, and managers in a mentoring or coaching capacity.

The article shows a cost‐effective way to monitor and improve the effectiveness of training and education in the workplace.

The purpose of this paper is to serve as a summary of resources on flipped learning for workplace learning professionals. A recent buzzword in the training world is “flipped”. Flipped learning and the flipped classroom are hot topics that have emerged in K-12 education, made their way to the university and are now being noticed by the corporate world. Unfortunately many learning professionals have misconceptions about what it really means to flip a learning experience, and little literature exists to support implementation of flipped learning in the workplace.

The methodology adopted in this article is a literature review.

The paper presents several tools for moving lecture outside of the classroom and for making class time more student-centered through active learning techniques.

This paper discusses the benefits and challenges of a flipped learning approach, both in general and specifically in the workplace. Additionally, the paper explores several case studies of flipped learning use in the workplace.

The paper is a literature review that explores the definition of flipped learning as a learner-centered approach to education and looks at two models of flipped learning with applicability to workplace settings.

The purpose of this paper is to explore generational differences between Generation N (persons born 1980 and after) and previous generations with regard to teaching and learning.

This viewpoint article reviews selected literature, synthesizing those articles with opinions on how to approach Generation N for education and training.

Generation N students and employees possess certain key traits that translate into learning in school and the business world. Generation N employees are often not as independent as their predecessor generations requiring more structure, guidance and regular feedback. They prefer working collaboratively, do not respond well to the lecture, often do not communicate effectively by traditional standards, require information individually tailored to them, and require technology that is available to use. These characteristics of Gen Ns indicate that instructional designers in schools or the workplace should make appropriate adjustments when facilitating the new generation's learning.

With a rather widespread concern by educators and managers that today's graduates do not possess the critical thinking and other skills needed for the business world, this article lends a perspective on how to approach Generation N learners.

While most practitioners and researchers agree that social networking is a tool for the masses to stay in touch, this paper aims to explore an untapped use for this medium in the workplace.

This paper gives the authors' viewpoint and relies on their experience and a review of literature.

There is a synergy between knowledge management and e‐learning through these social networking tools.

By incorporating knowledge management with social networking, organizations could have a new vehicle for e‐learning, allowing formal and informal information to flow along the “super highway”.

This paper shows that both knowledge management and e‐learning bring value to an organization and through the use of social networking, knowledge will no longer be confined to a certain group of individuals, but would allow an organization to learn from its most valuable asset – its employees.

This paper aims to explore these reasons regarding why it is difficult or perhaps impossible to properly evaluate the impact and effectiveness of workplace training.

The approach taken is to describe the barriers to effectively measure training in the workplace.

The paper finds that, essentially, training sometimes lacks planning, sponsorship, budget, or because training is done for the wrong reasons. Evaluation of training is also difficult because operating unit managers are looking for increased performance and not necessarily the increased learning on which trainers usually judge the success of their training. Additionally, in almost all cases, the lack of performance is only partially due to the need for training. Even when training is needed, a deficit of skills and knowledge is often a small part – 15 percent‐20 percent perhaps – of the overall lack of performance. Training's effectiveness in helping to increase performance is reduced even further since training is often wasted because the skills and knowledge gained in training are not applied on the job and thus have no impact. Add to these things, the antiquated accounting methods used to measure and evaluate training, and it becomes easy to understand why evaluation of the impact training has within the organization is difficult.

Knowing the causes for difficulty in evaluating training in the workplace may help planners in this field to develop ways to overcome them.

This article compares the factors that affect groups of students working to complete assigned class projects and people working together in the workplace. Similar factors characterize successful teamwork whereever it occurs, just as similar factors characterize unsuccessful efforts. Highlighted here are differences between post‐secondary classrooms and workplace teams. The main purpose is for college and university instructors to recognize these differences and alter their expectations of teamwork by students accordingly.

Risky alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is ubiquitous in some workplace cultures, and is associated with considerable risks to health, safety and productivity. A workplace drug and alcohol first aid program was developed to support supervisors and managers to recognize and respond appropriately to AOD problems, increase knowledge of AOD and reduce the stigma associated with AOD. The purpose of this paper is to undertake an evaluation to assess the program’s efficacy.

A self-report survey was administered to program participants before (T1), immediately after (T2) and three months following program completion (T3). Changes in alcohol/drug-related knowledge, role adequacy, motivation and personal views were examined using repeated measures ANOVA.

A total of 109 participants took part in the program, with only 26 completing scores at all three time points. Mean scores increased significantly (p<0.05) between T1 and T2 for knowledge (12.7–16.0), role adequacy (11.8–17.4), motivation (9.7–10.4) and personal views (9.0–9.6). Significant improvements were maintained at T3 for knowledge (15.1) and role adequacy (17.3).

Drug and alcohol first aid programs offer a potentially valuable initiative to improve the knowledge, skills and understanding of managers and supervisors in tackling workplace AOD risks, associated stigma and improving help seeking.

Workplace programs for managers can facilitate organization-wide responses to the reduction of AOD-related problems, increase implementation of appropriate policy and interventions, minimize associated harms and stigma and reduce negative imposts on productivity and profit.

The paper extends the discussion on the merit of using a net promoter score (NPS) to enhance the service design of organisations and to facilitate quality monitoring and improvement. NPS is a basic measure to assess the likelihood of a customer recommending an organisation to somebody else. This paper aims to show that this metric can be effective in monitoring and improving the quality of workplace training.

Investigating the merit of using NPS to improve organisational training involved a longitudinal study of training provided by IBM. Data is analysed using panel regression and partial correlation methods. Workplace training delivery is the unit of analysis in which an NPS and conventional customer satisfaction score evaluations were conducted at the end of the delivery. The efficacy of these measures to improve quality are compared and insights derived from analysing NPS are investigated.

The findings indicate that, although NPS is not necessarily related to the results or success of a business, from a corporate perspective it can provide a solid basis from which to make business decisions that benefit a company. The authors found that NPS was associated with improved satisfaction with training, although significant regional variations were observed. Building on the data, a service business model is proposed advocating NPS as a tool for continuous improvement.

The contribution to practice includes a clearer understanding of NPS as a quality and service improvement indicator and also as a driver for a service business design. In addition, it is indicated that enterprises operating in multiple regions should consider regional variations in NPS.

By analysis of IBM’s training data, the authors gain an understanding of an industry in which quality and the use of NPS has not been extensively studied. The data also offers a rich dimension in the examination of the factors that should be considered to effectively implement an NPS service improvement plan.