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LXP – The Answers you seek

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LXP – The Answers you seek

LXPs. They continue to muddle up the learning system space. Not by their choice mind you, rather by the total amount of confusion among potential buyers, prospects, businesses, etc.

There is a lot of information to digest here on the whole LXP space, what they do, what they do not do. What they are and what they are not. What makes the unique, and what is common. Where did the start, and why as a direct result, they have become the one thing they push they never wanted to be.

And where LXPs will be – i.e. my group two overwhelmingly.

What is really an LXP?

If you ignore the “learning experience” angle, which is nothing more than a moniker, they are a content aggregator with a platform of features and functionality.

What do you mean a content aggregator?

To be an LXP, you must have 3rd party content providers as part of your marketplace. You should ideally have at least 10 or if you have less, then you also will have an actual 3rd party content aggregator such as GO1 or Open Sesame or both.

The way a 3rd party content provider works with an LXP (or any learning system that offers a marketplace) is that they have a partnership agreement – allowing the vendor to have them in their marketplace.

All 3rd party content is fee-based. Whether the term is pitched as “licenses” or “seats”, you as a client of the LXP, will pay for that content to appear in the LXP system. Your end-users get access to it for free. But, you, the client buy it (more like rent it, but that’s for another day). You can buy the content/courses for all your learners, or assign it to different groups, buy this provider’s leadership content for this group, and buy tech skills for that group. You do not have to buy the content to give to everyone – maybe 100 seats of content for X, and 2,000 for Y, and then for the rest of your employees nothing.

When is 3rd party content free?

The content has been created by the vendor (learning system) themselves and they are giving it to you OR it is from sources such as TED or the 3rd party content provider has agreed to give X number of courses for free to every client (based on the agreement set forth by the partnership). For example, GO1 has provided five courses/content in the past for free for some vendors.

How is this difference from say an LMS or any other learning system that isn’t an LXP?

No difference. If an LMS offers a content/course marketplace they will do the same thing. If it is a learning platform and they offer a content/course marketplace they will do the same thing. Talent development platforms? Same approach.

Were LXPs the first ones to offer a course/content marketplace for clients to purchase 3rd party content for their end users?

No. You could purchase 3rd party content as early as 2000. The original method was you would buy your system, then the salesperson would ask, do you need leadership or business skills or whatever courses. If you said, “yes”, then they would sell it and immediately add it to your system. The same of seats for X group for this content, Y for this, buy all or not, followed suit. You did not see – i.e. the marketplace yourself.

Docebo in or around 2011-2013, was the very first vendor where you could see – virtually the course/content marketplace and buy the content. They had their own – which was free, and then had partners. The unique angle was that you buy it, click it and it goes into the system immediately. Today, it is the format most vendors follow, including LXPs.

What if an LXP doesn’t offer 3rd party content providers?

Then they are not an LXP.

Why do vendors, say LMSs, say they have an LXP?

Because the market now demands it. They push it as something unique as different than their LMS, but as I will present shortly, what an LXP functionality wise offers, may exist already in the LMS. There are some vendors who slide their content marketplace under the LXP moniker, and others who list it as a separate content marketplace, then the LXP. A vendor who is savvy will now push the “learning suite” angle, something I strongly recommend.

Okay, I think I am getting the content angle, but what about features/functionality, it has to be unique right?

Well, some of it started out that way, but what has happened over time, and we are talking about only a few years, is that what was once unique to the LXP space is no longer, adding to the confusion.

History Lesson for LXPs

To understand how we got to where we are today with the LXPs, you will need a bit of background. There is one, and only one specific factor which as a direct result, has pushed the LXPs – with some functionality to be ubiquitous to other learning systems, specifically the one, they argue they definitely are not – an LMS.

LXPs Initial Push – What they said made them different

  • Learner-Centric – The learner drives the learning experience, they choose what is of interest to them or not. They select the skills/interests and then the content only for those interests/skills will appear.
  • No formal learning – No assigned learning – which they pitched an LMS only does or is designed for that (This is a fallacy, LMSs were not developed for that, and why they have it, it is up to the client to decide whether to use it or not).
  • Informal Learning – Social driven, learning tapped into the whole social scene. Again, a fallacy that they were the first or only ones to do this. LMSs have been doing it for decades (okay most of them).
  • After they started to appear, Skills made an appearance – again, tied to content (which included micro-learning – been around since 2000 BTW, content the term itself – LXPs were the first ones to push out this term in greater numbers, and courses). Some LXPs did a far better job than others when it came to skill features and functionality. Skill gap has always existed in most LMSs, just wasn’t openly said in marketing, and the import of skill dictionaries for example, first appeared in the LMS space. However, other skill features, such as skill ratings first appeared in the LXP space. The first vendor to do this? Degreed.
  • Degreed was a trend setter in the LXP market. It was why, and still is in some minds – they think they are an LXP – uh, not Degreed themselves (they push the TDP angle), but consumers. First with the playlist approach. First with the push of recommended content tied to an algorithm. First to push recommended content base on variables. They were also the first to have an algorithm that only pushed content if you completed the content (the learner just clicks complete whether have or not – and yes it still exists, i.e. content has to be completed) – And it is something I am not a fan of, because other vendors have adopted this too. First with skill ratings. First with the bookmarklet extension to tie what you search for on the net and tie it into the existing content and/or to capture the page and bring that page back into the system, beyond just a link. First to have metrics focused on web content – such as number of views of an article for example. This is not the same thing as metrics around content/courses, LMSs were – they started in 2000.
  • Playlists/Channels – Content that appears on a playlist/channel based on the interests/skills for the learner (Yes, LXPs were the first ones to follow this approach)
  • Playlists -included Most Popular, Most viewed – which may not be the same metric as most popular, highest rated.
  • Content Curation – Total mixed bag here, but that the learner can curate content from a variety of sources, PDFs, articles, web site – articles, posts, videos etc. LXPs were the first ones (as a whole, because early on, not all of them did this) to push this narrative and approach.
  • Recommend Content in a playlist/channel (some show it in a grid format with blocks), based on the actions of the learner. It did not mean that it was built on machine learning. LXPs were the first to push the recommend content playlist angle, not the first to have either a) course catalog in a grid format or b) courses/content appear in a grid format on the learner home page. Course catalog – grid design, has existed from the early 2000s.
  • Machine Learning algorithm that based on the actions of the learner, the content would appear tied to skills, interests, recommended, and so forth. They were not the first ones to have machine learning in the space, but they started out, Degreed being the first, to tie it around the recommended content and content tied around interests. Degreed was the first true LXP in the market. I should note, they are no longer an LXP, rather a Talent Development Platform.
  • Pushed narrative of topics of interest, out of the gate – it appeared before the learner went to the home page, often after they logged in. Yes, LXPs were the first ones to do this. Eventually they added skills as the key piece for the topics of content, and Interests – the term waned, in some LXPs, they no longer even offer the term “interests”, rather they now focus on skills – heavily, and job roles.
  • Saw themselves as an add-on, bolt-on to an existing LMS. It was rare for an LXP to be a standalone, i.e. the client did not have an LMS or if they did, it was not a bolt-on. Today, it is mixed, some clients use it as a separate platform, perhaps their only one – and do not have an LMS or another learning system OR they have another learning system and bolt-on or API connected (the term, “connected” is more widely used). And as earlier noted, plenty of LMSs are leveraging LXP as a sort of unique solution, different from what they offer.
  • Focused 100% on the L&D community and said it openly. They were not interested (partially because they were unaware that Training was a different community and not the same as L&D) in also targeting Training. This is the key reason, why you see what they have become. It is the core reason.

Why did the whole approach change or did it?

Yes, yes it did and you can go right back to their target audience – L&D. LXPs pushed the idea of learner-centric and tapped into L&D departments using their LMS (if they had one) only for compliance, regulatory and required – assigned learning. The L&D departments doing this (and it majority, but not all), saw the LXP as a way to provide their employees, personal and professional development courses/content – which they were not providing in their LMS (and yes, there were and still are L&D folks who offer personal and professional courses/content in their LMS).

The problem though, was that typically in L&D, they have a background in Organizational Development (OD) and were providing learning internally in a method they have always done – focus on the job role, and skills tied to it, leadership development, required learning. The idea that they offer ILT or e-learning for that matter for personal and professional development was as a whole, a non-starter.

L&D clients started to ask for certain features they were using heavily in the LMS. Specifically, assigned learning aka formal learning.

LXPs then started to offer it. Not just one LXP, the vast majority of the market. Learner-centric the messaging of it, started to disappear (LXPs will still say it in a pitch, or internally, but go find it on their web site or other external messaging).

Formal learning arrived in the LXP space. The key feature/approach the LXPs were abhorrent about, made its mark. It still exists.

Formal learning tapped into not just courses and other types of content assigned to the learner, but went next to tied to skills that the learner had to learn for their job role. Then this was tied to the content being pushed out in various playlist options, not just recommend (which was the first), but then suggestions based on what the learner either completed or did not – but looked at content around that skill or skills.

Next came content wrapped specifically around that job role. Again, interests started to disappear.

Soon, other features that existed in an LMS (majority of the market), began to appear in the LXP space. An LXP added e-commerce. Then another added classroom management. Next, a few started to offer compliance feature sets. Followed by a variety of mobile features. Initially they were way behind with hierarchies tied around various administrators (option) tied to rules. Now? Most have it.

Multi-Tenant appeared. Although it is still not universal.

The one area of weakness that continues to plague the LXP space is metrics. Compared to many LMSs (and trust me, not everyone), metric segmentation was poor. Reporting pushed out metrics that really are not relevant nor add any value to understanding learning – I mean views? What does that tell me? Nothing.

The metrics tend to be very so-so as a whole. Completed appears – but sort of defeats the whole purpose of why e-learning (WBT) was created in the first place, fails to tap into knowing what folks do not know, and where you as the head of L&D, Training or whatever, can create content (inc. courses) that target those areas to develop the skills or interests for that learner.

What do LXPs do well now, that helps them stand apart?

This isn’t an easy answer, because it is all over the map, in what I am about to present. This is because skills platforms began to appear in earnest in 2019-20, and continue to show up.

However, due to I believe Degreed, other LXPs began to add more skill building and development features. Eventually, no surprise here – several LMSs started to do the same thing. Just as the LXPs, some LMSs do a far better job of it, some are horrible at it. LXPs though on the whole, offer it. Not every LMS does. This is a key point.

Compared to an LMS who does a great job at it, or a skills-dedicated platform for example, many LXPs are behind. This is a direct result of them starting to land more folks who wanted the connection to an existing LMS or wanted the LXP as the standalone away from whatever LMS or other learning system they had/have OR the LXP is the only system.

As mentioned earlier, if your focus is to add more functionality like most LMSs, and continue to expand on playlists, then you will take your eye off the ball when it comes to skills.

When it comes to metrics tied around skills, it continues to be a mish-mash. Not every LXP identifies on the admin side, metrics around what are the most popular selected by learners of the company (which is often listed as a top ten). Those who do it though, it is rare for them to tie it directly to specific content or playlists for example that can be visibly seen on the screen. For many, it is a downloadable report only.

LMSs as a whole have totally messed this whole thing up when it comes to metrics tied around viewing it with top ten skills or skills metrics tied to various content, and the content topics.

Of course, this even with the LXPs all comes down to what 3rd party content you have purchased. If you purchase zero, then even with an LXP, you offers it, you won’t see the metric.

Skill ratings tend to appear more in the LXPs, but this is starting to change. In a year, I believe LMSs as a whole, will surpass the LXPs market in offering this. A direct result of the skills-specific platforms who crush everyone when it comes to this, especially the skills-measurement only platforms, who dominate the whole skill rating – self-assessment (their term, not mine), and manager assessment (of the learner, again, term is theirs, not mine – as everyone knows I believe the term should be validation).

From a extensive metric standpoint around skill ratings, LXPs lag. It’s not pretty. Heck, LMSs are in the same boat. Again, the ones who dominate all, are skill-measurement platforms (after all it is their forte), and skills-focused only platforms, again, makes sense.

Coaching/mentoring around skills should be something every LXP offers, but they don’t and those that do, it is all over the map. The vendors who do the best job at it, including the video skills validation tied around digital coaching and scenarios (something you want) are LMSs (who offer it, and it is very minimal, but of high interest to every consumer – business, org, association, etc. that I talk to, when they inquire).

Coaching tied around skills should be another dominator for the LXPs, but it again, is not. Another missed opportunity.

However, skills functions as a whole, again, plenty of exceptions, when you compare LXP to an LMS, slight edge of LXPs. Those who do it and do it well, are far higher in terms of the others, which results in a Small Top group of LXPs and then a drop down to middle then a big drop to nearly non-existent. I should add, this is exactly what is happening in the LMS space, a small group at the top of the sector, then a drop down to middle of the road and then a steep drop to the bottom. And just like the LXP space, the bottom rung will never get to the top rung, and the middle rung likely will never get to the top rung, I think only a few will figure it out.

Skills tied to Job Roles and that heavy play

Look, skill platforms, who only do skills, are the leaders here. Followed by Talent Development platforms, then a tie between LXPs and LMSs (as a whole). This is because some LXPs are really good at this, and a lot are horrific or non-existent. Ditto for LMSs, and frankly other types of learning systems.

EdCast XP is very close to being a TDP – but they EdCast pitch it as an LXP. Once you add the add-on career mapping, you jump into the TDP scene. It is only available with XP. Now, EdCast Spark is an LXP, but the heavy push of skills tied to job roles is so-so.

The essential for a heavy dose of skills and job roles, requires a skills/roles library. It has to be constantly updated to reflect the corporate market (that is its focus, especially white-collar). This is why, even with the vendor basing it on clients providing it, or their own competency model or scrubbing of job board data or LinkedIn data (or a combo of all or some), many will go third party deep integration, with the two king kongs being EMSI and Burning Glass.

LXPs as a whole, are not strong here, when it comes to skill libraries/job roles. The extensive mapping of skills tied to job roles, slides toward the LMS market (again, as a whole, and it is growing, so not everyone does it, and not everyone does a good job at it). LXPs are all over the map. Some do a solid job, but no body it like WOW, WOW.

Actually, I’ll take that back, EdCast XP with the career mapping add-on will get you there – plus they offer extensive customization to go further. And again, once you add the add-on, you now are playing as a Talent Development Platform.

Who does an awesome job at this?

Cornerstone as an LMS, does a very good job at the whole skills mapping tied to job roles. However, they are a) not an LXP and b) not a TDP.

I note this, because as a market, TDPs do a great job at it. Degreed, Schoox and Juno Journey are heads above the other TDPs, and I’d argue ahead of any LXP and the majority of LMSs (there are plenty of exceptions, for example Cornerstone Learning does a very good job, Docebo? No – and I say this, even though I like the system as a whole, but they lack a strong skills platform component. SAP Litmos? NO)

Learn Amp is close, but they lack the robustness of a skills library/job roles thing.

And for folks, who have asked, regarding Cornerstone and whether they are a TDP, the answer is no, unless you have the four pack – Cornerstone Learning + Cornerstone Develop – which is strongly a skills platform (they pitch it as their LXP) + Content Anytime (their content marketplace) + Cornerstone Careers.

If a learning system vendor, such as an LMS says they have an LXP, and they have a content marketplace which is separate, what then is the LXP really?

Skills Platform pushed around playlists and similar. This is skills focused heavily, even if the LMS itself has strong skills components and capabilities, but may or may not have strong content curation, or playlist approach and mechanics of it.

On the LXP side, their future will be tied around three essential items – beyond what they offer today, which is of course the content curation and playlist pieces:

  • Heavy does of Skills platform capabilities – They have to match the skills platforms. Ideally do things that even surpass them. Skills specific only platforms, as a whole lack 3rd party content for example. Exceptions exist including Pluralsight for one – but it is only technical skills and their own content, plus experts, so not 3rd party per se, and Skillnet is close (by end of Q3) to go 3rd party content. Neither of these mind you are LXPs.
  • Skills heavily tapped into the job roles thing tapped in with a strong dose of 3rd party content and free content that is scrubbed off the Internet. A few are there, EdCast for one which again XP does, Spark does a fair job, but XP surpasses it.
  • Skills tied to job roles tied to job opportunities – I know you are seeing where this is going. There is, IMO, an invertibility with LXPs – by 2023, at least 50% will be talent development platforms, and by 2025, 90%. Sure there will be stragglers, and then others who will call themselves some other term, but there is a clear route here for the market as a whole. As noted in my post on where the market is heading, they will slide into Group two. Now, will they externally push themselves as a TDP, I can’t say, that is up to each vendor, but once this point above is made, they are there. I mean the second point, gets you very close, the edge here, but when you think about it, they have the other components (as a whole) a) Learning functionality that has enough feature sets to warrant it, b) content marketplace, c) skills focused to job roles – again some do a better job than others, and strength is across the board, thus the point above. The fourth is what they are missing, as a whole. They will cross that line.

Bottom Line

This post presented you, the reader will a lot of information around the whole LXP market. What’s taking place, where is it heading, what differentiates it, what doesn’t and what impact has it had or will have in the coming years.

I’m sure some of you may have questions, after all, the LXP space isn’t something that can fully digested in one setting.

Marketing spin causes this. So does the vendor spin.

This post though promises you one thing

No spin.

E-Learning 24/7

Vygotsky’s Concept of Socio-Cultural Tools and its Usefulness in the Educational Setting.

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Vygotsky’s Concept of Socio-Cultural Tools and its Usefulness in the Educational Setting.

 

                       Cultural tools are characterized as the genuine apparatuses and images frameworks that enable individuals in a network to impart, think, take care of issues, and make learning. Vygotsky trusted that a person’s intellectual improvement is influenced by social apparatuses that they are given. On the off chance that the individual is furnished with further developed devices, at that point he/she has a superior shot of a further developed intellectual advancement. This is imperative for instructors in two angles. One, we have to consider what cultural tools our children have been in contact with before they go to our classrooms. Likewise, we have to consider what social apparatuses we will supply our understudies with and how this will influence their intellectual improvement. He additionally trusted that social devices incorporate genuine and emblematic apparatuses which assume extremely noteworthy parts in subjective improvement. He accentuated the devices that the way of life gives to help, thinking with the goal that all higher-arrange mental procedures, for example, thinking and critical thinking are interceded by mental instruments, for example, dialect, signs and images.

                      Grown-ups train these devices to kids amid everyday exercises and the kids disguise them, with the goal that later the mental devices can enable understudies to propel their own improvement. Children take part in exercises with grown-ups and trade thoughts and mindsets about or speaking to ideas. These co-related thoughts are disguised by children, subsequently, their information, thoughts, mentalities, and qualities create through appropriating the methods for acting and thinking gave by their way of life and by the more fit individuals from their gathering. Children start to make a culture toolbox and they change the instruments given to them into their own particular portrayals, images, examples and understandings. Their developments of implications are not the same as grown-ups, so in the trading of signs and images, they make their own particular understandings, which bit by bit change as they participate in social exercises and endeavor to comprehend the world. In Vygotsky’s theory, language is the most frameworks in the toolbox, and the one fills the pack with different devices.

                      Teacher education & development | review article: Applications of Vygotsky’s sociocultural approach for teachers’ professional development 2016 states that Vygotsky’s sociocultural hypothesis of brain speaks to an original, entrenched hypothesis in formative brain science which offers the most vigorous record of mental improvement to date (Lantolf, 2008; Vygotsky, 1998). Three fundamental employments of his sociocultural hypothesis are: (1) to stress on formative or hereditary examination as a way to comprehend certain parts of mental working; (2) to guarantee that individual mental working has social beginnings; and (3) to accentuation on the interceded idea of human activity. Ramifications of Vygotsky’s theory for seeing such ideas as information and learning are significant. Above all else, Vygotskian thinking demonstrates that the starting point of information development ought not to be looked for in the brain but rather in the social collaboration co-built between a progressively and a less learned person. In addition, the development of information is a socioculturally interceded process influenced by the physical and mental devices and relics that rundowns the accompanying presumptions as the center precepts fundamental Vygotsky’s theory: (1) Learning goes before improvement. (2) Language is the principle vehicle (device) of thought. (3) Mediation is integral to learning. (4) Social association is the premise of learning and improvement. Learning is a procedure of apprenticeship and disguise in which abilities and information are changed from the social into the psychological plane. (5) The zone of proximal advancement is the essential movement space in which learning happens.

                        Sociocultural hypothesis focuses on that intellectual improvement was relied upon to develop through self-started revelation. Vygotsky’s sociocultural hypothesis places more prominent accentuation on the impact a tyke’s way of life, social factor, and language. This means that Vygotsky trusted tyke gains from individual communication within his/her way of life, instead of through individual encounters of possibility and irregular. Social cooperation with one’s way of life assumes a gigantic part in the subjective advancement of a person. The accentuation was puts on person’s subjective procedures (Snowman etal, 2009). Vygotsky trusted that every individual experiences phases of psychological advancement where each stage constructs learning. He contends that subjective phases of improvement mean to clarify how every individual builds learning through one’s capacity, with direction, to absorb data into existing plans and make new plans of data; this procedure is called settlement.

 

 

 

References

Constructivist Critical Analysis Essay. (2013, September 05). Retrieved from https://madelineharmanportfolio.wordpress.com/understanding-learning/constructivist-critical-analysis-essay/

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory – Guidance for New Teachers Group 5. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/guidancefornewteachersgroup5/cognitive-development-of-students/vygotsky-s-sociocultural-theory

 

Author : Sharon Campbell-Phillips
Degree : Doctorate
Major : Health Sciences
Country : Trinidad and Tobago
Language : English

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The Business of Mental Health

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The Business of Mental Health

A successful leader in business will always have a lot on their plate. With all of the duties that come with such a position, it can be easy to lose sight of more intangible issues affecting the bottom line of your business, such as the mental health of employees. So to help our entrepreneurial Learners improve their workplaces, we’ve put together a list of the top things you need to be aware of as a leader when it comes to improving and cultivating strong mental health among your employees.

1. Recognize the Signs

Mental health problems can be difficult to spot, but you can train yourself to recognize some telltale signs. Sometimes these can be as simple as an employee having more trouble with their work than usual, but they are often more nuanced. By learning how to spot these signs, you’ll be better positioned to help your employees and maintain team cohesion.

2. Be Open and Raise Awareness

Everyone can hit a rough patch and your employees are no different. An employee should feel that they are able to report any issues they have to you without fearing that their problems will be disregarded. By raising awareness of mental health issues in the workplace, you can encourage employees to report any issues they’re having to you, allowing you to help them solve their problems and keep the team moving.

 

3. Cultivate a Hospitable Environment

Work is usually high on anybody’s list of “things that cause stress”, so you don’t want to make it any more stressful than it needs to be. By making sure to moderate the amount of tasks given to employees, those tasks will be completed to a higher standard, and helps your employees avoid burnout.

4. Be Flexible

Every employee is different, and their problems will often require different approaches. As a leader, it is crucial that you are flexible enough to help employees in a way that suits the situation. This can often be as simple as granting them leave for a short period, or extending deadlines on projects. Exercise your judgement for each situation. If you are fair to your employees, they’ll work harder for you in turn.

4 Simple Steps to Improve Your Mental Health

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4 Simple Steps to Improve Your Mental Health

Mental health is a vitally important aspect of all of our lives. Unfortunately, it’s quite poorly understood. There are a lot of misconceptions around the topic, and it’s easy to get swept away by it all. To make things easier and clearer, we’ve put together four simple steps you can take to improve your mental health.

1. Learn the Facts

Mental health is a tricky topic at the best of times, so it’s important to stay informed and up to date. Poor mental health is an illness and, like any illness, you can spot the signs if you know what to look for. By keeping up to date with mental health studies, you’ll be able to identify mental health issues in yourself and others.

2. Raise Awareness

A problem cannot be solved if no one knows it exists. People can be reluctant to discuss mental health issues and so they often go untreated. One of the best ways to make yourself and others feel more comfortable about discussing your mental health is to get involved in raising awareness.

 

3. Acknowledge and Treat It

Seemingly small issues can become mental health problems surprisingly easily. An increasingly stressful work issue here, some missed sleep there, it can be very easy to dismiss such things as small, contained problems. However if small issues like these stay unresolved and start to pile up, then they can cause bigger problems down the line. You can avoid this mistake by familiarising yourself with the everyday stressors you need to keep an eye on.

4. Always Keep Improving

If you feel like your mental health is in order, it can be very easy to just forget about it. However, you can always keep improving and you should, because your mental health is the lens through which you view the world. Improving on your mental health is a great way to improve your quality of life, and is an excellent avenue for self-improvement.

Engineering – A Booming Job Market

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Engineering – A Booming Job Market

If you’re currently reading this blog on your phone or computer then you are benefiting from some spectacular feats of engineering. Reading an article online, something millions of people do every day, is only possible thanks to the work of engineers, who play an integral role in the modern world.

Due to the technological advances of recent times, engineering has become integral to almost every single industry. Engineering jobs take up a larger and larger segment of the job market every year so if you’re thinking of embarking on your first career, or trying something new, then engineering is a field you should definitely be looking into. Here are some of the most popular and interesting engineering fields that you should consider.

Mechanical Engineering

Whenever you hear the word “engineer”, a mechanical engineer is probably the closest thing to the image that first comes to mind. These engineers focus on building and maintaining many of the everyday devices and machines we all use, such as buses and trains. If you were ever curious about the operation of an internal combustion engine, or wanted to build machines with real-world applications, then this is the field for you. Demand for mechanical engineers is steadily increasing, making these very employable skills to learn.

Industrial Engineering

If you’re interested in a particular industry, the chances are that sector relies on specific industrial engineers. From the aviation to the cosmetics industries, engineers are behind so much of our experience of goods and services. Industrial engineers often focus on the optimisation production systems. Regardless of the particular industry you’re interested in, the basics of industrial engineering will be applicable, making them extremely useful to know.

Computer Engineering

The advent of advanced computer software and drawing applications have meant that engineering has taken on an entirely new complexion in the modern world. We can model and predict the operation of systems and machines like never before using cutting edge computer programs. If you’re interested in technology then you are in an excellent position to capitalise on the ever-growing field of computer engineering. Learning to create engineering drawings using modern software is a great way to get to know this rapidly expanding field, while also doing some valuable upskilling.

Getting Started in Industrial Engineering

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Getting Started in Industrial Engineering

Engineering can be a daunting field to break into, but also a very lucrative one. Talented engineers have little issue in finding work as they are always in demand across a variety of sectors. One of the most popular and interesting fields they find employment in is Industrial Engineering, or “IE” for short.

Industrial Engineering encompasses a wide variety career paths and can offer lots of opportunities for changing lanes. However, getting started in Industrial Engineering can be a steep learning curve, but there are a few steps you can take that will give you a great chance of launching a successful career in this fascinating sector.

 

Start With The Basics

Industrial Engineering is just that, engineering applied to industry. It covers a wide range of topics, but put simply, it is concerned with the building and maintenance of industrial machinery. As an industrial engineer, you’ll often find yourself optimising different systems and working in a variety of sectors, however the basic principles are usually the same. Naturally, it’s vitally important that you learn all about these basic principles, as you’ll be needing them regardless of where you end up working.

Knowledge of Control Systems

A huge part of industrial engineering is the construction and operation of control systems. Examples of these include temperature, liquid level, and gas level control systems, which all play a crucial role in a variety of industries. The central principles of control systems are constant, whether it’s an incubator in a hospital or a water tank in an aquarium, making this a highly transferable skill. For this reason, learning about the operation of control valves in IE is an excellent way to improve your employability in this field.

Advanced Ideas and Concepts

Once you’re confident that you’ve mastered the basics of industrial engineering, then the next step is to tackle the more advanced concepts. These more demanding skills are ones that employers will be looking out for, so it’s worth your while earning an impressive certification in this area. Our course on advanced industrial engineering is an excellent way to achieve a valuable certification

Industrial Engineering is far from easy, but if you work hard and master these key skills, you’ll be able to make an impressive start in this demanding field.

The Three Keys to Project Management

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The Three Keys to Project Management

Project management is perhaps one of the most important skillsets to have within any organisation. Every successful organisation, be they companies or governments, must be capable of managing their projects productively and consistently.

Effective project management allows for the efficient identification and solution of problems and it underpins the regular operations of organisations across the world. For this reason, project management skills are in high demand in the world of employment. So to help you get ahead, we’ve outlined the three keys to you need to unlock these lucrative business skills.

 

Learn the Basics

Like any other skill, you have to start learning project management from the ground-up. Good project management requires a firm grasp of the basic concepts. It’s important you don’t jump into the deep end of managing a project because, a mismanaged project has the potential to damage your operations. Experience will come with time and practice. To begin with, you need to study the basics closely so you can acquire vital information that you can then apply when managing your first project. By learning the basics, and keeping up to date with them in the ever-changing environment of modern employment, you’ll be giving yourself the best chance at success.

Get Qualified

If you’re serious about finding work in project management, then a qualification in the subject will go a long way towards helping you stand out from the crowd. For high quality certification, check out our course on project management, which can be completed within 10-15 hours. Over 200,000 people have already earned this qualification, and it will stand to you in any job you apply for. Having a qualification demonstrates your interest in the topic and shows that you’re willing to work hard in your chosen field, a very attractive trait to employers.

Project Management Software

The modern workplace is rapidly evolving, and you never know what will come around the corner. Projects often have to undergo chops and changes, and the technology behind them is always advancing. By knowing how to use the latest software effectively, you’ll be able to deal with these changes much more efficiently. Employers like to see software fluency in their employees, so by gaining skills in project management software, you’ll increase your employability exponentially.

Alison Anniversary Interviews: Chuck Diemert

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Alison Anniversary Interviews: Chuck Diemert

Chuck Diemert is the Literacy Zone Coordinator with the Orleans/Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in New York. Chuck has over ten years experience in the field of adult education and is a passionate advocate for educational accessibility. As part of his brief with BOCES, Chuck is the organizer of the Diversion Program which helps at-risk individuals stay out of the criminal justice system by gaining an education. Chuck has teamed with Alison in the past to pioneer the use of free online courses as a form of alternative sentencing and continues to champion the cause of education instead of incarceration through his work at BOCES. The Alison Blog was delighted to chat to Chuck as part of our 14 Year Celebration interview series.

 

Hi Chuck! What inspired you to choose a career in education?

Funny story! I didn’t choose a career in education, it chose me. After receiving a B.S. in Computer Engineering I began a career as an analyst, systems administrator, and project manager in the banking industry. While in between contracts with different banks I received a phone call from my mother who is an adult education program manager. She asked if I’d be willing to teach a computer class for a few weeks while they looked for an instructor to replace someone who had left the organization. I said no. She eventually wore me down (and threatened to never cook for me again) and I agreed to teach for a few weeks. That was almost 13 years ago.

I think what struck me initially was the humanity involved. I was used to dealing with data, networks, and engineers. There wasn’t much emotion in my previous roles. Coming into education, especially adult education, was a bit of a culture shock. Helping people with situations I could hardly imagine were real, having them find success, and then come back to thank me for my help was something I hadn’t really experienced to that point. I suppose I found a passion for helping people and my “few week” stint as a computer teacher has turned into a life-long mission.

What has been your proudest achievement in the education sector?

This is a tough question to answer. I’ve been involved in some interesting projects over the years. From the bigger picture perspective, I would say working with the New York State Department of Education to lower the age of eligibility for one of our online High School Equivalency pathways, thus making the program more accessible for students who are profoundly struggling with traditional school. That being said, I have so many stories of people I’ve had the honor of working with that have overcome impossible odds in life. My ability to play a small part in helping them achieve their goals is a truly overwhelming experience.

What has been the most important development you’ve witnessed in education in your professional lifetime?

Not to hit the nail on the head but technology, the internet, and the accessibility those things allow for. In many ways the methods with which we deliver education haven’t changed in centuries. Put students in a room with a teacher. Have that teacher explain a concept. Repeat. With increased accessibility to online resources, along with new smartboard technology, teachers have a never ending catalog of resources to help them make lessons more interesting, relatable, and engaging for students. In an age where attention spans seem to be getting shorter by the day, teachers are having to find more ways to keep student engagement up, and the tools given to them by technology are the solution.

Why is free education so important in addressing global inequality?

The ability to access quality education shouldn’t be limited by your financial situation. But if you live in a region without a reliable public education system you are left in a seemingly impossible situation if you are hoping to grow beyond the confines of your community. If we as a society have the resources to extend access to education to those that don’t currently have that advantage, I believe it is our responsibility to help close the gap.

 

Why do you think that online learning has been such a game changer when it comes to democratising education?

I think it comes down to cost. Once upon a time the only way to learn was to go to where the books and teachers were and those institutions cost a lot of money to maintain and attend, particularly if a person had to travel a great distance to do so. With ever increasing internet access, the need for brick and mortar establishments is constantly shrinking. A child in even the most remote region that has a cell phone can access all the same materials as a student at a prestigious university. While accreditation remains a hurdle, the availability of the information itself is becoming greater every day.

What in your opinion is the most pressing educational issue globally?

I’m afraid I’m going back to the well too many times but it’s all about accessibility. Even where I am in Western New York State, there are so many people that due to their circumstances can’t reasonably access education. Whether it is lack of transportation, lack of adequate child care, or a work schedule that doesn’t allow someone to engage with educational programming, the result is the same. There are people that want to take ownership of their future through education but simply can’t. The growth of online learning tools and resources has helped us immeasurably in our ability to bring education to the student rather than forcing the student to come to us.

If you were to recommend one online course to our Learners, what would it be and why?

It would be hard to narrow it down to one. But it would definitely be in the world of communication and Alison has so many fantastic courses in communication. Perhaps the Introduction to Communication Skills. Far too often, problems that arise, whether it be in school, at work, or at home, boil down to poor communication. The ability to clearly convey information seems to be a skill that many people struggle with. Strong communication skills are the foundation of success in any endeavor.

What advice would you give to Alison’s Learners who are using free online learning to empower themselves?

I’ll simply quote Coach Jimmy Valvano. “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” Education is the key to all the locks. Never stop learning. Never stop growing. Never stop chasing your dreams.

Discovering the Depth of the English Language

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Discovering the Depth of the English Language

English is one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, with the second-highest number of native speakers and the highest number of total speakers when accounting for second language use. With such an enormous scope, it should come as no surprise that there’s an endless amount to know about this fascinating language. We’ve put together three great courses that showcase the depth and diversity of this amazing language. Even native speakers will be surprised at how much there is to learn!

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is at the heart of every language, and few languages can compare to the vast vocabulary boasted by English. Most native speakers are not at all aware of the full range of English words that are out there. The history of a language is contained in its words so if you’re not just in learning more English, but in learning more about English, then expanding your vocabulary is the perfect way to get started.

Grammar

English grammar can be very intimidating, even if it’s your first language! Many native speakers don’t recognise the grammatical rules they follow when they speak and almost certainly don’t know the various grammatical terms for different types of words and structures. However, every time you speak English you are utilising an incredibly complicated and fascinating network – grammar!

Literature

For those with an interest in the literary use of language, English offers a particularly rich tradition of world famous poets, novelists and dramatists. From the works of famed playwrights such as William Shakespeare to those of revered novelists such as Charles Dickens, English literature is one of the greatest treasure troves in any language!

3 technical skills every marketing team should master

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3 technical skills every marketing team should master

As a marketing leader, you might be familiar with the range of technical skills that can help your team thrive in a fast-paced environment. For example, web-development and front-end skills like HTML and CSS can help marketers be more agile with website updates, while SQL and Python can help your team make the most of sales and marketing funnel data, simplify their workflow, and thrive in the era of marketing automation.

To help you and your team get started on the educational journey right away, we’ve outlined how these technical skills can benefit marketers in their day-to-day functions. Plus, we’ve included recommendations for specific courses to help your team upskill.

Web development

Basic web development skills can help your team move faster — enabling them to troubleshoot and make updates to web pages and blog posts without relying on developers.

Learning HTML and CSS, specifically, empowers marketers to take on front-end initiatives like changing up an email template, updating the format of a landing page, and adjusting website parameters in response to data. When marketers can make these tweaks on their own without relying on engineers, it helps remove bottlenecks and leads to faster iteration.

Here are a few courses that can help your marketing team hone their front-end web development skills:

  • Code Foundations: Learn to write your first lines of code with an introduction to basic programming concepts.
  • Learn How to Build Websites: An introduction to HTML and CSS, which teaches learners how to build a website with Github Pages.
  • Learn HTML: An introduction to HTML, the foundation of all web pages.
  • Learn CSS: Learn the basics of styling web pages with CSS, including how to create attractive layouts, display and position elements, and typography.

Data analysis

There’s so much data available at every stage in the marketing funnel, and it’s becoming increasingly important for marketers to take advantage of this information to glean insights and continuously improve their efforts. The ability to leverage data can lead to more targeted, focused marketing which ultimately leads to more business opportunities and inbound leads.

Learning SQL can help marketers make the most of their data through specific tasks:

  • Querying databases: Quickly and effectively search through large datasets to gather the most relevant information.
  • Analyzing data: Recognize and interpret patterns to create actionable data, and conclude where to focus optimization efforts.
  • Validating A/B test results: Monitor the effectiveness of different marketing tactics for driving conversions and use these insights to inform future efforts.

Here are a few SQL courses to help your marketers make the most of data to remain competitive, understand customers’ needs, and drive informed decisions:

  • Learn SQL: Learn how to use SQL to access, create, and update data stored in a database, and advance into more complex queries.
  • Analyze Data with SQL: Gain a thorough understanding of SQL, one of the most popular tools for analyzing data.
  • Intermediate SQL for Marketers and Product Managers: Learn to work with data and frameworks to investigate user churn metrics, interpret usage funnels, and analyze marketing attribution methodologies.

Marketing automation

Digital marketers might find themselves performing repetitive tasks in their day-to-day, which take away from other important priorities. Python and JavaScript are both languages that can be useful in helping marketers automate routine tasks.

JavaScript

In addition to implementing rudimentary automation, JavaScript can help marketers make their current out-of-the-box automation platforms more sophisticated. Here are a couple of ways to take marketing automation to the next level:

  • Build on an existing system that uploads Salesforce data to a spreadsheet and use JavaScript to reformat the sheet and reject invalid inputs.
  • Use JavaScript to write Google Adwords Scripts to automatically change bids, pause ad groups, add/remove keywords for ad campaigns.
  • Build a script using Google’s premade Google Adwords code snippets to create custom triggers for each of your ad campaigns.
  • Add additional actions to your Zapier workflows, like extracting specific data from large text files.
  • Integrate with Marketo’s JavaScript API to track known and anonymous leads from website visitors.
  • Add more customization to your professional Wix website and set up a backend to store and interact with data.

For an introduction, check out our Learn JavaScript course.

Python

Python is a versatile language that marketers can use to automate routine tasks with short and custom scripts. Here are a few examples of tasks that can be automated to save time and effort:

  • Renaming or cleaning multiple files
  • Collecting answers from data forms and populate a spreadsheet
  • Running through customer data to perform an RFM (recency, frequency, monetary value) analysis
  • Transferring and reformatting data from one system to another
  • Checking and fixing broken links

With a fundamental understanding of Python, marketers can automate their repetitive tasks and simplify their workflow. For an introduction, check out our Learn Python 3 course.

Upskill your team

Codecademy for Teams is a Codecademy for Business offering that helps organizations provide technical training and education for their employees. We launched this product to help organizations — across all industries — unlock their potential by elevating technical skills across their teams.

Ready to elevate your marketing team’s technical skillset? Learn more or request a free 2-week trial here.

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