A workplace learning werkplekleren management system (WMMS) is an effective software tool which enables individuals to access and assess information about their workplace and identify relevant learning activities and accomplishments. WMMS systems normally provide learning resources such as video, audio and web-based content. The software is used to monitor the performance at work, and it helps to create reports and assessments which can be used for improvement. All the tools offered by the system are easy to use, and the users get immediate results. Moreover, a number of companies today use these systems in order to monitor how their employees interact with each other and with the company itself.
Businesses that employ individuals who need formal training on workplace learning are sure to reap numerous benefits. Training creates better understanding of employees and their functions within a business. It also increases productivity, improves working conditions, and motivates individuals to take up new tasks and responsibilities. Moreover, training makes employees more efficient by sharpening their skills and abilities in a specific field. Training also helps businesses save money by reducing training costs, as employees who undergo formal training do not need to take up new tasks to fulfill their roles.
In comparison, informal learning, which is largely the norm for most workplaces today, tends to focus on just one individual at a time, and this limits its benefits. In informal learning, one person meets different individuals on varied topics to gain new knowledge and information about the field. One of the benefits of workplace learning is that people learn more in groups than in one person. The knowledge shared in a group is often more reliable and true than that supplied by a single source or a single teacher.
However, when it comes to training employees, no one can claim to have created a utopia. Some managers believe that workplace learning is beneficial because they are able to monitor the progress of workers and prevent them from wasting time and effort. They may have positive expectations about an employee based on informal interaction, and they may even assign them specific tasks to assess their level of advancement. On the other hand, managers may be disappointed with the results of informal interactions because they have failed to set goals, motivate them, and reward accomplishments.
Informal learning is advantageous only if its focus is on one individual at a time. But what happens when there are too many participants in a classroom? In such cases, the lesson that takes place is diffuse and tends to lose its value. One teacher cannot instruct, guide, and motivate twenty different people at once. As a result, what takes place in a classroom may not be applicable to twenty different people, and classroom learning preferences must be taken into account. Even if everyone in a workplace learns from the same material, a workplace may have unique learning preferences.
This means that it is necessary to consider the characteristics of a workplace before relying on informal learning to address these shortcomings. Continuous improvement requires that you think of new ways to encourage participation and enhance the overall experience. It also requires that you consider how different people learn and accommodate different learning opportunities. While workplace learning opportunities provide employees with the best opportunities for improving themselves, continuous improvement needs to take place within a framework that takes these characteristics into account.