Citation
(2009), "Whats on the web", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 23 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/dlo.2009.08123fag.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Whats on the web
Article Type: What’s on the web From: Development and Learning in Organizations, Volume 23, Issue 6
Informal approach
infed was established in 1995 as an open, independent and not-for-profit site. Put together by a small group of educators, it now claims to be accessed around six million times a year (and we’ve just added another hit!). The stated aim of the organization is “to provide a space for people to explore the theory and practice of informal education, social action and lifelong learning. We want to encourage educators and animateurs to develop ways of working and being that foster association, conversation and relationship”.
There are a number of articles on the site and one of the more interesting is by strategist Peter Senge with his vision of a learning organization as a group of people who are continually enhancing their capabilities to create what they want to and which has been deeply influential. He posits five disciplines that he sees as central to learning organizations.
The infed site itself has a slightly amateurish feel in terms of its design, use of colour and fonts etc, but in this case that is no bad thing. It helps with the overall sense of a group of genuinely concerned thinkers, keen to get their ideas across.
Substance over style
Ravenwerks was started in 1999 as a “protest against chronic lapses in ethics, etiquette and effectiveness in business’” Run by consultants John and Paula Williams who gradually became interested in international, multicultural and global issues, this has some fascinating insights and some excellent advice.
Sadly though, the design of the web site leaves something (well, a lot actually) to be desired. Headlines are too big, pictures drive out text, links wander all over the place. This looks like a site designed by a school kid – no we take that back, it looks like a site designed by an adult with a new web design package and no training. We’ve said it often before, a web site is your “shop window” – people must be persuaded to come inside and buy.
It’s a shame as the content is really good but many people will struggle to discover this fact on this dog’s dinner of a web site.
Top stuff
Well, talking of shop windows, the Harvard Business School Executive Education site is a veritable Harrods. It is beautifully designed, fast and easy to use. The information, particularly on business programs, is excellent and the links and search facility are comprehensive.
Even if you are not about to take one of their courses, there is some interesting stuff to read. “How to market in a downturn” the new “innovation world” and long term thinking on leadership education were just a few of the pieces that caught our eye. Well worth visiting.
A good alternative
The Alternative Learning Organization (ALO) is the International and English name of a Dutch non-profit educational organization, “Stichting alternatieve leervormen” (SAL) created in 1999, ALO/SAL deals with alternatives to traditional education and schools, both public and private. Since 2003 the focus has become more specific and this gave rise to the Learning Freely Network (LFN), then called Altlearn Map Network (AMN), because of the click maps used to navigate to home based education information, families and support groups throughout the world. We may review this at a later date. The site is professionally produced and designed with half a dozen separate categories - alternative schools, articles, education issues, groups/organizations, news and research.
The only real criticism is that it is clearly translated from Dutch and the occasional incorrect grammar usage does grate slightly on the native English ear.
Looking down
Here is an interesting site from Down Under. The Productivity Commission is the Australian Government’s independent research and advisory body on a range of economic, social and environmental issues. This site has a number of useful publications as well as background information on some good projects. One that caught our eye was a staff research paper entitled “The Role of Training and Innovation in Workplace Performance”. It had some really good statistically backed research and was just one of a number of valuable publications.
The site itself is simple and clear – nothing special but worth a visit for the contentt.
And finally
An anonymous quote found on www.supplychaintools.co.uk (of all places): “Learning is about drawing something out, not pushing something in. Training is something you do to dogs.”
Best of all
For a particularly interesting and useful site you could always try the Emerald one!
If you have any favourite (or otherwise) sites that you would like us to review on these pages, or wish us to consider your own site, please drop us an e-mail and we will ask our reviewers to check them out.