Skip to main content
logo

2019 Annual Conference

October 8–11, 2019

St. Louis, MO

MOOC's and Workforce Development: Challenges and Successes

Wednesday, October 9, 2019 at 1:45 PM–2:30 PM CDT
Sterling 8 (24)
Select the FIRST area in which your presentation best fits.

Workforce Development, Continuing Education, and Professional Development

Presentation Format Requested

Concurrent Session (45 minutes)

Session Abstract

Corporate learning and development departments seek ways to deliver educational content to global employees in order to develop an educated and engaged workforce. Using established best practices to guide the development of MOOC’s has resulted in employee retention, professional growth, and a unique set of best practices for this sector.

Target Audience

Our target audience will be those who work in the corporate sector and are directly involved with training or learning and development departments. We also consider those in academia to be part of our target audience as they are familiar with MOOC's and possibly have been on teams who collaborated with organizations to assist in developing MOOC's and online learning programs. Those who are in Human Resource departments or who work with HR personnel fit our target audience as they are closely involved with the development and delivery of training content within corporations. 

Learning Outcomes

Participants will understand how MOOC’s benefit corporations by analyzing and discussing the following statements:
• MOOC’s provide a plethora of learning opportunities for employees who may not otherwise be able to take part in learning opportunities offered outside of their organization.
• MOOC’s offer a variety of content that is delivered in chunks or small increments so employees can fit this into a workday schedule.
• MOOC’s allow employees to develop leadership skills in order to increase professional growth resulting in promotion.
• Employees will receive feedback from training managers and directors in order to measure outcomes and gains.

Session Description

MOOC's have changed the accessibility of educational content within higher education and the same change is taking place within corporations. MOOCs have made previously unavailable content accessible to those in the workforce who don't have the time or resources to attain educational advancements. This accessibility has resulted in a more educated workforce and an employee base that is more loyal to that organization and who is eligible for professional advancements. MOOCs are a pathway for adult learners within organizations to advance and apply new knowledge in a workplace setting and display this knowledge among managers who are responsible for tracking employee development and conducting performance reviews. Organizations understand and appreciate the andragogical best practices that provide the framework for MOOC's offered within an organization's learning management system. These best practices are considered, along with professional development objectives that benefit an organization as a whole, when investing in MOOC's that employees can access during their working hours or when they are off-site. 

Format & Technique

We will use a PowerPoint and discussion and will each present equally. We will also share examples of MOOCS's that are offered at a teleconferencing corporation and share data regarding access, completion, and outcomes. 

Primary Presenter

Kate Nelson, Ph.D., Auburn University, College of Education, Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology
Work Title

Training Analyst and Adjunct Professor

Additional Presenters

Sheena Copus Stewart, Ph.D., Auburn University College of Education, Department of Adult Education
Work Title

Adjunct Professor

Dr. Robert Dale Southard, Visionary Engineering Services
Work Title
Loading…