University Launches Online System for Training

A new online system will allow Duke University employees to complete required training and register for professional development courses all from one site.

Duke began using the Learning Management System in 2012 for online training and tracking. The system will also allow participants to register and track other online and in-class training such as the voluntary professional development courses offered through Duke's Learning and Organization Development.

"The really cool thing about the Learning Management System is it brings a whole lot of steps into one place," said Kim Andrews, a senior practice partner for Learning and Organization Development. "Eventually, it will become the one-stop-shop for all of an employee's training needs and records."

Andrews, who is helping implement the system, said the platform will track mandatory requirements, send email reminders to employees registered for classes and maintain a transcript of completed courses.

A key component of the system is the ability for classes to be assigned to individuals based on job categories. For example, Duke HomeCare and Hospice assigns all new employees a series of orientation videos and presentations.

Being able to plan professional development and track adherence electronically is a huge benefit for Duke, particularly in areas where there is a lot of required competencies and training that have to be periodically renewed, according to Andrews. "By corralling all of the training into one system that can easily generate reports, maintaining auditable compliance records will become much easier," she said.

For best results with the LMS, employees should use Internet Explorer 7.0 or above, a current version of the Java Environment/Virtual Machine (JRE), a current version of Adobe Flash Player, and set the browser to allow pop-ups. Faculty and staff can access the Learning Management System through Duke@Work under the "MyLearning" section of the "MyCareers" tab. Required training will automatically appear in  the "In-Progress Learning Activities" section.

There, employees can launch online training modules, search the course catalog by keyword or topic for other courses, and register for classes.The January - June 2013 schedule of professional development courses offered through Duke's Learning and Organization Development is already in the system. Plans are underway to move other learning modules, such as the Occupational and Environmental Safety Office fire safety training, into the system in 2013.