The Verdict on Learning Portals

Learning portals tackle some of today’s top learning challenges — with varying results.

The buzz surrounding informal learning technologies is getting louder, specifically about learning portals — Web sites that offer learners consolidated access to resources from multiple sources. But it may be time to quiet the noise and think critically about how this technology is playing a role within the learning community. Do learning leaders have a standard definition of a learning portal? Do they know what a learning portal actually can do? And do learning portals truly address all the challenges they propose to solve?

Recent research indicates that there are some discrepancies surrounding these questions. In 2009, Training Industry Inc. and Expertus partnered to conduct a study on learning portals and informal learning technologies. In the study, “Learning Portals and Informal Learning Technologies,” they asked training professionals whether they have a learning portal, what benefits they’ve experienced, how they’re using the portal and how they track and enable informal learning.

For the purpose of the research, portals were defined as Web sites where learners find, buy or simply get access to training. This broad definition helped to conduct the research across different industries and business sizes, but it also garnered an interesting response. While almost all businesses think they have a portal, its uses and benefits vary drastically.

Ninety-three percent of respondents reported that they have a learning portal. Meanwhile, 45 percent of respondents say they will upgrade their existing learning portal within the next two years, and 14 percent plan to launch a new learning portal. Eighty-nine percent of respondents thought it was either critically important or somewhat important to include informal learning technologies in their training programs.

Because so many businesses are using and investigating learning portals, it’s beneficial to outline some of the learning and development challenges that executives face and consult with both researchers and practitioners to determine whether this technology assists in meeting those challenges.

Do Learning Portals Integrate Informal, Social and Collaborative Learning?
According to a report by research firm Aberdeen Group on learning and development for front-line and midlevel managers, corporate online learning portals are one of the top technologies currently in use by best-in-class organizations, with 56 percent of these top companies using a learning portal for manager development.