TRENDS IN WORKPLACE LEARNING - SUPPLY-AND-DEMAND IN INTERESTING TIMES

This article tracks the major trends in new technology and the supply side of the training marketplace that are changing the field of workpl ace learning. On the demand side, these trends in particular are chang ing the way people and organizations work: knowledge management, the i ntegration of learning and communication functions, a resurgence in th e importance of leadership development and executive coaching, and emp loyees' intensifying requirement that career development be a conditio n of their employment. The driving forces on the supply side are the I nternet, intelligent tutoring systems, learning objects, and voice rec ognition. Those technological advances are revolutionizing training to ols. Making the picture of workplace learning more complex are the gro wing consolidation of suppliers and the birth of the electronic market place where buyers and sellers of learning products meet virtually. Th e article is supported by findings from the research department of the American Society for Training & Development. The article gives specif ic examples of the new learning landscape-including an intelligent tut oring system at US West; Motorola U's use of learning objects; and the U.S. Labor Department's virtual marketplace, America's Learning eXcha nge. Guest authors provide a global perspective from Eastern Europe, S outh America, and Australia.