E P I C   T H I N K I N G

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Issue 53: May 2006 - post-ITEC issue

This month:
1. White Paper: Compliance
2. Feature: Consultant's Corner
2a. Feature: Product Awareness
3. Hall of Fame: Internet Content
4a. Article: Grey Power - Fighting Fit
4b. Article: Time for a chAnGE
5. Epic thinking: Every Blog has its Day
6a. Book review: Fifty Modern Thinkers on Education
6b. Book review: The Business Case for e-learning
7.Show report: ITEC review
8. Jobs: See the latest Epic positions
9. Blended Learning workshops: New dates for 2006

WHITE PAPER

1. Compliance

Broadly speaking, compliance training is training that an organisation has to do in order to continue functioning in a fully professional manner. Unlike other forms of training, which are often the result of internal initiatives, compliance training almost always has external drivers in the shape of legislation, regulation, technical standards or best practice. Very often compliance will involve meeting some tangible target or measure, often certified by an outside body, and will have a set deadline for implementation.

Compliance has been much in the news recently as companies find themselves needing to adapt to the changing legislative landscape. On October 1st, the new Age Discriminiation Legislation comes into force. As Martin Temple, EEF, The Manufacturers Association says, "By the end of 2006, age discrimination in employment will be unlawful. NOW is the time to start thinking about the issues..." How many companies have started their Age Legislation thinking?

This new white paper considers the varying aspects of compliance training, how it is driven and what options there are to make sure your organisation doesn't just tick the boxes.

Read more about this white paper

FEATURE

2. Consultant's Corner

By Andrew Hooley, Technical Consultant, Epic

Our recent survey on implementation has some key messages for L&D on how you implement e-learning.

Over the last few months we asked for your thoughts and experiences of how you implement and support e-learning and whether it works in building an effective learning culture.

Read our full commentary

FEATURE

2a. Epic Professional - new challenges, new solutions

June is upon us and that means the World Cup. Whether your reaction to this is “Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssss” or a withering “Ooooooh, no,” you can be sure that the tournament will have an effect on attendance in your workplace. Has your Absence Management policy been communicated to the workforce?

Read more about our new products

HALL OF FAME

3. Internet Content

By Donald Clark, Epic

E-learning is more than just courses on the web. In a general sense it is computer mediated learning. In practice, two business behemoths on the web, Google and Amazon, have contributed hugely to the acquisition of knowledge by learners, albeit in very different ways. Millions now routinely use Google services and Amazon to advance their knowledge and learning.

Read more on Page and Brin

ARTICLE

4a. Grey Power - fighting fit

Article by Ericka Newton, Marketing Assistant, Epic

Is your organisation ready for the new Age Legislation on October 1st? In the first of two articles this month, Ericka Newton investigates the benefits of an aging workforce.

Over the last 12 years the number of under 45s at work has dropped by 6%, while the number of workers aged between 50-65 increased by 22%, and bearing in mind the new age discrimination legislation, more and more employers will be flinging open doors to the “older generation”. But what impact will this have on workplace health?

Read the rest of the article

ARTICLE

4b. Time for a chAnGE

Age discrimination costs the UK economy £31billion a year in lost production, according the Employer’s Forum on Age (EFA). With the new legislation coming into force in October, the Final Regulations and ACAS guidelines are due by the end of March.

Read the rest of the article

EPIC THINKING

5. Every Blog has its Day

Article by Emily Berry, Designer, Epic

At its outset, the internet promised to give everyone access to an expansive network where information and ideas could be freely and almost instantaneously exchanged. It was heralded as a way of bringing people closer together, making the world ‘smaller’. Yet creating a website was often too costly or complicated to be achieved by anyone outside governments and corporations. It took the advent of email and easy-to-use web authoring tools to truly open it up to the people.

Read the rest of the article

BOOK REVIEW

6a. Fifty Modern Thinkers on Education

(From Piaget to the Present)

Editor: Joy A. Palmer
Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (November 9, 2001)
Review by Donald Clark, Epic

Unlike the first shaky volume ‘Fifty Major Thinkers in Education’ (see earlier review), this, at least, is better edited. The editor of the series must have laid down the law on the choice of contributor as, unlike the previous volume, there’s only one from the University of Durham, and no students! The quality of the contributions is therefore much higher.

Read the rest of the review

BOOK REVIEW

6b. The Business Case for e-learning

Authors: Tom Kelly and Nader Nanjiani
Publisher: Ciscopress.com (2004)
Review by Donald Clark, Epic

Ever heard the question, ‘Is there any evidence that e-learning works?’ This book gives a detailed answer – a resounding YES.

Read the rest of the review

SHOW REPORT

7. ITEC

Report by Matt Dolan, Marketing Manager, Epic

At the recent ITEC exhibition and conference, Epic was once again present. It was the second occasion that we had been there and represents the growing importance of e-learning in the defence sector.

Read the rest of the report