Maximizing the Value of Lifelong Education @ Desktop

Organizations that take advantage of the Lifelong Education @ Desktop courses can dramatically increase the value of their investment by integrating the courses into their overall continuing education and training programs. To assist you, the LE@D staff offers the following implementation and integration guide.

The ‘Maximizing Your LE@D’ Continuum

It can be useful to view the possible ways of integrating Lifelong Education @ Desktop courses as falling along a continuum of effort. The organization that advances along the continuum will see a correspondingly greater return on its investment in Lifelong Education @ Desktop training. That return on investment will be in the form of improved patron and employee satisfaction, and a more proactive and confident staff better equipped to deal with the challenges they face every day.

For Organizations

Promote

• Send out broadcast e-mails, faxes, and flyers to members announcing LE@D classes. Put up signage and signup sheets in staff areas, and remind personnel during staff meetings of upcoming LE@D courses.
• Provide updates on LE@D availability and registration information at system membership meetings and other face to face events.
• Set up online registration through your system web site to make enrolment simple and convenient.
• Establish a continuing education credit opportunity for staff who complete the course.

Participate

• Establish your continuing education coordinator as a course facilitator for you LE@D class, allowing them to build their LE@D expertise
• Have all of your appropriate staff take LE@D courses – they’re not just for your member organizations!

Integrate

• Include LE@D classes in your organization's continuing education and workshop calendars.
• Recognize and reward members that maximize their integration and use of LE@D classes.
• Establish usage and completion goals for LE@D courses for appropriate members of your staff.

Follow Up

• Discuss the courses in your staff meetings. Ask staff members who have taken a course to report on what they learned to the rest of the staff.
• Solicit feedback from member organization's directors – find out who used LE@D effectively.

Share

• Tell LE@D staff the success stories in your organization. Share with us so we can share with others your own ideas, best practices, and techniques for getting the most from LE@D courses.
• Collect feedback on the courses and share it with LE@D staff, so we can continually improve the product.

For Organization Directors

Promote

• Send out broadcast e-mails, put up signage and signup sheets in staff areas, and remind personnel during staff meetings of upcoming LE@D courses.
• Establish a continuing education credit opportunity for staff who complete the course.

Participate

• Encourage your staff, while taking the courses, to post messages in the topic discussion areas, to engage their peers, spur new ideas, and improve the overall learning experience.
• Take the course yourself and let your staff know you are participating.

Integrate

• Do you have a new employee training / orientation program? LE@D courses make perfect sense for new staff.
• Make LE@D courses a part of annual employee goal and objective setting.
• Do you recognize and / or reward employees who complete training courses? Don’t forget to include LE@D courses in your recognition and rewards program.
• Don’t forget your advocates, volunteers, and supporters. Many of them will benefit from LE@D courses and will appreciate the chance to participate.

Follow Up

• Discuss the courses in your staff meetings.
• Ask staff members who have taken a course to report on what they learned to the rest of the staff.
• Roll play situations covered in the LE@D courses at in-service days and training sessions.

Share

• Tell LE@D staff and your staff your LE@D success stories. Share with us so we can share with others your own ideas, best practices, and techniques for getting the most from LE@D courses.

Best Practices and Success Stories from LE@D Users

Please share with your peers the tactics and techniques you have successfully used to maximize the value of the LE@D courses.