Cover -- Contents -- List of figures -- Preface -- 1 Introduction and definitions -- The need for open learning -- The purpose and structure of the book -- Introduction to distance, flexible and open learning -- Traditional training versus corporate learning centre training -- Summary -- 2 Why establish a corporate learning centre? -- Introduction -- The information technology revolution -- The learning organization -- Open learning underpins the knowledge-based society -- Continuing professional education -- Key benefits of open learning -- Maintaining competitive advantage -- Modular basis -- Greater quality control -- Simulations -- Job aids -- No panacea for all training needs -- Summary -- 3 Making the most of a corporate learning centre -- Introduction -- Identified training needs -- Syllabus -- Evaluation -- Certification by outside bodies -- Courseware programmes -- What makes a good package? -- Winning acceptability for open learning -- Tapping personal development needs -- Encouraging employees -- Encouraging managers -- Accessibility -- Sharing facilities -- Managers' role -- Use it or lose it -- Open learning and the bottom line -- Learning management systems -- Organizations with corporate learning centres -- Summary -- 4 Establishing costs and measuring benefits -- Introduction -- Capital expenditure -- Revenue expenditure -- Budget -- Marketing costs -- Videotapes -- Audiotapes/Compact Discs -- Text-based courses -- Multimedia -- Authoring systems -- Profitability -- Cost savings -- Measuring the benefits -- Companies claiming benefits and savings -- Cutbacks in training budgets -- Summary -- 5 How to resolve resistance to change -- Introduction -- Force field analysis -- Wrong organizational climate -- Top management briefing -- Middle managers -- Participation councils -- Trainers' resistance to change.

Learners' resistance to change -- Enabling learners to be effective -- Risks/threats to the centre -- Summary -- 6 Launching a corporate learning centre -- Introduction -- Benchmarking -- Networking PCs -- Location -- Reception area -- Logo and signposting -- Layout and equipment -- The learning environment -- Technical support -- Why establish a centre? -- Piloting -- Pre-launch planning -- Official launch -- Corporate learning centre newsletter -- Summary -- 7 The media used in corporate learning centres -- Introduction -- Compact Disc - Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) -- Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) -- Audiotapes/Compact Discs (CDs) -- Videotapes -- The Internet and e-mail -- E-learning -- Benefits of e-learning -- Limitations of e-learning -- Evaluating e-learning courses -- Text-based courses -- Magazines and journals -- Summary -- 8 Management and administration -- Introduction -- Organization -- Co-ordinator's person specification -- Co-ordinator's job description -- Course guide -- Computer security and virus protection -- Copyright -- Bookings and preparation -- Information and feedback -- Stock management -- Courseware acquisition -- Equipment purchase and maintenance -- Personal skills -- Absence -- Housekeeping -- Security -- Data protection -- Health and safety -- Training needs -- Learning styles -- Welcoming new learners -- The learning curve -- The learning cycle -- More experienced learners -- Mentor support -- Study groups -- Summary -- 9 Marketing the corporate learning centre -- Introduction -- Mission and vision statements -- Learning centre objectives -- Where are you now? -- Marketing objectives -- How to persuade existing customers to make more use of the centre -- Finding new customers -- Club membership -- Consultancy -- New products and services -- New technology -- Pricing and charging -- Promotion.

Customer database and mailing -- Displays and brand image -- Personal selling -- Loans service -- Information and feedback -- Corporate learning centre lifecycle -- Service - a total quality management (TQM) approach -- Summary -- 10 The learner's guide to a corporate learning centre -- Introduction -- Considering the co-ordinator's perspective -- Consulting the guide -- Scheduling visits -- Bookings -- Setting personal objectives -- Choosing courses -- Beginning with the basics -- Learning outside the centre -- Recording your progress -- Using the co-ordinator -- Feedback to your manager -- Feedback to the co-ordinator -- Personal housekeeping -- Summary -- 11 Conclusions and recommendations -- 24 questions for planning a centre -- The future -- Continuous marketing -- Management support -- Outside working hours -- Organizational databases -- Corporate learning centre management -- Summary -- Appendix 1 Information sources -- Bibliography -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X.