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Virtual classrooms leading innovation in Charity Learning

Learning NewsTowards Maturity

Virtual classrooms and online learning environments are being embraced by charity learning departments

Virtual classrooms and online learning environments are being embraced by charity learning departments, as they look for innovative, cost effective methods of developing their staff and volunteers. This was clear from a poll of delegates at the inspiring Charity Learning Conference & Awards 2011.

Delegates from charity learning departments across the UK considered the learning technologies that would have the most influence on their organisation's learning success over the next 12 months, when they came together at the inaugural Charity Learning Consortium Conference and Awards.

The delegates had been discussing the preliminary findings of Towards Maturity's latest learning technology benchmark with more than 600 organisations - 13% were from the not for profit sector. It was clear live online learning environments - including virtual meetings and virtual classrooms- had the greatest potential to influence learning technologies in the charity sector in the immediate future. This was closely followed by the use of customised content. Both methods allow charities to tailor learning directly to their own needs.

The main Towards Maturity learning technology benchmark - due for release on 10 November 2011 - also showed that live online learning has increased steadily across all sectors over the last 12 months, with virtual meetings now in use by 65% of organisations and virtual classrooms by 46%. Customised learning content was the most used by organsiations in 2011, the study shows.

The main benchmark also saw a marked increase in the use of external social media for learning: 41% are now experimenting with sites such as Twitter and Facebook, compared to just 11% last year. Whilst the charity sector believes that social media will definitely add value to learning and development, it will not be as influential in this sector as the more proven learning technologies.

Interestingly, whilst many charities use learning management systems to improve administration of learning, not one table included it on their top three most influential technologies over the next 12 months.

Laura Overton, Managing Director of Towards Maturity comments "It was a delight to share the preliminary results of our Benchmark Study 2011 at the first CLC Conference and Awards. This year's results are fascinating especially among the charity sector. I encourage the sector to download our free forty page in-depth benchmark report on November the 10th to help raise the impact learning technologies are having among charities."