Another post this week posed the question of making web 2.0 truly meaningful and effective in an industry like bio, pharma or devices. I think it can be possible for the forward thinking corporation, and also opens up opportunities for learning that veer off the traditional path.
While employed by a large pharmaceutical company, I noted several web 2.0 applications that were effective. The first was a wiki that was used to cultivate innovative ideas. The wiki was locked down to employees only, but in a company of 100,000 employees worldwide, this really wasn't a limitation. The idea was, anyone could use the wiki to share an idea that he/she thought could benefit the company. The wiki would be used to further comment upon and write about the idea, and some innovations were developed into actual programs that were implemented in the company. The entire wiki was overseen and moderated by the department that had originated it, and on the whole, it was a good opportunity for independent, motivated learning to take place. For the people involved with the wiki, I'm sure it was a much better alternative than completing an eLearning module, or listening to one of the quarterly "discussions" by members of the corporate executive team.
The second stand-out method of a web 2.0 tool for learning was blogging. Nearly every product manufactured by the company, and all the prescription drugs that were still enjoying their patent before going into generic manufacturing, had a separate site on the intranet. Most of these sites employed blogs, where brand managers, regulatory scientists and others would sporadically make posts about the product itself and all sorts of issues related to the product. Again, it was a way for people to stay informed, and learn more, without having to go the traditional route.
I think it's always good to consider ways to offer learning opportunities, even when the learners are not being assessed, certified, or otherwise quantified somehow. In a large company, if an intranet is in place, chances are the technology already exists to implement a web 2.0 learning tool. Assessment is important, and it's impossible to avoid some learning in a controlled environment, where managers and trainers can be sure that their learners have acquired the skills deemed necessary by the powers that be. I think what's often forgotten is informal learning, which can still be very valuable. Web 2.0 tools are a great way to harness attention and energy for informal learning.
Just after publishing this, I discovered that Dr. Kapp agrees with me. He says it better though, so check it out if you have a moment.
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After reading Dr. Kapp's paper, I recognized a pattern in the uses of blogs and wikis within the corporate world. They were really useful in the process of creating/brainstorming/designing products and ideas. It was also very useful in connecting people in similar positions throughout a company that is dispersed geographically. It was also interesting that most of the blogs and wikis seemed to be focused - ideas for improvement, ideas for gaming, etc.
I also agreed with the use of the RSS feeds. These are wonderful tools for anyone - students, parents, business people, teachers and more!
However, I found it interesting that there was no information about some of the newest web 2.0 tools like mashups, social networks, virtual living, etc.
I am interested in your take on the usefulness of these "tools" in the corporate world.
Hi Heather,
I agree- it's hard to find information about real world applications of the newest tools. In fact, the most I've heard/read about them has been in various classes, where classmates come up with cool ideas to use mashups and such.
The pharma company that employed me did use Facebook for one program that hired college students around the country to educate and promote consumer products among their demographic. A custom-built web portal, along with Facebook was the primary tool to disseminate information, and keep all the students in touch with the company. In a sense, it was a learning tool, because in addition to helping promote consumer products, the program intended to educate college students in marketing and the pharma industry.
However, I think there is a lag between a tool becoming available, and a corporate application for it. I don't know if it's the same in an academic environment, but in the corporate environment, somebody needs to spearhead the project...most of us are so busy with our regular jobs, we don't necessarily want to defend our cool web 2.0 ideas against the IT security people and various managers. I know that even in my non profit job, when our instructional developer suggested podcasts on the website to keep people informed about new opportunities, she was met with tons of resistance, despite the fact that the podcast would have been easy (and inexpensive!) to implement.
Virtual worlds would be a fabulous training tool, and social networks are like an untapped gold mine for sharing information and informal learning, but like I said, it takes a really motivated person to originate such a project, and that person has to be ready to defend the idea against the "old school" that's usually in place.
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