1“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Welcome

• Thank you for attending WATS 2009.• This presentation will focus on the use

and improvement of an available open-source Learning Management System (LMS) in meeting the complex needs within a corporate training structure.

• With the introduction of web-based training, corporate training and record-keeping has more demands today than ever before.

• Use of open-source software coupled with the necessary customizations can help meet those demands now and in the future.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

2“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Introduction to open-source

• Open-source software… “free software”?• Licenced under General Public Use

License (GPL)• Free distribution and modification to

source code is allowed.• As open-source has matured, applications

have become more rich in features and functionality than ever before.

• Opportunities for modification exist internally or outsourced to service providers who specialize in open-source modifications.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

3“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Open-source advantages

• Increased use of open-source software has made it competitive and more widely supported than typical “proprietary” solutions.

• A broad user base has helped to ensure that open-source applications continue to evolve with demands making it unlikely to become stagnant or obsolete.

• Cost and flexibility has more corporations considering the shift to open-source software solutions than ever before.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

4“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Today’s challenges

• Introducing a new application used for the creation and management of training records presents some interesting challenges, especially when regulatory training is involved.

• Successfully integrating existing record-keeping and retrieval systems, electronic methods or otherwise, with the web-based LMS is necessary in order to prevent unwanted administrative burdens.

• Two options generally exist; automated records synchronization or consolidation into a single capable system.

• The traditional LMS has historically been used for the sole purpose of training. Also, the open-source LMS is typically developed from an academic approach and does not place emphasis on the existence of highly diverse personnel and methods for training.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

5“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Assessing needs

• Before committing to a plan of action, make sure you’ve adequately assessed all known current and future needs where training and record-keeping are concerned.

• A common mistake is the lack of foresight and preparation for future growth. Scalability in a solution such as this is critical.

• So, let’s look at some of the more important aspects of a corporate implementation.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

6“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Training the masses

• For the typical large-scale implementation of an LMS or record-keeping system, training and tracking thousands of employees can quickly become unwieldy.

• Solution should implement tools that are capable of automating this task.

• Consider the solution’s ability to “delegate” authority through administrator access rights on varying levels. Utilization of existing manpower on the lower management level is key.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

7“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Tackling a diverse workforce

• Geographic and job diversity adds to the challenges of a corporate implementation.

• Diversity in the type of training and job responsibilities often does not receive the attention it deserves.

• Solution should allow for segregation of employees and granular definition of job responsibilities. Only through granular job definition, can appropriate training assignments, tracking, and auditing be accomplished.

• It may be appropriate to host more than one installation of an LMS to accommodate differing work cultures and methods for training distribution.

• Consideration should be given to the need for a “learning hub” that is intended for employees of all diversities to receive general, company-related training such as internet security or email etiquette.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

8“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Administrative workloads

• The impact in administrative workload should be carefully considered in choosing an LMS solution.

• Solution should provide workload relief rather than adding to the daily responsibilities of management.

• Solution should allow for automation of processes such as training assignments and auditing.

• Delegation of administrative responsibilities such as user account maintenance, records entry, and training assignments should be possible to help reduce or eliminate administrative overhead.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

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9“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

True Integration

• The chosen solution should possess the ability to truly integrate ALL types of training records into a single repository.

• Although web-based training has become more popular, a significant amount of training still occurs in the classroom and on the job.

• To adequately perform automated training and qualification audits, ALL types of training must be accessible from a single repository and presented in a uniform manner.

• By providing instructors with the ability to enter training records through a web-based application, you can help ensure the accuracy and timeliness of those records.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

10“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Ensuring flexibility

• Choosing a solution that meets current needs does not always guarantee that it will meet your future needs.

• Choose a solution that is scalable and will allow for virtually all possible future scenarios.

• Once again, the argument for open-source is made. Since open-source software is ever-improving and possesses the ability to be modified, by choosing open-source you will help ensure that your solution will be able to grow and evolve with your future needs.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

11“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Formulating a solution

• AirTran Airways as a case study.• The next few slides will help walk you

through the process used by AirTran in building an truly integrated and successful implementation of a combined LMS and record-keeping solution based on an available open-source application.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

12“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study - Initial concept

• AirTran Airways is a domestic airline with a very diverse population of employees trained by more than five core training organizations.

• Each organization is managed and operates independently from one another.

• In order to deploy a corporate-level solution, it would have to be done with the same level of autonomy as currently existed. However, a central records repository and user database was still a must.

• It was also necessary to accommodate training records of ALL types to be entered into the repository and audited along side of the newly created web-based training records.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

13“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study - Initial concept

• The final makeup of AirTran’s conceptual solution consisted of an available open-source LMS with modifications to accommodate:– Additional types of training records– Organizational autonomy through independent

installations operating from a common records and user repository

– The ability to delegate administrative rights and roles preventing unwanted administrative loads and the need for additional manpower.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

14“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study - Development

• Development was accomplished entirely in-house at AirTran.

• The LMS chosen was Moodle, an available and widely used open-source application.

• Modifications were accomplished to the core application carefully to allow for future upgrades with minimal effort.

• A common user and records database was created to house previous and future training records as well as other user data used for authentication and user rights.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success… (modified)

User Records

User Accounts

User Attributes/Rights

Custom Database

15“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study - Development

• Today, four concurrent installations of the customized LMS are operational and accessed through a common login portal.

• The login portal not only authenticates the user, but also passes their authentication to the appropriate organization’s LMS installation where training and other records operations are conducted.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

DatabaseCommon Login Portal

Authentication

User rights

Pilots &Dispatchers

CustomerService

Reservations CorporateLearning Hub

User Accounts User Records

16“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study - Development

• Development has taken place in two distinct phases across an 18 month period.

• Phase 1 implemented the basic logic for login, authentication and training across the multiple installations as well as essential employee job definition and the ability to target training assignments by job responsibilities.

• Phase 2 included additional capabilities such as classroom training records import and creation, on-the-job training records entry and records auditing.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

17“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study - Development

• An additional capability recently added was the ability to designate a “corporate training hub”.

• The training hub is a special LMS installation whose administrators can create assignments to training modules targeting employees who exist anywhere in the company.

• Training assignments are accessed from the employee’s home site and utilize native networking capabilities of Moodle to provide pass-though authentication into the corporate learning hub.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

18“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study - Collaboration

• Close collaboration and feedback from all organizations involved is necessary in development of such a complex solution.

• Once again a clear argument for use of open-source software is made through the ability to allow the solution to evolve as input and feedback is received.

• The initial launch was accomplished quickly with essential functionality.

• After significant use, further needs were expressed and modification were accomplished progressively.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

19“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Administrator Training

• All training was conducted internally through initial classroom training for administrators and web-based training and familiarization for outlying administrators and end-users.

• Administrator training took place over three one-day sessions.– The first two days focused on managing the

core LMS and web-based training development.

– The last day focused on user, assignments, and audits administration.

• Continued over-the-phone support exists for administrators on an internal basis.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

20“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Implementation

• Initial implementation was conducted in conjunction with administrator training.

• In conjunction with development of the comprehensive record-keeping capabilities, a records import tool was created and utilized to import all previous training records for AirTran’s customer service employees and vendors.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

21“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success…

• As of July, 2008 AirTran was granted FAA approval for use of their newly introduced record keeping solution as the primary means for training records entry and maintenance. In total, AirTran now has over 7000 employees accessing four LMS installations with virtually no issues since initial launch.

• The next few slides will explore the system structure and share some screenshots of the actual application used by AirTran.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

22“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

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Data Structure and Flow Overview

Database Common Login PortalAuthentication

User rights

(Modified Installation)

• User Accounts

• User Attributes

• Organizational Structure

• Job Profiles and Definitions

• Administrator Attributes and Roles

• Instructor Attributes and Assignments

• Assignments

• Audits/Reports

• User Records

• Web-based training courses and content

• Classroom/OJT records entry and maintenance

• User management tools

• Admin tools

• Assignment tracking and reporting

• Audit tracking and reporting

23“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

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Classroom Records Entry Tool

• Classroom training records may be entered directly by the instructor or an administrator as shown below.

24“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Job, or “profile” definition is a concept applied within AirTran’s custom LMS solution to assist in providing targeted training based on an employees responsibilities and required training.

• By attaching a user profile to an employee, AirTran is able to make training assignments and conduct training audits based on a single or multiple job responsibilities that require specific training.

• Administrator and instructor roles may also be attached to user profiles.

• The next slide provides explores how a user profile is created.

25“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

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Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

User Profile

• Includes user’s department, organization and administrator roles.

JobResponsibility 1

JobResponsibility 2

JobResponsibility 3

User AccountJob

Responsibility 4

• Job responsibilities can be attached to a user’s account by user profile or directly.

26“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Once job responsibilities are attached to a user, assignments and audits may be created based on those attached responsibilities.

User Account

• Organization and Department attribute

• Admin Role(s)

• Job Responsibility 1

• Job Responsibility 2

• Job Responsibility 3

• Job Responsibility 4

Training Assignment

• Employees holding Job Responsibility 3

Training Audit

• Employees holding Job Responsibilities 1 & 4

27“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

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Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Example – Boeing 717 Pilot

User Account

Boeing 717, Line Pilot

Profile

Boeing 717 Line Pilot

AprilDue Month • Boeing 717 line pilot

due for recurrent training in the month of April

28“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Example – Boeing 717 Pilot• Profile Definition

29“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Example – Boeing 717 Pilot• User Account Definition

30“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Example – Boeing 717 Pilot• Training Assignment by Job Responsibilities

31“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Example – Boeing 717 Pilot• Training Assignment Tracking - Overview

32“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Example – Boeing 717 Pilot• Training Assignment Tracking - Details

33“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Example – Boeing 717 Pilot• Training Audit Creation

34“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Example – Boeing 717 Pilot• Training Audit by Job Responsibilities

35“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Example – Boeing 717 Pilot• Training Audit Tracking - Overview

36“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

AirTran Case Study – Success… Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…

Employee Job (“profile”) Definition Concept

• Example – Boeing 717 Pilot• Training Audit Tracking - Details

37“Corporate use of open-source ...taking the LMS to the next level”

Thank You

• Thank you for your attention.• If you would like to discuss further the use

of open-source in a corporate environment, you may contact me at jamie.smith@airtran.com.

• Also, a new open-source project is currently being developed to address the challenges discussed in this presentation. You can learn more about the project at http://opencompass.org.

Welcome Introduction to open-

source Open-source

advantages Today’s challenges Assessing needs

Training the masses Tackling a diverse

workforce Administrative

workloads True Integration Ensuring flexibility

Formulating a solution Initial concept Development Collaboration Administrator training Implementation

Success…