Learning Ecosystem Mapping

In my most recent role as the Director of Education Technology at William James College, I wanted to get a high-level picture of how people learn in the organization. By mapping the learning ecosystem, I'm able to create training programs leveraging the existing resources and spaces. Moreover, it helps me identify areas of improvement.

One of the areas of improvement I found was to help increase the computer literacy level of staff in the organization. Visit the Learning Communities page so you can see how I used an affinity group to help meet that need.

To begin to map the learning ecosystem, you need to begin by reading the business strategic plan. In there, you should find the the learning strategy which drives the learning ecosystem architecture. Next, meet with people in the organization to learn about their roles, their departments and how they learn. In my area of work, the most essential department is information technology. They are the ones who can share with you available and existing tools used by the organization and their status: Do people use them? Are they effective? Can I use these spaces for my training programs?

Once you have mapped the learning architecture, you know now where to begin with your needs analysis. In my case, that meant attending faculty meetings to learn about their current ed tech learning needs. I used PollEverywhere during the faculty meeting to survey them on what equipment they use, what tools they use, how they prefer to learn and who their “go to people” are.

I found the presentation by Steve Foreman life-changing. To be able to define the learning ecosystem and their components, you are able to be an more effective leader in learning and development. It has been my bible, so below you can find my notes from that presentation, link to the recording and related resources.