Increasingly, associations are adopting Learning Management Systems (LMS) to help simplify the administration and delivery of education and certification programs to a membership that is more geographically dispersed, increasingly busy, and dealing with a changing economy which can make it more difficult to attend meetings and conferences in person. Ensuring members are engaged in learning is a key challenge for associations. MORE

Social learning. It is essential for any association learning management system (LMS). Yet no one can define “social learning” in a nutshell, because there is no universally accepted meaning. As LMS consultants , we’ve helped many different types of associations define their learning technology requirements. Public social media vs. private association social learning? The same is true for online learning. MORE

Is your association a learning organization? A learning organization is one “that facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself” According to this definition , this type of organization is more responsive to external pressures, has a faster pace of change within the organization, and is better able to innovate and remain competitive. A learning organization becomes more like a community that members can feel a commitment to. MORE

Blended Learning programs are the ideal way to deliver leadership development programs as they are more effective at creating behavioral change and deep learning. When your organization is concerned with “Building Strong Girls” as is Gamma Phi Beta, the first women’s organization to be called a ‘sorority’, a blended learning approach supports the development of both leadership skills and organizational growth. MORE

Yes, it sounds like a good idea, but if you own a business or run an association, you might want to think twice about open source. Taken from How Stuff Works : To be considered as open source software by the software development industry, certain criteria must be met: The program must be freely distributed (It can be part of a package that is sold though, such as Red Hat has done with Linux ). Why would letting you customize a program be a bad thing? MORE

“ The Association Role in the New Education Paradigm ”, a recently published whitepaper, outlines the potential for Associations to lead a much needed change in the current education industry. The authors of this whitepaper make a compelling case for associations to step in and bridge the growing education-to-employment gap by offering alternative, affordable, industry specific education programs for professional development and credentialing. MORE

Conferences can be a great place to do this, while also reconnecting with your peers, sharing experience, and learning about new ideas. This week we were motivated by the keynote session of the Higher Logic Super Forum , where we heard Ken Schmidt of Harley Davidson describe the power of storytelling in creating a passionate member community that will champion your brand. Or do you need to refocus and refresh the brand story for your association learning programs? MORE

Your association is responsible for creating engagement opportunities—from continuing education courses to conferences and events—to help your members grow in their careers and meet like-minded professionals in related fields. Association management encompasses all activities related to achieving these goals, including program development, member communications, and recruitment. Association Management System (AMS) Software for Associations. MORE