Using Microsoft SharePoint for Learning: A Snapshot of Current Practice

Topics: Technology & Infrastructure, Social Learning

Overview

In a recent CorpU quantitative research study entitled Microsoft SharePoint: The Use of SharePoint as a Learning Platform Click here ,we learned that a majority of companies (about 70%) own Microsoft SharePoint. Over 30% of those respondents claimed that they utilize SharePoint to support learning programs. We know from other research on social learning practices that most learning organizations choose to use SharePoint for learning because it enables learning support at no additional expense, and most consider it to be a fair to good solution – definitely one worth experimenting with prior to purchasing alternative software.

Of the respondents to the quantitative study who said they use SharePoint for learning, about 10% use it to create asynchronous classrooms, 20% use it to support instructor led training, and 40% use it to connect Communities of Practice. This is an interesting breakdown, but not extremely informative for those considering the application of SharePoint for learning themselves. So, to fill in that gap, we explored this topic more thoroughly with a qualitative, interview-based study with four corporations that are using SharePoint for learning. These companies are in a variety of industries, and range in size from 10,000 to 150,000 employees. These companies currently utilize Microsoft SharePoint 2007 for learning, though one company is in the process of upgrading to SharePoint 2010. This report is a snapshot of what these companies shared.