An open-door discussion on learning portals

This recent online interactive chat sponsored by ASTD featured some leading portal players: Hemang Dave, CEO of TrainingNet.com; Kevin Oakes, CEO of Click2Learn.com; and Joe Miller, CLO of KnowledgePlanet.com. The chat was facilitated by managing editor Donna Abernathy of ASTD's Webzine, Learning Circuits, and by T&D Web editor Ryann Ellis. Online visitors joined in. First, the participants discussed the current differing definitions of a learning portal and the need for some common terminology in the industry. They concurred that, generally, a learning portal is a place where there is learning content to buy or to share, or a portal may direct you to other content providers. One participant said that a learning portal can mean different things depending on its function: where learners go to find training resources, where learners go to take training, or where learners go to find, register for, and buy training. All participants agreed that an important aspect of corporate learning portals is community, in order to share knowledge. And many, if not most, current learning portals are offering community. Another necessary component is customized content, especially regarding corporate portals that provide training. Most of the participants also agreed that the current available portals need to make selection of content easier and more "prescribed," meaning not leaving it up to learners to do most of the work finding appropriate content for their unique needs. Participants also discuss the criteria for selecting learning products for portals and how portals are shaping e-learning and the training industry. They conclude with some predictions about the next evolutionary step.