Using the information superhighway to support organizational learning: content, context, and infrastructure

Abstract

There are a variety of computing and networking technologies available to support organizational learning, including the Internet, World Wide Web, Group Support Systems, Groupware, and Desktop Video Conferencing. These technologies can be used to help organizational members enhance their own knowledge and skills, to enable the organization as a collective to learn and grow, and to support interorganizational learning. In this paper we describe an executive education program that is focused on the content area of the virtual organization and uses technology supported learning as the primary vehicle. In this way the participants would use the technology to learn about the technology and its role in organizational learning. The available technologies described here could be used to radically change the learning infrastructure, which could enable a variety of learning modes and uses. Consequently, it may be more appropriate to think of organizational learning happening across time and space rather than in a particular place and/or at a particular time.