{"id":61792,"date":"2022-07-26T16:16:46","date_gmt":"2022-07-26T16:16:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explore.local\/2022\/07\/26\/what-is-an-open-learning-ecosystem\/"},"modified":"2025-04-04T20:01:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T20:01:21","slug":"what-is-an-open-learning-ecosystem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/degreed.com\/experience\/blog\/what-is-an-open-learning-ecosystem\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an Open Learning Ecosystem?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Employees interact with several systems every day, from payroll programs to online messaging platforms to learning management systems (LMSs)<\/a>. With so many tools to keep track of and update, you might be noticing your employees are experiencing system fatigue \u2014 especially when systems can\u2019t interact or integrate with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picture the playground at your local school or park. The teachers and parents there want children to play nicely, but how can those watchful and well-meaning adults stop little Timmy from pouring sand on little Emily\u2019s head? Where is that positive experience everyone wants to facilitate? Are there tools they can provide to accomplish that goal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those same questions apply to talent development professionals who want learning systems to create an engaging and positive environment for employees. That kind of environment is only possible when you have an open ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An open ecosystem is \u201ca platform that freely supports and encourages integrations with other technologies, services and platforms,\u201d according to Sean Kinney<\/a>, Degreed Vice President of Marketing Strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means when your company\u2019s learning systems, content, human resources information system (HRIS) and opportunity marketplace all use the same system of engagement, you can create a one-stop-shop for employees to develop internally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why You Need an Open Learning Ecosystem<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike a biological ecosystem, organizations are either growing or they\u2019re dying. And organizations grow when their employees are learning,\u201d noted Whitney Johnson, CEO of Disruption Advisors, in the Harvard Business Review<\/a>. In other words, if you nurture your employees and foster growth, they might just stick around, even amid an incredible  wave of resignations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Great Resignation continues to create a competitive job market, promoting employee growth internally becomes a key play for employee retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou need to build a learning ecosystem for three reasons: to increase employee engagement, to cut reskilling costs and to increase innovation in your organization,\u201d according to Marina Theodotou, learning faculty member at the Defense Acquisition University.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An open learning ecosystem can lead to more opportunities for upskilling, enhanced personalization and career management and a more intuitive employee experience. And it can ultimately help you gain insights and data you\u2019d likely not have access to in a closed system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Diagram\n\nDescription<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If your goal is to offer an enhanced employee experience, consider how building an open learning ecosystem can maximize employee mobility within your organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Build an Open Learning Ecosystem<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ecosystems within an organization are not unique to learning. When you create a business ecosystem strategy<\/a>, choosing systems that will work with one another \u2014 and toward solving a business problem \u2014 is imperative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say your open ecosystem strategy is taking aim at high employee attrition rates. Your complementary and connected learning ecosystem could help employees build new skills and grow their careers in-house, providing a solution to your business attrition and retention issue.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grounding your learning ecosystem into your overall business ecosystem strategy can create the most seamless and effective way to gain buy-in and see positive results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applications in your learning ecosystem are most helpful to your people when they\u2019re intuitive and accessible, connect with one another easily and ultimately yield progress toward your pre-established metrics. By meeting these learning and business operation goals, you can prove your business case for your suite of tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, a learning ecosystem includes your learning technologies, but it can also include much more. For example, in addition to your LMS and LXP there could be  internal and external employee resources that describe relationships across your organization, connect people to on-the-job development opportunities or serve up internal guides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your learning ecosystem is open, all of the opportunities and connections your L&D and HR departments  help create can in turn advance your broader ecosystem strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When building a learning ecosystem, consider the following actions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n