What is Learning on Demand

You are in a heated discussion with friends about the meaning and origin of a particular phrase. Someone uses his wireless computer to access the Internet and “googles” the debated phrase. The dispute is resolved in seconds. You attend a conference in a new city and get lost on the way to the convention center. Turning on your GPS system in your rental car, you are then guided by a soft, calming voice with explicit instructions to your destination, including warnings of upcoming turns as well as detours around any recent road construction. This “just-in-time” information is available to us through the advancements in technology. With the constant evolution of new technology as well as the increased speed of information retrieval, we often take for granted the “just-in-time” aspect of this process. Just-in-time training, or preferably just-in-time learning, has altered the training and preparation of workers in industry, and currently has educational implications in all fields. The technological advances have made it possible to match specific knowledge and skills with the worker or learner, literally, when and where they need it. An example from industry is the worker whose line shuts down because of a mechanical problem. Within seconds, she/he is consulting with someone half way around the world who already has all the technical data about the system breakdown on his/her computer. A few seconds later through live video, he/she demonstrates to the worker how to fix the problem.