Search

Philips Centre for Technical Training (CTT) is responsible for the on-going professional education of scientific staff in Philips Research Laboratories worldwide. This article addresses the "why" and "how" of an evolution toward more flexible learning at the CTT in which various models for blended learning supported by a web-based course-management system are being piloted and evaluated, and describes one of the courses in more detail. The "why" relates to CTT's challenge to give more participants at distant locations access to its courses. The "how" has to be appropriate to the very specific situation in which CTT functions the transfer of Philips' highly technical knowledge and experience to relatively small numbers of scientific staff within Philips. This knowledge and experience is being refreshed continuously so the contents of the learning also are in steady change. The blended learning models evolving at the CTT are grounded in these characteristics.