How to promote informal learning in the workplace? The need for incremental design methods

Informal Learning in the Workplace (ILW) is ensured by the everyday work activities in which workers are engaged. It accounts for over 75 per cent of learning in the workplace. Enterprise Social Media (ESM) are increasingly used as informal learning environments. According to the results of an implementation we have conducted in real context, we show that ESM are appropriate to promote ILW. Nevertheless, social aspects must be reconsidered to address users' needs regarding content and access, quality information indicators, moderation and control

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Capitalisation pérenne de connaissances industrielles : vers des méthodes de conception incrémentales et itératives centrées sur l'activité

In this research, we are interested in the question of sustainability of the useof knowledge management systems (KMS) in companies. KMS are those ITenvironments that are set up in companies to share and build commonexpertise through collaborators. Findings show that, despite the rigoremployed by companies in the implementation of these KMS, the risk ofknowledge management initiatives being unsuccessful, particularly related tothe acceptance and continuous use of these environments by users remainsprevalent. The persistence of this fact in companies has motivated our interestto contribute to this general research question. As contributions to thisproblem, we have 1) identified from the state of the art, four facets that arerequired to promote the perennial use of a platform managing knowledge; 2)proposed a theoretical model of mixed regulation that unifies tools for self -regulation and tools to support change, and allows the continuousimplementation of the various factors that stimulate the sustainable use ofCMS; 3) proposed a design methodology, adapted to this model and based onthe Agile concepts, which incorporates a mixed evaluation methodology ofsatisfaction and effective use as well as CHI tools for the completion ofdifferent iterations of our methodology; 4) implemented the methodology inreal context at the Société du Canal de Provence, which allowed us to test itsfeasibility and propose generic adjustments / recommendations to designersfor its application in context. The tool resulting from our implementation waspositively received by the users in terms of satisfaction and usages.Dans ce travail de recherche, nous nous intéressons à la question de lapérennité de l’usage des systèmes de gestion des connaissances (SGC) dansles entreprises. Les SGC sont ces environnements informatiques qui sont misen place dans les entreprises pour mutualiser et construire l’expertisecommune grâce aux collaborateurs. Le constat montre que, malgré la rigueuremployée par les entreprises pour la mise en oeuvre de ces SGC, le risqued’échec des initiatives de gestion des connaissances, notamment lié àl’acceptation de ces environnements par les utilisateurs professionnels ainsiqu’à leur usage continu et durable, reste d’actualité. La persistance etl’ampleur de ce constat dans les entreprises a motivé notre intérêt d’apporterune contribution à cette question générale de recherche. Comme propositionsde réponse à cette problématique, nous avons donc 1) dégagé à partir de l’étatde l’art, quatre facettes qui sont requises pour favoriser l’usage pérenne d’uneplateforme gérant la connaissance ; 2) proposé un modèle théorique derégulation mixte qui unifie des outils de stimulation pour l’autorégulation etdes outils soutenant l’accompagnement au changement et qui permet la miseen oeuvre continue des différents facteurs stimulants l’usage pérenne desSGC ; 3) proposé une méthodologie de conception, adaptée à ce modèle etbasée sur les concepts Agile, qui intègre une méthode d’évaluation mixte de lasatisfaction et de l’usage effectif ainsi que des outils d’IHM pour l’exécution desdifférentes itérations de notre méthodologie ; 4) implémenté la méthodologieen contexte réel, à la Société du Canal de Provence, ce qui nous a permis detester sa faisabilité et de proposer des ajustements/recommandations génériquesaux concepteurs pour son application en contexte. L’outil résultant de notreimplémentation a reçu un accueil positif par les utilisateurs en termes desatisfaction et d’usages

Adapting Enterprise Social Media for Informal Learning in the Workplace: Using Incremental and Iterative Design Methods to Favor Sustainable Uses

International audienceInformal Learning in the Workplace (ILW) is ensured by the everyday work activities in which workers are engaged. It accounts for over 75% of learning in the workplace. Enterprise Social Media (ESM) are increasingly used to promote informal learning environments. In this paper, we discuss the principles and features of social media, and present to what extent they promote informal learning in the workplace. We propose also a user-centred design methodology to redesign a traditional knowledge-sharing tool with social features. We then present an implementation, in a real context, of the methodology. It shows that ESM are appropriate to promote ILW. Three adaptations must nevertheless be carried out: (1) Base the design on a precise and relatively exhaustive informational corpus and contextualize the access in the form of community of practice structured according to collaborative spaces; (2) Add indicators of judgment on the operational quality of information and the informational capital built, and (3) Define forms of moderation and control consistent with the hierarchical structures of the company. Our analysis also shows that an incremental and iterative approach of user-centered design had to be implemented to define how to adapt the design and to accompany change

Refinement of Knowledge Sharing Platforms to Promote Effective Use: A Use Case

International audienceThis work focuses on the improvement of a line of corporate knowledge management systems, knowledge repositories. For the implementation of such systems, companies can deploy important means for small gains. Indeed, management services often notice very limited use compared to what they actually expect. We present a use case of a five-step redesigning user-centered approach that combines a top-down content architecture, integration with other corporate information systems and adapted interfaces and interactions design to increase the use of these artifacts. Our implementation is done on the knowledge repository used by operators from Société du Canal de Provence (SCP), a French water management company. Their system was taken into production but very occasionally used. We describe the reasons for this limited use and we propose a design methodology adapted to the context. Promoting the effective use of the system, our approach has been experimented and evaluated with a panel of users working at SCP. Results of our semi-structured questionnaire reveal that more than half of the participant are satisfied and present a positive attitude towards the redesigned system

Re-Designing Knowledge Management Systems - Towards User-Centred Design Methods Integrating Information Architecture

International audienceThe work presented in this paper focuses on the improvement of corporate knowledge management systems. For the implementation of such systems, companies deploy can important means for small gains. Indeed, management services often notice very limited use compared to what they actually expect. We present a five-step redesigning approach which takes into account different factors to increase the use of these systems. We use as an example the knowledge sharing platform implemented for the employees of Société du Canal de Provence (SCP). This system was taken into production but very occasionally used. We describe the reasons for this limited use and we propose a design methodology adapted to the context. Promoting the effective use of the system, our approach has been experimented and evaluated with a panel of users working at SCP

Apprentissage informel sur le lieu de travail. Comment exploiter les principes des réseaux sociaux

National audienceL'apprentissage informel sur le lieu de travail est réalisé lors des activités quotidiennes auxquelles participent les collaborateurs et représente plus de 75% de l'apprentissage en entreprise. Les réseaux sociaux d'entreprise sont massivement utilisés actuellement pour promouvoir ce type d'apprentissage. A partir d'une étude de terrain, nous montrons qu'ils sont effectivement adaptés concernant les aspects sociaux mais que la conception doit être repensée pour satisfaire les besoins contextuels des utilisateurs concernant le contenu et l'accès au corpus informationnel, les indicateurs de qualité de l'information et les formes de modération et contrôle. Mots-clés. Apprentissage informel, apprentissage tout au long de la vie, réseau social d'entreprise, conception centrée utilisateur, apprenant adult