How does it work?

The Academy is a vast learning resource designed and structured to enable individuals to learn what they wish or what they consider to be appropriate. Many of the things you can do are described below. At first it may seem a little overwhelming with so much learning available to you. But have patience, treat it as your personal management learning resource to be used as and when you wish and you will soon find it is a very able assistant for you. Read the information given below just to get an initial idea of what it does and how it works and then, after enrolling, just experiment using the tools and links made available in the menus on each page.

We avoid 'programmed learning. We believe that it works for only a small percentage of the learning population and that most people are bored by it.

People have different learning styles and strategies and we seek to cater for all. If someone wants to dip into the site just to look something up or to pick up a few hints and tips, we make that easy for them. Equally, we assist the person who wants to study a topic in depth and for those who learn by experimenting. Our dynamic linking system enables people to explore and extend their learning.

Discover your own learning style.

Get some personal feedback

What do you know? - our knowledge exercises give you an indication of how much you know about management subjects and provide personalised learning wherever your knowledge may be a little lacking.

What do you do? - our self-discovery exercises tell you a bit about yourself, usually in line with a recognised management theory. They concentrate on behaviour rather than personality.

Have you got it? - our comprehension exercises give you an indication of whether you have grasped the essence of the assigned reading in a Pathway. The comprehension exercise is usually the final step towards a Certificate of Learning Achievement.

Please note that our exercises are not psychometric. You should not take the results as anything more than an indication of what you know or how you behave. The exercises are intended purely to help you learn.

Analyse the demands of your job and match your skills

The Online Coach will help you discover what matters most in your job and find out what skills you should work on developing most.

Make use of your appraisal or 360 feedback

The Online Feedback Assistant will help you work on those skills that your feedback has identified as most needed.

You can study

Pathways - guided routes through the content

Topics - collections of the main content on specific areas in management

You can gain certificates of learning achievement

Reward yourself for your hard work Printed on high quality card, personally signed by the Dean, packaged and posted to you
Backed by University Canada West
Priced at £20, $US35, €30 each
Once you have purchased six certificates, the Dean will be delighted to send you a Diploma - free of charge and with our congratulations

You can browse

Articles - standard, thoughtful and progressive. Check the articles page for 25 random suggestions.

Regular Columns - the Dean, the Diva, In Practice, In Theory. Four ways of looking at management, updated 10 times a year.

Personal Feedback - what do you know, how do you behave? (Not psychometric but indications of what to study.)

Case studies - management in action

Top Ten Tips - immediate 'injections' of management know-how.

You can look things up

Glossary - management terms explained and discussed

Hall of Fame - the great minds in management

Classic writing in management - texts that have stood the test of time

Recommended books - more recent books, many of which are subjects of our Book Reviews

You can experiment and explore

Just have a go. Start anywhere and follow the links. Many of us learn better this way - to so-called 'Discovery method'. (How do you think Columbus found America? He was actually looking for China!)

Bookmark the articles etc. that appeal to you so that you can come back to them at any time.

There is no set way of using the site. Enjoy it and make it your own.

It's the links that do the work

The links are there to show you explanatory material, to give you ideas, to bring in material relevant to your current interest, to tempt you to think about other aspects and generally to offer you alternative routes through the site. Just explore. You can't break it!

Keep up to date

We update ten times year.

What's New? - your regular management magazine, letting you know what has been added.

• Columnists - a different take on management
• The Dean - often irreverent (but never irrelevant), a radical view of management
• The Diva - so much of management writing comes from Western males! The Diva is the counter-balance.
• In Practice - what's the latest in management? Helen Kelly finds out and personally interviews thinkers and leaders at the cutting edge.
• In Theory - Dr Rick Roskin scans the academic press and brings the important bits to you (in a form that we can all understand.)
• Thought of the Month - an inspirational message from Johan V Campbell.
• Book reviews - we only review books we think will be useful to you.