Author: Richard Pagdin, HCM Consultant at Namos Solutions
The shift to the Redwood Experience within Oracle Cloud is transforming modules across the board, and Oracle Learn is no exception. Those of you already utilising the Learning Cloud module may have successfully transitioned self-service functionality to the Redwood pages and might be asking, “What’s next?” or keen to hear when learning administrators see more improvements and new features
I’m pleased to share that Oracle has provided an important update on the roadmap for Learning Catalog Management, which will enhance the functionality for learning administrators starting with the 24D quarterly release. This update also sets the stage for future enhancements within the 2025 quarterly releases.
In this blog, I’ll talk about the details of the new Redwood Learning Catalog and explore some of the enhancements coming in 24D which promote a more personalised, efficient learning experience while streamlining course management for administrators.
*If you haven’t transitioned to Redwood yet and you’d like some help, Namos are able to offer our ‘Redwood Accelerator Packages’. We’ve created bespoke options to be able to cater to your organisation’s individual needs when it comes to implementing the Redwood UX.
Redwood Learning Catalog – What it means for me?
The transition to Redwood for managing the learning catalog will take place over an extended period. Oracle has announced that this integration will be included in the CY 2025 series of releases. The overarching goal is to transform the learning administrator’s experience by enhancing efficiency, improving user engagement, and delivering the most requested enhancements that customers have been asking for.
Initially, as the new Redwood experience is implemented, the new learning items will coexist alongside your existing items — courses, offerings, and specialisations. However, ultimately, these classic learning items will be phased out and replaced.
Below, you can see an illustration comparing the current appearance of learning catalog items with the new Redwood Learning Items.
It’s worth noting that the mentioned Redwood Learning Catalog changes are still subject to adjustment, but the graphic above provides us a useful glimpse into what some of the future terminology for the module may look like.
Improved Redwood Experience for Managing Self-Paced Learning
The first update I’ll examine is the improved Redwood Experience for managing self-paced learning. Administrators can now create and publish self-paced learning content within a single workflow, integrating all previous steps — course creation, offering setup, activity management, and content integration — into one efficient process. This significant enhancement dramatically reduces the time required to deliver learning content to users, eliminating the hassle of multiple clicks through the Learning module.
The redesigned Redwood self-paced learning continues to support the same content types supported in traditional self-paced offerings (SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 third edition, AICC .zip files, Video (mp4), Document (PDF), URL, and Questionnaires (assessments and observation checklists)).
Content Section of The New Learning Page
New Learning Page After Content Is Loaded
It’s important to note that this new type of self-paced learning is distinct from the existing offerings in the Learn module. The upgraded self-paced learning can be integrated into specialisations, topics, and other community types, similar to traditional courses. However, it cannot be added directly to courses or offerings. Instead, self-paced content coexists alongside courses, offerings, and other content items.
Looking ahead, Oracle plans to provide tools that will enable users to transition “classic” courses, offerings, and content into the Redwood self-paced content experience, allowing these legacy elements to benefit from the enhanced features of the new Redwood design.
Enhanced Video Controls for Improved Learning
One of the most noticeable enhanced features accompanying the improved Redwood Self-Paced Learning experience is the access to enhanced video controls within learning content. Learners now have the ability to fast-forward through videos, an upgrade from previous versions where navigation was often restricted. This newfound freedom empowers users to take control of their learning journey, enabling them to skip over sections they already understand or revisit important concepts without replaying an entire video.
For administrators, these upgraded video controls offer greater adaptability to various learning speeds. With learners no longer confined to a fixed viewing sequence, they can progress through content at their own pace. This flexibility not only keeps learners engaged but also boosts information retention, which is crucial in professional training environments.
Learning Catalog Administration
With the 24D enhancements, administrators will also gain access to the new Learning Catalog Redwood page. Before diving into its features, it’s helpful to note Oracle’s adjustment to the Learning Specialist role and the addition of a new persona: the Catalog Manager. The Catalog Manager is designated for managing the learning catalog and its contents, while the Learning Specialist will focus on system setup and configuration. These distinctions make it easier to assign roles to team members based on their specific responsibilities, helping streamline system management and user provisioning.
Catalog Managers will now have a centralised hub to access and manage items in the learning catalog. They can efficiently search, filter, and create saved searches for routine tasks, as well as edit existing items or create new ones. Powered by Oracle Search, catalog navigation mirrors the learner’s experience in Redwood but includes enhanced filters designed for management needs. Additionally, Catalog Managers can export search results to Excel for straightforward analysis. Support for filtering by learning item Flexfields is also on the horizon, planned for the CY 2025 series.
For now, only the new self-paced learning items will appear in the updated Learning Catalog. However, throughout the CY 2025 series, all learning items will eventually be accessible from this single, centralised page.
Looking Ahead to 2025 and Beyond
The 24D release marks an exciting step forward for Oracle Learning Cloud, with the Redwood Experience setting a new standard for customer focused design and streamlined functionality. These initial changes, from the enhanced self-paced learning options to the new Catalog Manager persona, lay the groundwork for what promises to be a fully modernised Learning module. The incremental improvements slated for the CY 2025 series of releases will continue to build on this foundation, bringing us toward a fully cohesive and powerful Redwood Experience.
As always, staying proactive with these updates will ensure your teams are well-prepared to harness the full potential of Oracle Learning Cloud. And with the move to Redwood, the future of learning management is shaping up to be more adaptable and exciting than ever.
*If you haven’t transitioned to Redwood yet and you’d like some help, Namos are able to offer our ‘Redwood Accelerator Packages’. We’ve created bespoke options to be able to cater to your organisation’s individual needs when it comes to implementing the Redwood UX.
