ECMWF offers a wide range of learning resources on its products and services. They range from in-person and online training courses to e-learning lessons and webinars, and they also include articles on topics related to forecasting, research, and computing. A new ECMWF learning public page has been developed as a signpost to the learning resources ECMWF has to offer (https://learning.ecmwf.int/web/guest/public-channel).
The aim of the public page is to make ECMWF learning resources easy to find and access without the need for a login. The page pulls together and displays content which already exists on the ECMWF website but is disseminated across different locations.
Learning resources page
Each resource presented on the public page has been categorised as ‘Forecasting’, ‘Research’ or ‘Data, Software and Computing’. This means users do not have to scroll through learning resources which are irrelevant to them. Instead, resources can be easily found and discovered based on user interests.
The public page contains a variety of learning resources that ECMWF provides to reinforce knowledge on forecasting, research, and computing. It includes:
- E-learning lessons - these online lessons take less than an hour to complete and are available for a large variety of topics. They encourage self-study on a specific topic and require an ECMWF login to access.
- Training courses - these are hybrid events with a face-to-face element, held in person or virtually, as well as online pre-course learning requirements. They require pre-registration and take place at set times in the year.
- Online training courses - these take place fully in the virtual environment and are done at the user’s own pace. They require an ECMWF login to access.
- Articles - including Newsletter articles and other news pieces. These cover the latest advances and ECMWF’s involvement. They enhance user knowledge and understanding, ensuring they are on the cutting edge of developments in the field. These are freely accessible to all.
- Webinars and events - including upcoming and past ones. These are webinars and events which users may find useful to attend or watch to learn more about ECMWF products and services, including how to use them. Attending events and webinars live provides users with the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback directly to ECMWF experts. Some may require registration to access.
If a learning resource which requires a login is chosen, the user is taken to the ECMWF login page, where they can log in or freely register to access the content. Users can access and see their progress with e-learning lessons and online training courses directly using the Learning Portal (https://learning.ecmwf.int/group/guest/dashboard).
A fresh and dynamic page
The categorisation of the public page, based on the target audience and content type, is simple and intuitive. It allows trainers within organisations, forecasters, researchers and those using ECMWF’s computing facilities to easily explore resources on topics of their interest.
The selection of publications listed in the ‘Articles’ section covers the latest advances, news, approaches and expertise, focused on different aspects of a field. These articles have been chosen to provide a fresh look at ECMWF products and services and related topics, with new articles being added regularly.
At the top of the public page, the ‘Featured’ section highlights four learning resources on a particular topic. This area is dynamic, with a monthly theme changing the featured resources. The aim of the section is to quickly showcase resources to users which they otherwise may not discover. The monthly themes will be chosen based on time of year, e.g. winter weather in winter months, upcoming events such as Using ECMWF’s Forecasts or hot topics in the news. The featured learning resources will be accompanied with tweets on Twitter to further promote the variety of learning available at ECMWF using #learningofthemonth.
More information on the public page can be found by watching the recording of a recent webinar entitled ‘Learning Resources at ECMWF: Forecasting, Research and Computing’ (https://events.ecmwf.int/event/252/).