Get a Pro

"If you were to ask Ray Kelly IV to characterize the learning function of most organizations, he might say it was analogous to coins underneath the cushions of a couch: You have to dig around to recover all that money" (As seen at hrotoday.com on 2-17-09). As Andy Teng continues to write for HRO he points out the fact that there are tangible benefits when an organization commits to outsource task and functions.

When an organization outsources or contracts with someone like LearningCurve to create or manage the learning and training functions of an organization they get what they you pay for. They simply know what it cost in hard dollars and see the results. Outsourcing is a viable option to get visible results for an organization that knows it can not afford to cut out learning yet has trouble justifying unaccountable dollars in tough economic times.

In addition to making the cost and benefit of investments in human capital explicit the quality and delivery can often improve making the learning process a positive experience for employees and clients. Does that sound like a win-win?

Rudderless Training?

The purpose of the training should be relevant, real, and applicable. A ship without a rudder can launch out on a journey but has little hope of reaching any specific destination.

The training objectives are the intended destiny for each participant or learner. The purpose of the training in this analogy is the rudder. To use the rudder the purpose must direct the activity and direction of the training. Although there may be many useful and exciting ports along the journey the instructional designer must use the training purposes to provide direction in the creation and execution of the training.

Although this sounds simple and logical; reality requires careful discipline and dedication to the purpose at hand to carry the participants on to the intended destination.

Why are we training?

When you develop training materials one of the most important questions to ask is simply; why train? The sponsor for the program has an agenda. Understanding that agenda is essential. The agenda may be latent and quite simple. However, a successful training instructional designer will have that agenda crystal clear in their mind.

Beware, sometimes a training sponsor suspects training is needed simply because the expected behaviors are not pervasive. If in fact the problem lies somewhere else like in the compensation program; then your wonderful training program still won’t have the impact the sponsor sought out.

Again the need to be crystal clear about the intent of the program and the dynamic factors around the program are essential to successful performance improvements. You need to either buy-in to sponsor’s agenda or coach the sponsor to a more enlightened perspective given your relative expertise.

Simulations are Army Strong

Simulations can be a powerful method for learning complex procedures and steps. As described in the excerpt below as they replicate reality and allow users to discover information for themselves they become more powerful.

As they share the look and feel of a production environment computer application simulations help users learn to use software without exposing access to sensitive data or otherwise risk the data integrity.

Quoted from http://www.workforce.com/section/11/feature/26/08/34/index.html:
The Army’s Training Weapon: Serious Games workforce.com

Simulations “offer a very cost-effective way for clients to reach large, geographically distributed populations,” says Rommin Adl, executive vice president for global sales and marketing for management consulting company BTS. The company, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in 11 other countries, specializes in developing customized simulations and discovery learning experiences for clients. “People can test things in a risk-free before they do it in real life," Adl says. "This helps disseminate best practices before people do things."

Engaging Learners

Engaging learners or participate in learning is essential to successful experiences. Unfortunately, death by PowerPoint is in some cases being replaced with death by e-Learning. You see in many cases folks have simple converted PowerPoint Slides to e-Learning modules. Though this can be a quick fix to disseminate information is leave much to be desired.

Engagement occurs naturally when the content is relevant to what they need and realistic. So the short answer is give people simply what they want/need. LearningCurve uses three primary modes of learning. In short they are observe the computer software in use, they interact with the software in a simulated environment with cues and support, and finally they test their skill without the cues in a ‘test’ environment.

Why Video

Video loosely re-translated from the original Greek might also be; “I see.” This is a common phrase heard around computers when an ‘expert’ deftly shows some else how to do something.

Why didn’t this same user pick up or remember that bit of knowledge or skill from a classroom training session? Well for starters:

• there may not have been a class/lab training session
• the training occurred too long ago to remember
• the system changed since the training
• the steps were likely in the 300+ paged training manual; but who has time or interest enough to search
• if training occurred perhaps the user didn’t know they’d ever need to use that function

Whatever can resolve this dilemma? Well another might ask what dilemma they user got the knowledge they needed no harm no foul; right? Well the truth be told the ‘expert’ is not always around or available to show everyone whatever function they’d like. Others don’t know who the expert is or might not want to ask or be able to ask.

A solution to this situation is to simply level the playing field and give the expert more leverage to show the masses what they know via video, now you see. LearningCurve partners with experts to create and deliver video of the users system. The expert can literally show everyone. Except that everyone only needs to watch when they are ready to learn. Because the video is made available on demand through an LMS users don’t waste time learning functions they will never need. Yet when they need that function they will be able to see it in action and then through interactive simulation learn to replicate the behavior in a positive and constructive way.

What Do You Know

I’ve updated my goals for 2009 and set out to have a wonderful year. So much the media is saturated with the doom and gloom of the world financial situation. I don’t know when or how the economy will improve. I don’t know as much as I would like about a lot of things. I am thrilled to be in a situation were I can learn. We have to continuously learn as the world we are in continues to change.

I’ve spent some time reflecting on the following quote and encourage you to do the same.
“All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions.” Leonardo da Vinci quotes (Italian draftsman, Painter, Sculptor, Architect and Engineer whose genius epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. 1452-1519) With this in mind consider what you are perceiving. How real is it? How much of what is essential for your business do you convey in a way that others can perceive and understand? Would you like to know how you can convey knowledge and skill in meaningful ways?