Moving from learning to performance is no easy task—either for individuals or for organizations. Formal learning can no longer enable a worker to perform in this age of complex work where best practices are not a constant. The call is thus to give the power to the people—to choose content, to learn, and to perform. Adaptive Learning Systems (ALS) are facilitating that by providing learners with an ecosystem in which they can explore the world of formal, informal, and social learning, select content of choice and create their own learning path. The business case for investing in an ALS to personalize learning experiences will be the strongest if it is possible to leverage existing assets and minimize the initial cost. The case should also circle back to the possibility of empowerment and motivation. And like the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, there are dollar benefits from investing in a system that allows personalization of learning and performance improvement. These outcomes are likely to have a positive impact on business results. Variations of a pure ALS, though, are gaining in popularity. While many may not have all of the features of an ALS, they score on their ability to create a personal environment for learning. They offer a framework for applying models like Pervasive Learning, 70:20:10, Evidence-based Learning, and even some aspects of the adaptive learning methodology. For more on how organizations are leveraging the power of Personal Learning Environments to support performance, see TIS’ white paper "Mapping ID to Performance Needs". - Sarbani Mukherjee, Principal Learning Designer - Accounts North America, Tata Interactive Systems

The Indian Animation Masters Summit by Toonz Animation turned to be a huge crowd puller with a large number of people thronging the venue to listen to the masters of the Indian animation industry. Manisha Mohan, Head of Design and Animation at Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), shared her vision and experience on how animation can be taken beyond entertainment. She discussed how animation can be used for different industry sectors such as Education, Healthcare, Defense, Travel and Logistics. Her experience in creating interactive tools for children with learning disabilities was also shared and discussed upon. Dhimant Vyas, Senior Consultant - Animation Design from TIS and the man behind the title animation of Amir Khan starrer Taare Zameen Par was also a Master presenting at the summit. He discussed about his wide experience in Claymation. While speaking on the topic of "Magic with Motion", he highlighted the painstaking effort that’s put into building every frame. Read the full press release at http://www.animationxpress.com/index.php/latest-news/indian-animation-masters-summit-by-toonz-animation-concludes-successfully

The learning world has been talking about social and informal learning for close to a decade now. Jay Cross popularized the concept in his book, Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance, defining it thus: "Informal learning is the unofficial, unscheduled, impromptu way people learn to do their jobs. Formal learning is like riding a bus: the driver decides where the bus is going; the passengers are along for the ride. Informal learning is like riding a bike: the rider chooses the destination, the speed, and the route." Organizations have moved from skepticism regarding social learning to realizing that it is a much-needed component in the learning ecosystem. The days when formal training alone worked are over. Training worked when work was predictable, processes could be pre-defined, and best practices could be handed down - via ILT or elearning - depending on the organization in question. With the advent of globalization, ubiquitous technology, mobile devices and a myriad other ripple effects of technology, the world of work has suddenly been hit by a whirlwind of change. Simple, process-driven work that defined the industrial era is giving way to complicated and complex work where exceptions are the norm. Employees and organizations alike are at a loss. It is clear that something more than formal, top down training is definitely required to enable employees remain efficient and be able to acquire the knowledge and skills required. Thus, organizations are taking a second look at informal and social learning today. Micro-learning, micro-content, Learning Flows, and mlearning are some of the current and upcoming trends in the world of learning and development. They all have a common denominator—they require very little "at-a-stretch" time commitment from learners/users. And learning design - driven by these principles - lend itself to informal and social learning as well. Wikipedia describes micro-learning thus: Micro-learning can also be understood as a process of subsequent, "short" learning activities, i.e. learning through interaction with micro-content objects in small timeframes. ~ Wiki Some of the key characteristics of micro-learning are given in the diagram below:   These qualities make small capsules of learning - tweets, responses to forum discussions, short podcasts, learning nuggets, and so on - eminently suitable in the context of social and informal learning. Imagine an employee posting a question on a discussion forum on an enterprise collaboration platform. S/he could receive a response in any one or more of the following forms - a direct post, a short video, a podcast, a link to an external resource, or be directed to an expert on the said topic. A collaboration platform that facilitates such interaction promotes social and informal learning within an organization. However, it is important to remember that a platform doesn’t necessarily bring about the desired change. To foster a culture of sharing and collaboration, it is important that L&D dons the hat of community managers and facilitators enabling content curation and aggregation and connecting learners to relevant content, to each other, and to experts. But what’s wrong with good old formal training, you may ask. Nothing really! Formal learning will still be required but it can no longer meet the needs of the workforce. As the juggernaut of change continues to hit the global work environment, exceptions and complex problems are becoming the norm. It is no longer feasible or possible to design training programs in advance for challenges one doesn’t know is coming their way. All of these are pointing to a shift that is in motion—a shift from long courses with a defined structure and curriculum that trained users on good and best practices based on the past. The "Era of Courses" reflected an age where work was stable, experience of the past could be encapsulated and translated into courses that future workers could take and be successful in their work and performance. Businesses grew and became mega-businesses. Accumulated experiences counted. The future reflected the past. And economy of scale was the order of the day. Learning "at the speed of need" is of paramount importance today. And enabling social and informal learning at the workplace is one way to meet this need. Providing a platform for globally dispersed employees to quickly access a learning byte, share an insight, post a query, or upload a document ensures that just-in-time learning is happening. It also brings learning into the workflow. And fosters a culture of sharing and collaboration thus also ensuring that the organization’s tacit knowledge is being captured. Today, workers need bursts and nuggets of learning a.k.a. performance support. Lengthier, knowledge-driven courses will still exist but will become optional and can be taken at the workers’ discretion. Individuals will take those courses where they see personal and professional benefits—but they may not be driven by the organization where they work. This is directly evident in the MOOC phenomenon as seen on Coursera or EdX. Learning design will have to increasingly revolve around micro-learning concepts that are device, time and location agnostic. While micro-learning can be viewed as a support to more formal and longer courses, this equation may change. Workers used to Googling to solve their queries and problems are likely to bring that same paradigm to learning. They may well expect a collection of micro-modules to be available which they will dip into as and when needed. Each worker will chart out their own path through these micro-modules based on their role, performance need and prior experience and knowledge. However, the big question is: How will corporates take advantage of these trends and phenomenon that have organically grown out the changing technology landscape. And, what will be the role of learning designers in this new landscape—curators & aggregators, facilitators & collaborators, connectors & change agents? -          Sahana Chattopadhyay, Consultant - Instructional Design, Tata Interactive Systems  

Tata Interactive Systems has for the fourth consecutive year, been named in the ‘Top 20 Content Development Companies’ list by TrainingIndustry.com. This initiative is part of TrainingIndustry.com’s mission to continually monitor the global training marketplace for the best providers of training services and technologies. The selection of this year's "Top 20" list was based on the following criteria: industry visibility, innovation and impact, capability to deliver multiple types of training services, company size and growth potential, depth & breadth of subject matter expertise, strength of clients and geographic reach. "We continue to raise the bar on our content and learning solutions and are pleased to be listed among the top 20 content development companies," says Kshitij Nerurkar, Chief Operating Officer, TIS. "This is attributed to TIS’ 500+multi-disciplinary specialists, who create and develop innovative custom content that addresses the learning and development needs of organizations globally. Today, there are several developers who use tools to produce rapid content and offer it at a low cost. However, only a handful combine the advantage of cost and pace with engaging design. We have been able to consistently differentiate on all the three factors owing to our investments in product formats such as SimBLs® and TOPSIM® for simulations, GamBLs® for serious games, story-based learning, learning nuggets and many others to deliver a highly effective learning experience," adds Kshitij.  

A global provider of learning solutions, Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) and KnowledgeAdvisors, Inc, a CEB company, signed a teaming agreement recently to co-market products and services in the North American and Indian region. By combining TIS’ expertise in design, development, consulting & delivery with KnowledgeAdvisors' extensive learning benchmarks and analytics platform, both entities are uniquely positioned to help organizations optimize the impact of L&D investments on corporate performance. TIS will distribute the KnowledgeAdvisors product ‘Metrics that Matter®’ as part of a larger learning analytics solutions to clients in India. Metrics that Matter® is an on-demand software and a web-based Human Capital analytics tool that streamlines the data collection and reporting elements of measurement for all human capital processes - recruitment, engagement, talent, performance, learning and leadership. Further, it combines data from multiple enterprise systems (including LMS) with information collected through evaluations and assessments to paint a complete picture of learning and business performance. Gajanan Kasbekar, Sr. Vice President, Tata Interactive Systems, says, "TIS has a strong reputation for offering customized learning solutions. Moreover, our ability to design and deliver quality products consistently is complemented by the maturity of our business processes and systems. In this new strategic partnership, we will leverage on our expertise and experience in L&D consulting services." "TIS has extensive experience in the learning consulting space; our consultants advise many organizations on learning strategy, competency analysis, training needs assessment, as well as L&D process design. As a founding sponsor for other initiatives like center for talent reporting, TIS has also invested effort & funds in the area of Learning Evaluation and measurement. This alliance with KnowledgeAdvisors takes us to the next level of learning analytics, business impact measurement and eventually help set up governance processes and business offices for clients," adds Gajanan. Jeffrey Berk, Sr. Vice President, Operations at KnowledgeAdvisors, avers, "KnowledgeAdvisors helps organizations that utilize learning & development drive business outcomes by applying the analytic rigor they need to achieve their goals." He adds, "Our Metrics that Matter platform with more than one billion comparative benchmarks, coupled with robust reporting and deep science around learning measurement methodology, allows companies to realize substantial returns on their strategic investments in development and training." The partnership with KnowledgeAdvisors’ represents part of TIS’ track record of offering effective learning solutions that enable key organizational initiatives. Further, this interactive knowledge sharing with KnowledgeAdvisors, is expected to accelerate TIS’ pursuit to further advance its offerings in the learning space.

Are you looking at creating learning experiences that are more organic, fluid and fun? Well, that’s exactly what Tin Can API (also known as the Experience API or xAPI) ensures. The API or Application Programming Interface has the potential to free the design of learning from constraints of technology, context and a silo-mentality. Tin Can enabled eLearning can converge diverse approaches, devices and contexts to deliver transformative learning experiences - both for the learner and the sponsor of learning. Also, Tin Can has the ability to track learning anywhere… not only formal face-to-face learning but also informal and social learning. Hence, designers can cherry pick the best quality resources wherever available. They can also effectively blend online and offline interventions to create and assemble learning experiences that are more personal, interconnected and diverse. Hence, the course design can move from Open Learning Resources, Academia, Peer-to-Peer learning, one-on-one interactions with a colleague, to work portfolios, community projects or collaborations in MOOC hangouts. With Tin Can, designers can use open content resources and other high quality, free online resources to create courses and instruct learners. Educators and designers can use open content initiatives, creative commons, Udacity, Coursera,  EdX, Wikieducator and multiple other resources to put together content for their courses. This will give the learners access to a variety of learning resources and formats while in turn bringing down the costs of content creation in custom learning courses.  Essentially, Tin Can API is a Web-based learning technology that allows learning content and systems to communicate with each other. Subsequently, it records & tracks all types of learning experiences, and the results are stored securely in a Learning Record Store (LRS). The LRS, which is a repository, records them and shares them with other LRSs or LMSs as the case maybe. In short, the API has the potential to transform learning design. However, this will require not just new technologies but also a new mindset. Learning professionals and the industry will need to work collaboratively to help evolve this technology. Learning designers too can take the lead by designing and creating solutions that exploit the potential of this new technology for the benefit of the learner. To know more about Tin Can API, please refer our White Paper.  

The award was conferred for Best Practices in Distance Learning Programming under the sub-category of Online Technology in Higher Education. TIS transformed the learning experience for aspiring nurses through e-Learning tutorials, games and simulations Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a global provider of learning solutions, announced that its Associate Degree in Nursing program developed for Excelsior College School of Nursing has won a Silver award.  The award was conferred at the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) 2014 International Awards for Best Practices in Distance Learning Programming under the sub-category of Online Technology in Higher Education. Excelsior College embarked on a strategic initiative to create 8 innovative and compelling courses for the Associate Degree Program in Nursing. The solution was aimed at transforming the learning experience of students as well as the student-teacher relationship so that the teacher facilitates learning more effectively through the use of various components. "While it is too early to accurately evaluate the overall performance of our newly online students, as compared to those studying independently, we do know those now enrolled are completing at rates of 90%, or better.  They are also persisting from course to course at rates above 80%. We are tremendously pleased by these numbers and feel certain that much of the credit belongs to the highly engaging design of these offerings," avers John F. Ebersole, President of Excelsior College. TIS leveraged its experience in instructional design to develop a solution using a different and unique instructional strategy, which included: StoBLs®: A story-based instructional approach GamBLs®: A game-based instructional approach Simulations: Putting the students in simulated and immersive situations and prompting them to make decisions Interactive tutorials: Simplifying concepts and engaging students in the learning process. The tutorials include cases and scenarios that unfold as the teaching progresses and relate concepts to real life. The USDLA Awards have been created to acknowledge major accomplishments in distance learning and to highlight those distance learning instructors, programs, and professionals who have achieved and demonstrated extraordinary results through the use of online, videoconferencing, satellite and blended learning delivery technologies. "A key aspect of the solution developed for Excelsior College was the fact that the program includes self-paced e-Learning tutorials, games and simulations, quizzes, projects and assignments, and textbook readings. We offered the most effective, appealing and cost-effective solution, as our team of Instructional Designers are adept at analyzing the instructional problem, the task, learning needs and learning environment," says Bryan Kantor, Vice President, Global Education at Tata Interactive Systems. TIS was also recognized with a Gold award for Associate Degree program in Nursing - Excelsior College under the Best Custom Content Category at the Brandon Hall Excellence Awards 2013.

Technology is transforming education at lightning speed. Mobile devices have ushered in a BYOD (bring your own device) culture in many schools and workplaces. These technologies are now commonplace and used to enhance the teachers’ teaching experience as well as the students’ learning experience. The time may soon come when essential devices like smartphones and tablets may only be flashes in the pan when we look at the new wave of wearables and how it will impact and change the way we learn. Wearable technology, wearable devices, tech togs, or fashion electronics are clothing and accessories that incorporate computer and advanced electronic technologies. Further, the development of Google Glass, Apple’s rumored iWatch and the acquisition of virtual reality headset Oculus Rift by Facebook are the opening shots in the battle for a wearable tech future. In fact, devices like Google Glass can significantly improve how students interact with video tutorials and follow instructor demonstrations. This technology could be adopted to distance learning model as well as a traditional classroom setting. Wearable technology could also extend the mobility of learning. For instance, it could connect learners to each other as well as those facilitating this learning. This could serve as another collaborative learning tool that can be integrated into the learning process at many levels. In the field of learning and development, wearables can be leveraged for personal assist and virtual gaming. Wearable technology is hence the new wave that educators are exploring. After all, from tracking students’ progress to providing a new way for learners to interact with data, environment, and one another, wearable technologies bring forth many practical applications in education and training. To know more, read our White Paper on Wearables in Learning.

"Tell me, and I'll forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I'll understand." - Chinese proverb. Play, artistic creation, creativity, and evolutionary human development have been closely allied since eons. In fact, games have always been a part of history. There was no division between play and work as there was no concept of work - the art of hunting & gathering relied upon opportunity presenting itself, intercepting the prey, working collaboratively to search for food, were all engaging activities. The behaviors associated with these activities have laid the foundation for exploration, intuition, improvisation, and eventually adaptation. And today, the corporate world recognizes the importance of well-designed games that helps achieve specific learning goals. At Tata Interactive Systems, our instructional design methodology is built around the concept of Play, Practice, Perfect. We encourage higher engagement through Play, higher skills and higher retention through practice, and higher efficiency through Perfection. Our approach to Game Based Learning involves designing games with business rules/needs at the core, with a game layer that governs the game, players’ actions, the game’s reaction, and the final outcome. The result is a workforce of highly motivated learners who engage with and practice applying problem-solving skills. Moreover, the plethora of gaming applications that we can put into the marketplace today is infinite. From the service sectors to industrial and manufacturing spaces, the opportunity for employees to learn concepts, rules, regulations, best practices & train on all things relevant to their firms, is tremendous. And with smartphones and tablet penetration increasing across global markets, the opportunity to reach and connect with people is immense. This allows institutions like ours to remain attuned and poised to exploit lucrative opportunities in the market whenever they present themselves. Read Play at Work to know what is effective in game-based learning and why does it work?

With the rise of social & informal learning, as well as ubiquitous mobile devices (tablets, phablets, smartphones and everything in between), micro-learning as a concept and practice has taken off. In fact, clients who would earlier ask for eLearning solutions, today specify the type of eLearning solution that meet their requirements. A typical requirement statement could sound like this: "We want short capsules of learning or learning nuggets that will run on all devices.  Our employees are busy and want to learn on the go." In short, micro-learning is the need of the hour. In this post, I have looked at micro-learning from the point of view of efficacy as well as applicability. So, here are some questions that we as learning experience designers, need to ask: What is micro-learning? When and where does it work well? What kind of learning will micro-learning not support effectively? What characteristics define micro-learning? "Microlearning deals with relatively small learning units and short-term learning activities. Generally, the term 'microlearning' refers to micro-perspectives in the context of learning, education and training. More frequently, the term is used in the domain of E-learning and related fields in the sense of a new paradigmatic perspective on learning processes in mediated environments on micro levels." ~Wikipedia "Microlearning … in a wider sense is a term that can be used to describe the way more and more people are actually doing informal learning and gaining knowledge in Microcontent and Micromedia/Multitasking environments (see Microcosmos), especially those that become increasingly based on Web 2.0 and Wireless Web technologies. In this wider sense the borders between Microlearning and the complementary concept of Microknowledge are blurring." ~Wikipedia Typically, micro-learning or learning bytes or learning capsules work well as a component of informal learning where the learner pulls what they need to solve an immediate problem. Recently, I downloaded a couple of apps from the Amazon Appstore - one of these being on the British Museum. Whenever I want to know about a specific section or artifact or an era, I can go to the app and to that precise section and read up. It’s quite well designed with the sections appropriately segmented and can be a good companion during a walk around the museum. These bytes could be classified as micro-learning satisfying the criteria of short, accessible nuggets available at the point-of-need. Micro-learning is effective when the nature of the learning required has some or all of the following characteristics: When the learning required are bytes of facts, episodes, etc., as illustrated in the museum app example above When it covers parts of a process or steps to be followed When the learning problem is simple or complicated but not too complex (complex learning is interconnected, and often, experience-based and non-transferable) When the learning happens in a collaborative environment like a discussion forum or a social media platform Where there is scope for anytime, anywhere access facilitated by technology Micro-learning makes up an important component of one’s PLE (Personal Learning Environment) - be it tweets from the Twitter feed, blog posts & articles, or the latest You Tube video and TED Talk. These essentially comprise nuggets and bytes of content in various forms, which the learner pulls from the environment and then strings together to make sense and build a cohesive picture. So, should micro-learning exist in a tangible form like a module, document or video? I don’t think so. One of the most powerful forms of micro-learning could be feedback on the job. We often forget the power of a quick 5 minute input as a form of learning. Besides, there is more to micro-learning than meets the eye. Human beings have always engaged in micro-learning or bursts of learning to acquire skills, solve challenges and lead life on a day-to-day basis. Technology is an enabler that enhances this form of learning by amplifying what we share, facilitating connection and allowing access to experts who may be in another time zone altogether. Thus, micro-learning enabled by technology can be a powerful workplace learning strategy. -          Sahana Chattopadhyay, Consultant - Instructional Design, Tata Interactive Systems