Like any other business function, effective finance capability is dependent on people, structures, systems and processes. As many may be painfully aware and as highlighted by the ICAEW, Business Partnering struggles by on workarounds cobbled together on a last-minute, must-needs basis. Developing effective skills in process management and business change enables finance teams to break free of this rut, deliver better services and generate more value for the business.

When I started working in Lufkin, one of the first things that I did, before any decision was made, was getting to campuses to listen and talk to teachers. I remember feeling so nervous but I also knew, from being a voiceless classroom teacher, that this step was an important one. It was during a meeting with our high school teachers that I learned about some of our digital infrastructure issues. They could tell you exactly where in the building one could connect and the places where connectivity was weakest. These statements are what drove more in depth research and action into changing that. Our teachers were also quite open about how they wished to learn professionally or even be acknowledged for the learning that they were already doing…learning that is often ignored in districts because of its non-traditional means. It was in those moments that my plan for our "district PD plan" was affirmed. Whatever we did, it needed to be driven by our teachers as there is honest truth to the fact that if we want our students to have the agency to think and have a voice in their learning, our teachers need this for themselves. Our teachers also needed to know that their ideas were framing what we do. This was critical. A few months ago, during a conversation at Educon, Zac Chase tweeted a statement that has been with me since the day that it flew across my feed. If you want people to feel empowered, give them power. That’s it. Do that. #educon — Zac Chase (@MrChase) January 30, 2016 There are so many realities of school that teachers have no choice or voice in and I often wonder how much people really get that. It’s easy to talk about what we want to see in classrooms and how schools should function differently but it’s an entirely different idea to be at the forefront of those decisions…to have a voice in the fundamental work that we do…work that is not just absent of teacher ideas but also students. The fact is, that somehow our traditions of who gets a seat at the table are limited to those with the titles to do so and not enough to those who are impacted most. While we are far from perfect in my district, there is effort given through student leadership meetings, cross-cultural parent cohorts and teacher collaboratives like our digital ambassadors. It’s a start, but ideally I hope that we can get to the point where one doesn’t need to be in a special cohort to question the norm…to add their ideas to the pot and to be central in decision making. This is my greatest hope and why I found great comfort in reading books like Building School 2.0: How to Create the Schools We Need because it illustrated through the eyes of SLA that is certainly possible. I will admit to struggling at one point with which decisions needed to be mine and when they needed to be community driven. Ultimately, my own clarity came from thinking of times when I wanted to have a voice and didn’t. I remembered what it felt like to have everything from the curriculum that we used to language in which we expressed it and the "common style" from which we had to teach designated by someone else and it sucked. I also remember what it felt like to be a student in classrooms with teachers who were so "programmed" by the traditionalism of school that they often did not see me as a person beyond the scribble in the gradebook. Opening the door to teachers and their ideas changes the trajectory of the decisions being made. The same applies when including students…especially when they realize that the world is different outside of their walls and zip codes. Information is power. As my friend Zac Chase said, power can be empowering. This is what changes schools. It isn’t a brand new curriculum, new technology or hiring that person you admired from social media EDU. It is about creating a culture of openness that embraces our differences, realities, passions and curiosities. It’s a community of learners with voices, not defined by job titles but by the common desire to help students create the world through their own curiosities. I’m often accused of being too idealistic…much like a teacher brand new to how "school" works. Please…let that always be the case.

 In developing a small story-based lesson, it has to be short, snappy, succinct, easy to follow and effective in engaging learners and imparting knowledge.Please preview this demo and then review the explanations below. This is only a small section of possibly several course lessons.There are seven parts of the small Story-Based Lesson.1.  Relocate Traditional Learning ObjectivesMost learning objectives are not well stated. They usually state the trainer's objectives rather than that of the learners' hence, they tend to be irrelevant to the learner's needs. They interrupt the learner. They cause immediate rejection of the content - "here it goes again, very boring topics." Relocate it to the top so learners can view it at their option and lawyers and HR people are happy they see it is there. 2.  Start with a Real-Life IncidentLearners instantly relate to real-life situations. Our brains are wired to respond to stories; a lot faster compared to viewing a factual, theoretical or technical information. The first page should instantly grab learners' attention. Use the characters to have conversations showing emotions and consequences. Use first voice, vivid images and clean page design. No clutter. Focus on one idea in each slide.    3.  Use the Story as the TitleBy using the story as the title, we are quickly engaging the learner. The learner would learn the technical title as he/she goes through the slides.4.  Emotional Flow of the StoryIn the slides, start with the situation, then gradually move to the conflict -"My credit card was declined." Then present the slide with the Story Question.The learner sees the incident then he/she encounters the conflict and now the decision point.     5.  Ask Story QuestionsStory questions are questions that invite learners to become part of the story.This is different from factual or technical questions, which we tend to ask learners to memorize. Our focus in the Story-Based Design is on application questions and not memorization.6.  Use Interactive StoriesWe want learners to recall the facts with the aid of the story. We want them to be part of the story. This is the difference between Storytelling and Interactive Story. In storytelling we (the trainers) tell the story. In Interactive Stories the learners interact with the story.7.  Embedded ContentThe usual way of showing content is by telling and teaching the facts without the context. Learners forget them most of the time. One reason we have knowledge checks is to make sure that learners remember the content. In essence, we force them to learn technical information.In the Story-Based Lesson we embed, insert, combine or fuse the technical content into the lessons. From the start to the end, within the story, the characters are talking about the content. The content is presented as part of the story hence, embedded.8.  Policies and References are Repositioned on TopPolicies and references are positioned on the top as links. Learners can review them as requested and mentioned in the story. Contrary to the practice of converting long policies and procedures into dozens and hundreds of slides, we present them in PDF form. There is no need to "glorify" or add multimedia when the PDF can be read faster and searched easier.Some of you may ask, "what if it is required by lawyers?" Then ask learners to read the PDF and you can still collect completion data by using some variables in your software.ConclusionHow does Story-Based Design work?It grabs learners. It is short, snappy and easy to follow. It is relevant. It helps learners to relate to the content in real-life and in meaningful ways and they remember the ideas you want to teach.How does the Story-Based Design save you money?By focusing on the content properly and isolating long readings into PDFs, you just cut your budget. We focus the learners on the main slides where the key ideas we want them to learn are located. Therefore, we prune long and tedious multimedia slides which are only a series of clicks and forward type of technical lesson.    Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

Studies have shown that more and more companies are using videos and webinar recordings to support learning. The challenge however, is that most videos can be boring, tedious and limits the learner from following their own interests. Most videos and recordings do not allow viewers to instantly drill into the details. It's time consuming to watch the entire thing and it can be difficult to move forward or backwards.Now, preview the Pinpoint Webinar Recording: Developing Micro-Learning for Learners on the Go: Other Webinar Examples:Breaking Training Development Project RulesWrite it Right! Use a Seven Step Process to Develop Learning ActivitiesBuild Trust to Improve PerformanceMain Benefits to LearnersAll the features are designed to allow learners to:Instantly drill down the detailsFollow their interest areasAllow a quick way of referencing back to previous learningSaves timeEngage learnersAccess more materialsSalient PointsSearch Tool - allows learners to search the key ideas in the recording.Table of Contents - lists the main sections of the video.Links - shows learners where to find links referred to by the speaker.Annotations - allows learners to see main ideas.More details - download materials, contact speakers.Chat Transcript - shows learners what the responses of other learners are to speaker's questions and activities.Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

Thanks to Clark Quinn  for allowing me to use this chart. It summarizes what Roger Schank presented at the LearnTechAsia, where according to him, "Roger gave his passioned, opinionated, irreverent, and spot-on talk to kick off LearnTechAsia. He covered the promise (or not) of AI, learning, stories, and the implications for education."The idea map summarizes much of what Roger Schank has been a proponent of. Known the world over as the leading visionary in virtual learning environments, artificial intelligence, learning theory and cognitive science, he is the CEO of Socratic Arts, a company that specializes in the design, and implementation of story-centered and learning-by-doing curricula both in the academic and corporate worlds.I am an ardent follower of Schank and other thought leaders who use narratives and stories in learning. Hence, this tip is about my reflections on the Map and an interpretation on how this affects what we do in learning design and implementation of platforms.Theory, Practice and ApplicationAI and Story Memories. A dominant theory of Schank is based on using stories in learning design. He describes this using other terms: scenarios, diagnostics, discovery, experience sharing, and others. In his research on Artificial Intelligence, he postulated that memories are indexed by stories (Tell me a Story, 1995). Stories fuel conversations, discoveries and formulation of self-learning. Schank believes that it is in the exchange of stories through conversations that people learn and unlearn. Without conversations there is no way the learner can reorganize the patterns in his/her mind on ideas. Decision making is facilitated by stories and real-life experiences. In many situations, decisions are hampered with a reference point provided by experienced sources like experts (The Future of Decision Making, 2010).  Diagnostic is key to learning. He proposes that if learners have to learn, they need to diagnose problems and get into the gut of it. The diagnostic approach helps learners come to grips with the real-life essence of the content.  (Teaching Minds, 2011)Testing and Memorization is Counter-Learning. Schank opposes the trend in education and training where learning design relies heavily on rote learning and memorization. He prefers discovery by allowing learners to "act" the content in their own real-life situations. If you want to train for math, let them do math and discover the better ways to apply it in actual professions like being an engineer or to tasks needing mathematical calculations. He observes that most training design are geared towards academic goals rather than personal goals. ConclusionRoger Schank departs from the traditional method of teaching which is characterized by rote learning and testing without context. His preference for discovery learning turns the steering wheel of learning over to the learners rather than the designers. Now, learners are free to learn what they want and how they want to achieve that goal.ReferencesAbout Roger C. SchankTell Me a Story: Narrative and Intelligence (Rethinking Theory)The Future of Decision MakingTeaching Minds: How Cognitive Science Can Save Our SchoolsRay Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

 In developing a small story-based lesson, it has to be short, snappy, succinct, easy to follow and effective in engaging learners and imparting knowledge.Please preview this demo and then review the explanations below. This is only a small section of possibly several course lessons.There are seven parts of the small Story-Based Lesson.1.  Relocate Traditional Learning ObjectivesMost learning objectives are not well stated. They usually state the trainer's objectives rather than that of the learners' hence, they tend to be irrelevant to the learner's needs. They interrupt the learner. They cause immediate rejection of the content - "here it goes again, very boring topics." Relocate it to the top so learners can view it at their option and lawyers and HR people are happy they see it is there. 2.  Start with a Real-Life IncidentLearners instantly relate to real-life situations. Our brains are wired to respond to stories; a lot faster compared to viewing a factual, theoretical or technical information. The first page should instantly grab learners' attention. Use the characters to have conversations showing emotions and consequences. Use first voice, vivid images and clean page design. No clutter. Focus on one idea in each slide.    3.  Use the Story as the TitleBy using the story as the title, we are quickly engaging the learner. The learner would learn the technical title as he/she goes through the slides.4.  Emotional Flow of the StoryIn the slides, start with the situation, then gradually move to the conflict -"My credit card was declined." Then present the slide with the Story Question.The learner sees the incident then he/she encounters the conflict and now the decision point.     5.  Ask Story QuestionsStory questions are questions that invite learners to become part of the story.This is different from factual or technical questions, which we tend to ask learners to memorize. Our focus in the Story-Based Design is on application questions and not memorization.6.  Use Interactive StoriesWe want learners to recall the facts with the aid of the story. We want them to be part of the story. This is the difference between Storytelling and Interactive Story. In storytelling we (the trainers) tell the story. In Interactive Stories the learners interact with the story.7.  Embedded ContentThe usual way of showing content is by telling and teaching the facts without the context. Learners forget them most of the time. One reason we have knowledge checks is to make sure that learners remember the content. In essence, we force them to learn technical information.In the Story-Based Lesson we embed, insert, combine or fuse the technical content into the lessons. From the start to the end, within the story, the characters are talking about the content. The content is presented as part of the story hence, embedded.8.  Policies and References are Repositioned on TopPolicies and references are positioned on the top as links. Learners can review them as requested and mentioned in the story. Contrary to the practice of converting long policies and procedures into dozens and hundreds of slides, we present them in PDF form. There is no need to "glorify" or add multimedia when the PDF can be read faster and searched easier.Some of you may ask, "what if it is required by lawyers?" Then ask learners to read the PDF and you can still collect completion data by using some variables in your software.ConclusionHow does Story-Based Design work?It grabs learners. It is short, snappy and easy to follow. It is relevant. It helps learners to relate to the content in real-life and in meaningful ways and they remember the ideas you want to teach.How does the Story-Based Design save you money?By focusing on the content properly and isolating long readings into PDFs, you just cut your budget. We focus the learners on the main slides where the key ideas we want them to learn are located. Therefore, we prune long and tedious multimedia slides which are only a series of clicks and forward type of technical lesson.    Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

Studies have shown that more and more companies are using videos and webinar recordings to support learning. The challenge however, is that most videos can be boring, tedious and limits the learner from following their own interests. Most videos and recordings do not allow viewers to instantly drill into the details. It's time consuming to watch the entire thing and it can be difficult to move forward or backwards.Now, preview the Pinpoint Webinar Recording: Developing Micro-Learning for Learners on the Go: Other Webinar Examples:Breaking Training Development Project RulesWrite it Right! Use a Seven Step Process to Develop Learning ActivitiesBuild Trust to Improve PerformanceMain Benefits to LearnersAll the features are designed to allow learners to:Instantly drill down the detailsFollow their interest areasAllow a quick way of referencing back to previous learningSaves timeEngage learnersAccess more materialsSalient PointsSearch Tool - allows learners to search the key ideas in the recording.Table of Contents - lists the main sections of the video.Links - shows learners where to find links referred to by the speaker.Annotations - allows learners to see main ideas.More details - download materials, contact speakers.Chat Transcript - shows learners what the responses of other learners are to speaker's questions and activities.Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning