Being savvy in project management makes a big difference for corporate professionals in the learning and development environment. Understanding the keys of project management, while also understanding how technology plays an important part in the learning platform is essential. There are a number of factors that play a role in effective project management, but placing a priority on those that are often overlooked can help create a more useful and interactive platform. Pinpointing these keys and capitalizing on them will enhance project management efficiency.    Properly defining the scope  For best results, project goals, objectives, and benchmarks should be delineated after the scope has been narrowly defined. Understanding the expected outcomes of the project will help put everything into perspective and puts everyone on the same page.  Engagement  A direct key to effective project management is fully engaging your audience. A good project manager is intense while staying interactive to keep everyone on task, interested, and productive.  Tracking Time  It’s important when outlining a project to keep the time in mind. How much time needs to be devoted to the development of the project? How much to the planning? How much to the execution? How will the audience react to the time constraints or modules that engage more of their time? All of these play a factor when putting together a successful platform for the project.  Emphasis on progression  Being communicative is important. Every participant and person involved in the project should be frequently updated on where the project is, what should be taking place, and any changes or enhancements needed. Participants should be supported in working collaboratively toward a successful outcome.  Complete understanding  Making sure your entire team has a thorough understanding of the project and can comprehend the project on a number of levels is integral to the successful management and learning outcomes that will occur throughout the program.   How can companies ensure these keys are taken into account? 1)      Put together a workable structure. A complete and workable structure is one that is well-thought out, reviewed, monitored, and maintained. 2)      Have a viable plan in place. From start to finish, the plan must work with each element and module to ensure a seamless delivery. This goes beyond the scope and includes detailed tasks, any resources needed, measurable objectives, outcomes and deliverables, stakeholder concerns, and risks involved. 3)      Make sure the Project Manager has the skills needed to get the job done right. There are a few skills that must be present in order for a project to run smoothly. In learning and development, these include: Having a thorough grasp on the subject matter: Taking the time to know the information on a higher level than the engagement target is key. Good project managers can be versatile and present the materials in a variety of ways based on the type of group they are representing. Effective communication skills: Being able to present information successfully in an engaging and effective way is one of the most important skills needed as a project manager. Good project managers can assess their audience and shape their content based on the feedback they receive. Good project managers are also able to communicate with management and other stakeholders in meetings and disseminate pertinent information on where the project stands. A high level of organization: Being organized is a primary requirement of effective project management. This helps to create the standard and structure in which decisions and modifications will be made. Proper management of time: Being aware of the time needed to get things done holds a lot of weight in effective project management. Proper utilization of time creates better productivity and an efficient work environment. By taking the time to understand how these enhanced keys all work together, project managers can effectively assess, manage and deliver stellar results. The post Enhanced Keys to Project Management appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

Digital badges are a fairly new phenomenon on the Internet. Educators (especially online universities), companies (particularly online companies) and people who work in Internet-based fields award and post digital badges as a form of accreditation in a particular specialty. When posted on a website, a digital badge attests to an individual’s skills or mastery of a subject through training, without necessarily a formal diploma or certificate. A badge on a university site signifies that the school teaches that subject. Organizations post badges to establish themselves in a niche market. Badges and Gamification Digital badges are a gamification idea; they originated in the video game world, where they are used to promote participation, acknowledge skill level and push collaboration. They are one of the methods used within the gaming community to encourage involvement and competition. Per Wikipedia: "Gamification uses an empathy-based approach…for introducing, transforming and operating a service system that allows players to enter a gameful experience to support value creation for the players and other stakeholders." When you adapt this view of badges to the business world, each person or organization that posts a badge therefore does so ostensibly to be a contributing member of that community. The problem with gamification, however, is that unless everyone signs up and badges become a universally recognized credit, they will be ignored or be seen as silly and frivolous (an association with video games). Foursquare and Huffington Post use digital badges to reward users for completing certain tasks. But how many others do you notice using badges? Well-known blue chip companies like NBC or Exxon have not yet adopted the use of badges. Digital badges might go the way of QR codes; some people might use them for amusement, but few are using them as a serious source of information. The Case for Badges Back in June 2013, "The New York Times" Education Section reported that President Bill Clinton, in association with the internet company Mozilla and the MacArthur Foundation, announced a project that promotes virtual learning. The goal is to expand the use of badges and online credentials. The MacArthur website states, "Digital Badges are an assessment and credentialing mechanism…to make visible and validate learning in both formal and informal settings…and hold the potential to help transform where and how learning is valued." Any organization can create, issue and verify digital badges, so how are they regulated and how are they different from current acknowledgements like LinkedIn endorsements and Klout scores? We haven’t really heard much about digital badges since that article. Karen Solomon of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, commenting on badges says, "Students earn degrees once they demonstrate mastery of competencies….Each institution is expected to have policies and processes to evaluate the quality of credits it transcripts, and we review how the institution follows its own processes. The same expectations would be in place if an institution were to award badges based on credits or competencies." The badge itself is not just an icon or a picture. Each badge is an active, clickable graphic with metadata attached to it. According to openbadges.org, the information behind each badge reduces the risk of cheating the system and provides justification and validation that includes: The issuer of the badge How the badge was earned and when Links back to artifacts, documents or testimonials demonstrating the work that lead to earning the badge Authentication back to the issuer and relevant standards organizations Who is Using Digital Badges? So, who really uses digital badges? Technology companies that work mostly in the virtual world and try to be anti-establishment are using them; these companies tend to care more about proven results and talent and not as much about official degrees. Also, as college costs go through the roof, online institutions like Phoenix and Capella are becoming more popular, and traditional institutions are adding e-learning options. The online education world is slowly gaining popularity and legitimacy, and some participants offer digital badges. But, overall, badges are not making much of an impression. There is not a lot of buzz and not many articles have been written about them. It couldn’t hurt to add a digital badge to a website but, until more of the general public learns what badges are and how they are used, there may not be much of an effect. The post Digital Badges: Do They Help or Hurt Your Online Reputation? appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

Thinking of using video to jazz up an online course? The perks are plentiful: behavior modeling can be shown, rather than described; moving images have emotional appeal that helps content resonate; and video’s mass appeal is apparent even among the less-than-tech-savvy. Surveys show that 91% of all internet users have visited YouTube, with about 60% of users returning to watch videos at least once a week. It’s a near-universal guarantee: people love watching videos. But in a culture of rapidly evolving technology, even the best tools can be improved upon. While videos are an increasingly popular medium for delivering content across many platforms, research shows that the human attention span is dwindling. One way of continuing to engage learners (and consumers) is to make videos shorter. Another way is to make your videos interactive. What is interactive video? Simply put, interactive video offers collaborative tools that flip the viewer’s position from passive observer to active participant. The viewer is often called upon to respond to and alter the direction of the content, creating a customizable experience that can help sew the growing gap between a user’s short attention span and the length of the video. An example is this fun video for Bob Dylan’s "Like a Rolling Stone." Users control the images, creating a unique result that transcends the experience of simply watching a music video. Why should you use it? But interactive video is more than just a fun use of technology, or a tool created to simply buy more of a viewer’s limited attention span. It also enhances learner autonomy, which improves learning outcomes by giving the viewer some control over the process. One study found that students whose learning environments included interactive video "achieved significantly better learning performance and a higher level of learner satisfaction" than students who were taught with non-interactive video or in traditional classrooms. An example Let’s say you’re developing a training program for baristas at a chain of busy coffee shops. Instructing the employees how to make the company’s signature lattes is a fairly straightforward task that could be accomplished with in-person demonstrations and written quizzes. But teaching the new employees strategies for maintaining excellent customer service is a more complicated undertaking—it’s scenario-based learning, without the ease of clear-cut right answers. Here’s where interactive video could be used. Trainees could view a video of a difficult customer demanding a refund. At a certain point, the video pauses and asks them directly what to do next. Once a choice has been made, the video would resume from a point that responds directly to the choice: a pacified customer, for example, thanking them for the offer of a free coffee. Because the trainee was given autonomy in the situation, he sees the outcome as a clear response to his own choice—and the appropriate behaviors are more likely to be recalled when the new barista finds himself in a similar, real-life situation. Interactive video doesn’t need to be as complicated as the example above to be effective. The simple act of calling upon the viewer to participate in his learning can have a deep impact on outcomes—peppering a video with short reflective questions for viewers to think about, or asking them to click on the screen when they identify certain key markers, can increase engagement and improve learning outcomes. What’s the catch? The main objection to interactive video is the cost. The production of even short case-based learning scenarios can be significant, sometimes requiring the work of script writers, actors, producers, filmography and audio techs, and programmers. The technology itself is improving every day, however, and there are now a number of interactive-video tools that are designed for use by amateurs. Depending on your company’s needs, and the specific learning objectives embedded in your training programs, the cost of interactive video may well be worth it. The post Use Interactive Video for Better Learning Outcomes appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

In response to an increasingly global marketplace, over half of organizational leaders are now called upon to collaborate with and oversee virtual teams—groups of remote employees who are spread out across cultures and time zones, connecting with the group via technology such as Skype, email, and phone conferences.   The advantages of virtual collaborations are immediately apparent: diverse perspectives create an environment of creativity and multiple solutions, virtual communication is "greener" than arranging travel to get everyone in the same room, and many employees feel more engaged with work when they feel autonomy over their location. On the other hand, a lack of face-to-face communication can lead to challenges such as a sense of isolation, misunderstood directives, and decreased motivation. Communication works differently in an online environment, so it follows that leadership too must evolve to meet the needs of increasingly complex—and vast—organizations. But virtual leadership isn’t about reinventing the wheel. With just a little modification, the following traditional management strategies can have an equally powerful impact in virtual environments. Encouraging community Friendships at work can increase employee satisfaction and production by almost 50 percent, a statistic that makes the ability to build strong relationships a highly desirable leadership skill. In one study, employees who shared bios, pictures, and video chats reported the highest levels of feeling they belonged to a team—which increased engagement and production. They reported even more work satisfaction when their team leader demonstrated ways to connect (e.g., explaining how to install Skype or connect Facebook pages for everyone to view). Likewise, leaders who exhibit regard for the team members’ values are more likely to develop strong and productive working relationships. Showing your respect for the schedules of employees in other time zones by scheduling a call at 4:00 a.m. your time, for example, will go a long way in earning their trust. Investing in strengths In his book, Strengths Based Leadership, Senior Gallup researcher Tom Rath says that "when leaders focus on and invest in their employees’ strengths, the odds of each person being engaged goes up eightfold." One approach is to mix up the methods of communication between phone, email, Skype, and face-to-face meetings in order to allow all team members the opportunity to highlight their personal communications strengths—extroverts will have a chance to shine in live chat, while more introverted employees may feel confident sharing ideas in written form. According to Rath, understanding your own strengths as a leader can offer insight into the best ways for you to communicate and manage your teams, making your work more productive. The time you save by streamlining your work according to your strengths can be re-invested in relationships with team members (for example, by having one-on-one chats with everyone to assess their goals and contributions.) Communicating effectively Learning to communicate online is a skill that may not come easily for everyone—effective public speakers who rely on body language and audience presence to get key messages across may struggle to remain as impactful when communication modes are limited to emails, conference calls, and Skype. Writing skills are a must-have for virtual leaders, who rely heavily on text to deliver a message and rouse a sense of community. Specific, clear, and concise messages are more likely to have an impact. Abstract terms and storytelling—which may go over well during in-person conversations—may be wordy and take up too much space in an email, which encourages people to skim. There is a tendency for virtual communication to feel one-sided, with a manager distributing information through channels in order to be heard by the team. But listening is a key leadership skill that requires more attention in virtual situations. Make sure there is time for questions and team feedback during all scheduled calls, and post questions to the group that allow everyone a chance to be heard. The key is to know your strengths as a communicator, and choose the technology that fits the message. While a motivational speech on increasing sales may be most effective as a video chat, a briefing on key sales strategies may make more sense laid out in an email, where key points can be bulleted. The post How Can Virtual Leaders Be Effective? appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

A central piece in the puzzle of designing instructional tools is understanding how the human mind learns—how much information can a learner retain, and how should that information be presented? Investment costs in the design, production, and implementation of e-learning in particular makes the effectiveness of such tools even more crucial. A poorly designed course can confuse learners, missing the instructional mark and costing your company dearly. What you need to consider is cognitive load—in other words, how much effort your learners need to spend to really absorb your content. In the 1980s, psychologist John Sweller came up with a framework for cognitive load. He posited that three load types exist: intrinsic, extraneous, and germane. Let’s see how Sweller’s cognitive load types can help you design a more effective learning environment.   Intrinsic load Intrinsic cognitive load refers to the difficulty associated with a particular topic. This isn’t something that the instructional designer can control; rather, recognizing intrinsic load is like understanding the difference between basic arithmetic and calculus. Let’s say you’re designing an online training program for a new software that is going to be used in a financial firm. You know that the intrinsic load for this new software is fairly heavy—unlike the firm’s old platform, which contained basic information in easily digestible sheets, the new software requires users to review multiple fields to inform the decision-making process. In short: the new software is hard to learn. What can you do to lessen the intrinsic load? One strategy is to break up the process into smaller steps—for example, creating a software simulation that only presents parts of the new platform’s functions at a time. This avoids a sense of overwhelm in employees, who can learn each piece before later practicing them all together as a whole.   Extraneous load Whereas intrinsic load is dependent upon the content itself, extraneous load is entirely in the hands of the instructional designer. Extraneous load is dependent upon the way that material is presented to the learners—in the example above, extraneous load was minimized when the content was broken into smaller pieces to help facilitate the training of a difficult topic. There are some basic rules to creating minimal extraneous load. For one, avoid adorning learning materials with extra illustrations or music if they aren’t serving a direct educational purpose. These elements, while fun, require extra processing on the learner’s part and can detract from total content absorption. Likewise, don’t double-up on the way that information is presented: for example, narrating written text word-for-word forces the learner to process information twice, significantly impacting their cognitive load.   Germane load Germane load is the good stuff, the instructional schemas that keep your learners engaged and focused. Some basic strategies that are recommended are to maintain a balance of verbal and visual elements, position text close to the image it correlates with, and break up content into more digestible pieces. In the previous example of the software training program, one effective instructional strategy might be to break up video and textual elements by having learners first watch a narrated video on how to log into the system, and then read bulleted instructions on how to input data. ** The most important part of comprehending Sweller’s theory is to think about all three types of load in balance. Each type of load is additive, meaning that that if the intrinsic load of a certain topic is high, the extraneous load needs to be decreased accordingly. Each type—intrinsic, extraneous, and germane—should add up to an overall cognitive load that is not beyond the learner’s capacity. Your best bet, in any case, is to minimize the extraneous load by producing clean, meaningful, and concise materials that take advantage of schemas to create a cohesive and rewarding experience. The post Cognitive Load Theory: What You Need to Know to Develop Instructional Tools that Work appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

Articulate Storyline’s popularity is surging, in large part because of its incredibly user-friendly interface and customizable features; in other words, you don’t need to be a code whiz to create and publish dynamic, interactive courses. The e-learning authoring tool is now boasting a client list that includes Google, IBM, Nike, Microsoft, and Amazon, among others. Still wondering what the big deal is? Here are four ways any course builder can use Storyline to make eLearning easy (and fun). Use characters to create compelling stories Good, old-fashioned storytelling can help students master content more efficiently by creating compelling narratives that engage learners on an emotional level. And what better way to tell a story than through characters? Storyline comes with several free characters (both illustrated and photographic) that can be customized to display different expressions and poses, while more photographic characters are available for purchase. You can use characters to serve as "guides" throughout training modules, deliver personal feedback on progress, or act out scenarios for learners to consider. Embed web objects to create a streamlined presentation Seasoned instructional designers know learners are more focused when the course structure is easily navigable and self-contained. Storyline allows developers to insert web objects in order to create a completely holistic learning experience, without asking users to navigate to other sites or files. Need your trainees to read a PDF manual before answering questions about it? You can insert it directly into the training screen, where it becomes a scrollable object. The same goes for other web-based resources, such as Google Forms, existing websites, and company intranet pages, which can become embedded parts of the overall course and allow for seamless navigation. Create variables to individualize learning Storyline lessons can be packed with variables—tools that remember information throughout a lesson and deliver a customized experience based on that information. A user’s name is a basic example; after being prompted to enter his or her name on an early screen, the learner will be personally addressed throughout the lesson. But variables can be as complex as the imagination allows. They can track which objects a learner clicked, how many times a question was answered before getting it right, what information was typed in a data entry field, multiple quiz scores—the list goes on. You can probably already see the most exciting implication of using variables: creating a fully customizable learning experience that responds dynamically to the learner’s information, choices, and errors. Track learner experiences with SCORM, Articulate Online, or Google Analytics Storyline projects can be published as web projects (either HTML5 or Flash-based, depending on the output settings you choose) or SCORM packages that can be embedded in your LMS of choice, such as Moodle. Once live, you’ll want a way to track usage of your projects to see how they’re being used. You have three options: Use your own LMS. If you’re working for a company that has an internal LMS, then you’re in luck: much of Storyline’s interactive elements can be tracked through SCORM. Quiz questions, for example, can be individually weighted and assessed according to grading preferences you set when you publish your lesson. Even short-answer and essay question fields can be imported into most LMS reporting systems. Articulate offers its own LMS-like platform, Articulate Online, to track learner activity. The excellent news is that it works seamlessly with Storyline, analyzing user activity and capturing user-entered data that can be exported as customizable reports. The downside is the cost: $199/month is the cheapest deal they offer, and it only allows a maximum of ten lessons to be tracked. Google Analytics is a free tool for tracking web activity. While it cannot capture individual information (such as student names, survey answers, or quiz completion), it’s a solid way to monitor how often online modules are accessed. There are even ways to track activity on specific events, such as the play button on a video, by inserting Javascript triggers in Storyline that pass those events directly to Google. In addition, Storyline’s dynamic online community offers a space for designers to gather and share tips, stories, and hacks to use the authoring tool at its full power. The post 4 Tips for Building Successful Courses with Articulate Storyline appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

These days, it’s not your resume that’s the focus of an interview—it’s you. But not your suit, or your polished shoes, or your perfectly manicured hands. Employers want to know what kind of temperament you display at work, how you handle stress, whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic, and if you can empathize and get along with others. In fact, companies are beginning to organize themselves around these "soft skills." That’s because research shows that organizations made up of compassionate, optimistic thinkers are more successful than those that simply pay attention to the bottom line. What are soft skills? "Hard skills" are the teachable proficiencies that enable one to perform the task he or she is assigned: reading, writing, math, and typing are all examples. Soft skills, on the other hand, are more nuanced. They’re the behavior and personality traits that enable you to get along with others, be flexible in your thinking, come up with creative solutions, and maintain steadiness in the face of stress. Some research indicates that while hard skills are still a necessary part of performing adequate work, soft skills are more likely to predict success in life. Which makes sense—the ability to form social networks, apply critical thinking to problems, and keep an optimistic attitude have far-reaching benefits that continue long after you’ve left the office for the day. How do soft skills relate to emotional intelligence? Emotional intelligence (EI), a concept made popular by psychologist and author Daniel Goleman, is the ability to recognize and respond appropriately to the emotions of one’s self and others. It may sound elementary, but it’s not: maintaining composure in the middle of enormous stress, recognizing when you’re reacting emotionally versus rationally, and navigating complex social networks in business are not easy to do. In fact, studies show that only half of the U.S. population has an adequate level of emotional intelligence. That’s unfortunate, because there are some serious benefits to having above-average EI, including more effective leadership skills, better job performance, and greater mental health. The soft skills needed to satisfy all four realms include self-awareness, healthy expression, reasoning, and self-restraint. You won’t find any of these on a potential employee’s CV, but they’re all essential in the workplace nonetheless. Can EI really be taught? A growing number of studies indicate that EI can be taught to young children and college students through a specialized curriculum that focuses on emotional regulation, self-awareness, and restraint. But what about in the workplace, with regular adults? The research offers a hesitant "Yes." This hesitance stems from the fact that while good coaching programs do work, bad coaching programs exist—and it’s hard to tell the difference between the two. To further complicate the issue, EI is really hard to measure. And just to throw a final wrench into things, some people are just more "trainable" than others. What you can do It’s not all bad news. If you want to improve your EI, there are two important steps you and your employees can take: Pay attention and take responsibility. Then take responsibility for your actions. Did you notice that your subordinates cower when you express frustration in meetings? Try taking a gentler tone next time. Does a difficult working relationship with a colleague get more difficult when you’re stressed out? Empathize with the stress he is under, as well, in order to get on the same page. These two basic steps can help to raise your EI quotient and help you become more successful (and happier) in the workplace. The post Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence: Can They Be Learned? appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

More and more instructional designers are opting for online learning, partly because many global organizations comprise virtual teams that conduct all training and business online, and partly because some studies say that online learning is actually more effective than face-to-face instruction. Still, many are skeptical of replacing the traditional in-person training approach with a student-centered online method. Without the presence of an instructor-led framework, how can learners be successful? The hallmarks of asynchronous learning Asynchronous learning is a teaching method that takes place outside the constraints of time and place. The main features of asynchronous learning are that it is: student-centered, meaning learners are active participants in their learning and often engage in peer-to-peer instruction; self-study, because lessons are completed on the student’s own time; online, outside of a traditional classroom. Keep in mind that "online" does not always equal "asynchronous;" web conferences or live Skype sessions are considered synchronous tools because they require a set time for learners to be available. Some instructional methods, in fact, will include elements of both: an online course that hosts asynchronous discussions boards, pre-recorded lectures, and self-study modules may also require students to meet in Google Hangout groups to work on a project. Likewise, there are elements of asynchronous learning tucked in even the most traditional classroom-based learning: homework that is completed off-campus, for example. Advantages of asynchronous methods Although there are a few obstacles to creating elegant online learning environments-such as the unavoidable requirement that students must have access to digital tools and the fact that instant feedback is not always possible-many will quickly agree that asynchronous is the way to go for several reasons. Student convenience Let’s start with the obvious. Learners are able to select courses based on genuine interest, rather than proximity or schedule (and it makes instructional tools that are required feel much more hospitable if they can be done on the learner’s own terms). This can, in turn, affect learner engagement—consider the employee who has to frantically rearrange childcare to attend a mandatory training, and the one who is able to complete the training online at home while his child is down for a nap. Which of these individuals do you think is going to absorb the content with interest and genuine motivation? Student diversity Removing time and location constraints on a course means opening it to a much broader audience. Peer-to-peer interactions have the opportunity to be richer and more engaging when diverse points of view are introduced. Consider the example of massive open online courses (MOOCs), which boast some of the most enriching and multifaceted discussions because of their ability to host students from various countries in one learning environment. More time for reflection In traditional classrooms, learners are called upon to organize their thoughts and respond to course content within the context of the classroom—this presents a challenging task for introverts or learners who need more time for reflection before giving a response. Asynchronous discussion boards, often hosted in Learning Management Systems, allow for dynamic conversations to happen at a pace that fits each student. Peer-to-peer conversation can happen organically, with students responding to one another in the same way they do with their own email: when they have the time to respond thoughtfully. Are asynchronous methods right for me? Instructional design isn’t about hopping on trends or following the crowd. Good course design involves a close examination of the content, objectives, and audience for the material. And sometimes the truth is that asynchronous methods don’t work. Projects that require large-group interactions can be cumbersome to conduct online, and the immediate feedback that may be necessary for some tutorials is often difficult to achieve with asynchronous tools. A careful analysis of your instructional objectives and assessment plan is in order before making any decisions; in the end, you may need to let the content tell you how it wants to be delivered. The post Making Asynchronous Learning Work for You appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

"Organizational well-being" is a term that’s tossed around in discussions about company success and longevity quite a bit these days, but it’s still a concept taken lightly by many companies—at a cost. What is organizational well-being? Spearheaded by Gallup surveys and bolstered by longitudinal data from leading researchers, the link between the health and well-being of the individual employee and the overall well-being of the company—which is typically measured in financial success—has become more apparent. In other words, the happiness and health of employees is really good for business. Think about it like this: Employee well-being has a domino effect that can spill in either direction. High well-being leads to higher levels of engagement and productivity, which improves a company’s success; low well-being contributes to absenteeism, burnout, and a feeling of being "checked out" at work, which only damages the company’s reputation and bottom line. When employees are flourishing, the workplace displays minimal politics, high levels of morale and productivity, and low turnover rates. Gallup provides some hard-to-forget numbers: The cost savings from these two factors alone should be a deep incentive for companies to invest in employee well-being, but many do not. Why don’t more companies focus on organizational well-being? Buzzwords like "organizational well-being" move through circles quickly, with many companies passing the term off as another fad. In fact, many ignore the concept completely. Patrick Lencioni, longtime business consultant and bestselling author of The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business says, "In spite of its undeniable power, so many leaders struggle to embrace organizational health…because they quietly believe that they are too sophisticated, too busy, or too analytical to bother with it. In other words, they think it’s beneath them." Stopping to evaluate and impact organizational well-being challenges the status quo of how many leaders operate: they must slow down and observe, rather than rush through for results; they have to be willing to work with sometimes unquantifiable results; and they have to be able to see that sometimes the easiest, most common-sense solution is actually the right one. Every successful organization has to be both smart and healthy. The smart part of organizations—the decision sciences, as Lencioni calls the strategy, finance, and marketing aspects of business—usually rise to the top of organizational priorities. But robust health is, while more difficult to quantify, just as important. How does a company increase organizational well-being? The single most important factor that can ensure employee well-being in a company is not mandated physicals or health programs, which many employees find invasive and judgmental. Nor is it simply installing healthier vending-machine choices or hanging some pictures of natural landscapes around the offices (although research shows that both of those can have a positive impact). The best way to improve employee well-being—and thus organizational well-being—is to embody health and well-being at the level of leadership. "When managers care about their well-being, their team members take a greater interest in their own well-being," says Jim Hartner, Gallup’s chief scientist of workplace management and well-being, in a 2013 Gallup report. In other words, if you want a healthy, flourishing company, you need a leader who embodies those qualities and nurtures them in individual team members. Managers who participate in workplace health programs themselves, make healthy food choices, and demonstrate skillful ways to manage stressful situations, can have the biggest impact. "Norms are shared in a way that’s contagious, and companies and managers can help set those norms," says Hartner. "But the team will carry them forward." The post Building Organizational Well-being from the Ground Up appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

The ultimate goal of any effective instructional endeavor is to impart knowledge or skills onto a learner, right? Some teachers and course developers think of this within an instructor-led framework, in which students are simply receptacles for pre-packaged content delivered by a teacher. But there are problems with this perspective. When learners receive homogenous content, there are going to be some who struggle with comprehension because they have different learning styles (in addition to having diverse backgrounds, abilities, and learning goals). For example, let’s say you have students listen to a podcast to learn about economic theory. Sounds like a fun assignment, but in reality, only 30% of learners absorb information by listening to it. So that means that you’ve failed 70% of your learners. So let’s revise our first statement: The ultimate goal of any instructional endeavor is to impart knowledge or skills onto a learner in a way that works best for each individual. Three styles of learning There are three main learning styles you should be familiar with, but bear in mind that most people don’t fit neatly in one category. Visual learners are by far the most common, with 65% of people reporting that they learn best from viewing images, video, and written text. This is great news for eLearning developers, since much of online content is delivered in these formats. Auditory learners make up that 30% who got all the information they needed from the economics podcast. They absorb knowledge best when it’s delivered aurally—via lectures, recordings, narrations, and even music. Kinesthetic learners learn by doing. Dancers are a great example of kinesthetic learners—they can watch performances all day, but in the end, only moving their body themselves will help them learn the choreography. At only 5% of the population, kinesthetic learners are the most rare. Letting students choose how they want to learn The tricky part is, you don’t always know who your learners are going to be when you develop your content. In fact, your learners might not even be aware of what style works for them. So how do you design in a way that will work for everyone? Here are some tips: Offer multiple approaches to a single lesson. Let students choose whether they want to listen to a lecture, read the transcript, or view the PowerPoint slides. Certain students may benefit from accessing more than one model—some research says that students learn best when they perceive information through more than one method. Let learners choose an assessment that works for them. Visual people may want to create their own spatial representations of information, such as drawings, photographs, charts, or written papers. Auditory learners may choose to showcase their knowledge via dialogue, storytelling, or oral quizzes, while kinesthetic learners typically feel more comfortable demonstrating their new skills, rather than describing them. (Don’t make automatic correlations between learning and assessment styles, as a single learner may prefer to absorb information visually but reflect on it orally. Giving the learner a choice is important.) Don’t forget about kinesthetic learners. In the eLearning world, it can be tempting to ignore the 5% of learners who absorb information in a tactile way. While it’s easy to create lessons that appeal to the visual and aural senses, the body itself is often overlooked in online situations. But be creative and get the learner using their mouse—use drag-and-drop games, rollover text, hyperlinks, and other interactions that require more than passive viewing or listening. Even the simple act of dragging and clicking through a scenario can satisfy a kinesthetic learner more than watching a video. The post Letting Learners Choose Their Own Path: Designing for Different Learning Styles appeared first on Clarity Consultants.