Today, Learning and Development professionals have an uphill task of providing effective training that would enable employees not only "learn" but "apply learning on the job". With global economic volatility, budget cuts are a reality and they are expected to continuously demonstrate a high ROI on the training investment. What Your Boss Wants You To Know About Learning and Performance Ecosystems Where does the answer lie? One of the approaches is to work with a bigger picture of "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" and drive training through multiple channels (including formal and informal learning, social learning, and performance support). This combination ensures that multiple learning avenues are available to learners, and instead of one-off trainings, the focus shifts to "learning as a continuum". In this article I will address the questions that you may have while evaluating or adopting a "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" based approach, and specifically how it can create a better learning environment in your organization. Q1) What is a Learning and Performance Ecosystem? One of the ways to define Learning and Performance Ecosystem is: "A learning and performance ecosystem enhances individual and organizational effectiveness by connecting people and supporting them with a broad range of content, processes, and technologies to drive performance".   "A learning and performance ecosystem introduces new capabilities that integrate learning and performance solutions into the work environment. It minimizes the need for workers to leave work in order to learn, reduces work disruption, and places more learning opportunities directly into the flow of the work". Source here. Q2) Why is it required? Learning and Development professionals today face more challenging performance problems and many of these cannot be met through traditional learning strategies. As we saw in the definition, "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" is people-centric in nature. It offers a framework that you can use to supplement and complement your existing learning strategy. Having finite formal training (of durations that consume about 2-5% of learners’ annual work hours) can at best create baseline proficiency. It certainly cannot lead to mastery and this is another reason why formal training must be supplemented by other forms of learning approaches that are an integral part of a "Learning and Performance Ecosystem". It also helps mitigate the challenge of "The Forgetting Curve" that indicates that there is an exponential decline in our learning after a training session; if no reinforcement is provided. This can be addressed through Performance Support Tool (PST) intervention (alongside your formal training). Most of us are familiar with the 70/20/10 model that indicates that learning happens as follows: 70% from our on-the job experiences (includes handling challenges at work, solving problems, and so on). 20% from feedback and observing others (peers, boss, or role models). 10% from formal training. What this signifies is that formal training contributes to just 10% of our learning. Hence, informal learning (through Performance Support Tools) and collaborative learning (through social learning) can play a very significant role in equipping your employees to reach the desired levels of mastery. This is the core of a "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" based approach. Q3) How can it be used practically in an organization’s learning strategy? I will address this question through our own experience. We draw inspiration from Dr. Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher’s Five Distinct Moments of Need©. According to this model, learners seek support in the "Five Moments of Need," which are: When learning for the first time (New). When wanting to learn more (More). When trying to apply/remember (Apply). When something goes wrong (Solve). When something changes (Change). As you will note, the first two moments of need adapt to formal training (eLearning, mLearning, classroom, or blended) and the subsequent three to just-in-time Performance Support Tools (PSTs). You can use this model to band: Formal learning: For acquisition of knowledge. Informal learning: For application of knowledge. In the process, you can also mine your existing knowledge assets and assess if they could be converted to a Performance Support Tool format to improve learnability. Looking at the nature of the learning need, you can also integrate social learning. To see how Performance Support Tools can be integrated into your learning strategy, please refer to my article Performance Support Tools: Top 5 Things Your Boss Wants To Know. To illustrate how this can be designed, here is a quick glimpse of a typical "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" solution. Q4) What are the expected gains? There are following significant advantages that will reflect as gains for your learning strategy as well creating a richer learning culture. Holistic approach. It brings together all elements you should plan for in your learning strategy to help people not only learn better but perform better. This would lead to effective learning and its application will create a positive impact on business. Richer learning environment. Extending the learning from discrete elements to "learning as a continuum" will create a richer learning environment in your organization. Improved ROI on your training budgets. As the focus of a "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" is on application of knowledge, this will have a direct bearing on creating a positive impact on business. This will lead to better ROI on your training investment. Q5) What are the challenges in implementation of "Learning and Performance Ecosystem"? Organizations often resist change and see a holistic approach like "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" as difficult to implement. Frameworks like this are often associated with terms like "difficult to apply", "not flexible enough", "cannot be customized", and so on. The reality is far from this. A "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" will add value to your current approach and provide a far more dynamic framework to deliver effective learning. More significantly, this will also equip the Learning and Development team to meet new performance challenges more effectively. I hope this article has helped you understand how adopting a "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" based approach can help you enhance your existing learning strategy. If you have any suggestions/feedback, do reach out to me.The post Learning And Performance Ecosystems: 5 Things Your Boss Wants To Know appeared first on EI Design.

    In today’s environment of economic volatility, increasing calamities (natural and man-made) and changing global dynamics, the Insurance sector needs to adopt training approaches that will help them equip their employees to manage these variables successfully. While the Insurance sector continues to grow, the Learning and Development professionals in this sector have challenges of addressing the external variables as well challenges that are intrinsic to the industry. In this article I will outline 5 of our innovative training strategies that have helped our customers in Insurance meet these challenges. Innovative Training Strategies For Insurance: Featuring mLearning, Gamification, And Performance Support Tools The industry can broadly be divided into two areas: Insurers who provide protection for the risks clients face. Insurance brokers who provide their expertise to ensure that their clients receive the best cover for the risks they face. What are the typical training areas? Broadly, the training needs of the Insurance sector fall into the following categories: Industry-specific. Insurance industry skills training. Regulatory and technical training. Board and senior management training (to enhance their risk-based decision making skills). Generic. Sales and marketing. Business and people skills. Financial skills. Soft skills. Induction and onboarding. What Are The Industry-specific Challenges? As mentioned earlier, while the Insurance needs continue to grow with increase in population, infrastructure, and wealth, the Learning and Development teams in this sector have several challenges that need to be addressed. I am outlining the key Industry-specific challenges here: Regulated industry. This mandates that the required trainings happen across the organization and within the stipulated time. It also requires that attestation of completion and records for the same are maintained meticulously. Ongoing updates. Similar to Finance and Healthcare, the need to ensure that the updates reach all users is very high. Not only does the learning strategy need to have a provision for speedy update, it also needs to ensure that these reach the users and get applied on the job. High volumes of information. Globally spread out workforce. How Can These Be Offset Using Innovating Training Strategies? I believe that going beyond the traditional approach to training is essential to successfully offset the challenges and create a workforce that is agile and can respond effectively to the ever changing industry dynamics. I am listing 3 such aspects that I have seen work well in Insurance sector training: Change the focus: From instructor-led training to blended and online to eLearning and mLearning. This is absolutely essential to mitigate the challenges of being regulated, having work-force that is geographically spread out. It is also the only answer to ensure that the updation happens swiftly and reaches the employees on time. Specifically, offering mLearning enables learners to use eLearning on the device of their choice (tablets and/or smartphones) leading to better completion rates and higher retention. Change the focus: Provide "learning as a continuum". This is often an ignored aspect in learning strategies. The Organizational Training Frameworks definitely map to the gap areas of Training Needs Analysis (TNA) or skill enhancements, but tend to rely largely on formal training. By definition, formal training happens for finite hours in a year and is rarely enough to help learners gain the required mastery. Instead, a holistic approach that uses a learning path that allows learners to create their own learning journey will lead to the required goals. Change the focus: Use learner-centric rather than content-centric approaches. The learning strategy must focus on learner-centric approaches that create immersive learning experiences. They ensure that the learners walk away with a feeling of time well spent and a sense of accomplishment at the end of the session. Are There Any Success Mantras? Certainly, here are the 5 Innovative training strategies that we have used in the Insurance sector: Opt for a "Learning and Performance Ecosystem". Adopt a holistic approach to learning and performance. I am sharing a sample here. Particularly, leverage on collaborative learning by adopting social learning. Here is an example of our Learning and Performance Ecosystem solution that can be adapted for the Insurance sector easily. Adopt mLearning. You will see mLearning‘s impact in improving your course completion rates. Also, learners will spend more time on learning in contrast to traditional eLearning on laptops/desktops. Opt for sticky learning approaches. Use gamification, stories, and decision-making tools (branching scenarios and simulations) instead of boring and predictable instructor-led training or traditional eLearning. Use Performance Support Tools. Supplement or complement your formal training like interactive PDFs, eBooks, and mobile apps as "just-in-time" learning aids that are available to the learners precisely when they need them. This would push them to use these Performance Support Tools to apply the knowledge at work. Add zing to standard instructor-led training programs. Blend it with eLearning/mLearning or interesting Performance Support Tools that engage learners and more specifically push the knowledge acquisition to knowledge application. I hope this article is useful in re-energizing your learning strategy. While I have dipped into my experience in handling approaches for the Insurance sector, most of these innovative training strategies can be applied successfully to other industries as well. Do reach out to me if you have any questions.The post 5 Innovative Training Strategies For Insurance That Work appeared first on EI Design.

    Today, outsourcing content development is a fairly well established practice for several organizations. However, what works for one organization and helps them leverage on an offshore partner may not work for another. So, how can you determine if you should evaluate eLearning content development outsourcing? The answer lies in looking at the pros of content development outsourcing and comparing them against the triggers of your outsourcing need. In this article I will outline the pros of content development outsourcing and how you can use these pointers and arrive at the right strategy to outsource and create a successful partnership that you can leverage on. The Advantages Of eLearning Content Development Outsourcing As head of an organization that has been a trusted offshore eLearning content development partner for several global organizations, I will dip into my own experience to outline the pros of eLearning content development outsourcing. Let me begin with an important input from my earlier article How to choose a custom eLearning company in India? where I had outlined the factors that have a bearing on your decision to outsource. The Triggers For eLearning Content Development Outsourcing Scaling (to handle higher volumes). Reducing the time to market. Reduction in cost. Access to talent that you do not have. Addition of more innovative solutions to your portfolio. Having clarity on why you want to outsource and what gains you seek from each of them is vital in creating an effective outsourcing strategy. Top 6 Benefits Of eLearning Content Development Outsourcing Reduction in costs. This is certainly the first and the probably the biggest benefit of outsourcing. Through outsourcing, you can get access to large talent pools that map exactly to your requirement and yet pay a fraction of the cost that you would incur if you were to hire them in-house. Flexibility to scale the team up and down. eLearning content development outsourcing offers you greater flexibility by allowing you to rapidly scale up and down the required team exactly as per your business dynamics. Access to new skill sets and more varied talent in a given domain. With rapidly changing learner expectations, tools and technologies it is not possible to have all combinations of skills that you or your customers may require. Outsourcing offsets this challenge and offers you the flexibility to have more than one partner to be able to address varied solutions. Reduction in development time leading to a faster turnaround time. Typically, an outsourcing partner will have a dedicated team addressing your requirement including focus on shorter development cycles. This gives you a significant edge in managing a quicker turnaround time for your projects particularly when your internal teams may not be available. Access to best practices leading to optimization of your development practices. Remember your partner will be servicing needs of several organizations and therefore, is more likely to have development practices that are optimized for globally distributed development. You can use these cues to enhance your own development practices further. Additionally, you will get the following business gains: Addition of more innovative solutions to your portfolio. You can leverage on your partner’s skills to enhance your portfolio to service more varied or more complex needs. Enhanced focus on your customers. Leveraging on the partner’s development strengths enables you to bring higher focus on customer interfacing activities rather than day to day execution. Besides creating better customer satisfaction, this may enable you to address new opportunities. I hope this article was useful in reinforcing the pros of eLearning content development outsourcing. Remember to tie these gains back to your triggers or needs to outsource and you will arrive at the right decision. You can also refer to my article Too Many eLearning Companies in India - How to Find the Best? that provides further insight on how you can maximize the success of your eLearning content development outsourcing.The post 6 Pros Of eLearning Content Development Outsourcing appeared first on EI Design.

    The popularity of mobile learning or mLearning continues to grow. Interestingly, integration of mobile devices into corporate learning strategies has been triggered largely by learners who want the flexibility of device they want to learn on. As a result, many corporates worldwide now have Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies in place and have embraced custom mobile learning or mLearning solutions in the last 2-3 years. Yet there are several misconceptions around the effectiveness of custom mobile learning or mLearning solutions. In this article I will outline five of the common misconceptions on custom mobile learning solutions. More specifically, I will share some pointers on how you can address some of these challenges and create an effective custom mobile learning solution that will work for you. 5 Common Misconceptions About Custom Mobile Learning Solutions As I had mentioned earlier, with the increased usage of mobile devices as the preferred device for learning (particularly tablets and in recent times smartphones), mobile learning, and as an extension, custom mobile learning solutions are on an upswing. Integration of Tablets and Smartphones provides increased flexibility to learners as they can access the same course across multiple devices. Technology allows them a seamless learning across devices. In spite of this momentum, custom mobile learning solutions do face certain challenges and this often leads to elusive success factors. I will outline the 5 common misconceptions that I have seen so far and will provide pointers on a work-around for you to overcome them. 1. Mobile learning is eLearning lite. This is probably the biggest misconception and often the reason why custom mobile learning solutions fail to hit the mark. Mobile learning is not eLearning lite and when you opt for custom mobile learning solutions, you need to extensively revamp your learning strategy. 2. One size fits all. I see this as the second biggest misconception and it is related to the first misconception. When you opt for a custom mobile learning solution, you need to identify which devices would be used to access mLearning solutions. Essentially, there are two options: Adaptive. These are multi-device custom mobile learning solutions that support PCs, laptops, and tablets. Responsive. These are multi-device custom mobile learning solutions that support PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The inclusion of smartphones needs a reassessment of how your custom mobile learning solution needs to be designed. There are certain trade-offs in the overall learning experience when you design for the limited viewing area of a smartphone and this needs to be factored during the learning design phase. If the percentage of users opting for smartphones is very low, I would recommend the adaptive approach rather than a responsive approach. This will ensure that there is no trade-off and the same learning experience that is offered to PC/laptop users will also be available on tablets. 3. Need to factor for technology (HTML5 support), otherwise the same content and same learning strategy would work on all devices (including mobile devices). This is another misconception that often causes a gap in the desired and the actual learning experience. While custom mobile learning solutions factor for the technology (HTML5 output), this alone is not adequate to craft the learning strategy. Mobile devices require bite-sized learning that certainly needs repurposing of the content. Similarly, you need to have user interactions that are intrinsic to mobile devices but they are equally intuitive for usage on PC/laptop. Only then can the learning experience on mobile devices be meaningful for the learners. 4. Tablets and smartphones both support HTML5, so the same learning strategy should work. Yes, from a technology perspective, both tablets and smartphones support HTML5. The need for distinct learning strategies that should be part of your custom mobile learning solutions arises from two factors. The first one is the fact that there is a limited viewable area in a smartphone. There is another associated challenge of providing flexibility in portrait and landscape viewing on smartphones that is not very relevant for tablet users. So, the custom mobile learning solution should be crafted bottom up; that is, begin with smartphone and then move up to tablets and finally to laptops/PCs. This approach will ensure that the learners will get the same learning experience as they move across devices on the same course. 5. A complete learning experience cannot be delivered on smartphones. This is a misconception that is very common. A complete learning experience can be delivered on smartphones provided your custom mobile learning solution factors for their limitations and builds on how learners are likely to use them in their overall learning journey. Summary Like all new approaches, an effective and successful implementation of mobile learning or mLearning needs a different learning strategy. I hope with the clarity on the common 5 misconceptions and, more specifically, my pointers on how you could handle the intrinsic challenges, you will be able to create custom mobile learning solutions that work. Over the last 4+ years, we have crafted custom mobile learning solutions of over 400 hours for both formal and informal learning (Performance Support Tools). We have crafted learning strategies that work for both individual learners as well as for collaborative (social) learning. If you have any questions on how you can successfully integrate mobile learning into your current learning strategy, do reach out to me.The post Custom Mobile Learning Solutions: 5 Common Misconceptions appeared first on EI Design.

    In one of my earlier articles, "Top 5 Tips For Innovative eLearning Development", I had touched upon two significant challenges that Learning and Development teams face today. First is, how to enhance efficacy of learning; second being what learning strategies should be adopted to ensure both learning and business mandates are met. Adopting custom mobile learning solutions for your company could be one of the measures to mitigate these challenges. 7 Advantages Of Using Custom Mobile Learning Solutions For Your Company In this article I will outline how custom mobile learning solutions can be used for primary learning (formal training) and informal learning (performance support intervention and social learning) to provide the required performance gain you seek. The Forgetting Curve Most of us are familiar with the "Forgetting Curve" that defines the exponential nature of forgetting. As you see from this diagram featuring the "Forgetting Curve", we forget 80% of what we learned in 30 days! It is evident from here that it is not enough to have formal training that happens for a short period of time during the year and is expected to lead the learner from learning to application at work and a behavioral change. Instead, the adopted learning strategy must look beyond formal training and identify approaches to create "learning as a continuum". How To Offset The "Forgetting Curve"? Is There A "Recall And Retention" Approach To Offset This? There are multiple approaches that can be used to offset the "Forgetting Curve". One of them is to have on-going smaller bytes of learning instead of one large chunk. If these bytes could be delivered in interesting and engaging formats and made available to learners within their work-flow, they will work effectively in helping learn, recall, and retain. Over a period of time, this would lead to the required application at work and the anticipated behavioral change. Custom mobile learning solutions are a great fit to move from discrete learning events (typically associated with formal training) to learning paths or learning pathways that have additional measures to help learners: Recall. Retain. Reinforce. Apply. What Benefits Do Mobile Learning Solutions Provide? As we know, instead of one big training program, if there are smaller chunks of learning over a period of time we are likely to retain better. While this can certainly be achieved with traditional eLearning approaches as well, mobile learning solutions have a significant edge in achieving this. Let me begin with a list of the key advantages of custom mobile learning solutions from one my earlier articles, What Are The Benefits Of mLearning? Featuring 5 Killer Examples: Flexibility to learners. At the top of the benefits list is the flexibility mLearning or mobile learning offers. This includes: Flexibility and choice of device to access learning "anytime, anywhere". Flexibility of learning with more varied formats (videos, podcasts, and so on). Better completion rates and higher retention. The bite-sized or micro-learning approach makes it easier for learners to initiate, complete, and retain learning better. Collaborative learning. Collaborative learning is a great way to engage with peers to share learning experiences and be part of communities of specific practices. Higher engagement. The experiences are more immersive and statistics reveal that more learners complete the courses through mLearning than traditional eLearning. Multi-device support. With multi-device support the same course is available on varied devices ranging from PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Performance support. Mobile learning or mLearning is becoming the preferred approach to provide performance support intervention as mobile devices are an intrinsic part of the learners’ work-flow. Performance support facilitates an easy access to information while at work and increases the probability of usage and retrieval. Learning path. Mobile devices can also be used to update learners on their "learning path" thereby facilitating "learning as a continuum". With more people depending on phone-based organizers, integrating links in organizers to commence/resume the courses saves time for learners. Can You Leverage On The Power Of Custom Mobile Learning Solutions For Your Company To Enhance Your Learning Strategy? My personal experience in working with several organizations globally is that learners very quickly opt for tablets or smartphones for learning. (As highlighted earlier, studies show that more learners complete the courses when they have an option for Tablets or Smartphones). How do we ensure that we leverage on this higher learner engagement for a more effective learning? This is where custom mobile learning solutions find the right fit. Let me outline how we handle this. We draw inspiration from Dr. Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher’s Five Distinct Moments of Need©. These moments of learning are: When learning for the first time. When wanting to learn more. When trying to apply/remember. When something goes wrong. When something changes. You can use this framework to extend the formal training (for learning needs 1 and 2) and just-in-time Performance Support Tools (for learning needs 3-5). More specifically, looking at the nature of the learning need, you can integrate social learning programs. What Are The Significant Gains For Organizations If They Opt For Custom Mobile Learning Solutions? Let’s take a look at a typical Learning and Performance Ecosystem and see what custom mobile learning solutions are possible for your company: You can use custom mobile learning solutions to achieve performance gain. The application could be for: Formal Learning. Custom mobile learning courses that are available on tablets and smartphones (similarly, you can offer mobile apps for primary learning). Performance Support Tools (PSTs). That is Performance Support Tools in varied forms like mobile apps, interactive PDFs/eBooks, expert videos, webinars/recorded webinars, whiteboard animations, and webcast/podcasts. Social Learning. That is social learning for collaborative learning, sharing, content curation, and so on. You can use creative Instructional Design to meet the learner-centricity objective with innovative learning designs delivered on tablets and smartphones (while retaining the flexibility of offering them on PCs and laptops). Custom mobile learning solutions provide sticky learning through many approaches. Here are my Top 6: Gamification. A gamified interaction to identify time-wasters that would in-turn help team members with effective planning was designed to deploy on smart phones. Decision-making - branching scenarios. An interactive exercise demonstrating a conflict scenario at workplace where the learners could relate him/herself in the situation and make decisions. This mobile-friendly engaging interaction was designed to ensure sticky learning. Story-based. An instance of story-based approach from our multi-device compatible Instructional Design courses. Scenario-based. Learners get a chance to walk through and interact with a series of scenarios in this multi-device course to identify and mitigate conflict situations at work place. Guided exploration. An exploratory navigation through instances where learners can choose among a set of options and evaluate what is right and wrong. Interactive videos. Engaging videos designed for mobile devices that carry the learners through real life situations. The videos are paused at points letting the learners interact and check their understanding. Over the last 4+ years, we have crafted custom mobile learning solutions of over 400 hours for both formal and informal learning (Performance Support Tools). We have crafted learning strategies that work for both individual learners as well as for collaborative (social) learning. If you have any questions on how you can successfully integrate custom mobile learning solutions for your company, do reach out to me.The post The Benefits Of Custom Mobile Learning Solutions For Your Company appeared first on EI Design.

    Particularly over the last 4+ years, most organizations have evaluated mobile learning solutions integrating tablets and smartphones into their learning delivery. Mobile learning solutions are based on HTML5 technology. While it is fairly straightforward to create new courses using HTML5 that are mobile ready, there are several aspects that you need to watch out for when converting Flash to HMTL5. How To Convert Flash To HTML5 In this article I will outline the HTML5 technology advantage, its challenges, and share 8 tips that you can use when you plan the migration of your Flash to HTML5 that will help your business. Background The challenge Over the years, all of us would have created courses that predominantly used Flash for development. With increase in demand to offer mobile learning, you would have realized that Flash courses do not work on most mobile devices. As a result, you need to plan to migrate the existing legacy Flash content to HTML5. The solution HTML5 supports all mobile devices (tablets and smartphones). Additionally, the more recent browsers support HTML5 enabling you to run the mobile-ready courses on desktops and laptops as well. This flexibility now allows a single build to work seamlessly across all devices starting from desktops/laptops to tablets and smartphones. Sounds simple? Not quite, do watch out for the following: Multi-device support While mobile learning solutions are required to provide enhanced flexibility to learners to "learn on the go", organizations do need to ensure that the same course is also available on desktops and laptops. In case they use older versions of browsers that do not support HTML5, these courses would not work on desktops and laptops. Taking a call on upgrading the browser versions (that support HTML5) across the organization needs significant budget outlay. Learning Management System support Your existing Learning Management System may not support mobile learning. Today, most Learning Management System providers do provide this flexibility although there may be some that do not support this right now. As a result, you have two options: Upgrade the Learning Management System to support mobile solutions. Move to another Learning Management System that supports mobile solutions. In either situation, you need to plan for a significant budget outlay as well as a plan to transition your existing courses to the new platform. Security concerns Alongside the mobile learning solutions, there has also been a change in learning delivery that supports Bring Your Own Device or BYOD. This provides the flexibility to learners to use their own device (tablet/smartphone) to access the courses. This needs to be done in a secure manner and planned ahead. Organizations need to identify the required security policy ahead of implementing mobile learning solutions. This too has a lead time that you must factor for as well as the associated costs. How To Convert Flash To HTML5 That Will Help Your business? As you would have noted, HTML5 has great strengths (ranging from universal support to the flexibility to run the same course irrespective of the device). I have also outlined some of the associated challenges that you should watch out for. With these aspects in the background, let’s see how you can plan the migration or conversion of your Flash courses to HTML5 that will help your business. 1. List all the courses to be migrated. Identify various courses that should be moved from Flash or legacy formats to HTML5. Additionally, identify the courses for the pilot phase. 2. Validate that all assets and pre-requisites are in place. Validate that all courses and source files are in place. This will ensure smooth conversion from Flash to HTML5 in a timely manner. 3. Draw up the priority list of courses to be converted from Flash to HTML5. This is very important and needs to reflect the varied approaches that you would adopt for the conversion. For instance, some courses would need only a technology uplift, some need only visual design uplift whereas some require complete re-design. Looking at the overall volume and the nature of upliftment, draw up the priority list that will enable you to do adequate sampling as well. 4. Identify the need: Technology update vs. complete redesign. As highlighted above, the nature of value addition sought in a course or a series can vary. You must ascertain how you should plan the migration. Some of the cues could be: Recent courses These may need technology uplift only (conversion to HTML5 - no Instructional Design and Visual Design enhancements). Compliance courses The migration cycle can also factor for textual updates as well as visual upliftment. Legacy courses You can only reuse the content and then completely re-design (both from Instructional Design and Visual Design perspectives). 5. Focus on retention and performance gain. You must evaluate moving older, longer run length courses to shorter, byte sized mobile learning solutions. You must evaluate a completely different learning design approach that can cater to multi-device support. You should also evaluate approaches to supplement or complement formal learning through innovative Performance Support Tools (PSTs). The PSTs can be delivered very effectively on tablets and smartphones. 6. Select adaptive vs. responsive designs and tools. You have two options: Adaptive. These are multi-device custom mobile learning solutions that support PCs, laptops, and tablets. Responsive. These are multi-device custom mobile learning solutions that support PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Authoring tool selection Related to this is the tool selection. Besides offering adaptive or completely responsive design capability, the tools can be further classified into rapid development (Articulate Studio 13, iSpring, Adapt, and so on) or standard mobile learning authoring tools (Adobe CS6 with CreateJS, Adobe Captivate, Trivantis Lectora, Articulate Storyline, and so on). 7. Plan for sampling to test user experience. I have noted that this is often missed out in the conversion of Flash courses to HTML5. Like all new initiatives, a checkpointing is crucial. Post the pilot phase, do this sampling to ensure your approach is valid and the required impact would indeed be created. 8. Ensure readiness of supporting aspects. I have already touched upon these aspects that include the browser support for HTML5, Learning Management System support for mobile learning solutions, and updation to your security policy. I hope these tips will help you craft an effective approach to convert Flash to HTML5 that will help your business. We also have several case studies and demos on successful projects where we have handled large volume migration and how this approach has brought the required value to the organization. Over the last 4+ years, we have crafted custom mobile learning solutions of over 400 hours for both formal and informal learning (Performance Support Tools). We have crafted learning strategies that work for both individual learners as well as for collaborative (social) learning.The post 8 Tips To Convert Flash To HTML5 That Will Help Your Business appeared first on EI Design.

    Localization of eLearning courses to reach the global audience is a well established practice. However, successful localization needs to look at the entire development process (rather than see this as a translation exercise) and plan for several other factors that will help you succeed. In this article, I will outline top 10 tips on eLearning localization that actually add value to your mandate. What Is eLearning Localization? Elearning localization is the process of adapting a product to a particular language, culture, and a desired local "look-and-feel". eLearning localization could be seen as language translation with adaptation for the geographic region in which the product is targeted towards. Why eLearning Localization? The primary reason is to reach out to your geographically spread out audience. I think the value of localization in eLearning can be summed up very effectively through this quote by Nelson Mandela: "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." Easier Said Than Done? We have been providing eLearning localization services for over a decade now and have localized hundreds of eLearning and mobile learning courses into 26 global languages so far. What we have noted is that localization should not be an after-thought to your primary development of eLearning. Instead, localization needs processing beyond translation and/or audio integration in another language. What Works? Successful eLearning localization projects need to plan for several unique aspects during each of the following phases. I have added tips that will bring in the required value during each phase. During estimation. During pre-planning. During development of the master course. During translation and audio recording. During integration or development of localized courses. 1. During The Estimation Phase Tip 1. Identify the required deliverables and scope accurately. This includes: Effort for localization. This begins with identifying the languages you have to localize into. Remember the effort will vary for languages with special characters. Scope of localization. This includes: User Interface and its elements. Content. Audio and its transcript. Video or only its transcript. Character images with or without text/graphs/screenshots. Help/Glossary/Resources. Tip 2. Plan for an accurate estimation using the following for each language. Onscreen text word count as well as audio word count (if applicable). Mode of delivery: Single SCO per language or multi-language SCO. Number of review and testing cycles. 2. During Pre-Planning Tip 3: Create a design approach that is localization-friendly. User Interface. Should be learner-friendly and intuitive irrespective of the language. Images and graphics. It should be possible to replace these easily; avoid having text on images. Space for text expansion. Provisioning for adequate space as languages may need extra space for the translated content. These screenshots illustrate how a localization-friendly design approach can take care of handling these aspects: 3. During Development Of The Master Course Tip 4. Watch out for cultural nuances. Validate the selection of colors and other culture-specific aspects as: Different cultures have different meanings associated to colors. Some gestures may have a different meaning altogether in another culture. Certain symbols and icons may convey different meanings in another language. Tip 5. Plan for a neutralized content. Avoid references or phrases that may be difficult to translate into another language or may not convey the same value in the translated language. Tip 6. Identify the components that will not be localized. For instance, you may choose to localize (or otherwise) currency, units of measurement, the date format, and so on. 4. During Translation And Audio Recording Tip 7. Always hire professional translators (native speakers) and voice-over artists. Tip 8. Add a linguistic reviewer to validate the translation. You can also use them for validation of the localized courses. Tip 9. Finalize one language. Once this is completed, ensure the Translation kits reflect the feedback and enhancements and then move on to the balance languages. 5. During Integration Or Development Of Localized Courses Tip 10. Do extensive testing to simulate how different users will be taking the courses. It is better to factor for different devices (if mobile learning is part of your solution) or different browsers or different bandwidths. The latter is an important consideration and some countries may have limited bandwidth. I hope this article is useful and these 10 tips on eLearning localization will actually add value to your localization projects. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or need support in localization projects.The post Top 10 Tips On eLearning Localization That Actually Add Value appeared first on EI Design.

  In today’s world, time is at premium and Learning and Development professionals have to balance the quality of eLearning courses within shorter time spans to go-live and within budgets that are shrinking every year. All of these factors have led to increased use of rapid eLearning development as a necessity vis-a-vis traditional eLearning. In this article, I will outline what rapid eLearning is, as well as its advantages and disadvantages. I will then share cues on where it would be a good fit and some tips and best practices that will help you increase the success of these initiatives. Rapid eLearning Development: What Is Rapid eLearning? While the definition of rapid eLearning varies, the most common attributes of eLearning courses that can be termed as "rapid eLearning courses" are: They can be developed within 2-3 weeks. These projects would be led directly by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who have written the source content. Rapid authoring tools are used that typically facilitate an input of the source content in a format like PowerPoint. Notable examples of rapid authoring tools are Articulate Studio’09, Articulate Studio’13, Snap! by Lectora, Mohive, Claro, and Adapt. However, the traditional eLearning authoring tools like Adobe Captivate, Lectora Inspire, and Articulate Storyline can also be adapted for rapid eLearning development. Rapid authoring tools do not require any technical expertise to develop content/courses. Additionally, these tools facilitate an "Easy Publish" of courses into desired standards like standalone (CD/Offline version), SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, and AICC. Courses can be created through a standard template library of the authoring tools and will have basic levels of interactions and simple assessments. What Are The Advantages Of Rapid eLearning? The key factor for the success of rapid eLearning development has been faster turn-around time. Additionally, this development can be handled predominantly by Subject Matter Experts, minimizing the requirement of other resources such as Instructional Designers, visual designers, and programmers. A summary of the key advantages is as follows: Lower development costs. Better turn-around time (most courses can go live within 2-3 weeks). Design just-in-time training that can respond more dynamically to organizational needs. Opportunities for organizations to leverage on internal Subject Matter Expert talent and use them more efficiently and meaningfully. Better control on on-going updates or enhancements to courses. What Are The Disadvantages Of Rapid eLearning? In spite of several advantages that rapid eLearning offers, "one size does not fit all". What this means is that this approach will fit certain kinds of projects but will fail to be effective in others. The reason for this is that more often than not, Subject Matter Experts do not have Instructional Design capability and this leads to a learning design that may not engage the learners as effectively (despite great content). So like all choices, there are pros and cons as you opt for rapid eLearning development. Specifically, Where Would Rapid eLearning Development Succeed? In my assessment, rapid eLearning development finds a good fit and is successful in the following situations: Projects that need extensive subject matter input. As we know, in traditional eLearning projects, Subject Matter Experts pass the raw content to Instructional Designers, who then develop the storyboards. This is further handled by visual designers and programmers to create the eventual project. It is important to note that most of the development process is controlled by professionals who do not have knowledge of the content and may not necessarily have prior experience with it. So, projects that can benefit from an Subject Matter Expert’s direct and continuous engagement are a good fit for rapid eLearning development. Subject Matter Experts can opt for direct development of the courses or work very closely with Instructional Designers to ensure accurate implementation of their brief. Projects that need to go-live quickly. Rapid eLearning development is a great fit when you need projects to go-live in a really short lead time (within three weeks or so). Clearly, this goal cannot be met through traditional eLearning development. Projects that have limited budget or organizations having limited training budgets. In both situations, rapid eLearning development is the logical choice. What Kind Of Situations Adapt Well To Rapid eLearning Development? Before you select rapid eLearning development, do evaluate if the content falls into one of the following categories. These situations reflect when rapid eLearning development is a great fit and is often a better choice than traditional eLearning: When content changes rapidly. When content has a short shelf life. When you need to provide just-in-time information. Are There Any Tips Or Best Practices That Will Increase The Success Of Rapid eLearning Development Projects? Here are some tips and best practices that will ensure the success of your rapid eLearning development: Identify the time frame to go-live and evaluate if the project (and content) is apt for rapid eLearning development. Authoring tool selection. Confirm if the Subject Matter Expert is familiar with the tool. Otherwise, plan for an associated learning curve and determine if this will impact the planned go-live date. Readiness of the source content. Confirm if the existing raw content needs further processing or it is ready to hit development. Explore the authoring tool and identify the right templates that provide the desired visual impact and will aid learners retain this effectively. Engage the learners through relevant interactions. Use scenarios and pause and reflect templates to help them understand the real-world dynamics. Select an effective assessment strategy. Plan for adequate check-points and end of course assessments through varied templates. I hope this article was useful in understanding the dynamics associated with rapid eLearning development and providing an insight on how you can create successful projects using this approach. At EI Design we have a strong, decade old rapid eLearning development practice through which we provide a dedicated panel of Instructional Designers and visual designers who work closely with your Subject Matter Expert and create stunning rapid eLearning courses that are completely template-driven. This value addition can offset the disadvantages of rapid eLearning development while retaining the advantages of lower costs and faster turn-around time. We have several case studies that showcase how we have increased the success factors of these projects manifold.The post 6 Facts About Rapid eLearning Development That Will Impress Your Boss appeared first on EI Design.

    Gamification in eLearning is fast emerging as an effective technique to engage learners. It has found its place under the sun for serious learning (that is, meeting specified learning outcomes). In this article, I will share 6 examples that outline how we have created immersive learning experiences using gamification for varied training needs like induction and onboarding, professional skills enhancement, compliance, soft skills enhancement, and behavioral change programs. Using Gamification In eLearning Let’s first understand what gamification is and how it is different from playing games. In one of my earlier articles on gamification, Top 6 Benefits Of Gamification In eLearning, I had highlighted both these aspects as follows: Gamification is about more than just playing games (in fact, sometimes it does not involve playing games at all). It can be defined as the concept of applying game-design thinking to non game applications. Wikipedia defines gamification as "the use of game thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts to engage users in solving problems". What Are The Benefits Of Gamification In eLearning? Again, I will recap from my article the key benefits of gamification: Better learning experience. The learner can experience "fun" during the game and still learn if the level of engagement is high. A good gamification strategy with high levels of engagement will lead to an increase in recall and retention. Better learning environment. Gamification in eLearning provides an effective, informal learning environment, and helps learners practice real life situations and challenges in a safe environment. This leads to a more engaged learning experience that facilitates better knowledge retention. Instant feedback. It provides instant feedback so that learners know what they know or what they should know. This too facilitates better learner engagement and thereby better recall and retention. Prompting behavioral change. Points, badges, and leaderboards would surely make training awesome. However, gamification is about a lot more than just those surface level benefits. Gamification can drive strong behavioral change especially when combined with the scientific principles of repeated retrieval and spaced repetition. Can be applied for most learning needs. Gamification can be used to fulfill most learning needs including induction and onboarding, product sales, customer support, soft skills, awareness creation, and compliance. Impact on bottom line. On account of all these aspects that touch and impact learners (better learning experience, higher recall and retention, catalyzing behavioral change, and so on), it can create a significant performance gain for organizations. Does Gamification Really Help Learners Recall Or Retain Information Better? The answer is an emphatic "yes." This is summarized very effectively in the following statement (as per Wikipedia): "Gamification techniques strive to leverage people’s natural desires for socializing, learning, mastery, competition, achievement, status, self-expression, altruism, or closure.   Gamification strategies include use of rewards for players who accomplish desired tasks or competition to engage players. Types of rewards include points, achievement badges or levels, the filling of a progress bar, or providing the user with virtual currency.   Making the rewards for accomplishing tasks visible to other players or providing leaderboards are further ways of encouraging players to compete." How Can You Ensure Success Of Gamification In eLearning? Success of gamification in eLearning is driven by the power of the concept that it is based on. An effective gamification concept is one that: Captures (and retains) learners’ attention. Challenges them. Engages and entertains them. Teaches them. Gamification In eLearning: 6 Killer Examples While gamification has been applied in several domains, our focus has been on its application in serious learning. The games that we design are therefore geared to meet definite learning outcomes. Our gamification strategies broadly map to: Complete gamification, wherein: Tasks or concepts that are overlaid on the learning content but are not related to the content. Contextual tasks or concepts that are overlaid on the learning content. Partial gamification (notably in inline checks and end of course assessments) In this article, I will share 6 examples that will illustrate how gamification (full or partial) can be applied to your key training needs in: Induction programs. Professional skills enhancement. Compliance. Soft skills enhancement. Behavioral change. Gamify assessments for traditional eLearning courses (partial gamification). Complete Gamification Example 1: Induction Program. The gamification concept: We chose the 100 days induction cum onboarding plan to map to a theme of a mission that needed learners to clear various levels within the stipulated time. It also had leaderboards to enable them to assess how they are faring against the other team members. Reference: You can also refer to my earlier article What Are The Benefits Of mLearning? Featuring 5 Killer Examples, where this example was featured. Example 2: Professional Skills Enhancement (account management fundamentals for project managers and account managers). The gamification concept: An avatar based gamification approach. The highlights of this approach were: Creation of different learner paths. Alignment of the learning and gamification path to the proficiency of learners. Presentation of a mix of questions in each path (mapping to real-life challenges commensurate with the proficiency level of the learners). Non availability of learning aids of theory (lifeline) for higher proficiency learners to make the challenge tougher. (The complexity and the nature of the challenges posed to the learners tested their cognitive proficiency to tackle the situation at hand, thereby resulting in immersive learning.) EI Design Gamification Professional Skills Enhancement Reference: You can also refer to my earlier article Gamification in learning through an avatar-based serious game concept, where this example was featured. The article provides further insights on the concept and its application. Example 3: Compliance. The gamification concept: We created a simulation based, task oriented gamification course, which was interactive and engrossing. The game scenario was mapped to the context of risk management and the incremental learning was provided at each stage of the game as the learners took the challenges and overcame them. To achieve this, we incorporated a real work environment (visually), an element of challenge (bonuses and bombs), rewards for success (caps, badges), and learning through activities including elements of surprise and delight. We provided the learners the choice to seek support while performing the assigned task like in a real life scenario mapping to actual human behavior in such situations. This ensured a true simulated environment to encourage application of knowledge through performance. Reference: You can also refer to my earlier article Gamification in Compliance, where this example was featured. The article provides further insights on the concept and its application. Example 4: Rewards And Recognition. The gamification concept: This too uses an avatar based approach. The learners go through a series of gamified activities that map to the required qualities of a given reward category. The activities simulate and reinforce the qualities the individuals have to maintain to win. The scores lead them to gaining the reward. This approach also features leaderboards. Partial Gamification: Features Gamified Activities Or Gamified Assessments Here are a couple of examples that show how partial gamification techniques can be applied to a traditional eLearning course. This simple value addition can make a standard eLearning course more fun and engaging. Of the two examples of partial gamification techniques featured here, the first one shows a gamified activity while the second one shows a gamified assessment. Example 5: Soft skills / time management - A gamified activity on time wasters. Example 6: A gamified assessment. This can be used to enhance learner engagement in any traditional eLearning course. The power of gamification in eLearning that is aligned to learning outcomes is clearly evident in these 6 examples. I hope this article was useful in helping you understand how you can use gamification in eLearning for almost all of your training needs. At EI Design, we have a very mature gamification practice and we can help you in transforming your traditional eLearning approaches to more immersive gamified approaches. Do reach out to me for pointers on these.The post 6 Killer Examples Of Gamification In eLearning appeared first on EI Design.

    You have decided to adopt mLearning (or mobile learning) and are ready to move your legacy courses to HTML5. Obviously, this involves a significant budget and you want to be certain that you have chosen the most efficient approach to convert your legacy courses into HTML5. In this article, I will share some case studies to outline how you can manage this migration into HTML5 the right way. Convert Legacy Courses Into HTML5 In my earlier article 8 Tips To Convert Flash to HTML5 That Will Help Your Business, I had highlighted the challenge (associated with legacy courses) and the solution (how HTML5 addresses the challenge). Let’s begin with this recap: The Challenge. Over the years, all of us would have created courses that predominantly used Flash for development. With increase in demand to offer mobile learning, you would have realized that Flash courses do not work on most mobile devices. As a result, you need to plan to migrate the existing legacy Flash content to HTML5. The Solution. HTML5 supports all mobile devices (tablets and smartphones). Additionally, the more recent browsers support HTML5 enabling you to run the mobile-ready courses on desktops and laptops as well. This flexibility now allows a single build to work seamlessly across all devices starting from desktops/laptops to tablets and smartphones. In the same article, I have outlined what you should watch out for during the migration of legacy courses to HTML5. Additionally, I have shared 8 tips that will help you create an efficient transition to HTML5. In this article, I will share two case studies that reflect dynamics that will resonate with most organizations and will provide the pointers on what approaches will help you design an efficient and effective migration strategy and convert legacy courses into HTML5 the right way. Convert Legacy Courses Into HTML5: Case Study 1 Background. For one of our customers, the existing Flash courses met the learning mandate (that is, no further changes to content and visual presentation were necessary). So, the look and feel of the existing courses had to be retained in the HTML5 version. The objective of migration was to provide extended access to learners by making these courses accessible on tablets. We had to convert 80 hours of eLearning to mLearning or mobile learning (adaptive approach that includes tablet support) in 4 months. The courses needed to be tested on varied target devices, so that the migrated courses would be compatible with Windows XP and 7, iPad (varied iOS versions), and Android 10" and 7" tablets. Our Approach. Considering the volume, timeline, and complexity of testing with varied devices, we started by firming up the process that would help us in meeting the mandate. We created a team dedicated for this task. The team comprised Solution Architects, Visual Designers, Programmers, and Quality Assurance personnel. The Solution Architects created the adaptive framework using Adobe CS6 with CreateJS, which could support multiple devices and create templates for easy reproduction of screens by the development team. A prototype was prepared and tested across devices in the first three weeks and delivered to the client for review and sign-off. The prototype was signed off in a week’s time. During the development stage, multiple, smaller teams were set up to manage 15-20 courses each. We followed the factory floor approach to bring in efficiency at work. We did group activities within the team members so that the outcome from each team was ready for testing and shipment to the client. This approach helped us to move along the development cycle within the specified time and we completed the project by the scheduled date. The Results. We met the delivery timeline for the project. As a result, our customer could launch the courses on time. Our customer was the first to release mobile courses supporting multiple devices in this domain. It helped them to further strengthen their position as market leaders. Their mobile courses are taken by more professionals now. As a result, they are meeting the project goals very effectively. Convert Legacy Courses Into HTML5: Case Study 2 Background. This customer wanted to redevelop legacy Flash compliance courses (a total of 26 hours of eLearning) to their globally spread out workforce with extended support for tablets. The existing Flash courses had been designed over several years and many of them looked dated. The need was to completely redesign all courses with a modern look and feel, bring in a consistent look and feel to all courses (as the legacy Flash courses had been designed over the years with varied design approaches), provide HTML5 support, and test it for tablets. The entire exercise had to be completed within 6 months. Our Approach. Here too a dedicated team was set up comprising Solution Architects, Instructional Designers, Visual Designers, Programmers, and Quality Assurance personnel. The Instructional Design team began with the analysis of the existing legacy courses and tagged them into what level of enhancement was necessary. This mapped to complete overhaul or partial enhancements (that is, some aspects of the existing courses could be reused). The Solution Architects created an adaptive framework using Lectora and the required templates library that could address both requirements identified by the Instructional Designers. The Visual Design (Product Strategy) team then created multiple design packs for development that could be mapped to each course. This was then used to create key prototypes. On sign off of multiple prototypes, the development process began. Multiple, smaller teams were set up to handle a series of courses. The testing process was less tedious on account of tool selection (Lectora). The Results. We managed the project effectively to create an effective suite of compliance courses with a new look and feel plus the extended access on tablets. The project was completed on time and provided a significantly superior learning experience to the learners. Summary Both these case studies reflect using some of the tips I had outlined in my earlier article 8 Tips To Convert Flash to HTML5 That Will Help Your Business. Specifically, we used the following aspects that helped us convert legacy courses into HTML5 the right way: Identify the need: Technology update vs. complete redesign. Select adaptive vs. responsive designs and tools. Plan for sampling to test user experience. Ensure readiness of supporting aspects. I hope this article provides the pointers that will help you to convert your legacy courses into HTML5 the right way. At EI Design, we have a very strong mLearning or mobile learning practice and we have migrated or developed over 400 hours of HTML5 learning. If you have any specific queries, do contact me.The post How To Convert Legacy Courses Into HTML5 The Right Way appeared first on EI Design.