Performance Support Tools (PSTs) are increasingly used to extend the discrete, formal training through a learning path that provides these assets within the learner’s work-flow. They are excellent tools to transform learning from a finite number of days to "learning as a continuum". In this article, I will share 5 innovative examples that illustrate how you can boost your workforce performance with Performance Support Tools (PSTs). How To Boost Your Workforce Performance With Performance Support Tools In my earlier article Performance Support Tools: Top 5 Things Your Boss Wants to Know, I had provided a background on what Performance Support Tools are and how they can add significant value to an organization’s learning strategy. I quote from this article to provide the background: When do learners seek learning? Dr. Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher’s Five Distinct Moments of Need© very succinctly captures when exactly learners seek learning. According to them, learners seek support in these Five Moments of Need: When they are learning an aspect for the first time (New). When they want to deep-dive and learn more (More). When they want to apply or remember something (Apply). When they need to solve a problem or fix something that has gone wrong (Solve). When something changes (Change). While formal training does address the first two learning needs, the use of Performance Support Tools is particularly relevant in meeting the subsequent three needs. You can refer to my article Improving ROI in eLearning where I have highlighted how an effective Performance Support intervention can increase the application of learning. This has a direct impact on improving ROI in eLearning. What are Performance Support Tools and where exactly do they fit in an organization’s learning strategy? Performance Support Tools (PSTs) provide employees with on the job tools that make their work a lot easier. Unlike training, these tools are available to support and guide employees as they actually do their jobs. These tools are very easy to find, often directly embedded into the learners’ workflow (Learning Hub), and offer active guidance. These solutions enable organizations to provide the right amount of task guidance, support, and productivity benefits to learners precisely at the moment of need. Let me showcase 5 innovative examples that will provide the required insight on how you could boost your workforce performance with Performance Support Tools (PSTs). Example 1: Interactive PDF. This format can be effectively used to convert lengthy information into a visually appealing, quick and easy to navigate format. The PDFs can be accessed from all devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones). Additionally, you can integrate audio/video elements into the same document. This example shows how a mammoth 86-slide deck was transformed into an engaging and learner friendly format. Instead of linear walk through, learners have control on how they want to navigate and they can drill down to the required point in 4 clicks. Additionally, they have access to videos, if they want further information. You can also refer to my earlier article Performance Support: Featuring Interactive PDF as a Learning Aid To Supplement eLearning where this case study was presented in detail. Example 2: eBook (HTML5 compatible). This format provides identical features as the Interactive PDF but provides extensions of SCORM packaging. Due to this, organizations get the added advantage of being able to track the learners’ usage, which is not possible with interactive PDF. You can also download this eBook and enjoy reading about Creative Learning Design Strategies that you can use. Example 3: Kinetic text/animations. Sometimes simplicity speaks for itself. This approach uses animation of text to convey the message. This example showcases the use of Kinetic text to reinforce usage of the prescribed work flow for Instructional Designers. The use of typography, animation, and simple sound effects or voice over can create an immersive experience. You can also view this demo on our website (www.eidesign.net). Example 4: Whiteboard animations. This is one of my favorite approaches and the example featured here showcases its effectiveness in complementing a compliance course (on conflict management). Simple illustrations (that use real life scenarios) and concise audio drives the message very effectively. You can also look at the course on the same subject from our online suite of courses on Generic Compliance. Example 5: Videos. This example features a video designed through Adobe After Effects on another compliance course on Whistleblowing. As a supplement to the main eLearning course, it recaps the whistleblowing concept and uses a scenario to reinforce when learner action is necessary. To summarize, I quote again from my article Performance Support Tools: Top 5 Things Your Boss Wants to Know: The real solution lies in creating "Learning as a continuum". A good way to do this is to identify the areas for formal training and use Performance Support Tools intervention to reinforce it shortly after the formal session. You can then create a "learning path" that has interventions like this during the year. A combination of reinforcement as well as new assets that push application of knowledge on the job will help you create a high degree of knowledge recall, retention, and application. I hope this article was useful in understanding how to boost your workforce performance with Performance Support Tools (PSTs). At EI Design we have a very rich repository of engaging and innovative assets that you can use to enhance the performance of your team. Do contact me for further details.The post 5 Innovative Examples To Boost Your Workforce Performance With Performance Support Tools (PSTs) appeared first on EI Design.

  This article is triggered by our global ranking in the Top 10 eLearning Content Development Companies For 2015. This recognition coincides with completion of over 6000 hours of custom eLearning development by us and I take this opportunity to reflect on what has worked and what should be our focus areas in the future. Custom eLearning Development: 6 Takeaways From Our Experience In this article, I look back at our journey and share 6 important takeaways from our extensive experience in custom eLearning development. 1. Focus on customers and ensuring that we retain and grow with them. High customer retention is what we are most proud of. Our growth has largely been driven by relationships that began with one-off projects and slowly grew to a strategic partnership. We continue to build from here and every six months we meet our key customers and show "what more is possible". 2. Learners remain our focal point. Through our learner-centric, innovative, and immersive learning designs and solutions, we help learners to: Enjoy the courses. Go through challenges that keep them intrigued all through the learning path. Internalize the learning and practically apply it on the job. Enhance their performance and deliver better results. We focus on efficacy and application of learning to ensure that a clear business gain for organizations is established. We bring our TNA and solution architecting expertise into play to chalk out the path for a positive ROI for our customers. Our mantra is to bring in a culture of "Learning as a continuum" and for this we use a Learning and Performance based Ecosystem approach. 3. Innovation and exploration. We have invested extensively on two enablers, Innovation and Exploration, that help us differentiate our learning and performance solutions. Our Innovation team focuses on: Evaluation of emerging tools and technologies. Evaluation of learner needs and expectations. Determining how these pointers can be practically used to enhance learning experiences. This year, the team has created two innovative products: Online Review Tool (integrated with the course). Digital Workbook (To enhance the ILT delivery). 4. Agile development methodology. We have been using an agile methodology for several years to meet the ever-evolving and changing customer expectations. We are currently in the process of applying the Kanban approach to our Project Management. Additionally, we are in the last mile of our Corporate Quality Certification (CMMi). 5. Our Offshore Development model. As an offshore development partner based out of India and servicing customers over 16 countries across the world, our Offshore Development Framework is one of the most mature and agile one. While it has a strong core of process definition, it is flexible enough to be aligned quickly to meet our diverse customer needs. 6. The power of our team. Last but not the least, what has really worked is the cumulative power of our team that continuously works towards customer delight. Behind every single course that goes on to incite the "wow" response from our customers is a well-oiled team mechanism at work. Right from getting the requirements right to delivering the final product, each and every member of our team brings in that significant value at various stages of the development cycle. What’s next: We are in the midst of a cutting edge research to come up with a predictive Learnability Index for custom eLearning and mLearning development which will be a unique concept in the industry. The distinct effort that our Innovation and Exploration team puts in provides the required pointers for our Solution Architecting team in creating newer and unique Learning solutions. I would like to summarize these takeaways with a quote from Tom Peter’s 7 Steps to Sustaining Success: "You take care of the people. The people take care of the service. The service takes care of the customer. The customer takes care of the profit. The profit takes care of the re-investment. The re-investment takes care of the re-invention. The re-invention takes care of the future. (And at every step the only measure is EXCELLENCE.)"The post 6 Takeaways From Over 6000 Hours Of Custom eLearning Development appeared first on EI Design.

Putting your learners needs first means using a tool that allows you to offer the most effective elearning techniques on the platforms your learners are using, but where do you start?If you’re overwhelmed by the choices on offer you’re not alone, your options when looking for some advice on which tool to choose are limited to reviews of the first release of major applications or more generalized guidelines on different types of tool.When you’re busy building effective elearning it’s hard to keep up with the incremental changes that add up to create important new capabilities in various software, especially if you have your own favourite or a client requires you to work with a single programme.We’re going to look at the very latest updates to the most popular packages and tease out some trends that point towards where authoring tool development is heading, so you can make an informed decision for your next project.Adapt 1.1The open source, responsive framework for developing multi device elearning saw its first authoring tool released in April 2015, Adapt Authoring Tool 0.1.0 still requires some technical input to install but it supports many features that will help L&D developers create and update their courses.Features of the first release include:Fully featured online Adapt content authoringPreview your work as you make changesUpload and use your own custom Adapt plugins within the toolUse a variety of custom menu types and themesSupport for duplicating content within a course, and creating copies of your coursesMedia management using a cross-course repositoryPublish your content as a SCORM 1.2 package, or as non-tracked web contentOne advantage of an open source project like Adapt is the community of developers constantly working to update the tools core functions and create plug-ins to support more features in between the major updates.Adapt differs to other options by being built from the ground up as a tool for creating responsive content, with the core functions allowing you to add many standard course elements and the plug-in friendly structure allowing many more possibilities when necessary.The next milestone for the project will be version 2 of the underlying responsive framework, it’s scheduled for release in the week commencing 20th July and will include improvements to accessibility, native support of right to left languages and several updates allowing more question layouts.Articulate Storyline 2Storyline is one of the most popular authoring tools in the elearning developer’s arsenal, version 2 was released in September 2014 and May 2015 saw the fifth update which introduced several new features focused on accessibility.One of the most common requests elearning developers hear is for editable content, so one thing to be aware of if your client uses Storyline 1 is that it can’t open and edit courses created or upgraded with Storyline 2.Articulate have been improving the course upgrade workflow in each update, making it easier to move your Storyline 1 modules to the new platform, but anyone wanting to edit the upgraded files will need the latest software.Key updates:Cross Platform tablet support - Android, iPad and HTML5 friendly outputInteractive SlidersMotion Path supportMore animations and transitionsNew triggersUpdated text editor with enhanced font supportEnhanced web objects - layer your content over web objectsMore control of video compressionBetter accessibility control - better support for screen readers in particularEnhanced productivity controls - redesigned UI with added toolsEasily import resources - including templates, content and questionsLectora Publisher 12Lectora has been popular with developers who need to offer accessible content across a variety of platforms, and the latest updates have built on these features.December 2014 saw the release of Lectora Publisher 12 and Trivantis have followed up with 12.1 in April 2015 with some extra features, including integrating feedback through ReviewLink 2.0.Key updates:Offline publishing optionsImproved image editing and handlingImproved text editingBetter handling of web window and social media objectsIntegrated feedback through the responsive ReviewLink 2.0 systemNew web based run and preview modesMore Accessible lists with added stylingAccess to the latest Camtasia 8.4 screen capture toolAdobe Captivate 8The last major revision of Adobe’s popular Captivate tool saw the introduction of responsive output, by allowing you to create three different views of your module you can deploy the same content to mobile, tablet and desktop.Since Captivate 8’s release in May 2014 there have been several updates building on the new capabilities, most recently with the October 2014 release Adobe have added the ability to publish the module as an app from within Captivate.Key updates:Responsive authoringGesture SupportUse device specific capabilities like GPSResponsive screen captureNative support for HTML5 objectsNative app publisher for iOS and AndroidTrendsResponsive design - incorporating HTML5 is clearly one of the key features of the major options for elearning authoring. The blended learning approach is here to stay and the improvements and optimisations that software providers are introducing ensures that content for mobile learners will be easier than ever to create.Accessibility - is increasingly important, it’s something that all elearning designers should be aware of and by incorporating the WCAG 2.0 standards into the tools they are using it can only help keep it at the forefront the development process.Flexibility - beyond responsive delivery of the final module, every tool provider has made steps to make the development environment as flexible as possible too. From allowing users to re-arrange the layout of the tools UI to exporting the modules in a variety of formats and even as finished mobile apps, the tools are becoming more and more versatile.What’s clear when looking at the various innovations and incremental improvements across the industry is that competition is helping drive progress in all areas.Most elearning developers will have a good working knowledge of a range of these tools, and with the various strengths and unique qualities of each this will give them an even better chance of offering the best possible elearning for their audience.Author: Alan Bourne, Head of Development, Sponge UKThis post originally appeared on elearning industry, read more from Alan Bourne here.The post Authoring tools - are you up to date? appeared first on Sponge UK.

Sell your training like one of the most successful companies in the world sell their products. Here are some practical tips on how to use marketing techniques to get your employees engaged in training. You might not want to train your employees like Apple store staff, but there’s a lot you can learn from their marketing department. We’re going to run through some ways your L&D team can learn from some of the best marketers in the tech world. Build an L&D brandBuilding a brand, and making the message hit home will help sell your learning. Apple is the fourth most recognised brand in the world.Making people aware of the learning and development services that are available in your organisation is critical. It’s not going to be easy to build the kind of association with quality of a brand like Apple, but there is a simple way to start.Define a core idea that you can build on when you introduce any type of learning, make this your mission statement. Instead of Wikipedia’s definition of L&D: "A function of human resource management concerned with organizational activity aimed at bettering the performance of individuals and groups inorganizational settings." Try an Apple inspired phrase: Learn differently, work smarter Just having something simple and consistent that you can bring to all your marketing efforts helps get the brand ball rolling.Whether you’re offering a new type of training that your staff have never experienced before, or an update to a tried and trusted course, there’s something Apple can teach you.When introducing something completely radical in the field, like the original iPod, you need to explain why it’s something people need. Sell the benefits It’s important to keep the message simple, especially if the training isn’t. Explain what the training can do for the learner as quickly as possible so they can see how it’s going to benefit them. Instead of: The new LMS system allows you to access a huge variety of training courses and incorporates social learning elements. Try something like: Learn more and share your knowledge easily. Log in to the new LMS. On the other hand you might be launching an updated course to cover new legislation, but you still need everyone to be aware of it and to take action.Apple are renowned for the release schedules of their most popular product lines. You can be pretty sure that there’s going to be an announcement in September which includes a new range of iPhones.How do you generate interest in ongoing announcements like this?Make it an event, keep the information coming throughout the development process so people are prepared for it and name a date for the launch of the new course.All your training is going to benefit your employees. You will already have a good idea of the learning outcome that you want, but you need to be clear on how that’s going to translate into real life benefits for the learners in order to sell the course.Take a cue from this iPhone 6 page , there are specifications there if you look hard enough, but the text is selling the benefits to the user of these new hardware features. Instead of: We’re introducing 10 new induction modules for various parts of the organisation. Sell the benefits: New starters in every area can integrate faster with our new induction training. You can really drive home the message of real life benefits using another technique that was pioneered by Apple in the 80’s. Evangelist marketing Guy Kawasaki is often credited with popularising evangelist marketing after his work on the second generation of Apple Macintosh. He started a trend for Apple which continues to the latest generation of smart phones and devices.The most trusted form of advertising is a recommendation from a friend or colleague . It’s clear that getting people on board for your training and having them pass on the positive feedback is going to be key to your strategy.This billboard advertising the iPhone 6 features a user submitted photo which was actually taken with the iPhone. The photographer, Julian Bialowas was thrilled to be chosen and shared the image on Twitter, a perfect example of how Apple advertise the benefits of their products through their customers.Delve deeper and there are more examples of how Apple involve the people who use their products in pushing the message out to the rest of the market.If you can get someone who’s taken your course to explain to others how it’s benefited them in a simple way like this, you’re going to see participation and results improve.Finding the right people can be a challenge, and it’s important to go about in the right way. Be upfront and clear about the goal, you need your evangelists to sincerely appreciate the learning and to want to spread the word themselves.Find the people whose opinion is trusted and valued in your organisation and get them on board with your learning at the earliest stage possible. If you’ve produced something that can offer real benefits for them then you can count on them to pass on the message. Create something your market wantsThere’s a caveat, the best marketing in the world can’t save a product, or elearning module, that isn’t very good.Developing a brand that’s known for quality and results will help you get people in through the doors, but you need to offer quality, just ask Apple fans about the "hockey puck" mouse . We can help create elearning that lives up to your L&D brand, get in touch to talk about your next elearning campaign. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletterThe post What L&D can learn from the Apple marketing strategy appeared first on Sponge UK.

Taking a cue from nature on Social Learning, and how to make the most of it in business is the topic of a new webinar, hosted by award-winning elearning provider, Sponge UK.The collaborative event will explore how learning socially is a natural activity and what role technology can play in helping learners and organisations benefit from Social Learning.Aimed at L&D professionals, the free session will cover the fundamentals of what social learning means and how it can be inspired by and benefit from the natural world.aAron Pont, Learning Solutions Architect at Sponge UK, said: "There’s a real buzz about Social Learning at the moment and we’re using this idea and the theme of bees to explore some of the concepts behind Social Learning.  As with all our webinars (and very much in the spirit of Social Learning), we’re hoping people will actively participate in the webinar and share their experience and ideas."Research suggests around 60% of US companies are leveraging Social Learning activities,[i] with nearly 30% of L&D professionals in the UK expecting to see a growth in social in their organisation by 2017[ii].Instructional Designer at Sponge UK, Brayley Pearce, said:"Social Learning is rather opaque and organisations have to be careful not to over engineer the environments in which it’s happening.  We hope to shed light on ways that companies can support and facilitate this natural tendency towards collaborative learning without getting too heavy-handed and stifling the process."   Webinar attendees will also learn about:   The relationship between Social Learning and elearning How social technologies can help learners Benefits of Social Learning to business Barriers to Social LearningA well bee-hived workplace: Learning socially from nature takes play on Wednesday, August 19, 12:30 to 13:00pm (BST). Registration is available via http://bit.ly/1IsiNHO.  [i] Brandon Hall Group, Learning and Development Benchmarking Study 2014[ii] CIPD, Learning & Development 2015 The post Nature’s lessons on Social Learning revealed at webinar appeared first on Sponge UK.

"How do I…?" "Show me how you did that…" "That’s a cool effect, what app did you use…?"If you don’t ask Google, you ask your friends, family or colleagues when you need to learn to do something new.And that’s social learning.Learning begins when you need to solve a problem. To find that solution you’ll explore real life situations, most likely from someone, be it face-to-face, a blog or an article on the net.For example, I recently wanted to learn to code the new Adapt responsive elearning software. So I reached out to a developer with the knowledge I needed and the skills to pass it on to me.  What I didn’t expect was that I’d have to show him how to use my Mac (he’d not used one before), so I taught him to find the equivalent of command (terminal) and numerous other Mac specific commands.This is social learning that can benefit an employer - when staff are learning new skills from each other, not because they have to, but because they want to.It’s in my employer’s interest to give me the time, tools and trust to get on and learn, and in everyone’s interest to make this happen as easily as possible.Relinquish controlBut organisations have to be careful not to be seen ‘hijacking’ their employees’ social interactions, with the aim of benefiting from them.For most employees social means informal, and there’s a real possibility of scaring them off if your efforts to encourage interactions are too heavy-handed.Staff know when it’s forced; for them doing a training course in a group isn’t social learning, its workplace learning with a group of work colleagues.Organisations can’t take control of social learning, but have to relinquish control of it and let it ‘happen’. They have to be mindful not to over engineer the environments in which it’s happening.The trouble with Social learning is it’s rather opaque. Organisations want to find out the answers to questions such as… "How do we measure it? How will it increase productivity? How will we know if it’s just staff having a gossip?" All valid questions, but I feel they are the wrong questions.A better question to ask is "How can we, as an organisation, make it easy for our staff to find the information they require from the people who have it?Support and encourageA group of people who share knowledge about a craft or profession is called a Community of Practice, it happens naturally and it’s responsible for a lot of informal learning in the workplace already.Why?Organisations need to look for the kinds of social engagement that provide them with the most relevant context for learning to take place.So if you’ve got a group of people who naturally bounce ideas of each other to come up with solutions to problems do everything you can to encourage and support it, but don’t try and control it.And this is where the crux lies with workplace social learning - the focus needs to be on what the leaner will gain from participating. Their experience and benefits need to be the focus of your social learning strategy.If you’d like to talk to me about social learning and hear more about how it can benefit your business, register for our webinar. Author: Brayley Pearce, Instructional Designer, Sponge UK Interested in hearing more about social learning? Join us for our specialist webinar: A well bee-hived workplace: learning socially from nature Wednesday, August 19, 2015 12:30:00 PM BST - 13:00:00 PM BST What is this Social Learning that everyone is buzzing about? Join us for this insightful and collaborative webinar, to explore the fundamentals of what social learning means, and how we can be inspired by and benefit from the world around us. We’ll be offering plenty of opportunities for you to contribute to the conversation and have your say, as we cover key areas including: The relationship between social learning and elearning How social technologies can help your learners The benefits of social learning to your business The barriers to social learning Register for the webinar Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter  The post Everyone’s a natural at social learning appeared first on Sponge UK.

New rules are moving closer which could see record fines for organisations breaching EU data protection law, no matter where in the world they are based. With so much at stake, data protection is likely to become a top training priority, but meeting this new standard will require a shake-up in compliance training. "Europe must seize the opportunity to be at the forefront in shaping a global standard for privacy and data protection, a standard centred on the rights and the dignity of the individual." - Giovanni Buttarelli, European Data Protection Supervisor. Wide-reaching implicationsThe European Union (EU) has been talking about data protection reform for a good few years now, but in June (2015) negotiations on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) entered their final stage. Some analysts think agreement might even be reached by the end of the year.When they finally arrive, the new rules will have wide-reaching implications…literally. For the first time, any company in the world will have to comply if it deals with the data of EU citizens.The EU is seeking to set high standards in data protection and the final draft of the legislation is likely to include requirements for greater online privacy and the ‘right to be forgotten’ where people can ask for their  personal online data to be deleted. The general consensus is that the final version of the GDPR will require businesses to implement a greater level of data protection compliance.Coupled with this higher standard will be a much tougher penalty regime - how does a €100 million fine sound? This eye-watering figure could be a reality for the biggest global businesses, as the EU is looking to introduce fines of up to 5% of global annual turnover for serious breaches. The key points: General Data Protection Regulation Faster response Companies must respond more quickly to a data breach and notify customers within a set time frame. The limit could be set between 72 and 24 hours. Wider reach As well as covering EU organisations, the new regulations would apply to all non-EU companies that process the data of EU citizens obtained while doing business in the EU.  Right to be forgotten People will have the right to ask for their personal data to be erased without undue delay, subject to a few exceptions. Privacy by design There could be a clause in the final draft which requires organisations to build in privacy measures such as encryption into their data processes. Heavier fines From a capped penalty, fines will jump to as much as €100 million, or up to 5% of worldwide turnover for organisations in breach of the rules.  A collective sigh Most top performing companies are already doing a great deal to train their staff in data protection compliance, but the truth is they will inevitably have to do more to prepare them for the new standards.Compliance training of any kind has a reputational problem and data protection is no exception. Employees often complain that compliance is the most boring training they have to undertake, so expect a collective sigh from the workforce when they face a new raft of data protection courses.But it doesn’t have to be like that. There are ways to make data protection compliance training less of a chore and ultimately improve its effectiveness by making it easier for staff to absorb and retain what they need to know.Given what’s at stake in terms of money and reputation, the old-style tick box attitude to compliance training is really not an option.    How to revolutionise your compliance training Focus on relevance Explain why the training is necessary and how it is specifically relevant to the learner. Use interactions to help people understand their responsibilities.   Be clear on consequences Spell out the implications of getting it wrong for them as individuals. Use real life examples and video clips to highlight the impact. Use realistic scenarios Allow people time to practice their judgement by tackling challenging realistic scenarios. Use interactive video or game techniques to bring them to life. Keep it bite-size Don’t expect to cover everything in one go, especially for complicated topics. Focus on a few key messages and break the training down into manageable chunks. Play on empathy Try to make an emotional connection using storytelling, images or video. Highlight the human impact of a data breach. Tesco , John Lewis and Boehringer Ingelheim are among the companies we’ve been working with to make compliance elearning more engaging and effective.Here are a few examples to provide some more inspiration on how to revolutionise your approach data protection compliance training.Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post Why data protection reform needs a revolution in compliance training appeared first on Sponge UK.

Video is a popular choice for induction elearning, and with good reason. It can turn a run-of-the-mill induction course into something engaging and inspiring, and help create the best possible first impression for new employees joining an organisation. People like video.Recent research suggests US adults are spending an average of 5.5 hours using video every day. This consumption of video content happens across a variety of platforms and some of it takes place while doing other activities, but nonetheless video is a big part of the daily routine.This might be cause enough to incorporate video into your induction elearning, but we’ve tried to dig deeper to pinpoint the precise benefits. The Four CsThe world’s biggest HR organisation, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) defines induction or onboarding as covering four distinct areas, known as the Four Cs. At a glance - The Four Cs Cultureprovides new employees with an overview of the organisation including its history, values and ethics Connectionsupports new employees in building relationships within the organisation and getting to know the team Clarificationhelps new employees to understand their new job and where it fits within the organisation Complianceintroduces new employees to the rules and regulations they need to comply with before starting work Video can be used to support all these building blocks of induction or onboarding. Culture Video is an obvious choice here given its ability to bring a story to life. Archive footage can work really well in recounting the history of an organisation. Music can add emotion to help inspire people about their new employer. A video clip of the CEO will help new recruits to understand the strategic vision of the business. Connection There’s no substitute for seeing real people on screen talking about their role. It adds authenticity and helps new starters get a sense of the team and the different departments within an organisation. Clarification Seeing someone doing the job on-screen, particularly if it is a practical role, can really help new employees get a sense of what they will be actually doing. Video footage of staff dealing with customer can help reinforce expected behaviours. Compliance At the heart of most compliance and ethics topics is a human story; what does getting it wrong mean for the people involved? Video is a compelling way to tell this narrative and get new employees interested in a subject they might otherwise find boring and burdensome. Further reasonsSo video can underpin the Four Cs effectively, but we’d like to add a couple more Cs as further reasons for using video as part of induction elearning:   Creative Induction elearning needs to be interesting and offer something special if it’s going to make new employees feel inspired and pleased they took the job. You can really get creative with video (if you have the budget) and add in elements such as hotspots, interactions or 3D elements. Comfortable Back to the statistics on how much video we’re consuming. Over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube - that’s almost an hour for every person on Earth. We are comfortable with video; it’s part of how we communicate, relax and learn. With so much video around it may even look odd if you don’t have any in your induction programme.   If you want more inspiration on using video in induction, take a look at the example of global snack manufacturer, United Biscuits in HR Grapevine magazine (Pgs 10-11). We have produced a free downloadable guide on how to integrate elearning into your induction or onboarding programme:Click to download Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post 6 reasons to use video in your induction elearning appeared first on Sponge UK.

One of the largest NHS Trusts providing community, mental health, learning disability and social care services in England is transforming its workplace training with 13 new elearning modules aimed at helping to improve safety and free up more time for staff to spend with patients. Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which covers much of Hampshire and beyond, is working with elearning specialist, Sponge UK to develop the modules covering a range of topics including health and safety, infection prevention control, safeguarding and the Mental Health Act.Southern Health is believed to be one of the first NHS Trusts of its kind to provide elearning relating to the receipt and scrutiny of statutory forms under the Mental Health Act.The innovative elearning modules will incorporate games, video and workplace scenarios to make them as engaging and effective as possible.Moving aspects of essential training online will help cut down on the amount of time Trust staff spend travelling to face-to-face training sessions and free up more time for patient care.Associate Director for Education at Southern Health, Bobby Moth, said:"Our aim is to provide a high quality, engaging and flexible training experience where staff want to learn, which also allows us to give back more time to frontline clinical care.  We’re hoping that something in the region of 3,500 classroom attendances plus associated travel time will be freed up as a result of these new elearning modules, so you can see the impact this could have, in terms of giving back more time for staff to spend with patients."The elearning is aimed at around 7,500 staff including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, health visitors and support workers who deliver services from over 200 sites. Managing Director of Sponge UK, Louise Pasterfield, said:"Southern Health is leading the way in terms of training innovation for health professionals. The modules are highly interactive and will set new standards in terms of the overall learning experience for staff.  By using the latest game techniques, the training will be bought to life in a fun and engaging way, and help to reinvigorate attitudes to workplace learning."The new elearning is currently in production and is due to be rolled out to staff later this year. The post NHS Trust frees up more time for patient care with new elearning appeared first on Sponge UK.

In Part 1, Instructional Designer, Brayley Pearce takes us through engagement, emotion and empowerment in elearning.Be guided through the elearning process with practical tips for L&D professionals and learning designers at each stage.Part 2 will complete the journey by discussing the learning environment, ways to excite learners and how to evaluate the course.E is for EngageEngage with learners to create a deeper, richer & more meaningful elearning experienceImagine a dream elearning launch scenario…The CEO is behind it, the finance department have signed it off and the subject matter experts (SMEs) and HR have all agreed to the content; The line-managers who’ll be responsible for overseeing the launch are behind the initiative.But did anyone ask the learners? Really ask them?As an instructional designer, with a background in business psychology, I firmly believe there’s great value in getting learners engaged with the process of creating elearning courses.One of Knowles principles of adult learning (andragogy) is to get adults involved in the planning of their learning. Often, however, the first time learners engage with any workplace learning is when they sit down and begin the training. Ask potential learners what they need to do their job better/quicker/more effectively  A quick search on Google throws up thousands of results about the questions you should ‘ask yourself about the learners’ but precious little about how to actually work with your learners when designing elearning.Each organisation’s learning strategies are as different as learners are from each other, but here are some ideas to get you started:Talk to the learners (not their managers)Ask potential learners what they need to do their job better/quicker/more effectively. You may be surprised to find its not knowledge they need, but motivation, certain skills or another type of support.Why bother? Training (elearning included) should be tailored to deliver what the learner actually needs, not what the organisation thinks they need.Test the content, design and interactionsTest the course on learners, before and during the design process. Designers can have a very different perspective on a course to that of learners. Find out that content, interactions or imagery and graphics are not delivering the learning experience the learner wants early on.Why bother? Save costs and time in reviews and mistakes by highlighting issues early on. The result? Training based on the learner’s learning desires. Designers can have a very different perspective on a course to that of learners Getting the learner to engage with your elearning once you’ve launched is just as important, something we covered in our blog about using marketing techniques to get the word out about your elearning.Engagement once you’re into the course itself leads us to the next of our E’s:E is for EmotionHow do you want the learner to feel after they finish the elearning?One of the most powerful things you can do as an instructional designer is to make the learner feel something. Harnessing emotion keeps people interested and helps them remember better.That’s why in content meetings one of the first questions I ask is "how do you want the learner to feel once they have completed the elearning experience?"SMEs, HR and managers may not have been in the learner’s job role for a while (or possibly ever) and this question can get those in the room thinking more holistically about what is they want to achieve with the learning.Adding emotional outcomes, as well as learning outcomes, to a design brief can also help ID’s and designers in their work. It can help them focus on content, interactions and imagery that can help deliver the appropriate emotional connection.Create emotional outcomesWriting down words or phrases that you feel are important for a learner to feel when they complete the learning helps to focus the content. It may be worth writing all the feelings and emotions you DON’T want the learner to feel too!Why Bother?  A positive emotional reaction to the learning is vital for the learner to feel motivated to put into practice what they learn.You can test the emotional reactions to content and images by engaging the learner during the design process (sounds familiar…)Now we’ve connected with the learner emotionally, it’s time to get engaged emotionally with the third e of elearning….E is for Empowering75% of learners want to be able to do their job faster and better, next time you participate in any training or learning experience, ask the facilitator: "What am I going to do better/faster/more effectively after this training?"This is a valid question for learners to ask (and I encourage you to do so). But why? Adult learners want to know how workplace learning and training will (positively) impact their ability to perform their job.However, as an instructional designer, I feel it’s my role to find a better way to help the learner establish this. I believe that to be empowering, the elearning must clearly communicate the benefits of completing the learning within the module.Easy. Just list the learning objectives (preferably in bullet point form) in the introduction.But these are most often written from the point of view of the organisation, and not from the learners’ perspective. Adding an emotional attachment to the learning benefits will help engage the learner on a deeper level.An example; which of the following resonates more deeply with you;After this training you will:Be able to locate all the fire exits OR Increase your safety by locating all the fire exitsUsually it’s left to the learning objectives and these are normally just a list of outcomes written from the organisations point-of-view; it needs all its staff to be able to locate all the fire exits… (and rightly so)… But for the learner, they want to increase their safety… and it’s through empowering them with the knowledge of where those fire exits are, that they will achieve this. Empower the learner with the benefits they’ll gain by doing the training, instead of listing the learning objectives Flipping the learning objectives to emotive learning benefits that resonate emotionally with the learner, is one way to get them engaged. But how can we make it memorable?Part 2 of the 6 e’s of elearning will explain the learning environment, how to make learning exciting and how to evaluate your elearning.Author: Brayley Pearce, Instructional Designer, Sponge UKDiscuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post The 6 e’s of elearning - Part 1 appeared first on Sponge UK.