Remember the initial excitement when your first implemented your LMS? All the planning and promise of tracking courses and assessments, reporting on compliance and certifications, and increasing employee productivity to boost bottom-line results…but here you are, still wanting, and at various phases of grieving for what was ‘meant to be’. In many cases, the issues stemmed from an early miscommunication or misunderstanding of what is really needed from your learning solution. But by the time this misalignment is recognized, you’re already heavily invested - personally and financially. That’s when the ‘5 Phases of Grief’ set in. Even though you know the system in place isn’t working, you don’t want to believe it because the idea of change comes with its own list of challenges and obstacles. You see hidden glimmers of hope buried in clear indications that it’s time to consider a new solution. So, against your better judgment, you can’t help but entertain illusions of things somehow working out… "Maybe I can develop a workaround for that issue""I hear there’s a new feature being developed to address that""Everyone is dealing with the same issue" Anger can manifest in many different ways… anger at your vendor, "Why are they taking so long to fix this %&^$ issue!" anger at the universe, "Why can’t this just work the way it’s supposed to?" anger at your employees, ‘"If they would just engage with the content!". Grrrr Bargaining often goes hand in hand with denial. Bargaining can be looking for any possible way to make your current LMS work through vendor negotiation, stretched scenario-based resolutions, and quiet prayers to the LMS itself, whispering silent entreaties through gritted teeth,  - but to no avail… "If you could just fix this one issue, then I know we’ll win them back…hello?" "I really want this to work; maybe it’s just me; will you work if I just do things a bit differently?" "I’ll try this; try that; reboot?"  Depression, like anger, also surfaces in many different forms. For example, disengaging from the issues at hand, consciously ignoring the reasons why you started investigating change in the first place. Instead of focusing on an objective business case to justify change, you venture dangerously close to pervasive complacency. "That’s just the way it is, so why push so hard for change?" ‘There’s nothing better out there anyway." Acceptance never comes suddenly; it happens gradually, interspersed with revelations during other phases. But through this experience, you gain acceptance for what you actually need from your learning solution—not what you thought you needed. You have clarity on priorities and critical requirements. You have an understanding of the costs and resources involved in the operation and maintenance of your current system, and can provide a grounded point of comparison. From this informed position, you can build a risk/benefit analysis that lays out the positives and negatives of staying with the current system and those associated with moving to a new system. By recognizing and acknowledging each phase of grief, and identifying the pain points and wish-lists during each transition, you can actually leverage your current frustrations to zero in on a learning solution that better meets the needs of your evolving organization - and build your business case for change. Written by Sabrina Prudham The post 5 Phases of Grieving Your LMS and Building a Case for Change appeared first on Axonify.

Video Preview: The new hot concept in the world of HR and employee training is gamification. While initially misunderstood by many companies, over the past several years, extensive research from gamification experts coupled with the documented results early adopters have presented have paved the way for gamified learning to establish a foothold as a new frontier of corporate training. Gamification, as well as the culture of technology out of which it was born, can work together to improve both the quality of corporate training as well as its accessibility. Gamified learning modules can be stored in a secure cloud, allowing access to any employee with an Internet connection. This streamlines the efficiency of learning, since workers can access these modules on their own time when it’s most convenient for them. Additionally, the engagement and retention benefits, discussed later in this article, lead to more effective learning that can provide a boost to overall performance. To best understand the appeal of gamification, it’s useful to highlight the shortcomings of more conventional training paradigms. Helping managers understand where they’re losing efficiency on the training front, and where they have room to make improvement, can help pave the way for implementing gamified learning in your company. Where conventional training fails Ensuring that new hires are armed with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed at their job is perhaps the most important function HR can serve post-recruitment. Unfortunately, delivering effective training has historically been something of a stumbling block for many companies. The sad fact is that on the whole, management simply isn’t training staff in a way that is most conducive to developing and retaining new knowledge. One of the principle drawbacks of the traditional classroom method of training is that it is almost entirely front-loaded. A study published by Dutch company Continuous Learning found that on average, employees spend 85 percent to 90 percent of a typically two- to three-month initial training session in a classroom. While this concentration may aim to inject  new hires with adequate job training, it has the alarming side effect of falling off almost completely after the initial training period. This results in workplaces that are less development-focused, which in turn breeds employees who are less engaged and who tend to stagnate in their positions rather than growing their skills with the company. On a similar note, the method of learning used in classroom training is itself far less effective than companies realize. The lecture method may be effective in a setting where small bits of information must be disseminated to a large group of people, but corporate training represents the exact opposite scenario. According to the Reference For Business, lecture-based learning is best restricted to a handful of data points at most, and any learning objectives over and above see exponentially reduced retention and stickiness. How gamification helps The situation employers are left with as a result of the factors discussed above is one in which learning is both ineffective and infrequent. Especially in today’s workplace, employees must be adaptable and flexible, and require training that is as ongoing as it is effective. Gamification makes use of psychological principles to provide a much more highly engaged learning experience, and the flexibility that online platforms and elearning software afford learning developers means that these gamified learning systems can be as accessible as possible. But how does it work? Simply put, CIO.com explained that gamification taps into the same psychological motivators that children chase when they play games and applies these strategies to learning to offer employees an experience that is self-directed, autonomous and engaging. At the most reductive level, gaming is an attractive activity because it triggers our brain’s dopamine loop. In layman’s terms, when we carry out a task and are rewarded for doing so, our brain releases chemicals that create a positive association. Thus, a "game" in neurochemical terms might be described as a process that encourages players to chase this dopamine release by providing challenges that must be completed a certain way. How you can prepare for gamification The success of gamification hinges on its ability to be as targeted and direct as it is engaging. Standardized classroom-based learning is ineffective due to a lack of focus. Universality is the enemy of specificity, and when you’re looking to train specialized expert employees, that’s the last thing you want to be doing.  Gamification works because its tasks are keyed to specific objectives. In the gaming world from which these principles were borrowed, this could mean slaying a dragon, while in the office, it likely means higher sales or better customer service. If gamification is to be successfully implemented, you must first establish which learning objectives you most need to meet, and design your training around that one goal. Without this objective-based guidepost, any learning module, regardless of how engaging it may be, will still fail to provide the laser-focus that breeds experts.  Written by Laura Martin The post How You Should be Preparing for Gamification appeared first on Axonify.

Video Summary: On Thursday August 20th, our CEO Carol Leaman was the featured guest on a T&D Magazine webinar: Boosting Basic Skills Training With Gamification. In case you missed it, you can view the slides and get the T&D Magazine article (which the webinar is based on) here: axonify.com/basicskills. If you are a member of ATD, you can view the recording here. Here are our big three takeaways from the webinar: 1. Boring can be dangerous  At the beginning of the webinar, Carol talked about some of the perceptions of basic training (see the slide below). One of the most dangerous perceptions is that basic training can be boring. We’ve written before about the cost of disengagement and boring training contributes directly to that cost. When material is not engaging, there is a lack of learning transfer and a dangerous false confidence that employees might develop because they believe they know the basics already.  Takeaway 1: Boring can be dangerous. Even at the very basic level, there are going to be knowledge gaps that exist and in order to reduce the cost of disengagement, organizations must uncover and close these gaps. 2. Pick your gamification elements appropriately There are many different elements that make up a gamified learning experience. It might be easy to add challenges or rewards to your learning, but take a step back and think of your strategic objectives before diving head first into gamification. When it comes to basic skills training, is your goal to improve/change … attitudes/values/beliefs? … psychomotor skills? … cognitive tasks? Each of these different goals can have its own element of gamification to help support it. Take a look at the list below (slide taken from the webinar deck): Takeaway 2: Pick your gamification elements appropriately. As a simple example, when trying to improve cognitive skills … perhaps the freedom to fail is the most important element. Better to fail in a safe learning environment rather than in front of a potential customer. The same could be said for psychomotor skills, better to get an answer wrong on a quiz, rather than use a ladder in an unsafe way. Which elements make sense for your goals? 3. Make the basics fun When you’re having fun, your brain becomes more receptive to any content that’s coming your way. In a learning environment, this translates to a greater amount of learning transfer and not to mention, a much deeper level of engagement. As you can see in the pyramid below, basic skills lay the foundation for more intricate skills and as such, making sure that the basics stick is extremely important.  Takeaway 3: Make the basics fun. Did you get a chance to watch the webinar or read the T&D article yet? We’d love to get your thoughts on either and please share any additional takeaways you might have. Written by Shum Attygalle  The post Webinar Summary: Boosting Basic Skills Training With Gamification appeared first on Axonify.

With the explosion in brain research during the past 10 to 15 years, scientists now know more about the brain than ever before. Advancements in brain training software designed to improve memory, attention and other aspects of cognition offer organizations a new way to think about, develop, and deliver training. These advances are paving the way to a fundamental transformation to the traditional and outdated approach to corporate learning. So how is this research set to rewire the corporate brain, and the world of eLearning?  I was fortunate to sit down with Dr. Alice Kim of the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto, a premier international center for the study of the human brain, along with Carol Leaman, CEO of Axonify to discuss what the latest brain research has to offer in terms of practical, accessible, and scientifically proven alternatives to traditional corporate learning. Our CEO Carol Leaman (Left) and Dr. Alice Kim (Right). Q: What has led to the explosion in brain/memory research over the last decade? Dr. Kim: There are a number of factors that have contributed to the recent surge in brain research, but certainly, advancements in state of the art imaging technologies and methods of analysis are allowing neuroscientists to investigate the brain with more precision and in greater detail than ever before. Advancements in machinery, including, for example, simultaneous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) recordings, which provides a high structural and temporal resolution of brain activity, are enabling scientists to uncover new insights about cognition and the brain. Q: Can you summarize some of the key findings? Dr. Kim: Well we know that there are multiple factors that affect our brain and cognition. For example, there is a lot of research demonstrating the effects of age and lifestyle. We know that as we age, on average, many aspects of cognition become less efficient. This would include the speed at which we can process information, as well as our long-term memory. At the same time, other aspects of cognition remain relatively resistant to cognitive aging, including, for example, our world knowledge. In terms of lifestyle, the science tells us that regular exercise, healthy eating and sleep habits, as well as social activities and interactions all benefit our cognition. The science also shows us that our brains are not static, and that it can change in form and structure as a result of our lifestyle choices. This ability for the brain to constantly change throughout the lifespan is referred to as neuroplasticity. Whereas a healthy lifestyle will lead to positive changes in the brain and cognition, for example, an increase in the number and strength of connections between neurons, an unhealthy lifestyle will lead to the opposite. Q: Can you discuss in more detail the one aspect of cognition that we’re all consumed with - memory? Dr. Kim: Very generally, there are two types of memory. The first type is called declarative memory. If you can tell me what you did last weekend, you’re tapping into your declarative memory. The second type of memory is called non-declarative or procedural memory, and this type of memory comes into play when you read, tie a shoelace or ride a bicycle. Past research has identified principles of memory that we can all use to enhance our memory in our daily lives. This includes the ‘spacing effect’ and the ‘testing effect’. Q: Can you elaborate on the ‘spacing effect’ and the ‘testing effect’ and how they enhance memory? Dr. Kim: The ‘spacing effect’ and the ‘testing effect’ are two of the most robust findings in memory research. The spacing effect (also referred to as ‘distributed practice’ or ‘interval reinforcement’) is a well-documented practice of "drip feeding" information over time with specific spacing in between. Long-term retention of the information in question improves as the spacing between repeated study events increases. Basically, spacing is the opposite of cramming where the same information is practiced repeatedly within a short span of time, and it has been proven to benefit long-term retention in both the lab and in real-world settings. And although we know that cramming may work for the very short term, it doesn’t promote long-term retention. So one cognitive strategy that can be used to improve memory is to space out or distribute our study/practice sessions over time, and this will enhance our knowledge retention. The testing effect refers to the finding that once information can be retrieved from memory, repeatedly retrieving this information is more effective for long-term retention compared to repeated study. In light of this finding, tests and quizzes should not only be regarded as a means of assessing what has been learned, but also as an effective learning tool. In our everyday lives, we can make a habit of quizzing ourselves and frequently retrieving any piece of information that we want to remember.  When retrieval practice is combined with spacing, it is referred to as spaced retrieval. This combination has been shown to be very effective for long-term retention. Basically, what this means for us is that we should actively retrieve the information we want to remember, and that we should space out our retrieval over time, as opposed to cramming it into a short span of time. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our discussion in next week’s post, where Dr. Alice Kim and Carol Leaman will discuss:  Whether accommodating different learning styles or preferences actually lead to better learning Top tips for trainers seeking to make use of how the brain works to create more effective training programs How the engagement or "fun factor" fit into the equation How advancements in technology and brain-based learning principles are helping organizations change the way they deliver their training A glimpse into expectations of the future Written by Laura Martin The post Q&A With a Brain Scientist: The Impact of the Latest Research on Corporate Learning appeared first on Axonify.

Earlier this week, we had the pleasure of being joined on a webinar by renowned gamification expert, Karl Kapp. Karl shared some great insights with us on why gamification for sales learning makes a lot of sense and what you need to consider when thinking about leveraging gamification to drive sales team performance.  Here are our top three takeaways from the session:  Gamification can break through the noise. (No salespeople were injured during this photoshoot). Science tells us that repetition of material can help dramatically increase post-training retention; however, if the material is repeated in a static manner, an employee could easily become disengaged (We’ve written before about the cost of disengagement). The actual game play elements of gamification allow for material to be repeated to an employee, without the employee being disengaged or frustrated by it.  With gamification, you won’t have salespeople react this way when you mention "training." On the webinar, Karl mentioned that games provide the meaning, specifically the context for practicing content. Employees who go through a gamified training experience can tangibly see their progress toward mastery. This visualization alone can help motivate employees to voluntarily participate in training. Karl shared a stat on the webinar - pulled from our database of over 250,000 learners - which showed that 21.5% of salespeople actually take extra training on our platform in order to improve their knowledge. Meet Dave Geoffrey: Competitive, inquisitive and achievement oriented. Gamification plays naturally into a salesperson’s personality. Karl shared some great stats taken from our database about how these traits translate into more engaged learners. For example, our database shows that a salesperson’s competitive nature prompts 55% of them to check the leaderboard area of our system every day. This is significantly higher than any other group of employees on our system. Similarly, many sales reps are achievement oriented and as a result, 38% of them check the report card feature of our platform every day. Again, this is more than any other group of employees on our system. Have you had a chance to check out the webinar yet? If you have, we’d love to get your thoughts on some key takeaways from it. Share them with us in the comments or send them to us via Twitter. As a bonus for those who attended the webinar, we also gave them a first look at our brand new Gamification Workbook, which we will be writing more about next week. Keep an eye out for it!  Written by Shum Attygalle The post Webinar Summary: Using Gamification To Drive Sales Team Performance appeared first on Axonify.

"You must implement gamification in your learning." You’re hearing this everywhere these days. Expert research is confirming that gamification can improve employee learning by leaps and bounds. It engages people in learning, by making it fun, incorporating competition, and even providing rewards. And because it’s fun, gamification often reduces the stress of a learning experience - especially if you need to test your learners. But although everyone’s talking about gamification, there just hasn’t been any information out there about how to build a gamification strategy from a business perspective, or how it can support your business goals. Like any other corporate initiative, gamification deserves to be evaluated properly, to ensure that you’re implementing it for sound business reasons. We’re happy to say we wrote the book on it! Hot off the press is our new Gamification Workbook, a detailed guide on how to build and present your gamification strategy.  Because this guide is the first of its kind, there will be room for improvement. That’s where you come in. We’re launching our Gamification Workbook in January, but as a loyal reader, we’d like to offer it to you today. Please download and read our guide with a critical eye. Does it make sense to you? Would it help you evaluate and justify gamification for your organization?  What’s valuable for you? What would be more valuable? The purpose of this guide is to provide you with the information and tools you need to successfully build and present your gamification strategy. In this workbook, we will: Give you a basic understanding of what gamification is. Identify why you should be incorporating gamification into your learning strategy. Provide a step-by-step work-plan to show you how to integrate gamification into your learning strategy and align with corporate objectives. Identify what gamification functionality you need for successful implementation. We think it’s important to analyze all learning initiatives with a critical business eye. And we’re hoping this guide can help you do that. Download it today, and tell us what you think — we’d be glad of your input. Written by Laura Martin The post Introducing: The Gamification Workbook appeared first on Axonify.

 "The only thing that is constant is change." Although this quote by Greek philosopher Heraclitus is years-old, it still rings true. Humanity is constantly evolving. Right now we are standing at the end of a long line of human innovation and creation, all brought about by the ubiquitous nature of change.  In the corporate world, change and innovation are both key parts of what keeps an organization competitive and top of mind. This being said, there is one area within organizations that seemingly keeps trying to resist change…and that’s corporate training. For years, employees and corporations have been plagued with typical standard learning practices that are largely made up of traditional classroom training and ineffective and static LMS systems . The crazy thing is, we know these methods don’t work. The science and the logic is there, so why aren’t more people taking action? Igniting change in an organization is a tricky business. There are several factors that prevent changing standard training: fear, a lack of information, distrust, or a belief in traditional methods. People naturally resist change, because change is the unknown, and the unknown is, well…terrifying. There’s nothing comfortable about it, but that’s the magic behind it. Going from traditional training, to training that’s gamified, bite-sized and incorporated into an employee’s every day activities requires nothing less than a paradigm shift. And although L&D professionals may be more comfortable with making this change, there’s still one important group that may resist it: the employees. So, how do you ignite change in your organization and ease your employees’ fears? Here are three ideas: Incentives! The "what’s-in-it-for-me" factor is hugely important when rolling out a new training platform. Including incentives like rewards will give employees that first little push to try something out…after that, the program will have to speak for itself! For example, one of our customers offers a slot machine game every time an employee answers a question correctly, complete with a chance to win cash prizes. Competition. Luckily, human beings are multi-faceted, and although we do have a natural fear of change we also have a natural desire to compete and win. Leveraging functions such as group and individual leaderboards will keep your employees on their toes, and that desire to win and do better will keep them engaged in your training. One of our customers is even holding a jeopardy-style competition for all employees who receive a high enough training score, complete with themes and prizes. Make it easy, and make it fun. Change is hard enough-but change that’s both difficult and dull? That’s almost impossible. Techniques such as gamification can spice up any training material, by again, appealing to people’s natural competitive nature. To seamlessly integrate daily training into the life of an employee, one of our clients placed their training station next to a popular charging station-charging takes three minutes, and so does the training! Resistance to change has been beaten before and it can be beaten again. No one gets anywhere by simply standing still, and it’s no different when it comes to employee training. Reaching goals like say, reducing shrink or improving sales, can only be done through innovation and change. Do you have other ideas for igniting change? Share your thoughts on Twitter or in the comments below, we look forward to hearing them. Written by Emily Kroboth The post Igniting Change: Three Tips to Get Employees to Embrace Innovative Training appeared first on Axonify.

Bite-sized learning, the modern learner, reinforcement, performance support and shrinking attention spans were key themes this week at the Learning Solutions conference in Orlando, Florida. The sessions were well attended by eager learning experts. But even with this high interest, as I looked around during the 60-minute sessions, many attendees were: Taking notes Checking and answering email Googling the topic / speaker for additional info Texting Engaging with social media Playing games We are all modern learners—we know how this works. We are impatient, distracted, overwhelmed and we can do a heck of a lot with our mobile devices in 60 minutes. In fact, sitting still, staring at a PowerPoint may be the only thing that we CAN’T do during a one-hour period! A packed house for our session on ‘Meeting the Needs of the Modern Learner’ The Learning Solutions conference brings together the brightest minds around teaching and learning. The outputs are incredible and the message is clear: The time is now for the transformation of learning. Organizations are hungry to adapt to this change and the conversation is nothing if not passionate: Adjust training to meet the needs of the modern learner - we are overwhelmed, impatient, distracted and we are always connected. Keep sessions short, fun, personalized to individual needs/roles and make them accessible anywhere and anytime. Bite-sized is the right size! Small bursts of learning served up over time is far more effective than an hour’s worth of training served up at a single point in time. Learning and reinforcement is a critical partnership - without reinforcement, learners lose up to 70% of what they learned within 24 hours. Reinforcing learning with spaced interval repetition, following a training session, can bring learning up to a 90% retention rate.  We are ready and hungry for the transformation. Based on the themes, knowledge and passion expressed during the conference this week it is clear that the demand by the modern learner for a new approach to learning is very close to being realized in a very exciting, transformational way. We may yet see the "transformation of learning" that so many have been speaking of. Written by Jennifer Buchanan The post Learning Solutions Conference Emphasizes Need for Learning Transformation appeared first on Axonify.

You’re heard the term ‘gamification’ quite a lot. There’s plenty of literature out there telling you why it’s a good idea to try and gamify your learning. But here’s the kicker: There’s not a whole lot of guidance on how to practically leverage gamification to drive real, tangible business results. Until now. In order for gamification to be an effective part of your learning strategy, it needs to be practical. This is why we decided to host a webinar earlier this week featuring learning expert Karl Kapp, titled: "A Practical Approach to Gamification." Here are some of our key take-aways from the webinar: Take-away #1: Determine Corporate Goals and Strategies It’s important to set the groundwork for gamification: What are the goals of your enterprise and how can gamified learning help? Following the steps below can paint you a clear picture of what your corporation needs. 1. Isolate an area of strategic importance For example, Walmart wanted to reduce safety incidents within their logistics organization. 2. Identify your target group Walmart needed to train all of their employees involved in logistics. 3. Identify target behavior Walmart needed their employees to apply safe working practices on the job. 4. Determine "Why Gamification?" Walmart decided on gamification to reduce the boredom associated with safety training. 5. Define what success looks like to you  Walmart wanted to reduce safety incidents by 5%, but in reality, they ended up reducing them by 54%.     Take-away #2: Build Your Business Case Like any other aspect of a business, gamification must serve a tangible purpose within your organization. Developing a business plan can clearly demonstrate where gamification fits into your learning strategy, and why it should be there. Determine the current gaps in your learning strategy, where a gamification platform can help. Combine steps from take-away #1 as the basis of your business case-the who, what when where, and why. Gather and share success stories that organizations similar to yours have experienced (you could even start with Bloomingdale’s, Crowe Mackay or Pep Boys). Take-away #3: Define Your Gamification Requirements This means that you need to know your audience. What motivates them? What do they value? People in different roles may value different game mechanics. Here are some examples, taken from a pool of over 250,000 learners who use Axonify. 55% of sales reps checked their leaderboards daily 40% of retail employees checked the rewards page daily 80% of learners opted to select a "coach" Knowing learner preferences can show you what’s important to them, and therefore what is important to emphasize within their gamified training. If you’re interested in learning more about how to take the practical approach to gamification (or in seeing many more examples), you can view a recording of the webinar on-demand now. For a hands-on guide, feel free to download our free gamification workbook , and let us know in the comments below how you’re employing gamification to drive your business forward. Written by Emily Kroboth The post Webinar Summary: Practical Gamification With Karl Kapp appeared first on Axonify.

It was a full house last week at the NRF Protect Conference where Chad McIntosh (VP of Loss Prevention and Risk Management at Bloomingdale’s) and Christine Tutssel (SVP of Strategic Initiatives at Axonify) presented on the topic: "Gamification and Your Retail Employees". When the audience was asked to participate in creating a word cloud, based off the one word that best describes how they feel about gamification in retail, this was the result:   "Exciting", "Effective", "Opportunity", "Profit", "Involved"… - all powerful words, directly from the top retail minds focused on loss prevention and risk management. Why is gamification garnering so much interest in the retail space? While recent advancements in retail technology have helped make retailers more efficient, productive and accessible, this technology has also opened up new concerns and challenges, including sophisticated retail fraud, privacy issues, highly competitive store experiences, and of course the challenge of innovating faster than the competition and leveraging modern technology advancements. Today’s retailers need to train associates on more than ever before. Yet, given the incredibly high rate of turnover in retail shops, educating employees to a high level of knowledge and keeping ahead of emerging threats, poses significant challenges for retail leaders that are both time consuming and costly.   The big question is: How do retail leaders guide associate learning and behaviors—in a highly dispersed and constantly changing workforce—in real time? A change in mindset is required. Learning needs to be continuous, personalized and integrated into the work day. Self-driven engagement is critical to retail success. Enter gamification. Through a gamified learning approach, Bloomingdale’s is living this mindset shift on a daily basis and seeing incredible results. During the session at NRF Protect, Chad shared the learnings and results of bringing gamification to Bloomingdale’s. Learnings: Competition drives participation Real learning data is far more powerful than assumptions made about associate knowledge When making big changes - start small Results: 90% voluntary participation by Bloomingdale’s associates 9% reduction in safety incidents $2.2 Million in annual savings   Clearly, gamification is working at Bloominingdale’s to boost associate interest in learning, help them focus on the right behaviors and save the company significant dollars. The question is no longer: What should retailers do to increase learning and save money? but When are retailers going to start using gamification to drive results? We look forward to seeing more of these success stories as retailers embrace a gamified learning approach. Chad McIntosh (VP of Loss Prevention and Risk Management at Bloomingdale’s) and Christine Tutssel (SVP of Strategic Initiatives at Axonify) presented on the topic: "Gamification and Your Retail Employees"   For more details on how Bloomindale’s is using gamification, read this article: Bloomindale’s Improves Training, Saves Millions by Asking Employees to Play Games Written by Jennifer Buchanan The post Bloomingdale’s Showcases Gamification Success in Retail at NRF Protect Conference appeared first on Axonify.

If your employees were confronted with an ethical dilemma at work, would they do the right thing? While you might think their internal moral compass is strong, they often don’t respond appropriately if the situation causes them to experience fear or anxiety. Research suggests you can train people to be more ethical. Here’s how gamification can help create lasting moral behavior change in your organization. Read the full article from CLO Magazine. Written by Carol Leaman   The post Gamification: Sway the Morally Gray Employee appeared first on Axonify.

The job of an Ethicon (Johnson & Johnson) sales rep is only becoming more demanding. Besides needing to remember increasing amounts of medical product information, reps must also keep up with changing medical policies and procedures. The company’s outdated approach to training was falling short and Ethicon knew it had to radically change its approach. So, after much research, the company implemented a blended learning model that not only includes in-person classroom training, but extends to self study, virtual learning, role playing, field experiences as well as information reinforcement and continual learning. The results have been fantastic.   Read the full article in Sales & Marketing Management magazine. Written by John Knoble The post Beyond Static, One-Time Training Events appeared first on Axonify.

The following post was featured in eLearning Industry on August 20th, 2015. The Hidden Limitations Of Any Learning Management System While 85% of corporations have some type of Learning Management System installed, many share the same sentiments. In a 2015 report by Brandon Hall Group, 38% of respondents indicate they are looking to replace their Learning Management System. The primary challenges include poor ease of use, poor reporting, adaptability, ROI analytics, and a lack of the functionality that modern businesses need. It’s not what Learning Management Systems offer, it’s what they are. The bigger issue is that there are hidden inherent limitations of any Learning Management System that can undermine your chances of a successful return: The Learning Management System treats learning as an isolated event, not a continuous process.This makes employees highly susceptible to cognitive overload that comes with delivering as much content as possible in a single session. Research has also proven that people forget as much as 90% of what they learn within 30 days, without active reinforcement. The Learning Management System doesn’t meet the need of today’s modern learners.Unlike the Learning Management System model of scheduled training courses with tests, modern learners prefer fresh knowledge that’s rated highly by experts and peers, and delivered when, where, and how they want it:  fast, easy, and consumable at the point of need. The Learning Management System delivers generic, not personalized learning.Learning Management Systems allow courses to be accessed online by virtually unlimited numbers of learners. This generic training approach means employees will either find the information too rudimentary, too difficult, or just too boring. Without the personalization that makes learning relevant and interesting, most learners will not be engaged, and as a result will derive little value. Learning Management System reporting leaves much to be desired, rendering tangible learning results difficult to prove. According to a report by ATD and the Institute for Corporate Productivity, reporting is a main obstacle to linking learning programs and business outcomes. 42% of the firms surveyed say it’s too difficult to isolate learning’s impact on business results versus other factors’ influence: 42% say the tools are not readily available, and 42% also say the Learning Management System does not provide the needed data. If A Learning Management System Isn’t Enough, Then What Is? Organizations need to integrate continuous learning, on-the-job coaching, social learning, and information at the point of need to create an effective learning ecosystem. On its own, a Learning Management System solution simply falls short, diluting learning effectiveness, and negatively impacting ROI. To be truly effective, you must deal with the inherent limitations that come with your Learning Management System so your learning delivery system: Contributes to a continuous learning environment. Enhances knowledge retention, so employees can effectively apply what they learn to the job. Offers the flexibility needed to meet the needs of today’s modern learner. Leverages personalized and adaptive learning to give your employees the learning they need, and not what they already know. Provides powerful reporting analytics. Don’t replace your Learning Management System: Capitalize on its strengths, and augment its weaknesses. Without a doubt, one of the biggest strengths of a Learning Management System is its ability to deliver content cost-effectively to many employees over a large geographic area. There will always be a need to deliver fixed, scheduled training to employees, but by augmenting areas of weakness, you can extend its capabilities, and achieve an even more impressive return on investment. Many organizations are moving towards a continuous learning model, where knowledge is continually presented to employees, and is also available on demand. And while the Learning Management System is an important part of this continuous learning model, it’s only one of the critical elements necessary for the kind of learning success that impacts the bottom line. To allow your Learning Management System to contribute effectively to a continuous learning environment, it should be augmented with the following capabilities: A microlearning approach that offers bite-sized learning content, making it easier for employees to learn. Daily learning reinforcement to deeply embed knowledge -whether from a classroom or Learning Management System learning event- for the long term. Personalized and adaptive learning to meet the unique needs of each learner and continually modify learning paths for success. Mobile technologies to deliver information when and where learners want it; and on their platform of choice. Social media channels that foster collaboration and a sense of teamwork. Written by Carol Leaman The post What If Your Learning Management System Isn’t Enough? appeared first on Axonify.

Our retail clients tell us that omni-channel is critical for maintaining an edge in today’s highly competitive retail market. This multi-channel approach to sales means that retailers can provide their customers with a seamless shopping experience—whether the customer is buying online through the retailer’s ecommerce site, browsing via a mobile device, contacting the retailer by phone or shopping in the bricks and mortar store. But, for an omni-channel strategy to work, retailers need to do more than implement technology; they need to rely heavily on their sales associates. Yet retailers say associate training is one of the biggest barriers to becoming a successful omni-channel company. We wanted to help retailers with this challenge, so we’ve created an eBook called: How to Boost Associate Expertise to Deliver a Successful Omni-Channel Retailing Experience We thought we’d share it with you too because, even if you’re not in retail, understanding how to increase employee knowledge is important in every industry for building and sustaining competitive advantage. We hope you find it helpful. Written by Laura Martin The post How to Boost Associate Expertise to Deliver a Successful Omni-Channel Retailing Experience appeared first on Axonify.

How would you define gamification?  Take a minute and think about it. Gamification is about more than just playing games. This was the primary topic of discussion on a panel-style webinar we sponsored this past week featuring Karl Kapp, Carol Leaman and Jeanne Meister from Future Workplace. If you’ve been following Axonify for a while, then you know we’ve delivered webinars on the topic of gamification in the past, but this time we tried to put a different spin on things.  When we polled the webinar audience, with the question: "Where are you currently at with gamification?" The majority of people answered that they are trying some things, but haven’t found the sweet spot. We’ve been hearing this from a lot of folks and so we decided to focus this webinar around some key questions that were designed to help the audience find that sweet spot and start driving business value with gamification.  Here’s a quick look at the questions: Should gamification be called gamification when discussing the concept with senior business leaders? The panelists all had very similar thoughts on this question: be sensitive and understand where your leadership team is at and leverage data as evidence that gamification works. In some organizations, the word gamification might have a certain stigma around it and in those cases you must shift the conversation towards the benefits of gamification (more engagement). Let’s assume you want to try gamification in your company, how do you get started? What are the key pieces of the puzzle? This question was primarily handled by Karl Kapp. Karl took the audience through a series of different game elements and highlighted key considerations for each one. These elements included: rewards, leaderboards, report cards, badging and game scores. The key takeaway from this part of the webinar was that, when thinking about embedding gamification into your workplace, it is a combination of mechanics that drive engagement, rather than just a single mechanic in isolation. Consider your audience and what might motivate them. Where should we start thinking about applying gamification in our company? For this question, Jeanne shared a great chart from a research report on gamification produced by Future Workplace. The chart showcased some of the functional uses for gamification within organizations, with the top five being: team building, sales training, on-boarding (a particular favourite of Jeanne’s), health & wellness and finally customer service training. Carol gave the advice of picking an area within your business where gamification can be tied to a bigger business objective (such as reduction in appeasement costs). She also mentioned starting small and building on layers once you have demonstrated results with your employees. What are some specific results of using gamification in the workplace? Carol tackled the majority of this question. She shared four case studies of organizations that have seen business results through the use of gamification. One in particular that stood out, was the success that Walmart is experiencing with their logistics and distribution staff. With over 70,000 employees at Walmart leveraging Axonify’s gamified learning experience, the Company has been able to realize a 54% decrease in safety incidents; thus, leading to a safer workplace culture.  How does gamification fit with a leadership audience? All the panelists agreed that gamification can fit with a leadership audience and just like any other application, you have to strategically consider the performance goals you want to improve with gamification. How will you know that the application of gamification has been successful with the leadership audience? Jeanne shared the story of the Deloitte Leadership Academy (DLA) and how they leveraged gamification to drive participation in their learning programs. Karl mentioned that through the use of gamification, the DLA was able to increase retention of training material by 50% and cut completion times in half. What are some of your BIG questions around using gamification to drive business value? Share them with us below or via Twitter and be sure to check out our gamification workbook to help you get started with gamification in your organization today. Written by Shum Attygalle The post Webinar Summary: Using Gamification to Deliver Business Value appeared first on Axonify.

What’s the difference and do you need both? We get a lot of questions about the difference between personalized and adaptive learning. This makes sense because they’ve often been used interchangeably in the learning realm. I’m embarrassed to say that I too have been guilty of substituting one term for the other from time to time. So, here’s the lowdown on what each term means, how they’re different and how they work together in a modern learning scenario. Each employee follows their unique path. (Img source: therockplacetn.biz) What’s the Difference? Personalized Learning provides employees with different learning paths, which are programmed by L&D according to: Job function and department. Specific knowledge required for the job. Prior learning and/or test results to benchmark current knowledge levels. Personal attributes such as primary language, age group, seniority level. Appropriate methods of instruction such as classroom, eLearning, coaching etc. Employees take an initial test to identify their baseline knowledge levels. Then, content is prepared in advance and identified for the learning system to serve up in a prescribed manner. As the employee takes training and achieves a certain test score result, new learning modules are opened up based on the defined learning path. Learning progresses in a largely linear method. Adaptive Learning, on the other hand, takes into account all the characteristics of personalized learning (such as job function, knowledge requirements, current knowledge levels and more) but uses a sophisticated, data driven and often non-linear algorithm that: Continuously evaluates information from the learner during learning sessions (such as test answers, topics re-taken, and knowledge confidence levels, if tracked). Compares the learner data to initial benchmark knowledge levels, plus target knowledge levels, programmed into the system. Adapts the learning path automatically with modifications being made on the fly to subject matter, level of difficulty, learning resources and even methods of knowledge delivery. Do You Need Both? The answer is "Yes!" Here’s how personalized and adaptive learning come together in a real-life scenario. Personalized learning establishes the starting point Ed and Jeremy join Widgetco as forklift operators in the warehousing operations division. Their job function dictates that they require knowledge and skills in subject matter, such as: Safe forklift operation Warehouse layout Using the warehouse inventory system Ed and Jeremy take some quick online tests to assess their current knowledge levels. Their scores indicate they both must start at Level 1. Both complete their learning and take a final test. Ed finishes with a 57% knowledge level and Jeremy ends with a 95% knowledge level. Because the mandatory score to "pass" is 90%, Jeremy moves on to other learning, while Ed must re-take the training. While Ed could take the course a second time and re-test, this approach isn’t very efficient. The learning path is the same as the first time he took the training and doesn’t allow him to focus on the areas where he is having the most difficulty. This is where an adaptive learning program can help. Adaptive learning ensures subject mastery across the board In an adaptive learning environment, the eLearning system identifies which topics present challenges for Ed, and which subjects he is strong in and able to achieve the 90% knowledge level. The system presents Ed with additional learning on the challenging topics, first at an easy level. As his knowledge begins to improve, the system continues to evaluate his knowledge levels and present him with information at increasing difficulty levels, placing more emphasis on areas he’s weak in, and less emphasis on stronger areas. The system continues to review his response to questions, until he achieves subject mastery at the 90% knowledge level. Personalized and adaptive learning: a powerful combination As we described above, personalized and adaptive learning actually address employee learning at different points in a learner’s journey. We believe that to create the most powerful and effective learning, personalized and adaptive learning must work hand in hand: Personalized learning establishes what the learner must learn. Adaptive learning helps the learner successfully achieve target knowledge levels, modifying learning content to identify knowledge gaps, then focussing on those areas until the learner demonstrates subject mastery. The result? Learning that meets the individual needs of modern learners and allows them to increase their knowledge more efficiently and effectively. Written by Jennifer Buchanan The post Personalized vs Adaptive Learning appeared first on Axonify.

Axonify held its first community conference at the prestigious Langdon Hall hotel in Cambridge, Ontario Canada last week. More than fifty customers and partners attended to network with each other, learn more about new product developments and listen to inspirational stories from leaders, including Chad McIntosh, VP Loss Prevention & Risk Management at Bloomingdale’s, Marcus Presley, Senior Manager, Logistics Compliance & Safety at Walmart, Mia Phillips, National Manager, Dealer Education & Digital Tools at Toyota, Bob Mosher, Chief Learning Evangelist at APPLY Synergies as well as many others. Below is a guest post from Axonify partner Mariano J. Doble, CEO of Doble Group, LLC, that captures his perspective on the event. Langdon Hall - The location of Axonify’s first community conference. After spending a couple of days sharing with Axonify customers, partners and team members, I learned that Axonify was much more than a technology platform. I have been a fan of Axonify for some time now, but what I did not realize is how I had underrated its power to significantly transform organizational culture and help drive sustainable business performance. Axonify has been a clear leader in learning through gamification and question-based reinforcement. What surprised me the most is how Axonify harnesses the power of purposeful knowledge and enables organizations to grow, sustain, share, apply and measure this knowledge and its impact on business performance. Axonify’s promise is to make employees more knowledgeable so they can perform better and help organizations and employees realize their potential. Although this seems like a lofty goal, Axonify has found a way to embed brain science, gamification and learning best practices in an evolving platform to ensure that organizations are correlating this knowledge effectively with team behaviors (culture) and ultimately tangible business results. The Axonify platform goes beyond the game mechanics and rewards platform to make companies smarter, but it also provides real time analytics to ensure business managers are coaching, guiding, leading and promoting the behaviors that embed the desired business culture and ultimately deliver results. The future looks even brighter as Axonify unveils future innovations that will take the platform to the next level by enabling more exciting competition and wagers, certifications, real-time communication, surveys, predictive performance modeling, user-generated content and expert support at the time of need. One of the most exciting upcoming capabilities is the alignment between acquired knowledge and actual employee behaviors with tangible business results. The conference ended with a brilliant keynote delivered by Bob Mosher, focusing on Performance Support and breaking the paradigms of traditional learning methods. Gloria Gery defined Performance Support as an orchestrated set of services that provide on-demand access to integrated information, guidance, advice, assistance, training and tools to enable high-level job performance with minimum support from other people. His keen focus on an approach to deliver contextual information to the learner that is readily available (and actionable) at the moment of "application" was not only refreshing but also incredibly simple. Mosher’s treatment of contextual information that is personalized to the specific roles of the learner and easily accessible defied conventional wisdom and really brought home the importance of not just "teaching stuff" but prioritizing critical (actionable), rather than important knowledge. My goal for this conference was to network and learn more about Axonify, its products and customer success stories. This mission was accomplished, but beyond reaching my goals, I am most impressed with the future potential, the incredible energy of the Axonify team and the extraordinary levels of satisfaction and commitment displayed by Axonify’s customers. Well-done Axonify! The post Axonify Redefines Knowledge and its True Purpose at its First Annual Community Conference appeared first on Axonify.

The holiday season is just around the corner and you’re staffing up to meet demand. But for today’s retailers—especially those using multi-channel methods—onboarding new hires is not as simple as it once was. In an omni-channel or multi-channel retailing world, sales associates must know more than your customers, who’ve likely done their homework before coming to the store. That means new hires must not only learn about policies, procedures and products, but also understand what you offer through your various channels and be fully up to speed on ever-changing promotions. Traditional training methods leave a lot to be desired.   With traditional training, associates are typically plunked in a classroom and bombarded with information until their eyes glaze over. There are two main problems with this approach: Associates are so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information that their learning capability literally shuts down. In the traditional "one and done" training approach, people forget as much as 70% of what they learn, within 24 hours! Accelerating learning for new associates. So how do you ensure new associates know everything they need, plus accelerate their onboarding to get them productive as soon as possible? Implement daily microlearning training bursts.  MicroLearning bursts are short and sweet learning sessions—perhaps a short video or Q&A session—often done at the beginning of each shift before associates hit the floor. Even if only three or four minutes long, short learning sessions help to reinforce training in associates’ minds. They are also valuable for delivering important new information to associates so they are better able to serve your customers. Plus, microlearning helps counteract information overload, so associates can focus on one topic at a time without becoming overwhelmed. Personalize the learning. Instead of providing the same training to every associate, focus on providing learning according to the products or departments they are involved with so they have the in-depth information they need to truly help customers. This ensures that associates receive the information they need without spending unproductive time on irrelevant topics. Offer knowledge on demand. As long as associates can easily find the information they need, they can provide the excellent customer sales and service you demand. This could mean equipping associates with mobile devices so, if they don’t know something, they can quickly and easily look it up while helping a customer. It might also mean making sure that associates can participate in daily learning across any device they use—whether tablets, laptops, smartphones, or even POS terminals.  Provide learning with integral inspiration and incentives. Don’t be afraid to incorporate games, leaderboards or other rewards into your training programs. Gamified learning has been shown to engage employees in the success of their knowledge development by making it a fun experience, tapping into their desire for rewards and recognition, and giving them a bit of friendly competition. With the holiday season approaching, now is the time to stage your new hire learning programs for success. For more information on how Axonify can help boost associate knowledge, read our white paper "How to Boost Associate Expertise to deliver a Successful Omni-Channel Retailing Experience." Written by Laura Martin The post Accelerating Product Knowledge with New Hires for the Holiday Season appeared first on Axonify.

Let me start by sharing three seemingly unrelated stats with you: According to Google, we use an average of three different screen combinations each day (smartphone and laptop, smartphone and tv, tv and tablet).  According to Bersin by Deloitte, the Modern Learner has 1% of a typical workweek to focus on training and development. Assuming a 40-hour workweek, this amounts to just under five minutes each day. According to another survey done by Google, 52% of users said that a bad mobile experience made them less likely to engage with a company. Before I explain how these three stats relate to each other (you might have already started to put the pieces together), I invite you to join me in a small thought experiment. Imagine …  You’ve finally found those five free minutes in your day to turn your attention to training and development. For you this might look like engaging in a bite-sized learning module, reading up on some competitive info to refresh your memory or even taking a quick quiz to prove your understanding of a certain topic. You can’t do anything more than that because let’s be honest, you’ve just got five minutes. For the sake of argument, let’s imagine that for these five minutes you decide to turn away from your regular screen (desktop or laptop or point-of-sale terminal… you pick) and you decide to focus your attention on a smaller screen (tablet or mobile phone… again, you pick).  You load up your learning experience… Oh no. The text is pretty small. You have to pinch and zoom. You’re forced to scroll because the page is too wide. The buttons are pretty tiny and too close together, so you accidently click the wrong ones.  You’re frustrated. It’s too late in the day for this.  You give up and just do something else with your valuable five minutes. Wait. What just happened? Let’s take this situation and scale it over time and across a large, geographically dispersed organization. From a learner’s point-of-view, you just had a poor experience and decided to move on to something better. From a manager’s point-of-view, your employee just missed out on a valuable learning opportunity. From an organization’s point-of-view, your workforce becomes disengaged.  All of a sudden, engagement in your organization has become a battle that is won or lost in the span of five quick minutes.  Think responsive. In order to equip yourself in this battle for engagement, I want to introduce you to a concept borrowed from the world of website architecture: responsive design.   Try this: If you’re reading this on a desktop or laptop (if you’re on a phone, keep reading until you see this >>*>>), visit http://www.worldwildlife.org/. Try to observe as much as you can about the way the front page of that website is structured. Allow certain things to draw your eye and pay attention to what engages you. Now, using your mouse, slowly resize your browser window from right to left and start to observe what happens. It should look something like this: >>*>> Desktop version. Tablet version. Mobile version. Welcome to the world of responsive design. What differences do you notice?  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that all that’s happening is just a few things moving around and resizing. There’s actually a lot of strategic thinking behind what exactly happens with the content at the different screen sizes.  Notice how the Donate and Adopt buttons completely change size and prominence as the screen gets smaller? Why do you imagine that happens?  Responsive = Adaptive. A few weeks ago, we wrote a blog post on the difference between personalized and adaptive learning. In that post we highlighted the importance of content. This post is about context. In order to make learning truly adaptive, not only must the learning platform use sophisticated algorithms to deliver the most relevant learning, it must also take into account how (on what device) the learning is being consumed. Context has a big impact on engagement. Take a look at these facts about responsive design.  If your organization is currently losing the battle of engagement, I hope you can borrow an idea from the world of responsive design and give yourself an advantage in those five valuable minutes. Written by Shum Attygalle The post Want to Create a More Engaging Learning Experience? Think Responsive. appeared first on Axonify.

A few weeks ago, we shared a blog post that Axonify partner, Mariano J. Doble, CEO of Doble Group, LLC, wrote about our first community conference. We also thought you might enjoy watching a short video of the event that captures the thoughts some of our customers who attended, including Southeastern Grocers, Bloomingdale’s and Toyota. Enjoy!   The post Axonify Community Conference Video appeared first on Axonify.

Meet Chris. He’s a young, ambitious marketing professional who loves his job and is anxious to get ahead. He’s got a lot on his plate: he works long hours, but there’s always more work and more deadlines to be managed. And his day is full of interruptions: as much as every five minutes by text messages and emails, not to mention juggling co-workers, meetings and his boss. In short, he’s overwhelmed and distracted. The last thing Chris and modern learners like him have the time or interest for is a long training session. But Chris wants and needs to keep improving his knowledge and abilities to keep up with his evolving responsibilities. The corporate training department doesn’t offer what he’s looking for so he turns to his social networks for information and support, and regularly Googles for answers to his questions. He can’t wait to be provided with training; he needs information right now to do his job properly. What Chris needs is Adaptive Learning. Adaptive learning is an incredibly powerful technology that automatically adjusts learning information presented to employees—on the fly—based on their real-time learning performance results. Its goal is to constantly provide information that addresses specific knowledge deficits, progressing employees to subject matter mastery without bogging them down with unnecessary or unhelpful information. Sophisticated algorithms analyze employee performance in learning sessions, and provide learning content to fill identified knowledge gaps, or adjust the content to be easy or challenging, according to the employee’s demonstrated knowledge. As the employee improves, the algorithms present more information—or more challenging information -—progressing the employee toward subject mastery. So how can adaptive learning help Chris? Timely, relevant information. Because adaptive learning accepts inputs that define what Chris should know about specific topics—then adapts according to his demonstrated knowledge of those topics—it provides information geared to meet his knowledge deficits. This means he spends quality time focussed on high value learning, which helps him get up to speed more quickly and with less effort. Learning becomes a critical support activity, rather than simply one more overwhelming chore. Flexibility. In today’s volatile business world, Chris’s role evolves constantly. As his job requirements change, his knowledge levels fluctuate as well. Adaptive learning continues to adjust by comparing his existing knowledge with target knowledge levels, and presenting information to address any gaps. This means Chris doesn’t need to search the web for information; it’s delivered directly to him. Growth opportunities. The nature of adaptive learning means it’s always evaluating knowledge gaps and providing information to fill those gaps. As Chris’s knowledge improves, adaptive learning continues to present him with more challenging information, or moves him to new subjects, based on his programmed target knowledge and proficiency levels. He continues to be challenged, while progressing in a positive direction. Although Chris doesn’t have much time in his workday for learning, it can be enough if used effectively. By always evaluating his current knowledge against targets—and adjusting learning content accordingly —adaptive learning ensures that every minute Chris spends learning is a good investment, for himself and for the organization. Written by Laura Martin The post Adaptive Learning and the Modern Learner appeared first on Axonify.

This past Tuesday, we had the pleasure of hearing from a leading Performance Support evangelist, Bob Mosher. Bob shared his wisdom on the topic over the course of an hour-long webinar, which you can now access on-demand.  In this post, I’d like to share five big challenges that Bob put forth over the course of the session. As you read each challenge, take a minute to consider your response. For your convenience, I’ve shown the timestamp for each challenge so that you can view it in context via the webinar recording. 1. When you build your learning solutions, do they teach swimming or do they prevent drowning? (The Minnow Story - 3:25 to 7:25) Hear the story that changed Bob’s entire perspective on learning. It might just change yours as well.  2. Forget books. (The reality of the workflow - 7:49 to 8:36) Bob says that sometimes, we place a lot of emphasis on teaching a lot of great things. Either through classroom or eLearning, but what happens when we’re done teaching? When your learners go back to what they’re up against every day, how well equipped are they? 3. You have to stop leading with training. (Prescription based approach - 10:04 to 13:44)  "I need five days of leadership training … I need an eLearning course on sales skills." Bob asked the audience if they’ve ever encountered someone asking them for something like this. He then made a great analogy about a visit to the Doctor’s office. When you last went to the Doctor, did you just ask him or her for medicine or did you outline your problem and await his or her prescription? Here’s a quote directly from slide 5: An Educator’s job is to prescribe the MOST effective ‘Instructional Treatment’ for our learners that best fits their learning needs. 4. We have to START by designing for the moment of Apply first. ( The 5 Moments of Need 13:45 to 17:00) Take a look at slide 6 to get an idea of what the 5 moments of need are. Bob asks, what would happen if you designed your learning in a way that focused on application and retention … rather than just the delivery of a large volume of information? 5. You can - and should - structure informal learning. (How do we design it? 29:30 - 33:30) A few times over the course of the webinar, Bob mentions the 70-20-10 model. Bob believes that even though the ’70’ portion is technically the informal learning, it can most certainly be structured. On slide 12 he shares some design principles for true performance support. In short, it must be: embedded, contextual and just enough for what your learner needs at the time. Which of these challenges hits home for you the most? Which one scares you? Which one are you already doing? Share your thoughts in the comments below or send a tweet over to Bob or us.  Written by Shum Attygalle   The post Webinar Summary: Performance Support and the Future of Learning appeared first on Axonify.

We’ve decided to start a new series on our blog called Learning Snacks. The goal with these posts is to bring you a set of curated resources on a specific topic from well-known sources in our space. This week’s topic is the gamification of learning. We just returned from a week of jam-packed learning at Elliot Masie’s Learning 2015 conference. Of the many great sessions, we wanted to focus today’s post on just one: Gamification of Learning & Instruction: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly - featuring Karl Kapp. Fun time talking #Gamification & games w/ @emasie at #learning2015 pic.twitter.com/GsBUgWgzHH — kkapp (@kkapp) November 4, 2015 Here’s a fun visual that someone created, which summarizes the conversation: Pictorial version of my #Gamification talk #learning2015 @emasie gr8 discussion pic.twitter.com/DnCmbKgyA2 — kkapp (@kkapp) November 4, 2015 We had the pleasure of working with Karl earlier this year on a webinar titled, ‘A Practical Approach to Gamification,’ and his work also served as a great reference for our very popular Gamification Workbook.  If you’re having conversations about the value of gamification (looking to get buy-in) or thinking about making gamification a reality in your organization, here are some curated articles that might help you move things along: 1. Top 6 Benefits of Gamification in eLearning (~ 4 min read) 2. Future of Work: Using Gamification For Human Resources (~ 2 min read) 3. Gamification and Game-based Learning are Two Different Things (~ 4.5 min read) 4. How Gamification can Transform Your Business (~ 9.5 min read) 5. 7 Game and Gamification Guidelines for Your Organization (~ 2 min read) 6. How Gamification Bolsters Strong ROI With Business (~ 3.5 min read) 7. What the Future of Gamification in the Workplace Looks Like (~ 5 min read) 8. 5 Statistics That Prove Gamification is the Future of the Workplace (~ 4 min read) BONUS: Our Gamification Workbook! We hope you enjoyed this first Learning Snack, are there specific topics you would like us to curate for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below or give us a shout on Twitter. Curated by The Axonify Learning Team   The post Learning Snack: Gamification of Learning appeared first on Axonify.

It’s a problem that’s only getting bigger. More than ever before employees need to know more information in less time. And with rapid and continual changes in technology and information, they’re finding it harder and harder to keep up. Many organizations thought eLearning solutions, like the LMS, would be the answer to this growing problem. But, the fact is, the problem is only becoming more prevalent. There’s too much information for employees to process. They can’t remember what they’ve learned, let alone apply it on the job. What’s worse is that this leaves employees without the knowledge they need to take the right actions at work. The consequences are dire:  lost sales revenue, poor leadership performance, and increased safety incidents are just a few of the things organizations are experiencing. And this is costing millions—even billions of dollars. What’s causing this knowledge crisis?  We think there are four main reasons: 1. Job expectations are increasing Today’s employees are required to have more knowledge and skills than ever before.  Take medical sales reps, for example. At Ethicon—a Johnson and Johnson company—sales reps not only need to understand their tradecraft, but they must have a depth of product knowledge never before expected. In fact, they must know five times the amount of information than was required only two decades ago, including knowledge of hundreds of surgical devices—each with their own intricacies and nuances. Plus it’s a requirement that they have the technical skills to perform their jobs in a connected world.  This is pretty much the same story for employees in other professions as well. 2. Job knowledge requirements are volatile What people need to know to do their job well can change almost daily.  And how much they need to know is constantly increasing. Take retail associates, for example. In the multi-channel retailing world, sales associates must know more than customers, who’ve likely done their homework before coming to the store.  That means sales associates must not only learn about policies, procedures and products; they must also understand what’s offered through various sales channels, and be fully up-to-speed on ever-changing promotions. 3. Modern learners have completely different learning needs Today’s learners only have 1% of a typical workweek (approx. 4.8 minutes a day) to devote to training and development. To add even more complexity, modern learners are not engaging with traditional methods of training.  Given the rapidly evolving business word they’ve inherited, most modern learners have their hands full with deadlines, rapidly shifting roles and responsibilities and almost constant interruption. They’re just too overwhelmed and they don’t have time for traditional learning approaches that only seem to add to their complex world without helping them retain and apply the information they need on the job. 4. People are spending less time in the job The real capital of any organization is its knowledge workers.  But people just don’t stay in jobs for the long haul anymore:  at any given time, as much as 30% or more of the workforce is actively looking for a new job. Employee tenure has been short for a number of years, fluctuating between about 3 and 5 years for younger employees, compared to over 10 years for workers age 55 and older.  Many organizations find this churn very challenging to deal with, especially when it comes to employee knowledge. Onboarding can be a significant challenge, as there is so much information about products, safety, policies and procedures that employees must learn before they’re ready for the job.  And for organizations that staff up for peak periods, this challenge is that much more difficult. In many cases, by the time employees are generating true value for the organization, they leave. LMSs aren’t enough Many organizations implemented LMSs hoping they would address this knowledge crisis.  But most are finding them falling flat. In some cases, the LMS is just aging and not able to meet evolving requirements.  But we believe the real reason is that there are inherent limitations to LMS that will never make it the sole solution to corporate knowledge requirements. Some are even suggesting that eLearning modules just don’t meet today’s need for knowledge on demand, which is largely driven by modern learners who want to find knowledge for the "point of need." What’s the takeaway in all this gloom & doom?  To thrive, L&D must find a way to develop employee knowledge to the point that it has a sustained, demonstrable impact on bottom line business results. Learning must adapt to today’s modern learner, be effective enough to get people the knowledge they need, and be flexible enough to respond to rapidly changing requirements.  Sounds like a tall order?  Perhaps, but help is on the way.    Stay tuned… In one week from today, we’ll have some exciting news to share that will revolutionize the way businesses tackle this escalating employee knowledge problem.   Written by Carol Leaman The post The Knowledge Crisis: the signs are all around us appeared first on Axonify.