Insights on Learning and Performance Ecosystems and Performance Support Tools With pressure on training budgets, all L&D professionals and organisation heads are seeking ways and means to ensure effective ROI on training investments. A key success factor is to adopt measures to step up the learning to application on the job. This will lead to the required business impact and will have a direct bearing on ROI. One of the approaches is to work with a bigger picture of "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" and drive training through multiple channels (including formal and informal learning, social learning, and performance support). This combination ensures that multiple learning avenues are available to learners, and instead of one-off trainings, the focus shifts to "learning as a continuum". An integral component of "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" are Performance Support Tools (PSTs) that can push the learning acquisition to learning application. In this newsletter, we share two of our articles that provide insights on: Learning and Performance Ecosystems Performance Support Tools (PSTs) In the next newsletter we will share examples of PSTs and exactly how they can be leveraged to push application of learning on the job. Learning And Performance Ecosystems: 5 Things Your Boss Wants To Know In this article I will address the questions that you may have while evaluating or adopting a "Learning and Performance Ecosystem" based approach, and specifically how it can create a better learning environment in your organization. Read the article Performance Support Tools: Top 5 Things Your Boss Wants To Know In this article, through a series of questions, I will provide answers on what Performance Support Tools (PSTs) are and why they must be an integral part of your organization’s learning strategy. I will also share my insights on how they help learners and how they can help address a key challenge that Learning and Development professionals face in terms of increasing knowledge recall, its retention, and application. Read the article The post Newsletter Jan2016 | PST appeared first on EI Design.

Insights on Performance Support Tools and how you can use them to improve your training ROI In our last newsletter, we had highlighted how ROI of training budgets can be improved by using Performance Support Tools (PSTs) that can push the learning acquisition to learning application. This will lead to the required business impact and have a direct bearing on ROI. In this newsletter, we share examples of PSTs and how exactly they can be leveraged to push application of learning on the job. You will note that PSTs can be used to complement or supplement your varied training needs. In the next newsletter, we will see high impact, innovative formats of PSTs that push the knowledge acquisition to application on the job. These include formats like Mobile Apps, Interactive pdfs, eBooks and Prezi. 5 Innovative Examples To Boost Your Workforce Performance With Performance Support Tools (PSTs) 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, we have shared 5 innovative examples that illustrate how you can boost your workforce performance with Performance Support Tools (PSTs). Read the article 3 Examples On How Performance Support Tools Can Supplement Compliance Courses In this article, we have shared 3 examples that illustrate how Performance Support Tools (PSTs) supplement Compliance courses. We have provided a quick recap of what Performance Support Tools (or PSTs) are and then shared 3 examples to illustrate how Performance Support Tools can be used to supplement Compliance courses. Read the article The post Newsletter Jan2016 | ROI appeared first on EI Design.

Performance Support Tools (PSTs): Innovative Formats That You Can Use Continuing our thread on usage of Performance Support Tools (PSTs), we look at high impact, innovative formats of Performance Support Tools (PSTs) that will push the knowledge acquisition to its application on the job. These include formats like Mobile Apps, Interactive pdfs, eBooks and Prezi. See how you can use them in your organisation through the following three articles: Article 1: This article outlines how you can use Mobile Apps for formal learning as well as an effective PST. Article 2: This article outlines how you can use Interactive PDFs and eBooks as PSTs to effectively supplement your formal training. Article 3: This article outlines how you can use the presentation tool Prezi to design an engaging and immersive PST. mLearning: What Are the Uses of Mobile Apps? In this article, I have outlined the usage of Mobile Apps for learning. Mobile Apps are one of the delivery formats that offer the additional flexibility of offline viewing of the eLearning course to the learners from their mobile devices. (They need to have an internet access to download the course and then they can view it with/without the internet connection. However, to track their progress through the LMS, they must be connected to the internet as only then can their progress information be passed on to the LMS). Read the article How To Boost Your Workforce Performance With Interactive PDFs And eBooks In this article, I have outlined how you can use interactive PDFs and eBooks as Performance Support Tools. Read the article Performance Support Series: Featuring Prezi animations in our Learning framework to supplement online training In this article, I have shared a case study on how we have used Prezi (a presentation tool) to create an innovative learning aid. Shortly, this will be a part of our upcoming Performance Support Solutions. Read the article In the next newsletter, we will go back to the hot topic of Return on Investment (ROI) on training. We will share articles that will provide insight on the definition and a methodology to determine Return on Investment (ROI). We will also look at the measures you can adopt to maximise it.The post Newsletter Feb2016 | PST appeared first on EI Design.

Insights on ROI-How to measure it and approaches to maximise it ROI on training is a hot topic as organisations seek effective (and feasible) ways to measure the impact of training. While, you possibly have some mechanisms in place to do so, we would like to share some pointers that can be easily applied in your context. In this newsletter, we share two articles on ROI: Article 1: This article outlines what ROI is, how it can be computed and more specifically, how it can be increased. Article 2: This article outlines how supplementing eLearning by Performance Support Tools (PSTs) can achieve your performance gain mandate and how it can contribute in improving the ROI in eLearning. On a related note, we share an update: We conduct workshops on ROI determination methodology. As an extension, we will work with you in identifying and implementing measures that will enable you to maximise your ROI. Do contact us if this would be of interest. Return On Investment (ROI): Are you in? This article outlines what ROI is, how it can be computed and more specifically, how it can be increased. Read the article Improve ROI of your E-learning solution through Performance Support Tools This article outlines how supplementing eLearning by PSTs can achieve your mandate and how it can contribute in improving the ROI in eLearning. Read the article The post Newsletter Feb2016 | ROI appeared first on EI Design.

Creative Instructional Design You can Use Did you know the exponential nature of forgetting? As you see from this diagram featuring the "Forgetting Curve", we forget 80% of what we learned in 30 days! So, how can you improve the stickiness of learning? You can use Creative Instructional Design to adopt learning strategies that offset the forgetting curve and create a value chain for retention and application of learning. In this newsletter, we share two articles that feature examples on how you can use Creative Instructional Design approaches for your varied training needs. Article 1: Focuses on examples of innovative Induction and Onboarding. These examples feature learning strategies ranging from Gamification to Active learning and the more recent Micro learning (uses video- based nuggets and guided exploration). Article 2: Outlines examples of varied learning strategies including storytorials, scenarios (including complex decision-making and branching), guided exploration and micro learning. It also features a few Performance Support Tools (PSTs) that you can use to complement or supplement your formal learning and enhance performance gain. Do contact us if you would like to evaluate how our Creative Instructional Design-based learning strategies would offer a "high retention curve". Our solutions are aligned to meet all training needs and can be deployed seamlessly on devices of learners’ choice (including Tablets and Smartphones). Creative Instructional Design: Featuring 3 Innovative Onboarding And Induction Examples In this article, I have outlined sticky learning designs featuring Creative Instructional Design approaches through 3 examples. These examples feature learning strategies ranging from Gamification to active learning and the more recent microlearning (uses video-based nuggets and guided exploration). I have picked these examples from diverse industry verticals like Insurance, Oil and Gas and eLearning. Read the article Creative Instructional Design: 9 Examples Of Learning Strategies You Can Use In this article, I have shared 9 examples to showcase how Creative Instructional Design helps create sticky learning. Read the article The post Newsletter Mar2016 | Creative Instructional Design appeared first on EI Design.

Using Social Learning to Foster Collaborative Learning We don’t always learn from formal teaching and learning methods. Rather than structured formal learning, most of us prefer exploring things on our own or seeking inputs from our peers or seniors. Learning through observation is a human tendency, a fact that Dan Pink firmly asserts in his book "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us". He states that people have a strong desire to be both autonomous and inter-connected. He cites this as one of the key motivating factors for people to chase greater accomplishments. This is also reflected in the 70:20:10 Model for Learning and Development that describes how learning happens. According to this, most of us pick: 70 percent of our knowledge from our on-the job experiences 20 percent from interactions with others 10 percent from structured or formal training Realising this, several organisations are adopting social learning as an integral part of their learning strategy. In this newsletter, we share our article that outlines the concept of social learning, its benefits and how it can be used meaningfully in an organisation to enhance collaborative learning. The article will also provide some best practices that you can use. What is social learning and how can you use it to foster collaborative learning In this article, I will touch upon the concept of social learning, its benefits and how can it be used meaningfully in an organisation to enhance collaborative learning. I will also share some best practices. Read the article The post Newsletter Mar2016 | Social Learning appeared first on EI Design.

It’s the biggest event of its kind in Europe and draws thousands of people from across the learning space to see and experience the latest the industry has to offer. But Learning Technologies 2016 means different things to different people so we’ve taken the temperature of this year’s event by getting a cross-section of perspectives.  "Why I’m back at Learning Technologies for the first time in 10 years."   Dave Buglass, Head of Organisational Capability and Development, Tesco Bank Dave Buglass is an award-winning L&D professional with more than 20 years’ experience. He’s returned to Learning Technologies for the first time in over 10 years to give a conference talk about putting the consumer (or learner) at the heart of L&D.  "Probably the reason I haven’t been here for over ten years is that fundamentally I don’t think a lot of organisations have been ready for the pace of change of technology. I was curious to come back this year to see what has changed. I’m not a fan of shiny technology and shiny content. I don’t think we are putting the learner at the centre of our thinking. If you look at the world we live in, outside of work and inside work is very blurred now. We should be treating colleagues much more like we treat them outside of work, as consumers. I just don’t think L&D has quite got its head around that yet." "The biggest and busiest I’ve ever seen it." Dan Roddy Director, The Elearning Network and Elearning Consultant, Aviva Dan Roddy is a veteran of Learning Technologies and in his new role as one of the Directors at The Elearning Network he’s been keen to assess what the event reveals about the state of the elearning industry. "I’ve been coming to Learning Technologies for 10 or 11 years and this is the biggest and busiest I’ve ever seen it. I think that’s a good sign that the elearning industry is in really good health. What’s exciting this year is to see a lot of the trends that people have been talking about for the last couple of years finally coming into maturity. We’re seeing people implementing things like XApi and gamification. I think we are reaching a maturing point where elearning is beginning to drop the ‘e’ and become part of what L&D does - it’s really exciting."  "It gives us an opportunity as an industry to pause and look at what’s going on." David Kelly, Vice President and Executive Director, The Elearning Guild "An event like this always appeals to me because it gives us an opportunity as an industry to pause and look at what’s going on, look at what people are doing, how they are doing it and what new doors are opened by that. I come from the United States but being able to come here I get to see a little bit more of a European perspective. It’s interesting to see parallels but also differences between the conversations that I’m participating in in the US, compared to what’s going on here. There’s always the central theme of people being curious about what these technologies are doing and how it might be a transformative enabler for us when it applies to Learning and Development." "Until you put on a headset you don’t fully get how immersive it is." David MacHale, Olive Learning  Virtual Reality (VR) for learning has been talked about for a few years now but at Learning Technologies 2016 the concept appeared to move a step forward. The use of an Oculus Rift headset as part of an elearning application by Olive Learning gave L&D a new perspective on the potential of VR.  "We’re on the edge of something new here and I think the world of learning technologies and L&D is waiting for this. Simulators are already being used in areas such as the aviation industry and mining, where there’s high risk or a high cost to train people but the cost is coming way down. The thing with Oculus is that you can look at it on a screen but until you put on a headset you don’t fully get how immersive it is." "There are a lot of people really wanting to find new ways to engage with learners." Louise Pasterfield, Managing Director, Sponge UK "The elearning market is shifting and maturing and learning professionals want new ways they can interact with learners. There are a lot of people really wanting to find new ways to engage with learners. People are interested in bespoke games for management training, health and safety and compliance. There’s also interest in the use of interactive video, particularly for leadership skills. It’s been great to see so many people at the show and get feedback on their learning needs and interests." Stay up to date throughout the year on the latest elearning news, trends and insights with Sponge UK’s Elearning Insider newsletter and watch out for the Sponge UK Elearning Podcast coming soon. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter  The post Five perspectives on Learning Technologies 2016 appeared first on Sponge UK.

An innovative online induction programme that not only provides essential training for new employees but helps identify the brightest potential talent has won gold at The Learning Awards . Farmfoods and bespoke elearning provider Sponge UK won Onboarding Programme of the Year at the prestigious awards scheme run by the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI). Farmfoods, the frozen food specialists, employ over 4,000 people and trade from more than 330 stores nationwide.Sponge UK and Farmfoods worked closely together to develop an induction programme to give new employees an engaging introduction to Farmfoods and improve performance.The programme consists of high quality, custom-made elearning modules incorporating relevant work scenarios and helpful guidance, supported by on-the-job training and printed workbooks, as part of a blended induction approach.In a survey of learners, 60% said they chose to complete additional elearning above what was required for their role, allowing Farmfoods to spot employees who had the motivation and potential to progress.80% of employees surveyed said they planned to remain at Farmfoods for at least the next year after completing the elearning.The elearning was created using the Adapt multi-device responsive framework so employees can access the training on a smartphone or tablet, which was particularly important for the ‘millennial generation’ workforce.The modules are hosted on Sponge UK’s Launch&Learn LMS, which allows managers to see progress and access talent identification data quickly and easily.Louise Pasterfield, Managing Director, Sponge UK, said: "This project proves that when learning technologies are used imaginatively and strategically they can deliver far-reaching business benefits. There is a lot that other organisations could learn from Farmfoods’ innovative approach to induction, where training and talent management are cleverly combined in one effective programme." Ronnie Morgan, Head of Training and Development at Farmfoods, said: "We set out to create something engaging, modern and useful and we are delighted that the result has achieved recognition by winning gold at these awards. Sponge UK was great to work with. The combination of their design and tech expertise with our content and audience expertise was key in bringing the programme to life successfully." Farmfoods launched the induction training in January 2015.The winners of The Learning Awards 2016 were announced at a ceremony hosted by television presenter, Claudia Winkleman at The Dorchester hotel in London on Thursday, February 4, 2016.The official citation from the Learning Awards said: "The judges were especially impressed at the way in which the materials could be adapted to the different roles and job functions of the learners; in addition, the deployment of the content across multiple channels - especially smart-phones - was both innovative and effective. Finally, the metrics that were produced were truly impressive and make this programme a well deserved category winner."     Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post Induction programme that nurtures talent wins gold award for Farmfoods and Sponge UK appeared first on Sponge UK.

Elliott Masie is probably the world’s most influential learning expert, not to mention the most entertaining and inspiring. For more than 25 years, he has asked the most important questions facing learning professionals and explored the new challenges thrown up as the industry changes and evolves. He’s an author, conference host, learning researcher and thought leader…and he still finds time to produce musicals on Broadway! In this exclusive interview for Sponge UK, Elliott Masie shares his views on video learning, personalisation, the core skills of a learning professional and the global learning landscape. Is it easier or harder to be a learning professional today than it was 25 years ago when you held your first Learning conference? I think it is way more complex today. Twenty five years ago, I was teaching a course on how to be a learning professional and back then we taught three things: how to deliver classroom instruction, how to do instructional design and how to deal with assessment. Today, classroom still exists but now a learning professional might need to know how to do a digital interview with a subject matter resource, how to build some form of elearning activity, they need to know much more around assessment and performance support, and I could keep going. But the other thing that makes it more complex and challenging today is that in the old days everybody relied on the training professionals. Now many of the activities around learning can be built, not only by learning professionals, but by subject matter experts, managers and even by learners themselves. So it’s a bigger world, there are more skills to master and as learning professionals we have to share our turf. Is it more interesting now? You bet! What’s the most important skill L&D professionals themselves need to master to be successful today? I’m going to answer this differently to how I would have answered it 12 months ago. A year ago, my whole conversation would probably be around the process of creation of content. Now, I am convinced that learning professionals need to look at the user experience. The average learner has an over-abundance of content. What they are looking for is the really good piece of content, which could be a three minute video clip, a 200 page book or an app. What’s critical for us though is that content creation is easy, anybody can create stuff. What is challenging is to create content and experiences that make users say "wow, that’s spot on", that gives them exactly what they need, as if it had been made just for them. I think this is the biggest new piece for our industry and it’s not usually been part of how we train our instructional designers.  So I think we’re going to see more and more work towards user experience. Video: Elliott Masie on the importance of data for L&D. One of the things you do at the Masie Learning Lab is to explore the usability of new technologies for learning.  From your research findings, what do you think has exciting potential for the future? Video, video, video ,video! I believe that increasingly we will watch rather than read. But, unless it’s Downton Abbey, I don’t think we want to watch a long multi-hour piece. I think we want to watch shorter clips of information, expertise or experience from a peer or a subject matter expert, but I think video will remain a huge element for the future. Mobile is also important but you will almost never hear me use the term ‘mobile learning’. I use my mobile device for learning but I don’t believe in putting a course on this device. What I do believe is that the device needs to be ready for any form of access that a learner might want, which includes video, internet search and apps. There are other new arenas such as virtual reality and machine learning but they are on the potential cusp, we don’t know if they will help us out or not, but they are intriguing. How far away are we from truly personalised learning? I really don’t know. It’s a question I scratch my head on. Who does the personalisation? To me that’s the interesting part. I think we are far away from where a computer will know everything about me, where using machine learning and other forms of intelligence, it will give me precisely what Elliott wants. We’re inching towards that but we’re not there yet. On the other hand, Elliott, Sam or Brian, are all capable of, and are already doing, personalisation. It’s just that more of it is covert, so to speak. We don’t yet have a personalisation architect system although I think it is coming. But I think we need to be extremely careful that we don’t stereotype and avoid a simplistic personalisation. I think it needs to be a shared model, so it is what the learner does, it’s what the designer does and increasingly a little bit of what the machine does. Are we there now, no, but we are beginning to see elements of it and I think we are also beginning to acknowledge that the learner has the right, privilege or option of doing that, as long as they are willing to be tested or assessed that they have the competency.  If they have the competency I couldn’t care less whether they sat through my lecture but I need to know they are right, ready, legal, compliant and skilled. Are you a fan of games and what do you think their future is in terms of learning? I’m a fan because I love games. I play chess and video games, I’ve been known to obsess at Solitaire and I find Minecraft fun. I’m also intrigued by games that can give the learner deep simulation on a topic, maybe emotional engagement and create content for them. Our challenge is they require a level of development and a price point that is higher than most organisations will pay. So what we are seeing now is gamification, where there are game elements that are not in a game. For example, adding a leaderboard or setting up a competition. If done well, these can be very helpful in an organisation. To build a serious game is wonderful but the sad part is we’re not seeing them come to market so that a company or government agency can subscribe to them. Building them from scratch is expensive and not always the best return on that commitment, but I think they are more and more going to be part of the future. Video: Elliott has his own idea for a learning game. What are some of global differences in learning trends that you’ve observed? The people that I meet around the world in developing countries are better learners because they are hungrier for knowledge.  Any knowledge they get is deeply appreciated and interactively consumed. So whether it is in a place like Burma, South America or India, learners are very often more aggressive, more collaborative and more persistent in learning than my colleagues in the US. The other intriguing thing is that for many years we have used UK, US and other first world learning models in the developing world. But what we need to do is acknowledge the expertise, learning systems and modalities in the developing world - then we get into global. Take the latest Star Wars movie which involved people from around the world joining together to make it. It’s an interesting collage of expertise, and in learning we need to embrace that same reality, quickly. For more information about Elliott Masie, his books, events and the Masie Learning Lab, visit masie.com Coming soon: The Sponge UK Podcast featuring more from Elliott Masie in the first ever episode. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter  The post Elliott Masie on user experience, global learning and sharing our turf appeared first on Sponge UK.

An interactive webinar for learning professionals will outline how the latest innovations in multi-device elearning technology can be used to keep learners inspired and challenged.Sponge UK will be exploring the multi-device learning landscape and showing how organisations can benefit from the clever and creative use of games and video that work on any device.The free session, Love to Learn with multi-device games and video is centred on the real life example of the Public Fundraising Association (PFRA).The organisation is using multi-device games and interactive video to help drive up standards of behaviour among street and doorstep charity fundraisers.Louise Pasterfield, Managing Director at Sponge UK will host the webinar, which is aimed at L&D professionals looking to deliver effective learning content across a variety of devices. She said:"I’m delighted to be able to share this exciting example for the PFRA that shows the full extent of what is now possible in multi-device elearning. In their everyday lives, learners are used to rich online content that works consistently across any device, so workplace learning has to raise its game to meet this expectation by providing experiences that will help people love to learn. The organisations we work with are looking for new ideas that will make a real difference to their business and their learners, and this webinar will certainly generate some new ideas on how to move multi-device elearning to the next level."The webinar takes place on Wednesday, February 17 from 12.30pm to 1pm (GMT). You can register now.A range of topics will be covered during the webinar, including:Using Adapt, the multi-device elearning framework to engage with learnersHow games can help people to learnHow to use video to create an emotional connectionA real-life case study showing effective implementationSponge UK makes custom elearning for organisations worldwide and was named Outstanding Learning Organisation of the Year 2015-16 at the Elearning Awards.The post How to keep learners inspired with multi-device games and video appeared first on Sponge UK.

As an L&D professional one of your main priorities is making your colleagues feel good about the training they complete.One of the traditional ways to get the good feelings flowing is to offer an incentive for completing a course.There are many ways to reward learners, we’re going to explore some of the common options and the theory behind an effective incentive programme.Training as a rewardDepending on the type of training you’re offering, it can make sense to offer the opportunity for learning as a reward itself.Sandra Porter, HR director at Starbucks told the Telegraph how training is a big motivator for their employees staying with the company:"Our partners tell us the more employable we can help them become, the less likely they are to leave."By offering development training to high potential employees Starbucks is able to promote 75% of store and district managers from within.Some elearning courses can be created to help identify talent at the same time as imparting the knowledge required. This type of approach is perfect for induction or sales and product knowledge.Compliance elearning or any company specific training courses are harder to offer as a reward to employees. There are several other ways to offer incentives to motivate your learners to take on this type of training.Types of training rewardsRichard W. Moore identified two types of rewards that were being offered by companies in the 2003 book Training That Works.Explicit incentives - immediate, often financial rewards after taking trainingImplicit incentives - employees expect to be rewarded but it is not explicitHe highlights examples of both cases and shows how employees can be motivated to complete traditional training with an actual financial reward, or just the implied promise of one.Implicit rewards are often part of organisations with a strong learning culture. By showing a track record of rewarding employees who complete or seek out training opportunities you can encourage more people to do the same.Making sure employee’s achievements, including in training and elearning, are recognised is part of the HR strategy of most high performing companies.Explicit rewards are easier to introduce but can be harder to get right.Taking ideas from research and examples that are seeing positive results you can start get your employees motivated using explicit rewards.How do rewards work?The aim of your incentive should be to increase the amount of training that an employee takes on in the long term. To help introduce a culture of learning, rather than a one off boost in completion rates of a particular course.It’s important to consider the way in which the incentive is framed - in psychological terms this means describing the incentive in a way that makes learners find it more appealing.In a paper by Haas School of Business University of California Berkeley, it was found that framing the incentive as a reimbursement of training costs, rather than a reward for completing training, made it more likely that people would complete the course.Teck-Hua Ho, co-author of the paper, said:"A one-time, outcome-based financial incentive— when leveraged on proven psychological techniques—can effectively induce workers’ long-term commitments to training"When used in the right way even a one-time reward can make a big difference to an employee’s chances of taking more training.The employees who were asked to make a non-binding commitment to taking more training and were offered the incentive in the form of a reimbursement were 6 times more likely to continue training than those who were given the cash as a reward and didn’t commit to more sessions.When you introduce any type of incentive you should plan how you will present it to the learners.Getting a commitment for future learning actions, even if it’s not official, is an effective way to get more people to take on future training.Real life examplesMany successful companies offer a training reward programme.IBM use their Know Your IBM scheme to issue real life rewards for completing training to partners who sell their infrastructure products.It’s available worldwide and offers gift cards and products as rewards for completing online training courses. There’s a benefit for the trainee in that they’re better able to explain the capabilities and benefits of IBM’s products, as well as the physical reward.There are Learning Management Systems (LMS) that can provide a similar "digital wallet" that gives your learners access to real life vouchers after taking a course.But is there a way to better tap into the psychological factors that make some rewards so effective?Specsavers introduced a less traditional incentive in their recent induction elearning module.When a learner completes the online training they are given a choice of SpecSavers official charities to which they can gift a virtual coin.Specsavers themselves then donate to the charities proportionally based on the virtual votes cast by the learners.Although an induction course is primarily aimed at new employees it’s open for all SpecSavers staff to complete and vote for their favourite cause.By aligning the incentive with the established culture of charity, and the official organisations they have a relationship with, it motivates learners to find out more about the way SpecSavers work with charities.Making a difference to someone other than themselves is a novel way to give learners an incentive to complete training. It gives the learners a positive reward, reinforces the principles of the company and encourages everyone to complete the training at the same time.Implementing your own rewards schemeBefore introducing your own scheme you should carry out research into whether it would be suitable for your employees.Learners using modern Learning Management Systems (LMS’s) are used to seeing gamification elements built into their online training programmes. Many learners will respond favourably when asked about real life rewards for completing training.A report by softwareadvice.com showed that real life reward schemes are highest on the list of gamification motivators for LMS users.With 35% of learners saying real life rewards would be the most likely incentive to get them to complete more training, winning out compared to 25% who rate "level progression" highest.It’s obvious that there are lots of ways incentives and rewards can be implemented which can result in a positive outcome for your training.Don’t rush into an explicit rewards scheme without thinking about the desired outcome and the possible alternatives which could help achieve it more effectively.If you’d like to talk to us about introducing an innovative rewards programme to your L&D strategy get in touch using the buttons below. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post How to make your employees feel good about completing training appeared first on Sponge UK.

Elliott Masie is one of the best known learning experts in the world, he’s an author, conference host, learning researcher and even a broadway producer. Figurehead and founder of the influential Masie center, he held his first learning conference 25 years ago so we started by asking if it’s easier or harder for learning professionals now than back then.The interview covers excitement at future technologies, serious games, personalised learning, mobile learning and what L&D can learn from Broadway. Questions for Elliott MasieTo make it easier for you to get back to the questions you want to hear again we’ve listed each question with the time it  00:40 - Is it harder for learning professionals now than 25 years ago? 02:50 - What’s the most important skill that an L&D professional needs to master today? 05:30 - What are you getting excited about for the future of learning? 07:00 - How far away are we from truly personalised learning? 09:34 - Can you elaborate on your statement "The LMS as we know it now is on the way out"? 12:10 - Are you a fan of elearning games? 14:38 - What are the implications of mobile devices becoming the main access point? 20:11 - Are there lessons that L&D can learn from Broadway? Read highlights and see video of Elliott Masie in our blog post. Ways to listen to the Sponge UK elearning podcast The full interview is available to listen to using the player above, you can stream the audio directly to your computer or device. Download the mp3 file using this direct link: SpongeUKPodcastEpisode001-ElliottMasie.mp3 (23:36, 8.4MB) Make sure you catch each episode by subscribing to the Sponge UK elearning podcast rss feed with your favourite podcast player. Join us in two weeks for the next episode of the Sponge UK elearning podcast where we talk to award winning L&D professional Dave Buglass, Head of Organisational Capability and Development at Tesco Bank. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post Elliott Masie - Sponge UK Elearning Podcast appeared first on Sponge UK.

Award-winning learning professional Dave Buglass reveals why significant culture change is on the horizon for L&D. Warning: Dave Buglass speaks his mind.He’s both a champion and critic of Learning and Development, and for more than two decades he’s been a leading advocate of the people who really matter, the learners.As Head of Organisational Capability and Development at Tesco Bank, Buglass has proved that learning done well can make a significant difference.He has won a host of top industry accolades including CLO of the Year at the 2015 Learning Awards and spoke at conferences in the UK and beyond.Sponge UK caught up with him at Learning Technologies 2016, where he returned as a conference speaker after a long break. What’s changed in the 20 years you’ve been working in L&D? It was in pursuit of an answer to this question that I returned to the Learning Technologies conference this year. I’d not attended for more than a decade, back in the heady days of CD-Rom, the end of multi-media and the start of elearning. For me, I think the biggest fundamental change in the last 20 years I have worked in this space has been less about the technology and the growth of the internet and more about the change of the consumer, the learner. Understanding learners as consumers is one of the biggest challenges we as L&D professionals face, and we still haven’t quite got our heads around it. Indeed, HR has a lot to learn and change if it’s to develop compelling colleague propositions.So I returned to Learning Technologies out of curiosity to see what some of the technology vendors, suppliers and speakers were saying about what they are doing in terms of dealing with the change in the learner profile. So what is holding L&D back from getting to the point when the learner really is at the centre of everything? I recently spoke at an event where I actually challenged the L&D professionals in the audience with a similar question and suggested that what’s holding L&D back is actually L&D. Without wishing to be disrespectful, I think some L&D professionals have held themselves in quite high regard, to the point that they might be missing an opportunity to educate the rest of the HR profession around what we do, how we treat learners and how we can spread that across the wider organisation.  After all, out of all the departments in HR, L&D are the ones that get more instant feedback than any other function. Therefore, I think the biggest thing holding us back is probably ourselves and our willingness to change. We need to increase our ability to open our minds wider, in terms of what is going on outside L&D. The biggest change for me personally is the whole environment in which we work and play. When I started two decades ago, work was work and play was play. I think as a consumer today those worlds are very much more integrated, more and more it is ‘Work the Way We Live’. I think we need to bring some of that external thinking around what we do with our customers into L&D. So how do we achieve that and bring in more external consumer focus into L&D activity? One of the things we’ve done very successfully at Tesco Bank is to work with our digital customer experience and design team, the people responsible for developing our customer-facing website and apps.  My guys have been working closely with a number of colleagues on the customer side to look at customer segmentation to see if they can bring that into colleague segmentation.  As L&D professionals, we are perhaps all guilty of building solutions that are one-size-fits-all but by learning from our marketers and digital experts, we’ve started to look at how we can personalise solutions that fit more closely with learners’ needs. We’ve learnt from what we do with external customers to help improve what we do for our colleagues. What part should L&D vendors play to help support this change? It’s an interesting question and it would be easy for me to criticise the learning vendors and claim the problem is all down to them but I would imagine a number of learning vendors are already looking at how they can provide better content and better technology to use inside our organisations. I would imagine a number of learning professionals who deal with vendors are probably giving out quite stale, dated statements of work and not allowing the vendors to come in and speak to learners, and I think they could probably add a lot of value to internal learning teams in terms of educating them about what they do to develop their own products and systems.I would encourage more learning professionals to open their ears and talk to the vendors a bit more. It isn’t just about responding to statements of work, it is about working in partnership to understand the problem in detail. One of the biggest things that we’ve done recently is to actually look at how we let vendors in to co-create content with the people who will ultimately end up using it, just like we do with our consumer products. You wrote the foreword for the most recent Towards Maturity Industry Benchmark Report , Embracing Change. Do you think 2016 is going to be the year of change for L&D as a whole? I was highly flattered to be asked to write the foreword and it was actually quite a challenging thing to do but really exciting.  I took part in the very first Benchmark Report and now having been involved in this one, it appears that not many things have changed.  However, I actually do think this is the year when we could make a significant culture change within internal HR functions as a whole, not just L&D. I think the most consumer-centric part of HR is learning so I think this is a massive opportunity for learning professionals and learning organisations to influence the wider colleague landscape. Finally, I would like to think that instead of the Learning Technologies conference next year, we will have a new event where the learning tech guys, the resourcing guys, the reward guys and the HR professionals come together to see how they can transform things for colleagues.  Perhaps that is when we really embrace change, when we have a Colleague Experience conference. Subscribe for the forthcoming Sponge UK Elearning Podcast interview with Dave Buglass and other leading learning thinkers and professionals. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter  The post "What’s holding L&D back is actually L&D" appeared first on Sponge UK.

Elearning company Sponge UK has been named among the best places to work in the UK in a leading workplace study published by the Sunday Times.The award-winning learning provider was placed at 49 in the Sunday Times list of 100 Best Small Companies to Work, 2016.http://spongeuk.com/2016/02/sponge-uk-makes-top-50-in-sunday-times-best-companies-list/The ranking is based on rigorous feedback surveys where staff are asked to rate their employer across a wide range of areas including pay, conditions, teamwork, leadership and wellbeing.The Best Companies lists are the UK’s leading assessment of workplace engagement and have been conducted annually since 2001.Sponge UK is the only elearning provider in the top 50 of best small companies this year.Louise Pasterfield, Managing Director at Sponge UK, said:"This is the first time we have taken part in the Best Companies scheme so to go straight into the top 50 is something we are all very proud of. Helping our people to learn and grow is a central part of our mission statement at Sponge. It’s something we take very seriously as a learning organisation and we’re delighted our approach to personal development has been recognised as part of this award."Sponge UK was benchmarked against more than 700 small businesses seeking accreditation and achieved the highest three star rating after being assessed as "exceptional."Opportunities for personal growth were identified as being particularly strong at Sponge with the company getting a 90% positive score in the research. The business also scored 91% as a fun and friendly place to work.More than 65 people work at Sponge UK’s headquarters in Plymouth in South West England.The Best Companies judges highlighted the particularly rich cultural and social activities hosted by the company including film, book and craft clubs along with lunchtime language learning classes.The company is the Elearning Awards gold winner of Outstanding Learning Organisations of the Year 2015-16.The Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For 2016 is published in the Sunday Times on February 28, 2016.The post Sponge UK makes top 50 in Sunday Times Best Companies List appeared first on Sponge UK.

A guide for L&D professionals in multinational organisations who are producing digital learning content for China.The 1.3 billion people in China represent around 20% of the world’s population. Half of that population, 647 million people, are internet users, and 86% of them use a mobile phone to get online.Learning resources are important to many Chinese internet users and digital learning is rapidly expanding in the corporate sector.China’s digital learning landscapeLearning Light estimates that at any given time, there are over 150 million people using elearning in China. The majority of adult learners are using digital learning to improve their practical skills in the English language or computer programming.Corporate elearning is a growing market too; the same report shows that over 50% of the top 500 Chinese companies have a Learning Management System (LMS) in place. An LMS allows companies to present elearning content to employees and track their progress and results.Compliance, induction and IT are the main topics but many Chinese companies are also looking to expand to cover subjects such as management and marketing training.One of the biggest areas of growth in elearning in China is early childhood learning. The future workforce in China is being brought up with online education.As internet connectivity improves and more leading companies look towards the East for expansion, digital learning has a bright future in China.Localising content for ChinaAs online education is already well established in many parts of China, if you’re going to be deploying a course in an international company the employees are likely to be familiar with the way elearning works.The Chinese government has set out standards in five categories that help elearning providers ensure a consistent approach. The Chinese E-learning Technology Standards (CELTS) are a good place to start when creating digital training for the country.If you have a course which has already been created and you need to roll out in China, you’ll need to have the content translated and localised.When localising for a completely different culture there are many more considerations beyond just making sure the translation is accurate.Consider these examples of quirks that could catch you out. There are many more instances where what might be considered a simple translation process could lead to issues without the help of a localisation expert.Watch out for these quirksThere are 297 individual languages used in ChinaThe official language is Modern Standard Mandarin or Putonghua but around a third of the population aren’t able to communicate using itThe number four is considered unlucky because it sounds almost identical to the word for deathEight is usually lucky because of its sound when pronounced, but the written character has two lines which point in different directions and can be associated with separation and divorce: 八Red is a lucky colour in China; it’s often worn at weddings and is the national colourGifts are often exchanged as a thank you for help, but avoid giving clocks, handkerchiefs or white objects as they are associated with funeralsDesign localisationIf your source material is in a language that uses the Latin alphabet, you’re also likely to run into design issues after translating and localising the text.Whether you use the traditional or simplified Chinese alphabet it’s simply going to take up a different space on the screen to the English equivalent.The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has a good article which compares the size of text for the same words in various languages and highlights English as often having the shortest form.This animation shows how the design of the same page needs to be tweaked for several different languages with different alphabets.You’ll notice that even answers need to be changed or rearranged for the best learning design in each version.It also shows the benefit of using universal icons for things like navigation, allowing the learner to locate the critical elements of user interface quickly.The great firewall of ChinaDespite investing heavily in internal infrastructure, China has a chequered history with global internet connectivity.China has prevented citizens accessing many Western websites and services with a system known as the "great firewall". They took the extra step of banning Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in 2015 to prevent people bypassing the controls.Popular websites that are banned in China:Google.com, and other Google properties including maps.google.com, gmail.com and docs.google.comFacebook.comYouTube.comTwitter.combbc.co.ukYou might need to rethink your embedded video content if you’re releasing an elearning course that needs to be completed in China.As a result of the bans, social media is more fragmented than in the West, there are many Chinese networks filling the void of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and they tend to each specialise in niche areas.Alternative social media sitesAs many websites and online services are banned or severely restricted, Chinese companies have filled the vacuum.Many of the home-grown alternatives have made significant investments in digital learning platforms themselves:RenRen - Facebook-style social network with a big stake in elearningBaidu - Search engine equivalent to Google which has been investing in online learning companies since 2012Sina Weibo - Twitter-like social media platformTongxue - An innovative elearning market place run by TaoBao, which is owned by online retailer Alibaba. Learners can purchase access to courses in an eBay style auctionQZone - China’s largest social network by number of members with over 600 millionOne notable exception is LinkedIn, which is available in China and is often used for building relationships with Western companies and individuals. There’s a lack of Chinese specific content on the LinkedIn platform so internal networking is usually carried out elsewhere.Whether you’re planning on rolling out existing material or creating something new, we’d recommend using a provider with experience in translation and localisation.To find out more about the multinational companies we’ve worked with to produce absorbing elearning that crosses borders, get in touch. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post Localising elearning for China appeared first on Sponge UK.

A live webinar will explore the benefits of using interactive video as part of a workplace learning strategy.Award-winning elearning provider, Sponge UK will outline how interactive video can be used to create highly engaging content that puts learners in control.Research suggests that 98% of organisations will be using some form of video as part of their digital learning strategy in 2016 with interactive video emerging as a growing trend.Louise Pasterfield, Managing Director at Sponge UK will be hosting the webinar, which is aimed at L&D professionals new to interactive video and those just beginning to use it.She said: "Interactive video was once the domain of big budget advertising and entertainment but advances in technology have made it an affordable innovation for learning. I’ll be answering all the key questions about interactive video and how to integrate it into workplace learning programmes using popular elearning authoring tools. As always, I’ll be sharing what I have learned about working with large organisations on interactive video projects and showing you a real life example created for Royal Mail."The 30 minute session will cover:The difference between interactive video and regular video contentThe types of interactive video availableThe benefits of interactive video for learningWhen to use interactive videoInteractive video and gamesInteractive video technologiesA real life example about how Royal Mail is using interactive videoThe webinar called How to put your learners in control with interactive video takes place on Thursday, March 17, 2016 between 12:30 - 13:00 (GMT).Registration is free and available via http://bit.ly/interactivevideowebinarSponge UK is the current gold winner of the Elearning Award’s Outstanding Learning Organisation of the Year. The post Webinar on learning benefits of interactive video appeared first on Sponge UK.

Dave Buglass, Head of Capability and Development at Tesco Bank is the guest for this episode of the Sponge UK podcast, recorded at the Learning Technologies 2016 conference. Dave was Learning and Development Professional of the year and Chief Learning Officer of the year in 2014, he’s got more than 20 years experience in L&D and shares his thoughts on what’s changed over that time and what needs to change in order for the L&D function to become more effective in the future. Read excerpts of this interview in our accompanying blog post. 00:40 - What’s changed in L&D over the 20 years you’ve been doing this? 01:33 - What do you think is holding L&D back from the point where the learner is the centre of everything? 02:53 - On a practical level how do you do that? 03:52 - What part should the L&D vendors be playing? 05:02 - You did the foreward for the most recent Towards Maturity report "Embracing Change" Is 2016 going to be the year of change? Ways to listen to the Sponge UK elearning podcastThe full interview is available to listen to using the player above, you can stream the audio directly to your computer or mobile device.Download the mp3 file using this direct link: SpongeUKPodcastEpisode002-DaveBuglass.mp3 (06:58, 2.4MB)Subscribe to the Sponge UK elearning podcast to get the latest episodes automatically. Subscribe in iTunes Subscribe using the RSS feed Join us in two weeks for the next episode of the Sponge UK elearning podcast.The post Dave Buglass - Sponge UK Elearning Podcast appeared first on Sponge UK.

A free elearning programme is being launched to help health and social care workers broaden their knowledge of cancer care in the community.The Royal Marsden School, which has a national and international reputation for excellence in cancer education, commissioned elearning provider Sponge UK to create the new healthcare training. The elearning course is made up of four modules on cancer prevention and screening, diagnosis and staging, treatments and living with and beyond cancer.The training includes personalisation features to help professionals tailor the training to their specific needs and experience.Louise Pasterfield, Managing Director, Sponge UK said:"It has been a privilege to work with one of leading specialist cancer schools to create this open access elearning to support cancer care in the community and help improve the lives of cancer survivors. Using intelligent design, we have been able to create elearning that works for a broad range of professionals, with video and animation to emphasis key areas and ‘deeper dive’ resources for those who want to know more on a particular topic."The elearning is suitable for all qualified and non-qualified community-based health and social care workers, including community matrons, nursing staff, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, dieticians and support workers who meet patients with cancer.The materials have been written by clinical specialists and experts at The Royal Marsden and include real life scenarios and engaging video clips to help bring the subject matter to life.Evidence shows that many cancer patients have unmet needs particularly at the end of treatment, whilst others are struggling with consequences that could be either avoided or managed.The new elearning programme is aimed at helping plug the gap and broaden education and support for community health and social care workers who work with cancer patients.Cancer in the Community is available on the e-Learning for Healthcare website (either by open access or by enrolling), or can be downloaded by NHS organisations only from the NHS eLearning Repository.Sponge UK is one of the UK’s leading providers of custom elearning and the Elearning Award’s current gold winner of Outstanding Learning Organisation of the Year. The post Free elearning to support cancer care in the community appeared first on Sponge UK.

There’s never been more pressure to transform workplace elearning and deliver business results.But having identified the changes you want to make, it can be frustrating when it takes months rather than weeks to get a new project off the ground.Whether you work with external specialists all the time, or are using them because your in-house team is overloaded, we’ve got some tips to help you realise your goals.This five minute guide to rapid elearning is aimed at helping you get the best quality and value in the quickest possible time.So what is rapid elearning?It means different things to different people, but for the purposes of this guide it is all about getting things done swiftly to a high standard.The aim is to use smart design, processes and technology to create effective elearning content quickly.It is about being clever without compromising on the creativity.Key tips to save time (and money)Speak to learners firstStart with the people that matter most and make sure you find out what their challenges are, what is most relevant to their role and what technology suits them best.Changes will slow down the process, but by being crystal clear about the needs of your core audience the project is more likely to proceed smoothly and quickly.Woo your subject matter expertsA rapid project can succeed or fail depending on the buy-in from your subject matter experts (SMEs).To get things done quickly, you may need them to break into their busy schedules, so you need to keep them on your side.Elearning Industry has a whole guide on working with subject matter experts which includes useful ideas if you are encountering difficulties.But your SMEs are more likely to bend over backwards if they can see the value and relevance of the project. Stressing the business benefits, and the particular gains for their particular department, should help ease the process.Go microMicrolearning may suit your needs if you can distil your project down into a few key messages. It may also be more suitable for certain learners, particularly if they prefer to use mobiles, or if they generally don’t have much time to fit training into their day.A typical microlearning module will take around 5 to 10 minutes to complete, with some organisations using even shorter learning content of just a couple of minutes.It does take thought and creativity to produce effective microlearning content, so you may not save time at the design stage. But shorter content should cut down on the development time, compared to standard elearning.Do a pilotYou have a brilliant idea that could be a game-changer for your organisation.But getting a full scale project off the ground will take many months and you want to start making an impact as soon as possible.One possibility is to opt for a pilot project that you can get off the ground quickly before rolling it out more widely.A pilot also allows you to collect hard data before committing to a larger investment and identifying teething problems.Case Study: People Management magazine looks at how Royal Mail went from concept to delivery in just 12 weeks on an interactive video elearning pilot project.Prep your assetsGathering together visual assets and learning resources before launching a project will help you save time and meet deadlines.Think about what images and graphics you have available, any video footage you would like to include and whether you have supporting aids or workbooks.Factor in reviews and testingDon’t let your rapid elearning fall at the final hurdle.A sloppy approach to reviewing and testing can undermine all the progress you’ve made in getting your project ready in record time.Be clear on who will review the elearning and give people deadlines for making changes. Agree in advance how testing will be carried out and for how long. Secret weapon Finally, a good project manager is worth their weight in gold if you are trying to get your get your elearning project delivered quickly.They can help iron out hitches and keep all the various elearning balls in the air (and still have time to train for a half marathon before work!)Don’t be afraid to ask what experience your project manager has in delivering rapid projects.Here are just some of the super-talented project managers at Sponge UK.(Truth: Nyk does train for half marathons before arriving at the office.) The post The 5 minute guide to rapid elearning for busy L&D people appeared first on Sponge UK.

2.6 billion smartphones were sold worldwide in 2014-2015 and sales are still growing.The biggest growth is in emerging markets as prices of Android handsets are becoming affordable for many more people.Do you think mobile first when designing an elearning course?Most learning designers will find out what platforms need to be supported near the start of a project. Whether to prioritise multi-device will depend on the specifics of the case in hand.We’re going to think about why a mobile first, or even mobile only approach could be the best option for your next project.Why consider a mobile only approach?The key is to look at your learners and choose the best option for them.In an interview for Gamification Talk Radio, Professor Karl Kapp, learning games expert, spoke about his trip to the China ATD summit:"In China everything is mobile, and when I say mobile, in China, I mean phones, not tablets or anything else, they’re all using mobile phones."In emerging markets like China, India and Africa the mobile phone is often the primary device used for accessing online content.If your audience is in this category mobile only is a natural option, but there are also examples of mobile only learning courses targeted at a global audience.Google set out to create a learning platform to teach marketing techniques and best practices to as many people as possible:Case study: Google PrimerGoogle Primer is an app for Android and iOS that teaches you about marketing. It currently has over 100,000 downloads from the Google Play store alone.The lessons are short, five minutes on average, and are controlled by swiping cards on and off the screen and completing simple interactions linked to quizzes and assessments.It works offline by downloading the lessons to your phone. There are weekly updates with new lessons and when you connect to the internet it synchronises your progress and downloads any new content."We assembled a small team of our own marketers and challenged them to build a product they would use. The result is Primer." - Teo SoaresYou might be thinking that this process is easy given the virtually unlimited resources of Google, but in a medium post about the launch of the app Soares revealed that they had a budget of just $6,000.How can you create a mobile elearning app yourself?You have a few options for building a mobile learning application.There’s no single option that stands out as clearly the best for everyone, so your choice will depend on what expertise you have available and the unique needs of your learners.1: Native appBuilding a native application for multiple platforms is a big undertaking but it offers unique advantages. You get the best performance and the possibility of using hardware that is unique to the target device.It might seem like there’s a smaller range of devices to cater for when designing a native app. But consider the range of screen sizes and resolutions of android phones, tablets and TV set-top boxes and you’ll understand that might not be the case.If you have many learners using a single type of device, or tight control over the devices being used, then a native app makes good sense.2: Web appYou can create your course using HTML5 and deploy it as a web application. Some elearning authoring tools will also allow you to create a standalone zip file of the content which can be downloaded and run offline.A web app can be created and updated by any developer who is familiar with web standards. Once it is online it can be accessed by anyone with a modern web browser, whether on mobile or desktop.If you need to issue frequent updates to the content of your learning course then a web app will give you the fastest option.3: Hybrid appA web app wrapped inside a native app framework is known as hybrid app. A hybrid app can offer the best of both worlds, but it often takes skill and time to get the balance right.Big names like Netflix use this approach to offer hugely popular apps across a variety of platforms. Creating a really effective hybrid app requires skills in native app and web app development.Some elearning courses require native features and need to be used by a wide variety of employees with different needs. In this case, the flexibility of a web app could offer a big advantage.Do your learners need desktop support?Although mobile is on the rise, the time spent accessing the internet from a desktop has remained stable for the last two years.If your learners spend a lot of time on desktops and laptops without a mobile device handy, you need to support their needs too.Comscore report that of the UK’s 48 million internet users, only 23% access the internet solely via a desktop computer, just 5% use only a mobile or tablet but 72% use a combination of platforms.The situation in the US and other developed markets is similar, so using a responsive approach is still the best option for covering all your potential learners.Responsive designApplying responsive design principles to elearning has been many people’s preferred option for creating multi-device content for some time.But thinking mobile first is still a little way off, with many courses still being designed for desktop initially and multi-device compatibility coming second.Tools like offer a relatively simple workflow to create HTML5 based content that works equally well on mobile and desktop screens.It is a responsive, open source elearning framework which creates courses that will work on any device.Whether you’re using this kind of process already or not, it’s increasingly important to think mobile first whatever your audience is using.Why design mobile first for desktop users?The way people access the internet is changing and experts agree that the trend is going to continue.Cisco predict that global mobile data traffic will grow three times faster than desktop from 2014 to 2019ComScore reports that the number of mobile only internet users exceeds the number of desktop only users in the US.Gartner predict that by 2016 use of mobile apps will "surpass that of Internet domain names, making mobile apps the dominant means of engaging with brands."Towards Maturity says 53% of learners find location or IT is a barrier to online learning, so they are turning to mobile, with 64% finding accessing learning from a mobile device essential or very usefulThese trends all provide an insight into how your learners are going to expect to interact with content in the future.Online training will need to embrace the new ways its audience uses the internet in order to be successful. Any elearning being created today that can’t be access on a mobile device could have a limited shelf life.Next time you’re starting a new elearning project, whatever device the current audience is using, consider thinking mobile first.This post originally appeared on elearningindustry.com.Author: Alan Bourne, Head of Development, Sponge UKDiscuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post 2.6 billion reasons for thinking mobile first in elearning appeared first on Sponge UK.

Scenarios are the building blocks of great learning.  They are well established as an engaging and effective way to accelerate learners’ progress.Interactive video is becoming easier to create, but ensuring it’s a good match for your learning objectives can still a challenge.This post will show you how to give your elearning scenarios a more engaging twist by using interactive video to enhance storytelling.Benefits of stories in elearningCreating a narrative isn’t just a way to keep learners interested in completing a course, it’s also a chance to show them how a real life situation will play out before it happens.Effectively simulating a real life experience is a powerful tool for learning designers.Putting an employee into a scene from their work environment, and allowing them to experience it, helps long term retention of skills they use in that situation.Many existing elearning courses employ this technique to get the most out of traditional media like photos and regular video.But interactive video allows a higher level of realism and puts the learner in control of the story.What does interactive video bring to scenario-based elearning?Ruth Clark sets out the main elements that make up scenario-based learning in her popular book, Scenario-Based e-Learning.They can be summarised as:Clear learning objectivesRealismInductive learning environmentGuidance & additional resourcesTo be most effective, interactive video content should offer these elements of scenario-based elearning.Clear learning objectivesSetting out clear learning objectives is critical for any elearning and is part of creating learner- focused training. They should match the overall business objectives and fit into the learning and development strategy.Make sure you have a good idea of the outcomes you want from the training and can identify the ways they can be measured.RealismRealism goes hand in hand with interactive video. By using the exact environment and people who are involved in the real life situations you can effectively put the learner in their work environment.Sometimes, it’s possible to use real employees to make the interactive video training even more authentic. On other occasions, actors can help make an extraordinary situation more believable.By placing the learner at the centre of the story, you involve them in a way that isn’t possible when they’re observing someone else.  First person video is a popular way to achieve this and one of the early trendsetting examples of interactive video Choose a different ending uses this perspective.If you are creating elearning for soft skills, or you have a wide range of employees who have different roles within your organisation, you can create different points of view for each scene.Allowing a learner to see the same action from someone else’s perspective can promote empathy towards other staff, customers, or anyone else in the scene.By offering multiple character points of view you’re also able to personalise the experience by allowing learners to choose the most relevant role to them.Inductive learning environmentInductive learning environments let learners figure out the correct action based on the consequences of their choices.Giving a learner the opportunity to follow a path and find out on their own if it was correct through trial and error is one of the benefits of adding interactivity to a story.Interactive video can present the learner with different feedback based on their actions, then offer a chance to try a different approach.Guidance and additional resourcesIt’s possible to create a standalone interactive video course which contains the resources a learner needs inside the video itself.However, it’s often practical to provide the video as part of a wider solution which includes material that supports the learning objectives in another form.A successful interactive video course will result in accelerated learning, compressing the experiences of many months into one training session.It’s also possible to use sections of the course on their own for learners who want to refresh on a particular subject, creating extra resources without the need for additional content.Benefits of interactionAllowing people to make their own choices through a scenario draws them in to the situation by giving them a stake in the outcome.It’s important to keep the scenario relevant to the learners. In some cases offering an interactive element lets learners steer the situation in a way that keeps it relevant to their role.Planning the different branches of the scenario helps make sure different outcomes are reached through the appropriate routes.Branch mapping is a technique that allows instructional designers to plot the different routes through the scenario. A well designed interactive video will encourage and reward multiple views so each branch should stand alone as a scenario by itself.Example - life-saver.org.ukLifesaver uses various on screen interactions on to keep learners engaged in the story and gamified elements like timed sections and scores for good choices.The interactive video is available on desktop and as an iPad app and rewards progress with unlockable scenarios.TrackingThe example of Choose a different ending is hosted on YouTube but it can’t offer the tracking that a workplace elearning course requires.An elearning solution using appropriate tools could track the actions of a user and report them back to a Learning Management System (LMS). This allows a manager to see how individual employees perform as well as get a picture of how effective the training is in different areas.To make sure you can track learners’ routes through the video and offer appropriate support and feedback it’s possible to incorporate an interactive video into a SCORM tracking elearning authoring tool like Storyline 2.By tracking the results of learners through the branching video, areas of concern can be highlighted as well as areas where additional training might not be necessary.Once created the interactive video elearning can be taken by many staff, many times with little additional costs, representing a big cost saving over traditional training.Example - Royal MailUsing first-hand experience from front line employees, Royal Mail is using an interactive video module to help managers deal with difficult conversations.To request a full case study, email absorb@spongeuk.com.Find out how interactive video training can make a real difference in your organisation with our complimentary handbook, A Rough Guide to Interactive video. Download the guideThe post How to supercharge your elearning scenario with interactive video appeared first on Sponge UK.

Our guest for episode 3 is highly respected instructional designer and author Julie Dirksen. You’ll be hearing her views on helping learners to form good habits, how to avoid some common design mistakes and what we can all learn from video game designers. The second edition of Julie Dirksen’s book Design for how people learn is regarded as one of the best starting points for anyone new to instructional design. Here are the questions asked during the interview with their times for quick reference: 00.39 What’s changed since you wrote the first edition of the book? 05.29 What’s the most common mistake that people make when they’re designing learning experiences? 08.57 What are the neuroscience basics that learning professionals need to know? 13.07 What are the skills or knowledge that games can teach us really well? 19.24 Is there an example of video in elearning that has definitely got it right? 22.50 What are the challenges facing women working in the learning technologies industry? 29.00 What are you most excited about when you think of the future of elearning? Links to the authors and theories discussed in the interview: Daniel Willingham Will Thalheimer Gloria Gery’s Proficiency model which features in her book Electronic performance support systems. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Flow state Gamergate Trina Rimmer xAPI standards Jane Bozarth, and her book Show your work Kirkpatrick model Brinkerhoff success case model Ways to listen to the Sponge UK elearning podcastThe full interview is available to listen to using the player above, you can stream the audio directly to your computer or mobile device.Download the mp3 file using this direct link: SpongeUKPodcastEpisode003-JulieDirksen.mp3 (33:40, 11.5MB)Subscribe to the Sponge UK elearning podcast to get the latest episodes automatically. Subscribe in iTunes Subscribe using the RSS feed Join us in two weeks for the next episode of the Sponge UK elearning podcast.The post Julie Dirksen - Sponge UK Elearning Podcast appeared first on Sponge UK.

An interview with David Kelly of The Elearning Guild As an L&D professional, staying ahead in a changing world is a major challenge.New technologies may hold promise but evaluating them for use within your own organisation is practically a full time job in itself.Thankfully, there are people in the world like David Kelly. He’s Senior Vice President and Executive Director at The Elearning Guild . It is the oldest community of practice for the elearning industry.In this exclusive interview, he shares his tips on how to judge what will work for you in the changing technology landscape.   Why should L&D teams stay across emerging and new technologies? If you want to see how technology is going to change the way people learn, you need to follow how technology is changing the way we live. Thinking about the last ten years, technology has transformed the way we interact with data, digital information, and more importantly, it’s changed the way we interact with each other. As technology changes our expectations about how we live our daily lives, the way we learn is naturally going to evolve according to that. As the people who support the learning and development of others, we need to be aware of the shifting ways in which technology is enabling us to interact in the world because that’s going to enable us to be better positioned to build learning programs and learning environments through which people can learn for themselves.  How do you judge which new technology has potential and which does not?  It’s an interesting question and like a lot of really good questions the answers is that it depends. The reason that I say it depends is because as an industry one of the mistakes we make is to look for the silver bullet, the one thing that can be applied across the board. But there just isn’t one, and as much as technology advances rapidly, I don’t see one existing in the near future. Why? Because every organisation is different and unique in terms of culture and maturity, and what is right for one may be wrong for another. So it’s important for us to understand these technologies, not so we can use them, but so we can apply them to the context of our organisations to decide whether or not they’re appropriate for us.  What have you seen that you think might have the potential to disrupt the learning landscape? Again, I look at the learning landscape as a trickle down from the consumer landscape. So I’m still incredibly excited about mobile. Even though it’s normal for us to walk around with these smartphones, these mini-computers, in our pockets, I still think we’re in the infancy of tapping into their potential for learning. A lot of us use these devices naturally as tools for our own personal learning, but we don’t think of them as an educational platform in the same way. A lot of what we have seen in the mobile space in the majority of our industry is around, how can we do what we already do on these devices? I think that’s the wrong question. I think a better question is how does this new technology change what we do? What excites me most in the mobile space is what we’re just starting to see organisations tap into, which is the unique aspects of these devices. What are the things these devices are enabling us to do that we’ve never been able to do before?  We’re just starting to see organisations tap into things like GPS and recording on a camera, and use them to build learning programs and learning environments like never before. So mobile is probably the biggest technology change we’re seeing at the moment. There are some other far-reaching technologies that we’re a couple of years away from. I think that the growing focus on performance support is something that is going to be transformative; the ability to get people the support that they need without needing to stop them from working so that they can learn. I think there’s a growing interest in interactive video.  The bar to participating in a video conversation from a learning standpoint has been lowered tremendously, and now we’re starting to see a lot more opportunities to make that video more engaging and more interactive for people. I think that’s going to be a huge thing for us as we go forward.  Other areas that could have applications for learning, but are a little bit further out are wearable tech, virtual reality and augmented reality. I think we’re going to start seeing some early adoptions for organisations but I think we’re still a way out from them becoming a mainstream part of our training. I think it is still something we should follow because what’s going on in the consumer space is going to shape the types of experiences that people expect from learning. Are there any red herrings that people have seized upon but you think might not lead anywhere worthwhile in learning? There are always red herrings and they are much easier to spot in hindsight. One of the things I find interesting is that a red herring is not always the red herring that it appears to be.  Take something exciting like Google Glass. About two years ago, I was at a conference talking about the potential of Google Glass and a year later, it was killed off by Google, or at least the consumer edition of the enterprise program was killed.  A lot of people said it was a failure, but I don’t consider Google Glass to be a failure. I think it was one of the most successful experiments ever done in this space because it gave us an idea of what works, what doesn’t and how wearable technology has cultural implications. The project still exists today, just in a different form, and it is still out there, percolating and finding its niche. For me, the red flag is when I hear something discussed in the context of, this is going to replace what we do, or traditional training is dead and will be replaced by this. All these new technologies give us the opportunity to do things we’ve never been able to do before, which is really exciting, but at the same time they are doing nothing more than adding another tool to our belt. And the more tools we have in our in our toolkit, the more we’ll be able to apply those tools contextually in ways that provide the best possible solution. So I wouldn’t say that there’s any one technology that is a red herring over anything else, it’s just a case of over promising and under delivering. How can L&D professionals stay ahead of the curve when so much is changing? It’s a rapidly evolving landscape and staying ahead is a challenge. There are a couple of things, as learning professionals, we need to be doing. One is that we need to plug in, find where the conversations are taking place. That is not just something as literal as attending a conference, but social media has enabled us to participate in conversations wherever, whenever we want.  So find those conversations because they can give you an idea of what is possible. Then, I would take it a step further and say it’s not only a matter of plugging in and listening, but also joining in. If I’m not participating I’m lacking the most critical component of the conversation which is adding my own context, asking questions and trying to understand what other people are doing and where it may, or may not, fit into my organisation. The other piece that I think is critical is to just play. Look at new technologies with more of a childlike curiosity to see what it can do. Every time a shiny new thing comes out I always will try to spend a couple of hours seeing what it can do. A lot of the time as learning professionals, we start with a new project and we say this something we’ve never encountered before let’s find a solution or a technology. But what’s better is when a new problem comes up you are immediately able to connect it contextually with something that you experienced. Even if it’s not ultimately the solution, the exposure helps build this larger context around not just what we do now, but what we could be doing. To find out more about David Kelly and follow his blog visit www.davidkelly.me The post How L&D can stay ahead of the technology curve appeared first on Sponge UK.

News Release The impact of gamification and games in workplace learning will take centre stage in a social media event this April.Now in its second year, #GameWeek brings together academics, L&D professionals and learning designers to explore the issues around the effective use of game-based learning.The event will feature a Google Hangout discussion with leading gamification expert, Professor Karl M. Kapp, Senior Manager for Learning Solutions at Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) Group, Emma Barrow and Game Developer at Sponge UK, Jason Butler.The panel will be talking about topics including getting gamification right, learner attitudes to gamification, game design and achieving business results with learning games. They will also be answering questions from the audience.The #GameWeek Hangout takes place on Thursday, April 14 from 1230 to 1300 BST on Google+ via https://plus.google.com/events/cl2mhvlmk5468cn41b7tsaip1kg or on YouTube via http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9cGLDDTU28.Award-winning elearning provider, Sponge UK is hosting #GameWeek.The company’s Managing Director, Louise Pasterfield, said: "Games are becoming part of the fabric of modern learning design and increasingly being used at a tool to help improve workplace skills and performance. #GameWeek is an opportunity to ask the big questions about games in learning and share a wide range of resources and examples to help inform thinking about this growing area of learning technology."A range of blogs, resources infographics and interviews will be released during #GameWeek. A live poll will run throughout the event to gauge the current use of gamification and games in learning programmes.#GameWeek takes place from April 11 to 17 via Sponge UK’s social media channels.Anyone who would like to put a question to the #GameWeek Hangout panel should email communications@spongeuk.comThe post #GameWeek returns with Hangout on learning games appeared first on Sponge UK.