Many businesses struggle to provide their customers with useful, easy to consume information about how to use their products and services. Standard documentation such as user guides and online manuals can be a good place to start, but most of these lack the interactive and visual elements that would give a more complete understanding to customers. Instead, they contact your business for direct assistance, consuming company resources in the process. You can offer your customers an alternative source of information that will free them from confusing product manuals and improve your bottom line in the process. eLearning modules can provide an easy solution to your customer product training issues. Of course, when most business professionals think about eLearning services, they think about their employee training needs. eLearning services can do so much more. Professional training modules can also be an excellent customer relationship tool for your business. Benefits Many products and services can be challenging for new customers to use and, in failing to use them effectively, they’ll be dissatisfied. Using eLearning modules, you can ensure the ease of use and effectiveness of your products and services by giving customers a thorough understanding of them. This will enhance their experience with your products and services, strengthening your relationship with them. The trick is to provide teaching tools customers want to use and that are clear and easy to understand. Take a quick look at some of the benefits you could see from using eLearning modules to educate your customers: Improved use of your products and services Fewer inquiries made to customer service and troubleshooting departments Easier learning curve for customers Quicker buy-in for customers adopting your products and services Enhanced outcomes for your customers Enriched perception of the value of your products and services Better brand loyalty Increased sales of your additional product and service offerings Risks An ineffective eLearning module, like an ineffective product or service, is going to do more harm to your business than good. It is important that the designer of your eLearning modules understands your products and services and the specific goals of your training. Getting a person with the right skill set to effectively impart the lessons in a clear, concise, easy to follow way is critical. Some examples of what can make an eLearning module ineffective include: Taking too long to view in one sitting Teaching irrelevant material An unprofessional appearance causing it to lack credibility Introducing topics prematurely or in an illogical order causing confusing Poorly labeling them making it hard to find specific information customers are looking for Hosting them on sites that provide poor viewing quality Making It Work If you want to improve your customers’ experience of your products and services, and enhance their relationship with your business by providing eLearning modules, you’re going to need the help of an experienced instructional designer. By relying on someone versed in the nuances of adult learning to provide these services, you can maximize the benefits of an effective eLearning system and minimize the risk of creating a failed module. By combining the expertise of learning and development specialists with the capabilities of your in-house marketing and production teams, you can ensure your customers have a great experience that builds your brand for many purchases to come. The post Train Your Customers Using eLearning Modules appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

Malcolm S. Knowles (1913-1997) was the most prominent expert on adult education in the United States during the second half of the 20th century. During the 1950s, he was Executive Director of the Adult Education Association of the United States and a champion of adult self-directed learning. A pioneer in adult education Malcolm Knowles wrote the first major accounts of the history of adult education, but his greatest contribution was to the concept that adults do not need to be taught; they just need help in learning. The technical term is andragogy. The concept of andragogy Andragogy relies on the assumption that adults take responsibility for their own decisions and that any adult learning program has to accommodate the following principles: Adults eventually evolve from a self-concept of dependency on others to independence, and that concept carries over into learning. As adults mature, they accumulate a reservoir of experience, which evolves into an ever-growing learning resource. Adult learners connect the dots between new concepts and their past. The more relevant the new concept to past experiences, the quicker the adult learner absorbs the learning. Adults are more ready to learn because the mastery of new tasks contributes to their social roles, occupational advancement and self-esteem. The adult orientation to learning involves a change in perspective. Younger learners accept the notion that what they learn now will or might be useful at some time in the future. Adults view learning as a tool to solve some problem or achieve some immediate goal. Adult learning motivation is largely internal. Adults do not require external motivators or the pressures experienced by younger learners. Its applicability to online learners Malcolm Knowles passed on before he could see his concepts and teaching applied to online adult learners, but his principles remain intact, despite-or perhaps because of-the explosive growth of the Internet as a learning platform. The heart of the matter Adult students, either in a live or virtual learning environment, have a crucial requirement: the subject matter must be immediately relevant to their job or personal life. Again, the adult approach to learning is that of problem solving. The subject matter is less important than the process. The instructor’s new role Pedagogy relies more on lecture and a dominant role of the authoritarian teacher. Andragogy makes a totally different assumption: Adults have a strong desire to know why they need to learn something. When dealing with adult learners, the instructor has to let go of the authoritarian, grader role and be a facilitator and resource. Either in person or online, the instructor must, according to one westga.edu piece: "…encourage a continual stream of dialogue concerning the subject matter…’where meaning is created in relation to students’ prior experience and knowledge.’" Taking adult online learning to the workplace Applying the five principles of andragogy, eLearning and instructional design implies a deeper respect for the adult learner. Adult learners are ideal subjects for online learning and actually learn better when: The online experience allows the adult to learn at a comfortable pace and promotes a feeling of independence and empowerment. The learning platform design is similar to the familiar user interface of the learner’s previous online experiences. The instructional design is customized to their professional niche and is seen as relevant to improving their job performance. The eLearning involves an immediate relevance to the adult learner in terms of job status and qualifications. The instruction employs positive feedback as the learner progresses. The bottom line is that adults not only make better learners because of their experience and motivation, but they also make better online learners. They make better online learners because eLearning relies less on an instructor and more on what Malcolm Knowles knew back in the 1950s about adult self-direction and motivation. The post 5 Ways Adults Learn Better Online appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

With today’s competitive environment, it’s important for employers to go the extra mile in retaining employees. That means a concerted effort in enhancing training and development must be a top priority. Paying for training can add a significant amount of money to the bottom line, yet it is a worthwhile investment. It makes employees feel valued and appreciated, and more likely to remain with their employers. Companies that offer training and development opportunities save an average of $94,444.47 by avoiding turnover. The more technical the position, the more it costs to replace employees, sometimes averaging over $125,000. Training and Development Trends Developing an in-house training program could help. In-house programs not only provide a platform where more employees can be trained at one time, but also assists in keeping schedules flexible and on a consistent rotating basis. According to Training Folks, there are a few trends employers should be aware of: 1. The Shift to Corporate Training Programs is High In a culture of increasing workload with less capital, investing in corporate training is at an all-time high. 2. Enhanced Training Techniques Companies are hiring consultants that can develop techniques that are effective and efficient. This includes eLearning platforms, understanding learning styles and employing digital training modules that will adapt to all employees. 3. A Focus on Individual Goals Although employees become more marketable when acquiring specialized training, companies have placed an emphasis on providing training that will align with the employee’s personal goals. This adds value and increases employee loyalty. 4. Implementation of Advanced Technological Methods Self-directed study and corporate training through eLearning and computer-enhanced modules are prevalent and give the employee autonomy on how and when they learn. This gives employees an incentive to move at their own pace, knowing that they hold a high level of responsibility in their success. 5. Gaming Is Appealing Corporate training developers have embraced the prevalence of gaming techniques in a young and savvy workforce, which enhances learning while keeping the overall scope fun and engaging. Students enjoy the thrill of competition and moving through different levels to show their proficiency. Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) have also taken center stage, with employees taking the initiative to get their own training and present it to the corporation. There are a number of companies that have embraced this concept and developed their own set of MOOCs for their employees, which has worked for a variety of trainings including new hire orientation and safety procedures. A Future Workplace survey indicated corporate entities saw a valued opportunity to integrate MOOCs into their corporate learning environment. How Can MOOCs Help a Corporate Environment? Synchronized learning MOOCs allow a group of individuals to go through a module together for motivation. This group will participate in lectures, exams, readings and discussions and work at the same pace for collaboration. Design MOOCs employ a "flipped classroom" environment where course materials are introduced prior to a class, which includes videos, readings and other elements of the upcoming assignment. Students are then directed to show their proficiency and understanding of the material during their training. Overall, having a corporate training program is a must in today’s work environment. Employees appreciate when a company gives them a reason to improve themselves. This usually propels an employee to work harder to move up the corporate ladder and lend their new expertise to the company. The bottom line: corporate learning programs are a good investment into employee retention. The post Increasing the Value of Corporate Learning appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

As training and eLearning modules become more prevalent and the learning spectrum evolves, new platforms and strategies for implementation have become a high priority. Learning and development needs vary with every student, and keeping up with a climate of "on-demand" instructional design can be difficult. One of the newest ways that is gaining steam in the eLearning environment is storytelling. This concept has worked well on a multi-level platform and can be adapted for any skill and comprehension level. Storytelling as an eLearning strategy can be used in a variety of ways: through on-screen dialogue or pictures, an on-screen teacher, or through a video of sorts where there are actors demonstrating what is happening. Why storytelling in eLearning? In every story, there are characters, a problem, actions and consequences, a situation that is resolved or a lesson to be learned and an ending. In training, these elements are crucial to the success of the participants. This platform can be very effective for corporations who need to demonstrate to employees how to perform certain tasks. Modules can be developed to demonstrate how to operate equipment, what can be deemed as sexual harassment, or proper business etiquette for the office. For employees who need to understand OSHA regulations, having an effective storytelling eLearning module is key. A great advantage of this platform is that it can be seen by a number of individuals or one at a time. For trainers, this is an additional form of engagement for participation. Used in a blended learning scenario, storytelling can be an invaluable resource which is suitable for interactive learning. This process can allow students and employees to work collaboratively, using their intuition to enhance the eLearning module by finishing or retelling the story as a means of testing their knowledge-base after the initial introduction to the module. What are the benefits of storytelling with an e-Learning platform? The immediate benefits of using storytelling are impactful: Emotional connections form when stories are told. Based on the content, the participants become more engaged. Stories help students learn. There are many individuals who can only comprehend by understanding the context of something. This is where storytelling really shines. By using storytelling as a basis, participants can recall elements of the story and apply it faster than if given random facts. Storytelling promotes interactivity. With an eLearning course, there is no limit to how the content can be presented. It can be clever and professional or humorous and witty, each tone giving the content a new spin. When modules are fun and engaging, students enjoy them and retain more than when listening to a dull, monotonous instructor. The brain gets exercise. In storytelling, participants must pay attention to get the full picture. They are more likely to be absorbed by a story from beginning to end so there is less of a chance of them missing any key elements. One of the key factors in ensuring a successful eLearning experience through storytelling is in the development. It is important to employ techniques that have proven to be successful. The content must flow and remain interesting. If using characters with narration, the tone must be smooth and on-time. Make sure there are pauses where the participants have a chance to ponder certain situations or write down questions. Running through information without taking the audience into account will have negative results. Modules that have already been developed with bullet points can easily be adapted to storytelling eLearning modules. Using photo collages, comic book style scripts and pictures, and other interactive materials will make any situation one than can be easily comprehended and fun. It’s all in the goal you are trying to achieve. Carefully plan and assess the points you are trying to convey and have fun! Your audience is waiting. The post Storytelling: A Creative Strategy for eLearning appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you’re a project manager, or about to begin a project with a team, we have some data that might scare you. While statistics vary across industries, the general consensus is that the number of projects that fail is too high. One study found that 17% of large-scale IT projects failed so spectacularly that they nearly brought the entire company to ruin. Of those projects that did consider themselves a success, 45% went over budget and delivered 56% less value than predicted. (Kind of makes you wonder about their definition of the word "success.") Scared yet? You should be. But what do you do? After all, you don’t want to be a manager who looks back on a failed project and asks, "How did this happen?" Swap hindsight for foresight. When you meet with your team for the first time, instead of asking, "What are our steps toward success?", turn this question around. Look your team in the eyes and ask: "What will make this project fail?" What causes project failure? Identifying from the start the potential obstacles and gaps that will send your project off-course and over-budget can save you time, energy, and valuable resources. Author Tom Kendrick distilled over 35 years of project-management experience and identified the three most common reasons for project failure: 1. An impossible deliverable. Example: End world hunger by the end of this quarter. 2. Unrealistic constraints and/or lack of resources. Example: Design a new operating system for the company in one week, with two team members and a budget of $100. 3. A lack of direction or guidance to understand the project. Poor management is the leading cause of project failure, according to Kendrick, and while the first two items on the list can be resolved by changing the parameters of the project, the last item—arguably the most important—requires a change in the way leadership is managed. How can your team guarantee success? One of the best ways to lead a team to success is to spot failure before it begins to take root. "For a given project, you can never know the precise outcome in advance, but through review of data from earlier work and project planning…you can better understand the odds and take action to improve them," explains Kendrick in his book Identifying and Managing Project Risk. If you reverse the three reasons for failure above, you can see that there are three things that projects need in order to succeed: 1. Reasonable expectations 2. Appropriate and sufficient resources 3. Clear guidance and leadership Take the time to ensure that these three factors are present before you begin by asking your team to reflect on and discuss the following questions, which address the potentials for both success and failure: Is this project feasible? Do we have the resources we need, including team members with appropriate areas of expertise, time for complete execution, and financial support to undertake the project? Does everyone on the team understand the core objectives of the project? Does everyone agree on common goals for the project? Does everyone understand his or her role, and the relationship of the various roles on the team? In another book, Rescue the Problem Project, Kendrick is quick to assure that careful self-management can prevent your project from becoming another statistic: it is in your hands. "Projects do not self-destruct," he says. "They need help. The people on and around the project provide that assistance." The post Why Will My Project Fail? appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

When forming a team for an organizational project, there are two ways to go about finding the right people for you: A. Gathering like-minded people who are likely to agree and collaborate smoothly B. Composing a group made up of different types of personalities, work processes, and strengths Which would you choose? While A is a tempting route because of the high probability of interpersonal synergy (after all, a team whose members get along makes everyone happy!), it’s actually choice B that will lead to more innovative, robust outcomes. Why? Because diversity equals success. According to The American Society for Mechanical Engineers, "Teams do better when they are composed of people with the widest possible range of personalities, even though it takes longer for such psychologically diverse teams to achieve good cooperation." Who should you pick for your team? The organizational process of any team project is shaped kind of like a funnel: it begins with a broad idea and is honed down into specific strategies for execution. So you need people on your team who can deliver success at each of these stages. Here are the four players you need: The Dreamer Strengths: The dreamer isn’t afraid to throw ideas out there, no matter how grand or unexpected. Dreamers don’t waste time with doubt—they have vision, and their willingness and enthusiasm to say YES to ideas that pop up produce innovations that many others would never have come up with. Weaknesses: Developing the nuts-and-bolts strategy for implementation isn’t always a dreamer’s strong point (but keep in mind their imagination and ability to think broadly can also come in handy later in the timeline, when they foresee possible failures that others haven’t thought of). How to recognize a dreamer: The dreamer is full of energy and starts sentences with, "Now, stay with me for a minute, but…" and "What if we tried this…" The Detail-oriented Realist Strengths: The detail-oriented realist picks up where the dreamer leaves off: by taking up ideas and scrutinizing them, holding them up to the light and asking, "Is this possible?" This person loves to create a detailed analysis of the steps that will need to be taken to achieve the big dream. Weaknesses: Because the realist is so dedicated to mapping out a firm plan, he or she may be hesitant to adapt to a new strategy in the event of unplanned circumstances. How to recognize a realist: They’re the ones scribbling down notes and drawing charts on their notepads during meetings, and they ask questions like, "What’s the timeline for this?" The Writer Strengths: Writers know how to finesse—how to take an idea and give it a voice. They are crucial on any team because they’re the ones who will be able to generate communications, draft white papers, and distill complicated projects into major bullet points. Weaknesses: Writers are more likely to be introverted, so they won’t always participate as fully in meetings—especially if they see their role as a scribe, rather than a generator of ideas. How to recognize a writer: His or her emails are always clear, concise, and grammatically sound. The Marketing Guru Strengths: Once an idea is generated, organized, and expressed, it needs to be disseminated. Marketing gurus are the ones who know how to take care of this part—their extroverted nature and keen sense of social and professional networks gives them a sharp eye for conveying messages in a way that an audience needs to hear. Weaknesses: Because the marketing guru is always thinking about how to sell an idea, he or she may have a tendency to embellish details or only highlight aspects of a plan that are more appealing to an audience. How to recognize a marketing guru: His or her Twitter account has a thousand followers, and he says things like, "How will we brand this idea?" *** It bears mentioning that not everyone fits into these cookie-cutter personality types neatly, and some people have skills in multiple areas. These are simply guides for the main skills that are useful to have while developing a project. The key message is that a diverse skill set, rather than a team comprised of like-minded thinkers, is the foundation of a successful project. The post The Four People You Need on Your Team appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

Roberta arrives at her workplace on time each morning, with an air of fresh energy. She says hello warmly to her colleagues before sitting down at her desk and beginning work. Before long, she is absorbed in her tasks, yet her energy never dissipates. After lunch, she attends a meeting, where she asks questions and writes down action items for follow-up. A coworker catches her in the hallway to ask a question, and she listens intently before replying. Roberta is an example of someone who is fully engaged in her work. When she’s in the office, she is fully present and interested in the work she is doing—without feeling distractions, burnout, or a sense of wanting to "check out." If Roberta sounds like an anomaly, that’s because she unfortunately is. Gallup research shows that a meager 13% of employees worldwide exhibit this kind of energy and interest in their work. That’s not good news, because employee engagement is a crucial ingredient in the success of any organization—and not just for its "feel-good" effect. Research has shown that companies with high employee engagement boast twice the annual net income of companies whose employees are disengaged at work. How can my organization boost employee engagement? The same Gallup research found that the 87% of employees who describe themselves as not engaged or actively disengaged are unhappy in the office, unproductive, and likely to spread negative attitudes to coworkers. This phenomenon of disengagement can’t completely be chalked up to people finding themselves in the wrong career or distractions caused by in-office internet use (although those are two possible contributors to disengagement). Actually, employee engagement is directly related to the work environment, which is cultivated by those in leadership. "A critical element in building confidence, motivating performance, and increasing employee engagement is having people at the top who inspire belief in the organization’s future," suggests a 2010 research article. Here are five things leaders can do to create an environment of employee engagement: Create relationships, not hierarchies. Engaged employees are those who report having friends at work. Strong social bonds can produce some amazing results, including better performance, higher confidence, and an ability to get along well with team members. Encourage employees to create friendly relationships with one another and work to minimize conflict and competition when you spot it. Know (and use) each employee’s strengths. Using personal strengths to achieve goals is a hallmark of employee engagement. Likewise, struggling against the current of your own abilities can cause frustration, burnout, and disengagement. According to Senior Gallup researcher Tom Rath, Practice mindful leadership. If picturing yourself meditating at work makes you break out in a sweat, relax—mindful leadership isn’t about adopting a spiritual practice. It’s actually just about paying more attention.The Institute for Mindful Leadership describes it as the ability to "be focused, see with clarity, cultivate creativity and embody compassion." It requires a full and nonjudgmental presence to your work and team members, who notice that presence and respond with engagement. Invest in employee well-being. Research shows that high employee well-being leads to high employee engagement. Healthy employees have more energy, are less stressed, and have fewer distractions. Leaders should encourage their team to take breaks, get outside, foster positive attitudes, and manage stress in a healthy way. The bonus is that engagement at work boosts well-being, creating a nice feedback loop of positive reinforcement. Engage yourself. Surveys show that only 35% of managers feel engaged at work, and there’s good evidence to show that the trickle-down effect can lead to damaged employee engagement. Boost your own engagement in simple ways by connecting with (and smiling at!) your team members, seeking out ways to challenge yourself, and remembering how your efforts are linked to company success. The post 5 Ways to Boost Employee Engagement appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

What can history teach us about being better project managers in today’s workplace? An article published in the International Journal of Project Management earlier this year took on the task of combing through fifty years of project management (PM) research to answer this very question. Because PM research is often organized in silos—with practitioners sticking to their own fields—there has been a need for a more holistic perspective on the practice of PM itself. So the authors of "Emergent trends and passing fads in project management research: A scientometric analysis of changes in the field" mapped out data to identify key trends that have emerged and faded in the last five decades. A brief history of project management research By tracking keyword burst frequency in the research, the authors developed the following timeline: What can we glean from this brief history? Overall, the movement in the last half-century has telescoped from industry-specific issues to a broader, more organizational view. What this means for today’s project managers It all boils down to this: if you want to succeed in project management today, your skills have to be sharp and diverse. With so many people undergoing rigorous training for PM certification and conducting research in the field, project managers are held to a higher standard now than ever before. What’s more, interpersonal skills and systems thinking (taking a broader view of organizational change) are now seen as the most critical tools to have. If PM research is now leaning more toward an organizational perspective, it behooves all project managers to become familiar with organizational thinking. Gone are the days when project management was limited to a temporary practice put into place to accomplish a concrete goal, like establishing a contact or calculating costs. Today’s leading managers are thinking more broadly, working with larger and more diverse teams, and trying to effect systemic change. Two key skills for project management in 2015 Be responsive to change, rather than sticking to a plan. This is also a key principle involved in the development of Agile, the collaborative software method that’s been named a top trend in project management for 2015. Responsive, rather than predictive, leaders exhibit the adaptability that is so crucial for working with large teams and big concepts. Project managers who are quick on their feet have a better chance of surviving today’s increasingly shifting, fast-moving business world. "Project management is a blend of creating and executing plans, and being flexible enough to adjust when the time comes," says Bart Gerardi, author of No Drama Project Management. Focus on interpersonal skills. The Business Analyst Times predicts that in 2015, "The intrinsic value of understanding others in order to establish meaningful relationships among team members, particularly those who are often physically distant, will be emphasized" in the field of project management. Are you as focused on listening to your team, assigning tasks based on individual strengths, and using clear communication as you are with end results? Then you’re more likely to succeed as a leader. In addition, paying attention to the field of project management itself—which is emerging as a serious area of research—can help you identify trends so you’re ahead of the curve. If the last fifty years have taught us anything, it’s that the field of PM is a dynamic area subject to exciting change. The post What Can We Learn from 50 Years of Project Management? appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

The last few years have seen a tremendous surge of interest in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Just last month, Harvard and MIT jointly published a large research study examining the trends emerging from MOOCs their universities offered in the last two years. Here is a breakdown of their key findings: Growth is steady. For the past two years, course enrollments have grown by 2,200 participants per day. Overall, there were over a million unique course participants in all courses during the timeframe of the study. Participation waxes and wanes in courses that offer repeated versions. In the second version of a course, participation typically dips about 43%, but tends to re-stabilize itself for the third version. Many of the learners are teachers who want certification. Approximately 20% of MOOC participants are teachers, and 57% of participants aim to earn a certificate from the course. (Note that aim and achievement are different: only 24% of participants who want a certificate actually earn one.) Computer Science is the most popular topic area. There are almost four times more participants in this area than in any of the others (including Engineering, History, Humanities, Government, and others). Learners are beginning to develop their own curricular pathways. User analytics reveal that there are common sequencing patterns among the Computer Science and Chinese History courses in particular. Learners who pay to "ID-Verify" their certificates are far more likely to certify. Fifty-nine percent of verified students complete a certificate, while only 5% of non-verified users do. Most of the verified students are older, more educated, and live in the United States. The findings of the study seem to indicate that while interest in free online education options is not in danger of fading, there is a growing demand for rigorous academic subjects with certification options. And the benefits of massive open online courses are plain to see: they expand educational opportunities to a limitless audience (well, at least to those who have access to an internet connection), allow students to pursue a broader range of topics, and offer an easy "opt out" process if learners realize they don’t want to pursue the course any further. One question the study does not tackle is whether MOOCs are actually effective. In fact, few researchers are willing to fully examine this question. An article in Time says that the expectations many learners have from MOOCs might far outweigh the courses’ ability to deliver. At the same time, the process is almost too casual: most MOOC participants consider the experience to be like "borrowing a book from the library and browsing it casually or returning it unread." (If you’re an instructional designer, this statement probably made your blood pressure skyrocket.) Many chalk the lack of student dedication up to the courses’ casual structure: learners don’t pay tuition, meet admissions requirements, or earn credit toward a degree. There’s also the problem of a lack of engagement: most MOOCs are designed to handle a hefty student load, offering instructor videos and readings as the main educational content and using algorithm-based scoring tools for assessments. In short, there’s no interaction between instructor and student, a relationship that can be a major motivator in learning. But others say that the MOOC format doesn’t actually stray that far from traditional university courses, where professors deliver lectures to large auditoriums and anonymous TAs score exams. One study (also done by researchers at Harvard and MIT), which looked specifically at one Introductory Physics MOOC, claims that students who participated in the online version did just as well academically as those who completed an on-campus version. What do you think: Are MOOCs an effective mode of instruction, or are they a passing fad? The post MOOCs: Effective Instruction or Pedagogical Disaster? appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

Let’s say you want to teach someone to drive a car. You, as the instructional designer of Driver’s Ed, might choose to assign a hefty textbook—perhaps the manual to the car—as well as a pamphlet about traffic laws. You may quiz your student on the contents of the reading material and find that he can answer all the questions correctly. So you give him an A, and hand him a set of keys. But when he gets into the car, he is dumbfounded. After all, he has never put keys in an ignition before. Perhaps a better model would be to have the student get in the car from the beginning, to have him practice driving in a quiet neighborhood, shifting gears and parallel parking on an empty street. The student becomes able to coordinate his muscle memory with concepts he’s learned from the text: this is how you steer, this is how long it takes to check your blind spot. Because it offers the learner hands-on experience, the second method is called experiential learning, and many say it’s the best way to deliver new concepts effectively. It’s not just driving where experiential learning can help: many on-the-job skills, such as conflict management, customer service, and medical practice have to be practiced in order to be perfected. A four-part model Educational theorist David A. Kolb developed the following four-part model of the experiential learning process: For example, in the scenario above, the student applied his brakes at a stop sign (DO). Upon reflection (and a slight case of whiplash), he realized that he pressed the brakes too hard (OBSERVE). So he thought about what he might be able to do differently next time (THINK), and at the next sign, he applied less pressure and came to a smooth stop (PLAN). The new driver’s ability to make a gentle and effective stop is now a fully engrained experience in his mind—on its way to being an automatic habit. Experiential eLearning One question you may be asking yourself is: how can experiential learning translate to the eLearning environment? One example is case-based scenarios that offer learners a chance to make decisions and see the results. Many health-care training opportunities offer such tools, allowing learners to try out different responses to virtual patients’ questions and make clinical diagnostic decisions in a safe and risk-free environment. Here are some tips for creating opportunities to enact all four of Kolb’s stages of experiential learning in your online course or training: Do Have learners watch a video and make a decision via an interactive tool. Examples might include selecting responses to offer an angry customer or deciding how to handle an on-the-job emergency (such as choosing a fire-escape route). Since experiential learning is about enabling learners to enjoy the "beginner’s mind" experience of trying something for the first time, you may not want to offer them context before they undergo the experience. Skip the explanatory text and throw them right in the driver’s seat. Observe Offer learners an open-ended reflective question about what happened. (Questions like, "What happened? What effects did you notice?" work best). These questions make excellent fodder for discussion in online forums, synchronous "chat" sessions, and independent essay responses. (These are what questions.) Think Design questions that give students the opportunity to analyze the situation. Targeted questions like "Why do you think this happened?" and "How could you have done things differently?" allow learners to begin to develop a conceptual model for what they’ve just observed. (These are how and why questions.) Experiment Do the initial activity again, so that learners have a chance to make a new choice based on what they have just observed (e.g., selecting a different response to the angry customer). Having the learner immediately implement what he or she just learned through doing, observing, and reflecting can complete the cycle of experiential learning. The post Experiential Learning Theory: Learning by Doing appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

When we talk about organizational transitions, we are often talking about the large scale—structural reorganization, mergers, new leadership, or going public. But smaller, ongoing transitions have a profound impact on the wellbeing of the overall company. One of the most important of these smaller transitions is onboarding new employees. The objective of onboarding is to introduce the culture of this particular organization to a new employee in order to create a seamless transition. Effective onboarding is an important investment because it leads to employee retention, engagement, and productivity. Employees who are not effectively onboarded are more likely to quit, creating a loss of productivity during the scramble for a replacement hire.   Onboarding Goal #1: Socialize Employees There are two standard methods for socializing new employees. Institutionalized socialization moves new employees through a series of instructor-led trainings and orientations, often with a cohort of other new hires, outside of the normal work stream. Once initiated, they are officially part of the company. One example of this is an eight-week training program customer service representatives complete before taking their own calls. An advantage of this approach is the community-building aspect—new hires have a chance to bond with one another, ask questions, and adjust to company policies from the comfort of a student’s perspective. Individualized socialization approaches allow the new employee to step right into the stream, picking up the nuances of his or her new position through interpersonal communication with colleagues, questions, and trial-and-error. Many internships follow this format, with training happening right on the job. While it depends on the company and the individual hire, some research suggests that onboarding processes are more successful when they follow an institutionalized approach, especially for post-graduate new hires and introverts who benefit from learning with a group of peers.   Onboarding Goal #2: Deliver Key Company Information The second purpose of onboarding is to introduce the employee to company policies, values, culture, and structure. Much of this is done through the institutionalized or individualized approaches described above, but there are other methods for delivering this information for both passive and active learners. For example, an online employee handbook may be voraciously read by an introverted hire, while a more socially-minded employee may get more out of an in-person Q&A with the team. Giving a realistic preview of the company, in as much detail as possible, is important during the onboarding process because it helps weed out hires who might not be the right fit. Does the company allow for employee autonomy in decision-making, or is there a hierarchy that decides? How flexible or strict are policies on dress code, remote working, and meetings? Be upfront and clear—it allows new employees to acclimate to their new environment swiftly.   Onboarding Goal #3: Increase Retention and Commitment While employee engagement is an automatic benefit of successful onboarding, there are specific goals to aim for during the process to make sure you’re creating an optimal experience for your employees. For example, setting employee goals from the start and scheduling a feedback process can establish employee engagement and motivation from the very first day. When employees have a series of goals to work for and a manager who both listens and offers feedback, they are more likely to feel committed to their work and invested in the company. Mentorship is also crucial. Partnering a new hire with a non-manager mentor, such as a "peer buddy," can help convey company values in a more informal setting and answer employee questions efficiently. Research shows that newcomers are more likely internalize the main values of their organization’s culture if they have spent time with a mentor, or attended social activities outside of work with a friendly and approachable colleague.   ** The takeaway from all of this is that the onboarding process has a much broader impact that simply easing the transition of the new employee—if done well, it can have far-reaching benefits for the health and longevity of the company. Source: Bauer, T.N., Erdogan, B. (2011). Organizational socialization: The effective onboarding of new employees. In Zedeck, S. (ed.), APA Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Vol 3: Maintaining, Expanding, and Contracting the Organization, pp. 51-64. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. The post Effective Employee Onboarding: What You Should Know appeared first on Clarity Consultants.

The eLearning Network is a not-for-profit organisation that supports and promotes elearning in the UK. Associate membership is free with different tiers of paid-for subscription available, all of which include a subscription to e.learning Age. Through its activities it brings together users and vendors and the eLN is a key contributor to the annual e.learning Age awards - our industry’s black-tie awards for the year. Why are we mentioning them? Because we’re members and lots of the people we know across the country are too. Until 2011 they had restricted their activities to seminars in London but this year, in response to member requests, they set out across the country, with Bristol their first destination outside the capital! They have a full list of events all year, with many free online seminars hosted in conjunction with ALT, the Association for Learning Technology. Can we call weelearning an unofficial chapter meeting here in Bristol? I’m sure the committee wouldn’t be offended if we did, but everyone is welcome to weelearning, eLN membership or not. (Did we mention it is free to join?)

There’s no shortage of events, conferences and seminars these days about learning and technology, so why should you give up your free time to come to weelearning..?   The idea for weelearning was born a few months back when Dan and I arranged to meet down the pub one Sunday afternoon. We didn’t know each other, we’d never met face to face, but we knew of each other thanks to the eLearning Network and Twitter. To some, especially my wife, this may seem a little odd, "you’re going out to meet some guy you met on the internet for a few drinks" "er, yes" "why" "um, we thought it might be fun to talk about what we do at work" Now one of the reasons this seemed peculiar to her was because she’s a solicitor and she works with lots of people her age, with similar interests and there’s a great social life at her firm. They’re always going out for drinks and more often than not they end up talking about work. If, like Dan and I, you are the only person who deals with learning technology in your office you tend to miss out on that sort of thing. So to make this modest dream a reality we have secured exclusive use of the downstairs area of The Bristol Ram on Park Street, Bristol. The evening will start around 7.30pm, we’ll have a couple of short talks to kick things off about 8.00pm for no more than half an hour, then we’ll just chat and have a few drinks. It’s completely free to attend and if enough of you turn up we’ll make it a regular event.

weelearning is really pleased to announce Packt Publishing is to sponsor our first event. Packt are a modern, UK-based publishing house who produce indispensable books for elearning people - developers, administrators and newbies. Packt have a strong commitment to open… Read more ›