It’s A Post PC World "When we’re talking about the post-PC world, we’re talking about a world where the PC is no longer the center of your digital world, but rather just the device. We’re talking about a world where your new device, the devices you use the most, need to be more portable, more personal, and dramatically easier to use than any PC has ever been." - Tim Cook, Apple CEO According to IT consulting firm IDC, 2011 saw "shipments" of nearly 1 billion "smart connected devices." By 2016 the number will grow to just under 2 billion. Tata Interactive Systems has been at the forefront of the mobile revolution and is currently engaged in creating cutting edge mobile learning solutions for delivery on tablets & smartphones for clients across the world. Our engagements in various countries with clients cutting across business sectors provide us with invaluable experience and unique insights in the development of mobile learning. What’s Stopping You From Adopting Mobile Learning? Most companies are still hesitant to adopt mobile learning for the sheer reason that they are not sure if mobile learning is here to stay or not. In my opinion we need to only look at the explosive sales of smart phones and tablets as compared to sales of PC's. It is clearly not a question of whether to adopt mobile learning but when. Challenge #1: Technological Challenges Up until last year flash was being used predominantly for mobile learning, on PC's and certain smartphones. HTML5 has now emerged as a strong contender for a cross platform flash solution even though it is not a designated standard by W3C yet. Challenge #2: Device Diversity Mobile learning today needs to be made compatible with iOS, Android & Windows operating systems running on a plethora of devices. HTML5 has been widely adopted and is supported by most of these devices. Challenge #3: Legacy Content Conversion A lot of companies are currently sitting on hundreds of hours of existing learning content and want to port this to mobile devices.  As part of this conversion there are several cost implications to be considered. Maintenance and hardware costs - if mobile devices need to be supplied to the workforce - may be daunting. Also creating multiple variations of the same learning course to run on different gadgets will multiply the cost. Challenge #4: Design - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle It is important to understand that the instructional design for legacy learning programs may not be optimized for mobile platforms & smartphone delivery. Creating learning for delivery via smartphones will also throw up several user interface design challenges and it will be important to bear in mind the following points: Becoming conscious of screen real estate and as a result focusing on the most critical navigation elements on screen Designing learning in smaller chunks allowing users to jump in and out as required Getting rid of frills and the tendency to add things just to fill up space Designing one or two column layouts to become more adaptable to different screen sizes Using less animation unless absolutely necessary to aid learning Making visuals more sleek and minimalistic Including additional links to allow for social interaction Adopting infographics to say more with less Maximising the use of gestures like swipe, pinch zoom and seamless scrolls Gamifying navigation when content lends itself to it So What’s The Best Solution? I have spoken about how your shift to mobile learning will be influenced by the proliferation & diversity of devices, reuse of legacy learning content & cost considerations in executing a conversion. Is it possible to overcome these obstacles and turn them into opportunities to deliver learning that complements your increasingly mobile & geographically dispersed workforce? Until recently the choice of authoring tools to create HTML/HTML5 content has been limited to products like Rapid Intake, Adobe Edge, Adobe Captivate 5.5 and Claro. The big challenge so far has been that of device diversity - one version of a course would not be able to run on every mobile device & platform. The authoring tools mentioned above allow authoring & publishing courses for some devices but for other devices there has had to be a compromise in the design & development process. Our focus at the Mobile Solutions Centre of Excellence at Tata Interactive Systems has been to create a complete mobile learning ecosystem - one that can effectively resolve the challenges of device diversity, HTML5 authoring & instructional design for mobile devices. This product suite is called LEARNow™. Learning content authored in HTML5 using LEARNow™ features "Fluid Resolution" which adapts automatically to the display size of any device like Apple, Blackberry, Android OS devices etc. Platforms such as LEARNow™ seek to facilitate a fundamental shift in making mobile learning a reality while keeping adoption costs low. Nitin’s Top Tips (If you have questions or would like to discuss mobile learning with Nitin, join us on Twitter @tatainteractive or visit our YouTube Mobile Learning Channel) The first question to ask yourself is - "What should be converted?" A three-course meal for breakfast is just as inappropriate as a tub of popcorn and large soft drink for lunch. Winning candidates for conversion, both from a visual & duration perspective are: Short nuggets—created just for mobile platform or excerpted from existing courseware. Restricted to a maximum of 5 mins duration. Video and audio (remember, phones were originally just audio devices). Knowledge-checks, including those with extensive feedback to reinforce learning. Quick performance support tools. Conversion Scenarios: From the above table we can see that a conversion from PC to Tablets with the original course being in HTML is a likely candidate for conversion to mobile learning. Where Flash courses are involved, converting from PC to Tablets has a greater degree of effort on the visual design and technical design fronts. Finally converting from PC to Smartphones involves the highest degree of effort owing to the small form factors of these devices. Finally: Testing your masterpiece Don’t forget to test your masterpiece on the actual targeted device. Not just today, but on every update/upgrade of the target device/browser/platform/OS. Remember, HTML5 is still a candidate and not yet a ‘standard’ designated by the W3C. Hence perfectly working courses/nuggets do tend to break on new upgrades and might require continual monitoring and repair.  -Nitin Mistry [Nitin heads the Mobile Solutions Centre of Excellence at Tata Interactive Systems (TIS). The six ‘Centres of Excellence’ at TIS foster thought leadership and core expertise for differentiated products & service offerings. Videos from these Centres of Excellence are available on YouTube]    

TIS’s unique learning solutions have won four prestigious Brandon Hall awards this year - one Gold award in the category of ‘Best Use of Virtual Worlds for Learning’, two Silver awards in the category of ‘Best Use of Games in Learning’ and one Bronze award in the category of ‘Best Custom Content’. This is the fourth consecutive year that TIS has won the prestigious Brandon Hall Learning Excellence Awards.  The Gold award in the category of ‘Best Use of Virtual Worlds for Learning’ was for the simulation ‘The Store - Through the Associate’s Eyes’ developed for Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada. The simulation helped increase speed-to-productivity and comfort levels of new Associate Store Owners. The two Silver awards in the category of ‘Best Use of Games for Learning’ were for the Philips Outdoor Lighting Learning Game and Holland America Line Inspection Game. TIS's serious games enabled a new level of learner involvement and offered exciting training solutions for learners at Philips and Holland America Line to bridge the distance between 'I have to finish this training' and 'I want to play this game!' The Bronze award in the category of ‘Best Custom Content’ was for a solution designed for the Bahrain Institute of Public Administration (BIPA). The solution ensured effective resolution of conflicts and better customer service by BIPA’s learners.TIS has won a total of 10 Brandon Hall Learning Excellence Awards in the last 4 years.

Given the rate at which mobile technology is currently growing, designers of training can no longer afford to explore m-learning as an after-thought. However, the purview of design decisions has traditionally covered learning formats (web-based or instructor-led training, blended learning or standalone modules, synchronous or asynchronous training and so on); discussions then move on to the best approach for delivering the training (scenarios, stories, games, simulations, etc.). Questions around the suitability of mobile devices to deliver learning have yet to become an integral part of the design discussion. As a designer of m-learning, there are a number of paradigms to consider - shorter attention spans, a redefinition of ‘chunks of information’, alternate navigation strategies, ingenious apps, and superior quality graphics to name a few. For your target audience to transition seamlessly from the mobile world with which they are familiar to the one in which you are embedding your training, these paradigms must be accounted for. This paper focuses on the considerations driving the design and delivery of mobile learning. It covers the instructional design perspective, including the possibilities and challenges of designing for the medium; device usage statistics and platforms; the different types of apps and their implications for training; some design decisions governing the development of a truly mobile learning solution; suggestions for how commonly available functionalities, known as ‘accessories’, can be made an integral part of m-learning; designing accessible m-learning; and social learning using a mobile device. Access the whitepaper here.

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) had announced the LEARNow™ Learning Design Challenge (LDC) in January 2013. Many aspiring participants have requested TIS to extend the competition deadlines so that they have more time to submit their entries. In light of these requests, the contest deadline has been extended to 15th March 2013. Using TIS’s mobile authoring tool, LEARNow™, participants have to create a 5 minute learning nugget on the topic ‘How can I get my CEO (even) more interested in training?’ Based on TIS’s proprietary FRUN (Fluid Resolution Universal Navigation) technology, the LEARNow™ platform offers authoring and publishing tools to seamlessly deliver content across multiple operating systems and devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops. To win the competition, the content submitted by contestants must look equally splendid on a PC, tablet or a smartphone! Entries for the LEARNowTM Learning Design Challenge will be judged by Donald Taylor - Chair, Learning and Skills Group and Learning Technologies Conference. Don will evaluate the entries on below parameters: Does the content meet the learning objective? Is it suitable for deployment on mobile devices as well as PCs? How innovative is the approach? The winner will be announced on the 5th of April on the LEARNowTM website and gets an iPad 4. A free LEARNowTM Mobile Authoring licence is being provided for this competition. To register and download the licence, visit http://www.learnow.com/LDC  

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) received the honour on the 9th of February at a ceremony at Hotel Ramada, Mumbai. The honour was conferred at the Orbit Live Industry Honours 2013 by Arena Animation along with Anand Gurnani Media, AnimationXpress and CG Tantra. Ms. Manisha Mohan, Senior Vice President - Design and Animation, Tata Interactive Systems received the award on behalf of TIS. The award was given out by Mr. Anand Gurnani, co-founder of AnimationXpress along with Mr. Easo Thampy Matthew, Business Head & National Operations Head of Arena Animation. Mr. Easo Thampy Matthew says, "We had endeavoured to recognize the contribution of the animation industry to society as a whole and to the animation community in particular. While considering the eLearning segment , we discovered that TIS had engaged innovative methods of creating content that is interesting to the audience by effective use of animation". On receiving the award, Ms. Manisha Mohan says, "We feel honoured to receive this acknowledgement from all the organizers of this event. We really appreciate the good work that they are doing by building an ecosystem for the Animation Industry by training young animators, as well as providing a forum for the industry to exchange ideas. It is heartening for our team to receive this recognition for using animation as a key ingredient in making learning a fun activity".

Philips Lighting wanted to change from a product-oriented organisation to one delivering business services and solutions. The sales force had a technical orientation and consequently found it difficult to sell the new solutions. The sales technique had to change from showing product benefits and features to illustrating customer focused solutions and business benefits. Institutional sales were further complicated with multiple stakeholders involved, with varying requirements. Tata interactive Systems designed an investigative Serious Game called the ‘Philips Outdoor Lighting Learning Game’ where players employ the interview format extensively to deduce information about customers and use it to build compelling solutions that meet their requirements. Serious Games allow learners to experience situations that cannot be replicated in the real world for reasons of safety, cost and time. This article by Samuel Sawian, Game Designer at TIS explains how Serious Games enable learning and then goes on illustrate the same by the Philips Lighting case study. Access the article here.  

We continue our journey on capturing various viewpoints on MOOCs. We asked Dr. Shwetaleena Bidyadhar, Principal Learning Designer, Tata Interactive Systems on her firsthand experience on MOOCs. Here's what she had to say. "When I first heard of this concept few years back I was quite enamored by it! The movement gathered steam and The New York Times dubbed 2012 as the ‘Year of the MOOC’. I went into a ‘me too’ mode and enrolled into quite a few of the well-known courses. My satisfaction (and completion) levels for such courses have varied widely. After more than a year of experiencing some of this first hand all I can say is that the honeymoon is far from over." says Shwetaleena.  She continues "our vision should be to design a next gen MOOC that incorporates findings derived from the analysis of current learner behavior data. This MOOC 2.0 could lead to higher rates of learner engagement and course completion." To know more on MOOCs, read "Designing MOOCs: A White Paper on Instructional Design for MOOCs" by Preeti Jasnani. To watch a preview video of the To watch a preview video of the white paper, click here. To access the full white paper, click here.    

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a pioneer and global leader in learning solutions has won eight awards at the prestigious Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards this year. This is the fifth consecutive year TIS has won the prestigious Brandon Hall Excellence Awards. The award details are as mentioned below. Excellence in Learning Awards: Gold Best Custom Content for Excelsior College - Associates Degree course in Nursing Best Custom Content for P&G One Asia - IPR Story Based Learning Best Results of a Learning Program for ROGERS Silver Best Custom Content for P&G One Asia - Learning Nuggets Bronze Best Custom Content for University of Maryland  Cybersecurity Capstone Simulation Best Use of Games for Learning for CIGNA  Games to Create Awareness about Customer Centricity & Net Promoter Score Best Use of Mobile Learning for DIAGEO - 3D Aps Excellence in Sales and Marketing Awards: Bronze - Best Program for Sales Training and Performance for PepsiCo - The DC Academy Simulation Workshop This year TIS has won awards across categories for a range of innovative learning formats - from serious games, learning nuggets, story based learning (StoBLs), simulations, 3D animation-based mobile apps to TOPSIM (TIS' workshop-based simulations product) for sales training and performance. Two of the award wins this year are with TIS’s prestigious university customers, demonstrating innovation in learning in academics as well. Along with innovation, winning in the results of a learning program category has successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of TIS solutions. Winning three Gold, one Silver and four Bronze are a testimony of TIS's commitment to excellence and our exceptional work in the dynamic space of learning. Over the past five years TIS has won 18 Brandon Hall Excellence Awards.   

Tata Interactive Learning Forum (TLF) India 2013, by Tata Interactive Systems, the global leader in providing learning solutions and products was held in Mumbai on October 10, 2013. The TLF is a global symposium where leaders and decision makers from the learning and development space come together to share their ideas, innovations, and insights. This unique platform provides learning leaders the opportunity to share their experiences in corporate learning, network with like-minded peers and examine case studies of key learning initiatives in other organizations. The theme of TLF India 2013 was "Meeting Strategic Organizational Goals through learning". An Invitation-only forum, Tata Interactive Learning Forum was exclusively for SVPs/VPs/CXOs/Heads of HR and training functions. The third India edition was graced by the presence of eminent speakers and industry experts like Raj Narayan - Chief Human Resources Officer, Titan Industries Ltd. Shireesh Joshi - Head Strategic Marketing Group, Godrej Industries Ltd. Bijay Sahoo - President:  HR, Reliance Industries Ltd. (Retail & Digital Services Business) KRS Jamwal - Executive Director, Tata Industries Jagmohan Rishi - Head: Training & Talent Development, Wockhardt Anjali Chatterjee - Vice President: HR, Tata Communications Ltd. Rajagopalan Purushothaman - Vice President & Director, Reliance Retail Ltd. Priya Thiagarajan -  Content Head, Vodafone Kavi Arasu - Chief Manager: Corporate Learning and Development, Asian Paints Ltd. Paras Kaushik -  Head: HR, Pantaloons Retail Sangeetha Gandhi -  Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development Diptii Das - Head: HR (South Asia), Aramex India Pvt Ltd. Sandeep Dhir -  Chief: Capability Development, Tata Steel Rituraj Sar - Vice President and Head: Learning & Development, Lupin Ltd. Rustom Vesavevala - Vice President: Learning & Development, Indian Hotels Co. Ltd. Kishore Iruvanti Naga -  Director: Learning Solutions Competency Center, Alcatel-Lucent Judajith Das - Chief: Human Resources, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd. Some key sessions at the forum included Enabling Key Organisational Initiatives through Learning, Meeting Strategic Organisation Goals through Learning, L&D Initiatives Impacting Business Outcomes, Building a Smarter L&D Team - role of a learning partner ,Training ROI - putting theories into action and Expanding the Boundaries of Human Potential to name a few. The event also had two panel discussions revolving around topics like Collaborative Learning & the Impact of Social Media - is it going to replace formal learning? and Leveraging Technology - how do organizations use technology to create a learning ecosystem. The forum saw participation from organization/institutes like Reliance Industries, Godrej Group, Bennett Coleman and Company, TCS, Religare, Vodafone , Titan, Aditya Birla Minacs, Tata Communications, Wipro Technologies, Tata Chemicals Ltd, Nomura, DHL, Asian Paints, Ashok Leyland, DBS Bank, Tata Steel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Prudential and Tata Motors to name a few. Like every year, TLF India 2013 successfully maintained its purpose to bring leaders and decision makers in the L&D space to interact, innovate and inspire. As a market and thought leader in the training industry, the forum strives to push the boundaries of innovation in Learning & Development and is constantly evolving.

Season's Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year from Tata Interactive Systems. Do check the animated season's greetings: 1.http://bit.ly/1caYweE2.http://bit.ly/JGIHAs

Serious Games. Game-based learning. Gamification. How are they different? Aren’t they different epithets for the same thing? Tata Interactive System's webinar on serious games and gamification, part of the ‘Ask the Experts’ series, explored the differences between the two and points where they meet. For several years now, the specter of yawn-worthy e-learning has dominated the landscape. Serious games - and more recently, gamification - are trying their best to inject the necessary enthusiasm back into learning. The numbers suggest that game-based learning has met with fair success so far, and pundits such as Gartner Inc. paint a bright future for the two avatars of game-based learning. So, does adding a timer and lots of badges and points constitute game-based learning? You’ll see in the webinar that this is not true, and whether you decide to build a serious game to teach something or use gamification, your decisions must be led by purpose and the performance outcomes you seek. Game-based learning designed by Tata Interactive Systems places the business rules right at the core of the activities. The work in tandem with the game rules, the game controls, and the visual game skin to complete the whole sensory experience for the player. For a full discussion on the differences between serious games and gamification, please click here for the webinar http://youtu.be/nqno2zQMT0U

The learning world has been talking about social and informal learning for close to a decade now. Jay Cross popularized the concept in his book, Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance, defining it thus: "Informal learning is the unofficial, unscheduled, impromptu way people learn to do their jobs. Formal learning is like riding a bus: the driver decides where the bus is going; the passengers are along for the ride. Informal learning is like riding a bike: the rider chooses the destination, the speed, and the route." Organizations have moved from skepticism regarding social learning to realizing that it is a much-needed component in the learning ecosystem. The days when formal training alone worked are over. Training worked when work was predictable, processes could be pre-defined, and best practices could be handed down - via ILT or elearning - depending on the organization in question. With the advent of globalization, ubiquitous technology, mobile devices and a myriad other ripple effects of technology, the world of work has suddenly been hit by a whirlwind of change. Simple, process-driven work that defined the industrial era is giving way to complicated and complex work where exceptions are the norm. Employees and organizations alike are at a loss. It is clear that something more than formal, top down training is definitely required to enable employees remain efficient and be able to acquire the knowledge and skills required. Thus, organizations are taking a second look at informal and social learning today. Micro-learning, micro-content, Learning Flows, and mlearning are some of the current and upcoming trends in the world of learning and development. They all have a common denominator—they require very little "at-a-stretch" time commitment from learners/users. And learning design - driven by these principles - lend itself to informal and social learning as well. Wikipedia describes micro-learning thus: Micro-learning can also be understood as a process of subsequent, "short" learning activities, i.e. learning through interaction with micro-content objects in small timeframes. ~ Wiki Some of the key characteristics of micro-learning are given in the diagram below: These qualities make small capsules of learning - tweets, responses to forum discussions, short podcasts, learning nuggets, and so on - eminently suitable in the context of social and informal learning. Imagine an employee posting a question on a discussion forum on an enterprise collaboration platform. S/he could receive a response in any one or more of the following forms - a direct post, a short video, a podcast, a link to an external resource, or be directed to an expert on the said topic. A collaboration platform that facilitates such interaction promotes social and informal learning within an organization. However, it is important to remember that a platform doesn’t necessarily bring about the desired change. To foster a culture of sharing and collaboration, it is important that L&D dons the hat of community managers and facilitators enabling content curation and aggregation and connecting learners to relevant content, to each other, and to experts. But what’s wrong with good old formal training, you may ask. Nothing really! Formal learning will still be required but it can no longer meet the needs of the workforce. As the juggernaut of change continues to hit the global work environment, exceptions and complex problems are becoming the norm. It is no longer feasible or possible to design training programs in advance for challenges one doesn’t know is coming their way. All of these are pointing to a shift that is in motion—a shift from long courses with a defined structure and curriculum that trained users on good and best practices based on the past. The "Era of Courses" reflected an age where work was stable, experience of the past could be encapsulated and translated into courses that future workers could take and be successful in their work and performance. Businesses grew and became mega-businesses. Accumulated experiences counted. The future reflected the past. And economy of scale was the order of the day. Learning "at the speed of need" is of paramount importance today. And enabling social and informal learning at the workplace is one way to meet this need. Providing a platform for globally dispersed employees to quickly access a learning byte, share an insight, post a query, or upload a document ensures that just-in-time learning is happening. It also brings learning into the workflow. And fosters a culture of sharing and collaboration thus also ensuring that the organization’s tacit knowledge is being captured. Today, workers need bursts and nuggets of learning a.k.a. performance support. Lengthier, knowledge-driven courses will still exist but will become optional and can be taken at the workers’ discretion. Individuals will take those courses where they see personal and professional benefits—but they may not be driven by the organization where they work. This is directly evident in the MOOC phenomenon as seen on Coursera or EdX. Learning design will have to increasingly revolve around micro-learning concepts that are device, time and location agnostic. While micro-learning can be viewed as a support to more formal and longer courses, this equation may change. Workers used to Googling to solve their queries and problems are likely to bring that same paradigm to learning. They may well expect a collection of micro-modules to be available which they will dip into as and when needed. Each worker will chart out their own path through these micro-modules based on their role, performance need and prior experience and knowledge. However, the big question is: How will corporates take advantage of these trends and phenomenon that have organically grown out the changing technology landscape. And, what will be the role of learning designers in this new landscape—curators & aggregators, facilitators & collaborators, connectors & change agents? -          Sahana Chattopadhyay, Consultant - Instructional Design, Tata Interactive Systems

MOOCs, especially when referred to in the context of the workplace, are increasingly going to become a catch-all term for any online, large scale, learning intervention. The MOOC is a dissemination model that encapsulates three components - formal, informal and social - within the same framework. While the cMOOC or the Connectivist MOOC started out with the vision of leveraging the power of networks in learning, xMOOCs took the more conventional classroom-learning format and brought it online. From the amalgamation of these two is emerging a new breed of MOOCs—the corporate MOOCs. Some of the evolving characteristics of corporate MOOCs and their impact on organizational learning include: 1. MOOCs go beyond fixed courses to dynamic context sharing: A MOOC is more than a course disseminated online. In a MOOC, content/modules is the basic requirement. What differentiates a MOOC is the context that gets built around the content via discussion forums, micro-blogs and the ability to add user-generated content. The content thus becomes dynamic and also remains relevant. 2. MOOCs can effectively address peer-to-peer learning. Peer-to-peer learning is especially pertinent when engaging in problem-based learning. MOOCs require active participation rather than passive content consumption and thus fosters the skills of self-directed learning, an ability to articulate challenges, share thoughts and ideas, and draw on the network to enhance one’s learning. Problem-solving skills work best when one is able to share thoughts and ideas and get feedback from peers and experts. Peer-evaluation ensures greater assimilation of complex concepts and a higher level of learner engagement. The process nurtures an overall culture or learning and a focus on performance. 3. MOOCs tap in-house expertise and make tacit knowledge explicit. "Discussion Forums" and "Ask an Expert" components of a MOOC platform (any enterprise collaboration platform) tap into the expertise existing in an organization, often in siloes. Very often, access to expertise gets limited to being co-located. However, a MOOC ecosystem eliminates this challenge by bringing learners in touch with experts on the same platform. This benefits both the learners and the experts, and above all the organization. The evolving knowledge base of the organization becomes explicit enabling faster learning, reducing loss of critical information and fostering an environment of continuous learning. 4. MOOCs follow the principles of micro-learning - A MOOC is typically designed around the principles of micro-learning enabling learners to go through bytes of learning in short duration. The modules ideally do not exceed 15 minutes. These small learning bytes not only aid quick assimilation but also makes it possible to learn on the go, thus reducing the dependency on a fixed time slot or the need to take a large chunk of time out of one’s working day. 5. Synchronous and Asynchronous, Online and Offline come together - The MOOC can have both synchronous and asynchronous learning modalities built in. Instant chats and webinars (hangouts) can be effective ways to share knowledge or pose a question. A short webinar to discuss a challenge or a unique situation will not only lead to deeper learning but also foster the skills of critical thinking and exception handling. The webinar can be recorded for those unable to participate in real time. The learning from the MOOC need not stay within the MOOC and can be taken outside. "Lunch and Learns" to share knowledge and talk about recent experiences, or to discuss a case-study or a course module can further enhance the learning experience. - Sahana Chattopadhyay, Consultant - Instructional Design, Tata Interactive Systems

Tata Interactive Systems features in ‘Top 20 Gamification Companies’ list Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) has been named in the first-ever ‘Top 20 Gamification inaugural Companies’ list by TrainingIndustry.com. This initiative is part of TrainingIndustry.com’s mission to continually monitor the training marketplace for the best providers of gamification services/technologies in support of corporate learning and development.      The selection of this year's "Top 20" list was based on the following criteria: Features & capabilities of the gamification products/services, company size & growth potential, quality & number of clients/users, geographic reach, as well as awards, recognition & competitive differentiation.

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), one of the global leaders in eLearning, simulations and serious games, celebrates 25 years. A worldwide pioneer in technology-enabled learning, TIS is recognized as a thought leader and market mover in providing learning solutions and performance support design. Having worked with 70 Fortune 500 companies, TIS provides expertise to help improve people performance through best-in-class learning solutions and integrated analytics. With 70 international awards in the last decade for its cutting-edge solutions, TIS helps customers achieve their key organizational initiatives through learning and performance support solutions. The company’s innovative products and strategic learning advisory services drive people competency and learning & development process efficiency. Sanjaya Sharma, CEO of TIS, says: "The last two and a half decades have seen key transformations in technology and development tools. TIS has created newer immersive and award-winning learning formats like virtual 3D worlds, multiplayer simulations, gamification, learning nuggets and story-based learning, changing the way people learn across the world."  "As technology and development tools have changed over the years, our multi-disciplinary team of over 400 specialists with global experience have constantly been innovating to create effective solutions to meet customer requirements - from MOOCs, augmented reality, internet of things, mobile learning apps to SaaS. Learning will be a constant; TIS will have to keep learning and evolving," says Manisha Mohan, Executive VP - Centre of Excellence Group. Looking at the road ahead, Ishrat Shums, Senior VP - Commercial Office, adds: "From helping organizations and educational institutions define their learning roadmap, to developing best-in-class instructional products, the TIS team continues to push the boundaries in every facet of learning. We understand that we have been able to achieve this 25 year milestone only through the support of our customers and we look forward to the next 25 years!" 

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a global provider of learning solutions, will host a live workshop using Google Hangout that showcases a blended but personalised learning experience. This follows the ‘standing room only’ success of Joanna Kori’s blended learning seminar at Learning Technologies show in January 2015. 58 volunteers will experience the mechanics of ‘More than a Hangout’ workshop starting on February 25th 2015. TIS will use Google applications to explore contemporary learning models and complete a pre-workshop task. This will be followed by an activity-based Hangout for peer-to-peer exploration of these models. Joanna Kori, Senior Learning Consultant, TIS, cites, "We are overwhelmed with the response to join the workshop. We now look forward to demonstrating how to maximise these applications using a topic close to the heart of learning professionals." Will Chadwick, Vice President - UK, TIS, adds, "It was pleasing to be ranked as the only Potential Leader in Elearnity’s 9-box grid. This is an example of the types of thought leadership content we have created for our clients. The Hangout model has now been proven for a range of topics and we believe it bridges the gap between traditional classroom delivery and digital-based learning." The post-workshop activity will focus on designing reflective tasks and encouraging peer-to-peer feedback via Google Plus community.

Gamification is changing the way the world learns. In fact, it has gained traction and importance because humans have a competitive streak and whenever a human/learner wins a test or a game, there is a release of testosterone and dopamine into the brain of the learner. Gamification has a central component of fun that makes learning easier and less scientific and mundane. This is primarily the reason why gamification is being seen as an important tool in the realm of learning. Gamification is also being widely adopted because of its inherent features of engagement and collaboration. Games offer a sense of challenge to the player and make the activity a time bound exercise. Not only can a learner compete fiercely, but also help the learner leverage on his existing skills as well as skills of the team to navigate the game play and discover new learning. Games also work in the mode of simulation where the learner can play the game for an infinite number of rounds till she/he masters the game, thereby indicating a mastery of the concept being taught as well. As organizations continue investing in making gamification a part of their learning curriculum, they are already seeing benefits. This is because gameplay entails learners to harness their prior knowledge, cross map between the various levels and take control of their learning through repeat games. It also helps in engagement, creativity, learner interaction, behaviours like risk taking and group decision making.  Besides, it empowers the learner, as leader boards and badges provide easier milestone checks and establishes a learning path for him. Gamification is gaining traction even in the commercial space. As per statistics, websites that have gamification built into the navigation get a significant increase in site actions and hence is seeing an increased usage in commenting, sharing of information, and more updates to the social networking activity feeds. To know more, read the Article on Gamification in Learning.

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) is celebrating 25 Years of Excellence in eLearning, Simulations & Serious Games. To commemorate this occasion, TIS recently organised a special event in Dubai for some of our key clients in the Middle East region. Sanjaya Sharma, CEO of TIS, delivered the keynote address and offered insights into the company’s newer immersive and award-winning learning formats like virtual 3D worlds, multiplayer simulations, gamification, learning nuggets and story-based learning. The event witnessed participation of eminent personnel from Emirates Airlines, Emirates NBD, Higher Colleges of Technology, MAF Carrefour, Jumbo Electronics, Panasonic Aviation, General Civil Aviation Authority, Landmark Group, Mashreqbank and Edu Alliance. A worldwide pioneer in technology-enabled learning, TIS is recognized as a thought leader and market mover in providing learning solutions and performance support design. Having worked with 70 Fortune 500 companies, TIS provides expertise to help improve people performance through best-in-class learning solutions and integrated analytics. With 70 international awards in the last decade for its cutting-edge solutions, TIS helps customers achieve their key organizational initiatives through learning and performance support solutions. Our innovative products and strategic learning advisory services drive people competency and learning & development process efficiency. We look forward to building on our proud 25-year history and helping companies across the globe to develop the skills and capabilities that employees need to perform well in their jobs. 

Social media and mobile technology, coupled with an increasing demand for performance-based learning are influencing learner behavior. As far as social networking and collaborative learning are concerned, the role of mobile devices as primary tools for active learning acquires special relevance. Thus, mobile learning in a social & collaborative environment is characterized by connected workers across the globe, besides the availability of social networking platforms, access to expertise, ability to access, create, and share content freely. Organizations are increasingly looking at mobile devices for their learning and development activities with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) assuming an important role and emerging as a cost-effective solution. In addition, developing customized mobile apps that help access learning content while on-the-go, and contain collaborative elements has emerged as another crucial trend. With vast experience in building mobile-based learning solutions across product formats and verticals, and, capabilities to develop mobile learning programs for almost any modern platform, Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) has kept one eye on these emerging mobile trends and the other on creating innovative and effective mobile learning solutions. Drawing upon our richness of experience in the eLearning industry and the depth of knowledge, TIS’ mobile COE offers mobile courseware, learning nuggets, games, simulations and custom applications. Our portfolio of products includes SOP on mobile devices, byte-sized learning capsule and social quiz game app built for corporates, cloud-based, cross-platform, cross-device mobile learning tool, mobile sales enablement platform for the pharma industry, Step-by-step process to practice handling, and assembling objects. Our solutions have helped organizations to: Reduce time-to-competence Improve on-the-job performance Increase productivity, avoid potential accident hazards Increase employee engagement ...in a cost effective manner. While we continue to leverage our strengths and differentiate ourselves on mobile first UI design, flexible frameworks (LEARNow and SOP Ecosystem), integrated apps, progressive enhancement and our ability to scale, we remain aware of the tremendous potential this space holds. Given the increasing computing power available on mobile devices and network speeds getting better each day it is natural to expect more augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)experiences on mobile devices. With the wearables already here, newer technology advancements such as Apple’s iBeacon and Internet of Things (IoT) present interesting and enormous opportunity to build contextual mobile solutions.

The instructional approach adopted to impart skills and changes in behavior can significantly impact the outcomes—performance, learning effectiveness, and in corporate scenarios, productivity and profits. Simulations are one such effective tool that aims to bridge the gap between ‘understanding’ and ‘application’. Universities leverage simulations as a way of gradually scaffolding and immersing learners in a failsafe environment before they step out into the real world. Organizations, meanwhile, are seriously evaluating, if not already adopting, simulation-based solutions as their choice of training method to hone the business, managerial and interpersonal skills of their workforce. Several simulation formats have evolved organically, over the years, based on varying learning goals, user profiles, and deployment environments. Conversation Simulations to develop interpersonal, communication and soft skills, Spreadsheet Simulations to simulate data-driven decision-making, Mathematical Model-based Simulations that replicate complex, multi-dimensional environments, Day-in-the-Life Simulations to practice prioritization and multitasking under severe time pressure, are some of the feature-based products we offer. Hi-fidelity simulations, which support multiplayer gameplay, collaborative decision-making, in competitive simulation scenarios are especially preferred by universities and corporates where users are expected to have a holistic and interdisciplinary view of business. Based on learner needs, solutions can be customized to qualitatively and quantitatively track learner performance and support reporting capabilities. Mobile-friendly options that incorporate principles and mechanics from the gaming world are used to heighten learner engagement and drive greater participation. At TIS, the Simulations Center-Of-Excellence (COE) has been cognizant of these trends and kept pace with the evolving needs of learners and organizations. While we continue to leverage our strengths and differentiate ourselves on strong instructional design capabilities, functional user interfaces, and mathematical modelling, we also focus on conducting in-depth consulting exercises to identify learning gaps and recommend appropriate simulation solutions.

Over the last year we have been working on QuizBiz, our social gamification solution that allows any organization to set up its own social game app for employees on topics that are relevant to it. The first set of customers and users have now begun using the apps and here are 4 dimensions we realised are most important: 1. The Social Dynamics - Yes, we did anticipate people would play a bit, but within the corporate environment, we were not sure how topics like Conversion Process Management or the cryptically named Finance would really hold the audience’s interest. Yet people played, and how! With our first rollout for a global Insurance company, over a three week period, people played over 15,000 games and answered 180,000. For some reason, having a colleague challenge you, created a dynamic that was much more compelling than when we originally designed the game. This also challenges us to think of ways in which we can enhance the social experience. 2. Different Strokes for Different Folks - There was quite a difference in player styles. Some people were driven by wanting to get on top of the leaderboard, challenging others constantly; others played a few games with regularity and were seemingly content with slow progression and no burning desire to be on top of the leader board. The latter continued playing even when the competition was done. Some people played a couple of games initially and then stopped. So the lesson here was that we always needed to be aware of the player types and look at what the game can offer to keep them engaged and coming back for more. 3. What behaviour to reward - Similar to games available in the market, we had designed the game to reward players who played more often. From a corporate learning format, this meant that players who knew the answer and scored right on the first try did not score as high on the leader board as another player who would not have known the right answer first, but got it right over playing 10 games. This is not necessarily what we want to reward in the corporate environment so it is back to the drawing board for the next version. 4. There is no such thing as too much content - The biggest contributor to the success and also the biggest constraint is still engaging content. How do we ensure that there are enough questions to keep the game interesting and how does one refresh the question set? User generated questions perhaps? - Rati Menon, Managing Director, TIS Switzerland

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a global leader in learning solutions, has won two gold, three silver and one bronze at Brandon Hall Group’s 2015 HCM Excellence Awards. TIS has been recognised for its excellence in producing custom-designed online courses and using technology innovatively, to deliver training programmes. The company also uses games & simulations to support learning outcomes. TIS has won 28 Brandon Hall Excellence Awards in the past decade.   "We are honoured to be recognised with six Brandon Hall Excellence awards this year," says Saurabh Mittal, Chief Operating Officer of Tata Interactive Systems. "Training, today, is not just about getting people up to speed. It is also about aligning an organisation’s learning and development (L&D) initiatives with their strategic objectives/goals. In line with this, we offer best-in-class learning interventions to improve people performance leading up to superior corporate performance."   "We have been constantly innovating to create newer immersive learning formats like augmented reality, multiplayer simulations, gamification, learning nuggets and mobile-based learning," Saurabh adds.   Best Advance in Custom Content Gold: TIS developed a blended learning programme for Telus Communications to improve customer satisfaction and increase the skills of customer service representatives.  Silver: The programme has been designed for Excelsior College to help teachers understand, implement, and model the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics in the classroom. Silver: TIS along with BCG created a programme for senior leadership team at PepsiCo Inc to inculcate the skills of strategic planning and execution. Best Use of Games and Simulations for Learning Gold: TIS developed the Holden Adaptive Platform™ that initiates game-changing sales habits. The programme delivers relevant and right-sized bits of information that can be applied by sales personnel in the real world. Best Use of Blended Learning Silver: TIS’ blended learning programme for Telus Communications has been built to be highly interactive and included animation videos, real-life scenarios and job aids. Bronze: TIS designed a programme for Prince George Community College that will help students develop skills required to enter the demanding world of IT support. This include a mix of classroom lectures, discussions, self-paced online learning, and simulated as well as virtual lab sessions. The Brandon Hall Learning Excellence Awards are presented annually by Brandon Hall Research, one of the leading research firms in training and development. Now in its 21st year, the awards programme showcased exceptional work in learning and development. "We congratulate all our clients who have made it to this year’s winning list and continue to make a positive impact in the field of learning," states Saurabh Mittal. Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer of the Brandon Hall Group and head of the awards programme, said, "The high quality of work and commitment to driving business results among our award winners never fails to amaze me. All of these winning programmes deliver meaningful business results to their organisations. Winning an Excellence Award is a great honour, but the real winners are the organisations themselves and their customers and clients because of the innovation and customer focus they demonstrate."

Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) has been named in the ‘Top 20 Gamification Companies’ list by TrainingIndustry.com for the second consecutive year. This initiative is part of TrainingIndustry.com’s mission to monitor the training marketplace for the best providers of gamification services/technologies in support of corporate learning and development. "Tata Interactive has been a leading advocate of gamified learning, as the game mechanics offer greater knowledge retention, improve problem solving & collaboration skills as well as exhibit higher learner engagement. While learning through games are immersive, the use of game elements like points, badges & leaderboards provide instantaneous feedback and reward progress," avers Saurabh Mittal, COO, Tata Interactive Systems. "We at TIS also offer the analytics component in gamified solutions that enable organisations to understand the effectiveness of its learning and communication mechanisms, as well as get an insight into the gaps, right down to the level of each individual. This allows for customisation and personalisation of the communication and learning programs," explains Saurabh. The selection of this year's "Top 20" list was based on the following criteria: Features & capabilities of the gamification products/services, company size & growth potential, quality & number of clients/users, geographic reach, as well as awards, recognition & competitive differentiation. "Our second annual Top 20 Gamification Companies list showcases the companies who best integrate gaming into learning and development programs," said Ken Taylor, president, Training Industry, Inc. "The top companies provide some of the most innovative forms of gamification in learning, whether we are discussing serious games, training simulations or any other form of structured training program." "Incorporating gamification into your corporate training remains a strong trend across the industry," said Doug Harward, chief executive officer, Training Industry Inc. "Those selected are incredibly in tune with their clients’ needs and goals and provide them with solutions that enhance the training experience and the employee’s retention of the new skills."

The jury is no longer out on this one—outsourcing of learning services is indeed here to stay. Be it for bringing in efficiencies to the learning function, implementing a flexible resourcing model, deploying best-in-class learning and performance support strategies, or increasing focus on core business activities, it’s just a matter of time before you take that first step. Like all things new, the first step is never easy. There are decisions to make on how to select the right partner, finalize the budget, engage with a steering committee to define the outsourcing strategy, liaison with procurement… the list is endless. In all of this, there is also the fear of the unknown. The uncertainty of working with a team you’ve never known before and, seemingly, have little control over. But this is where it gets better! If you’re ready to go down this path, you clearly are not going where no man (or woman) has gone before. With training outsourcing now gaining maturity, there are several best practices to make your initial steps a little easier. Read the article on Training Outsourcing, where we focus on the three ground rules for a great partnership with a custom e-Learning provider, when you’re taking those first steps in your outsourcing journey. This article has been published in the latest edition of Training Industry Magazine.