By Preeti Jasnani Abstract: The year 2012 saw a "massive" boom in the higher education world, making MOOCs—Massive Open Online Courses—the new buzzword. From talks by educators in ed-tech conferences and forums to media reporting and micro blogging by thought leaders, just about everyone connected to the world of higher education has been talking about MOOCs since then. And rightly so. Hyped or not, MOOCs are bringing about a revolution in education, a thought affirmed by forerunners like Andrew Ng, Director, Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab and Co-Founder of Coursera, who says … "When one professor can teach 50,000 people, it alters the economics of education."                                                                        Indeed. So, if MOOCs are going to disrupt traditional education, then shouldn’t there be some deeper thinking around their design and development? Although the content is drawn up by subject matter experts (faculty), just how much thought is given to pedagogical and instructional design issues? Are MOOCs even reviewed for quality before they go public? Not all MOOCs—especially the ones that are informal—probably need to go through a thorough and formal cycle of review for conformance to quality. However, if a university is considering offering MOOCs as part of their formal curriculum, would it then not be worthwhile to develop a pedagogy that is unique to the institute and that delivers a quality product to their learners, even if it does so free of cost? This white paper draws attention to some of the design and quality aspects of MOOCs and goes on to propose an instructional design philosophy that integrates sophisticated e-learning technologies (interactive content, games, simulations, story-based approach et al) to enhance the design of MOOCs and take them a notch higher in terms of learner engagement. Given the buzz around them, this white paper assumes that the readers from higher education are familiar with the basic definition of a MOOC. The white paper, therefore, starts off with only a brief introduction to the different types of MOOCs, more so to differentiate the more popular xMOOCs from the original cMOOCs. Thereafter, the paper remains focused on design and quality aspects of MOOCs. In the end, a critical question—whether every university should offer its own MOOC—is raised. A question that can be answered best by the specific institute; the paper, however, presents some thoughts from articles and posts on this specific question, and then goes on to explore possible business models and partnerships a university can get into for developing a unique MOOC that could, in fact, become a signature course for the university. Watch the Preview Video Read the full white paper      

By Preeti Jasnani John Ebersole, President, Excelsior College, Albany, New York President of Excelsior College, John Ebersole’s view on MOOCs—reasons for low completion rates, their design, and Excelsior College’s plan for offering MOOCs Q: What according to you are the reasons for the low completion rates of MOOCs?John: In my opinion there are multiple reasons for the low completion rates (under 10%) of MOOCs.   - The participant is not truly interested in the topic but wants to see what all   the hoopla is about. - With no psychological or financial investment, it is easy for the participant to become engaged in other activities/interests.- Work is too hard for the participant's level of preparation. - Participant is fatigued by the lack of instructional diversity and the absence of any meaningful engagement with either the instructor or the material.   Instructional design that provides for opportunity to engage with materials (not just the other learners) would allow for both deeperunderstanding and self-assessment of progress. Experience has shown that early student ‘wins’ are important to persistence.  Difficulty at the start creates frustration and self doubt. There needs to be feedback from the ‘course,’ if not the instructor. Q: The higher ed today is talking about the shift to competency-based curriculum. How relevant is this topic to the design of MOOCs? John: While the spotlight is on all things competency related these days, I wouldn't feel compelled to use them in MOOCs. Instruction is not usually a part of the competency determination process. Most often, it involves the assessment of knowledge and skill gained through other means. I DO think that focusing the MOOC's design on achieving desired outcomes is appropriate. Toward this end, it should provide for self assessments along the way. The lack of valid forms of learning outcome assessment is a major weakness of those MOOCs evaluated to date. Q: What are your thoughts about integrating e-learning technologies such as games, simulations, and 3D animations to make these courses more engaging?John: Regardless of subject matter, it is important to offer the learner multiple forms of instructional support.  We know fromlearning theory that we do not all learn best in the same way.  While some may get by with lectures alone,others do better with the help of visual stimulation. Additionally, we know that case studies and stories help create context and guidance as to application of concepts. The HEAR, SEE, DO mantra comes to mind here.  By combining what we know from both learning and communications theory, we see a need for the "e-learning technologies." The result will almost certainly lead to greater studentattention and retention. Q: What are your plans for Excelsior College in this area? Will Excelsior also offer MOOCs in the near future?John: Excelsior will offer at least two MOOCs.  One will be an introduction to Cybersecurity and the other will deal with "serious games" and their potential for problem solving and learning.  In both cases the purpose is to create awareness of the fact that the College has programs and expertise in these niches.  Our expectation is to generate enrollments in our regular courses and degree programs rather than to see income from the MOOCs themselves. This Q/A with John has been extracted from our white paper on "Designing MOOCs: A White Paper on Instructional Design for MOOCs" by Preeti Jasnani. To watch a preview video of the white paper, click here. To access the full white paper, click here.    

From scratch and win coupons to air mile rewards, the marketplace recognizes our natural response to challenge and rewards. So, why not employ the same concept in eLearning? The Play-Practice-Perfect or P3 model developed by Tata Interactive Systems is the foundation for a game-based learning approach that delivers: •Higher engagement through play•Higher efficiency through perfection•Higher skills and higher retention through practice The game-based approach makes learning fun, improves skills and knowledge, and elicits desired behavior. In short, serious games directly address business outcomes. Here are some simple instructional tips to integrate game design mechanics into your e-learning which can boost retention and compliance while making learning fun! 1. Align game types with learning outcomes. There are different types of games: skill-based, knowledge-based & behavior based. Analyze and pick the one which is more suitable to use depending on each situation and the learning outcomes. For instance, Tata Interactive Systems created a skilled-based serious game on the technical scrutiny of checks for a leading Indian bank. Check verification involves spotting 21 possible errors in 10 areas of a check. The game resulted in productivity improvement of 25%. 2.Use of self-explanatory questions and the use of meaningful feedback. Avoid the typical "yes, that’s correct" or "no, try again". Instead provide an explanation as to why he/she was bang on the answer or vice-versa. Very simply, do not miss any interactivity. 3. Guide the gamer to achieve goals. Explain the goal of each scenario and what the reward is in return. You can use different strategies to explain this: text on the screen, a character that talks to the gamer, etc. 4. Take care of the storyboard ensuring that it is coherent and similar to real life, especially if the scenario tries to simulate a working environment. This is important to ensure that the learner is able to transfer the knowledge in real life. 5. It must be challenging - neither too easy nor extremely difficult. The idea is to increase the difficulty level while playing. Post the first stage, once the gamer gets used to the game, he/she wants challenges to continue playing else he/she will be disengaged, bored and most of all will not meet the learning outcomes. Learn more about game-based learning here

Since MOOCs has been the hottest topic this month, we asked Shantanu Bhattacharrya, VP & Chief Learning Designer, Tata Interactive Systems on his views around MOOCs. Here's what he had to say. "MOOCs represent a fundamental shift in more ways than one." says Shantanu. He continues "The mode of education and the flexibility of class sizes are the obvious ones. But one of the most interesting shifts that MOOCs enable is in power that was hitherto wielded by the admissions divisions of Universities worldwide. With the democratization of education, the admissions departments will no longer have the kind of sway that they have been having for hundreds of years! " "Personally I think MOOCs should not be considered a rival to or a replacement for University courses. Comparisons and contrasts with University education are reductive and unproductive. MOOCs are best considered as an independent, newer mode of education - by people motivated enough to spread education beyond the traditional classroom set, for people motivated enough to learn beyond traditional modes." says Shantanu. We also 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 white paper, click here. To access the full white paper, click here.        

By Anil Mammen Anil Mammen, VP & Chief Curriculum Designer, Tata Interactive Systems MOOCs present a significant side in the battle over the future of education. And this is one battle that is not going to end too soon. The advantages of MOOCs are fairly obvious: • The absence of painful enrolment procedures and prerequisites attracts a wider, disparate audience • Learning moves to the centre stage and certification to the backseat • The capacity for a massive number of students to be enrolled at the   same time• Global reach • Access to quality courses from top universities across the world Also, this is not just passive digital content put up there. There are some distinct pedagogical benefits: you have lectures, visual aids, discussions, quizzes, creation of digital artefacts by students, and peer graded assessments—all the ingredients needed for learning, retention and some amount of critical thinking for the motivated student. Unlike other forms of e-learning, what MOOCs have done is to bring the faculty back at the centre. The content is not impersonal; it carries the voice of passion and the nuances of the subject through an experienced faculty. That said, MOOCs are yet to fully exploit the possibilities of the medium and ensure that the motivation levels of learners don’t start sagging after the first two or three weeks. Forums are chaotic and it is very difficult to filter through some useful content. Also, there is very limited interaction with the faculty—which is one of the biggest advantages of a student on campus. However, with improved technology platforms, some more thought on learning design, and enhanced use of multimedia formats, MOOCs are only going to get better. To know more on MOOCs, join our complimentary webinar 'Why MOOCs matter?' on 19th July.  Register here: http://bit.ly/129kDr0

Cyber space adds a new dimension to modern life. It’s a way of interacting for business, politics, education and pleasure. And it contributes to the economy in a large scale. While internet presents enormous commercial opportunities, it also presents certain risks. In 2007, the year when Twitter was founded, United States Company Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) received almost 12,000 cyber-crime reports. The number had more than doubled by 2009, according to new statistics from the Government Accountability Office, and it had quadrupled by 2012. In today’s corporate world, safeguarding business information and company reputation is an important part of business strategy. It has now become a daunting task further to the upsurge in the number of cyber-attacks. Cyber security skills are essential to any organization committed to addressing the rising cyber threat. At the recently held Tata Interactive Learning Forum (TLF) USA 2013 in partnership with Cohen Group in Washington.D.C. the issues pertaining to ‘Closing the Cyber Security Skills Gap’ were addressed. The interactive session focused on the importance of improving cybersecurity skills training across federal, education and private sector workforce. So is this highly publicized Cyber Security skills gap a real problem today? Yes it is! The World which was used to lock down terminals and thin clients have now become used to social media and other online platforms. From the perspective of a corporate citizen in an organization, the skills gap is described by the difference between the desired state and the current state. Potentially, more often it is the Corporate Citizen, who is not aware of how this skills gap has widened without being aware of what the implications are. At the time when the IT Sector is on the upsurge, the gap is getting bigger and is increasingly becoming a matter of great worry. The concern lies in the way in which cyber security skills training has been conducted in the past. Now, apart from ensuring that the processes are documented, providing guidance to resolve issues and providing metrics that exhibit things are safe, the one thing that compliance doesn’t do is making you secure. This is because many organizations comply due to a mandate. Organizations can be totally compliant with a number of standards and still be insecure. On the other hand the regulators, who provide an outdated solution for a 21st century problem will simply not be of any help. This will not improve security levels but may lower it by providing outdated regulations. Hence compliances or regulators are also not the best way to bridge or address this gap. To place points about the lack of critical thinking as a skill is quite important when you are trying to bridge the skills gap. What happens if the issue is not raised is more important to address than just making them aware of the consequences. So it is really the learning gap that causing a problem in the industry. If there are ways and means to address this learning gap effectively for instance by building interesting ways of learning interventions, one can avoid bigger problems. Finding people with the right skill-set to secure cyber space is no mean feat. The challenge also lies in providing the right training and education. Creating awareness of the Cyber security skills gap and addressing it at the top of an organization, seems like an ideal place to start. Watch out for the second part of the blog which would emphasize on addressing the cyber security skills gap.

The previous post highlighted the implications about the lack of critical thinking in organizations today on the Cybersecurity front. The current post emphasizes on addressing this skills gap. The threat of cyber-attacks looms large over computer networks. A successful cyber-attack on the key services of a nation could have a shattering effect and create mayhem in its economy. It is these consequences which makes Cyber-attacks a threat as serious as terrorism or other security challenges of the same magnitude. A report, jointly published in July 2013 by McAfee and the Center for Strategic and International Studies put the cost of cyber-crime and cyber espionage in the U.S. at $100 billion a year. After gauging the magnitude, President Obama has called cyber security as "one of the most serious economic and national security threats" the U.S. faces. In order to prevent such a calamitous attack organizations must address the cyber security skills gap issue that hinders its capacity to defend such evolving threats urgently. According to the Boardroom Cyber Watch 2013 report published by IT Governance, most senior executives name their employees as being the number one threat to corporate data. Now in the age of Digital media, every employee has the capacity to be the face of his or her employer. Creating awareness, and addressing skill gaps will help in developing and deploying an effective cyber security risk management strategy that incorporates people, processes and technology. Therefore, senior managers responsible for developing this strategy and defining how it can be achieved may consider developing their knowledge and skills by having a Cyber Security training course in place. Once a clear strategy is in place, it will be easier to address the remaining skill gaps. Keys to Effective Cyber Security: Organizations must undertake appropriate measures and strictly adhere to them to prevent cyber-crime. The following pointers are keys to cyber security.   Invest Wisely: Expensive technology is not necessarily the best technology to safeguard business information. Adjust or Succumb: Every threat that an organization deters today will lead to a new threat in the future. Self Defense: Organizations must assess their positions thoroughly and have proper safety measures in place to protect vital information. No fixed limits: The organizations data is always under the scanner and there are no fixed limits as to when and where the data could be vulnerable. Cyber Security: A Career Option A US high-tech developer of job market technologies, Burning Glass, recently reported a huge and rising demand for cyber security professionals. With the dependence upon the internet, this revelation doesn’t come as a shock. With the availability and flexibility of technology, there arises an opportunity for diversified cyber threats. Burning Glass also processed data from more than 22,000 online job sites and reported that the demand for cyber security jobs rose 73% from 2008 to 2012. They also believe that this trend is set to continue. The National Institute of Standards & Technology estimated that the US will need a staggering 700,000 new cyber security professionals by 2015. Time to Act Cyber security is critical for all. It affects individuals, organizations and governments. It is time for organizations to act and close the Cyber security skills gap. It will help assure customers, regulators and other stakeholders and will place the organization ahead of their competitors on this front. According to the HBGary report, investing in cyber security can be meaningful long-term investment as: "More than 70% of investors are interested in reviewing public company cyber security practices and almost 80% would likely not consider investing in a company with a history of attacks."  

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.

Using simulations as a medium of learning and planning has been gaining widespread acceptance in several organizations. Companies investing in simulations have access to a variety of choices in terms of technology. High-end technologies) are not the only choices in contrast, spreadsheet software provides a better medium for customizable simulations. Based on Tata Interactive Systems’ (TIS) experience of developing simulations, we posit that most customizable standalone simulations developed in spreadsheet software offer the advantages of lower costs, reduced development timeline, flexibility in experimentation, and elegant Graphical User Interface (GUI). Software such as MS Excel® is globally used for number crunching and analysis due to its ease of use, hassle-free installation, and management. Most customizable standalone simulations developed in spreadsheet software offer the advantages of: 1.Reduced development timeline MS Excel® eliminates the need to create complex scratch up structures as needed in other technologies. Model structures and frameworks can be easily and rapidly built on top of the default features making it a logical choice for many experts who choose to create simulation models. These advantages over other technologies provide MS Excel® an edge that results in reduced development timeline. 2.Lower Costs Given the reduction in timeline, benefits of symmetric and streamlined communication, and use of experimented or readily available models in MS Excel® format, the cost of developing a simulation reduces. This makes it economical to invest in simulations for a variety of purposes. It provides additional leverage to think of other avenues for learning rather than reducing project scope and/or diluting business requirements. 3.Experimentation Flexibility MS Excel® is widely used by SMEs and analysts as a tool to quickly translate ideas into models. In fact, due to its pervasive use some parts of a model may be already available to SMEs and can be plugged in directly into a simulation with minor changes. Its flexibility generates avenues to validate untested ideas that can be rapidly adapted into the final solution with comparatively reduced rework and changes. 4.Elegant Graphical User Interface (GUI) MS Excel® can easily provide aesthetically appealing look and feel such as layouts, drop-down selections, link based pages, graphs, or checkboxes etc. These are either natively available or can be created. 5.Team Synergies Simulation development requires Subject Matter Experts (SME) to transfer domain knowledge to math-modelers who then translate the language of the expert into the language of variables. This combination keeps the team lean and agile. With the added advantage of familiarity with MS Excel® and modelling methodologies, communication is streamlined and output maximized. In contrast, using other technologies complicates the knowledge transfer process by adding a team of technical specialists including programmers, graphic designers, and software architects. Reduced communication layers along with use of MS Excel® increases team synergy thereby allowing rapid implementation while avoiding the need to translate the requirement to another technology. It is with no doubt that spreadsheet simulations can address functional requirements for creating various types of simulation in order to meet their training and planning requirements. These simulations make no compromises either on look and feel or the mathematics of the model and are simultaneously cost effective. For detailed information on the same, please refer to the complete whitepaper:

The Diwali festivity at Tata Interactive Systems over three days - Oct 30, 31 & Nov 1, 2013 was celebrated with much enthusiasm and joy. The fun-filled activities over the three days included Bay Decoration Contest, Creating a hamper for Diwali celebrations, Best Traditional dress contest and Antakshri. Keeping with tradition, the workplace was decorated with traditional oil lamps, flowers and Rangoli - patterns made out of colored sand. An added attraction to the event was The Diwali Mela/Fair with a rural theme to it, included fun games, Astrology, getting a Mehendi art done by an artist and also a scintillating folk dance performance. The Mela activities were fun-filled and left everyone present asking for more. The essence of Diwali filled the air with fun, frolic and merriment with loads of memories to treasure.

Simulations are defined as a replica of a real-world system or event that stays true to its essential precepts. Just like assembling a puzzle whose pieces come in different shapes and sizes, developing simulations involves co-ordinating a variety of activities between various resources that are inherently programmed to think differently. So, what links different activities and resources together towards a common goal? Enter project management and a project manager! In this article, we will articulate key issues in managing a simulation development project from a project management perspective. First Things First: Subject Matter Experts Any replica of a real-world system requires intimate knowledge of the system. For example, a simulation focused on conversation on handling objections in selling a product would require know-how about the objections and their resolution. Similarly, decisions involved in managing a loan portfolio would require know-how about the mathematics involved. This know-how is available with a Subject Matter Expert (SME). These SME’s, being experts, have great demands placed on their time and their availability is constrained. Therefore, a key task of managing a simulation development project requires managing necessary but sufficient SME interactions. Cross-functional Collaboration The details required for a simulation are generally gathered from the SMEs by instructional designers, modellers, communication designers, and/or programmers. These resources think very differently towards the same goal and serve a unique purpose in the project. An important task to ensure great cross-functional collaboration is to guarantee team synergies by selecting the resources appropriately, allowing open debates, focusing on resolving problems, and keeping the team together under demanding circumstances. Scope Management A key element involved in managing the scope for a simulation is to define its boundaries. For example, in a complex simulation, a project manager may define the level of depth required by classifying the simulation as requiring operational or strategic orientation. Such classification may help in determining the level of details that are needed and the details that can be assumed. Documentation While all the information required for a simulation is being gathered, discussions about simulation’s design and its details can flow in several directions. It is pertinent that everyone involved in the process, mainly the client, is aware of all the evolving perspective and the need to iterate. The only way to do this is by being disciplined about ongoing documentation that culminates in a functional and design specification document, which provides an integrated picture. Process and Risks During system study, the approximations involved in simulation require ongoing clarity. By iteratively clarifying the suggested approximations, a reasonable structure and context can be derived. Iteration must be built at every step in the process: from design to production. Besides aiding the development process, it also helps contain and mitigate risks that may arise. In summary, managing simulation development is about managing collaboration between people —including the experts and project resources—who think differently, defining boundaries, documenting the evolving perspective while aiming for a final goal, and doing all this iteratively to avoid and mitigate risks.   For further insights and information on the same, please refer http://bit.ly/1i3GqvE  

The domain of learning has traditionally been teacher-centric. The approach, perhaps, is attributable to social hierarchy that dictates learning has to be driven from the ‘top’ by a teacher or mentor. While this may well be effective, besides being tried and tested, it often fails on one count - it’s assumption that one size fits all. Teacher-centric models traditionally follow a ‘take it or leave it’ philosophy, where the student group is often considered to be a homogenous entity with similar learning styles, levels of competence, learning needs and motivation levels. The need, thus, is for a paradigm shift - to a student-centric model - by leveraging technology. While a student-centric model may not be the panacea for all-things-wrong in the teacher-centric approach, it is a response to an increasing call to give the power to the people. The power which allows the use of technology to have diversity in formats of content presentation, make content more accessible to learners, allow learners to determine their learning path and account for different skill / competence levels. Enter Adaptive Learning Systems! Read more: http://bit.ly/1hBF64t

What really constitutes the purpose of education and learning? While views may differ, we believe that education must provide students with the tools for thinking, problem-solving and creating new things. It must also encourage them to question what is being taught and inculcate in them a certain sense of social justice. Above all, it must leave them with the hunger to continue learning through life. As for learning, it involves many things—not just the ability to retain and reproduce what is taught. So, if you have been observing the recent trends in K-12 education, classrooms in most parts of the developed world have been promoting an environment of inquiry, experimentation and dialogue through the use of technology in classrooms. While this doesn’t take away the significant role of a teacher in the classroom, this power shift, ie, the integration of technology in the teaching-learning process will be a valuable tool for effective learning and to help each child build on his or her strengths. Tata Interactive System’s comprehensive educational solution for K-12 schools "Tata ClassEdge" based on the Multiple Learning Experiences (M-LEx™) Model, aims to make the teaching-learning process more experiential and enquiry-oriented. In this instructional framework, the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in classrooms is a significant component. Here, the teaching-learning process includes multisensory experiences (visual, auditory, verbal and kinaesthetic) that enable students to experience learning across different modalities. The intention of this framework is to enable teachers to resist fixed patterns of teaching, build on the natural curiosity of children, and convert the classroom into an active learning space (as opposed to passive transfer of information). Therefore, Tata ClassEdge lesson plans, which are built on the M-LEx™ model,lay stress on designing activities that provide multiple experiences to children—experiences that arouse their curiosity and are engaging, explorative and participative. For detailed information on the same, please read the White Paper

2013 was a great year for TIS. Some of the major highlights include 15 international recognitions, 4 global symposiums, launch of LEARNow and product innovations like Personalized Learning Applications, Spreadsheet Simulations and MOOCs. After 23 years in the custom learning space, and having delighted a global customer base of several hundred organizations, we continue to evolve and innovate using technology for better learning experience. This year we launched LEARNow, a cross platform, our ecosystem for mobility. LEARNow is a cloud-based, cross-platform, cross-device mobile learning ecosystem that allows users to author and deliver seamless learning content that transcends mobile devices and operating systems, at one go.  Our clients feel confident that the authoring capability here is comparable to the generic toolsets for affordable mobile conversion and deployment -we invite you to have a look (www.learnow.com)! One of the most exciting partnerships we established was with a telecom major to develop a personalized learning environment. While adaptive learning technologies have been in the education space for some time, the transition to corporate learning environment often posed problems either due to constraints of an archaic learning management system or restrictions of security. Personalized learning environment is all about a cloud-based learner centric application that pushes content to the learner after reviewing his competency level based on his personal goals, as well as the community’s/organization’s expectations from him.  How else would you want to see the multi-tasking millennial learn?  With many learning experts socializing the concept of 70-20-10; the personalized learning environment is our answer to making the ‘70-20’ bit relevant and exciting to the millennial learner. The emergence of spreadsheet-based simulations has also been of significance for us. Spreadsheet simulations blend classroom experience with highly interactive and complex models built with lower costs, reduced development timeline, customizable flexibility and, elegant graphical user interface. Another trend that seems to be catching up is the advent of MOOCs (massive open online courseware) in education. While business models are still being debated and as educators unanimously critic about student adaption being not as high as student enrollment, we see a number of corporates already expressing interest to adapt the technology and concept for lifelong learning and professional development.  We hope to launch a few MOOCs for our clients in the months to come! Similarly, as mobile technology evolves into wearable devices, it remains to be seen if these platforms become a disruption in online learning. Meanwhile, our practice teams are prototyping formats using augmented reality to suit the appetite of such devices. On a final note, the year 2013 also witnessed our association with Center for Talent Reporting as well as the introduction of TDRp standards to our customers globally.

Over the years, the Instruction Design community at Tata Interactive Systems has developed innovative learning solutions, and our clients have benefited from the many features we offer. We’d now like to open up our in-house instructional design team to answer any questions about their areas of expertise and generate ideas to help the global L&D community. In a series of weekly ‘Ask the Expert’ webinars, beginning February 6, 2014 (2pm GMT), we will focus on 2D/3D Animation, Learning Consulting, Learning Portals, Business Gaming Simulations, eLearning & Blended Learning and Serious Games. But what does this all mean? And what actually goes into enhancing learning engagement and effectiveness? The science behind these learning solutions is to educate the leaning & development (L&D) community on some of the best practices for optimizing technology/eLearning investment. So, you can gain insights into: How animation and 3D Virtual Worlds can enhance learning engagement and effectiveness Practical approaches towards learning effectiveness evaluation using popular models like Kirkpatrick and Jack Philips. How L&D departments can organize content into a logical eco-system Why Business Gaming is more readily accepted in Germany Whether MOOCs be the trigger to fully engage Senior Execs in continuous self-development The difference between Gamification and Serious Games You will also get an understanding of how TIS helped clients win 8 Brandon Hall Awards in 2013. So, feel free to ask for in-house tips and secrets from the only truly global learning solutions provider. For session details and free registration, visit www.tatainteractive.com/webinars.html Will Chadwick is Vice President - UK at Tata Interactive Systems 

Learning preferences vary around the world and Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), as the only truly global provider of bespoke digital learning solutions, is uniquely placed to offer insight into the reasons behind this. In a webinar titled ‘Business Gaming Simulations’, Tata Interactive will shed light on why there are clear differences in the adoption of business simulations as a learning format in The UK and Germany even though they seem to have similar corporate organisational structures. The Webinar will be held on Thursday, 27th February, 2014 at 2:00 pm GMT. Business Gaming Simulations is one of the most advanced and comprehensive models in eLearning that simulate operating environments. However, learning styles across the globe vary. For instance, business simulations are used quite extensively in Germany whereas there is little penetration of them in the UK. To help understand and overcome this challenge, Tata Interactive’s free webinar to be presented by Dominik Maier, Principal Consultant, TIS, Germany and Will Chadwick, Vice President - UK, TIS, will explore this subject, demonstrate examples and suggest answers. The webinar caters to individuals involved in developing learning content as well as training instructors. Attendees can expect to get a thorough understanding on the effectiveness of business gaming simulations. To register for ‘Business Gaming Simulations’ Webinar, please visit http://bit.ly/1k6yTz7.

"In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business, but is in fact the very purpose of its existence."  - Jamsetji N. Tata (Founder, Tata Group, 1868) This is the Tata Group’s mission statement. And true to its word, the numerous efforts of this Group has brought respect and success to all Tata enterprises across the globe. Comprising over 100 operating companies in seven business sectors: communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals, the group has operations in more than 100 countries across six continents, and its companies export products and services to 150 countries. In fact, the Tata Group was recently declared India's most valuable brand with a value of USD 21.1 billion! March 3, 2014, marks the 175th Birth Anniversary of Jamsetji Tata, a visionary leader & founder of the Tata Group who worked tirelessly to shape the future of India. What a cause to celebrate! The celebration reinforces our commitment to the vision, ideals, and values of the great visionary who paved way for the development of an industrial India. Today, his inspiration drives every Tata enterprise, everywhere in the world. And, we at Tata Group are committed to carry forward Jamsetji Tata’s pioneering vision and legacy. For more details, visit www.tata.com      

Explores learning models and approaches for the connected, networked learners in a complex world Provides an overview of models like Pervasive Learning, Flipped Learning, Evidence-based Learning, Adaptive Learning Systems, and 70:20:10, with a few case studies Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), one of the leading developers of learning technology solutions across the globe, today announced the release of a new white paper "Mapping ID to Performance Needs". TIS has developed this white paper as part of its ongoing effort to resolve the learning-performance conundrum and provide alternative frameworks for practitioners to learn from. It is evident that the world of learning and performance—workplace, higher education, and individual—is undergoing a fundamental shift. To encourage and assist in this effort, TIS’ white paper on Instructional Design (ID) methodology reviews current models like Pervasive Learning, Flipped Learning, Evidence-based Learning, Adaptive Learning Systems, and 70:20:10, with a few case studies, and includes some specific Case Studies that demonstrate the optimal path to learning. In the paper, TIS says, "There has been a significant shift in corporate learning design to suit a new multi-generational workforce and address the need to streamline the learning function. With easy access to information via the internet and social media, longer working hours, and remote working, learners want instant gratification of training needs. At the same time, research shows that while 70% of workplace learning happens on the job, 20% is achieved through coaching and mentoring. In the light of these developments, an organization needs to have a collaborative learning framework, where learners generate content and learn from each other. Shorter, focused programs address the need for knowledge that’s relevant and also act as just-in-time performance support, over multiple devices (web, mobile, etc)." The white paper also focusses on TIS’ learning effectiveness evaluation framework called EAR - Evaluation, Analysis, and Revisit, and serves as a blueprint for the Learning and Development function in the current business environment. Several of TIS’ recommendations include: Given the effort spent on developing eLearning modules, there is a greater scrutiny on the performance improvement a module facilitates. It’s not enough to learn; the learning needs to translate to performance. Course design should be about a holistic approach including performance support tools; a much broader spectrum than a pure learning-oriented philosophy. Since the opportunity cost of an eLearning program is high, there should be a clear connect between the course and performance. To read the complete ‘Mapping ID to Performance Needs’ white paper click here.

Performance? What exactly constitutes ‘Performance’ in today’s business environment? While a myriad of factors shape the performance of modern day workplace, it is work fragmentation and the ability to access work anytime from anywhere using a wide range of technologies that form the key indicators of growth. In this context, L&D has to redefine itself… take a hard look at what they should offer to remain relevant and add value. Some of the learning models that have risen to prominence in response to the current context are Pervasive Learning proposed by Dan Pontefract, the 70-20-10 framework popularized by Charles Jennings, Evidence-Based Learning and Adaptive Learning Systems and, of course, the now ubiquitous MOOCs. While the latter is more of a dissemination model and not really a learning design approach, it provides opportunities for a novel way to approach online learning—whether in higher education or in the corporate world. We, at Tata Interactive Systems, have recently released a White paper "Mapping ID to Performance Needs" that highlights some of these models and their relevance in the post-industrial Knowledge Era. Pervasive Learning with its three components of formal, informal and social addresses the challenges organizations and individuals are facing, i.e., formal training by itself doesn’t go far. It encapsulates and "formalizes" what employees have been anyways doing for a long time—reaching out to peers, sharing experiences and tacit knowledge over a cup of coffee, reaching out to their networks when in need. This model, hence, would be a good starting point for L&D to don the hat of facilitators, connectors, curators and aggregators. The 70-20-10 Framework emphasizes that 70% of workplace learning comes from on-the-job experience, and 20% from networks while assigning a meagre 10% to formal training. Given that most of the meaningful work lies in the complex domain today and the relationship between cause and effect can only be perceived in retrospect, it is fitting that majority of our learning comes from challenging experiences. This is supported by networks in the ubiquitously connected economy, especially for experienced workers. Novice learners may still continue to benefit more from formal training. The MOOC dissemination approach offers an opportunity for organizations to integrate all three aspects of the Pervasive Learning model. MOOCs offer the possibility to incorporate micro-learning components, learning flows, and social learning aspects like discussion forums. The actual "course" content—the micro-modules—could serve as the basis for discussion-starters or be the anchor around which conversations take place. In short, the focus in L&D has moved from learning to performance, from formal trainings to social and collaborative learning, from hierarchy to wirearchy. Stay tuned to know more about these different models… -      Sahana Chattopadhyay, Consultant - Instructional Design, Tata Interactive Systems

Today there is a lot of awareness of Animation and Gaming in the Entertainment domain, however less so of animation in the educational domain. We at TIS believe that the quality of our animation gives our learning programs a competitive edge, and is also widely appreciated by our customers worldwide. On another hand we have some very talented animators working with us and this domain offers alternate and exciting career opportunities designers and animators. Also, animation is a powerful medium of storytelling and has the capability of cutting across geographical boundaries, as well as of making complex subjects more understandable and engaging. The webinar presented by Manisha Mohan, Senior Vice President - Design & Animation, Tata Interactive Systems focused on the advantage of using animation and 3D virtual worlds in education and training - and highlighted some case studies of projects we have done across different domains. These products have helped people learn better and many of them have won international awards. During the Webinar we shared few examples, one of them being - TIS used Maya and Unity 3D to create a virtual retail store in Canada where new recruits/staffs in the company can explore the store environment and identify problems and link them to business impact issues. For example too many people queued up to buy an item could be caused due to the fact that the person at the counter is not trained properly, and may result in loss of sales if people get impatient. Since typically people who work at counters in a retail store are young - they also play a lot of games. They much prefer a format like this as opposed to learning concepts in a classroom or from a textbook. This program also won the Brandon Hall Gold Award for Virtual Worlds last year. The webinar was not too technical in nature and the goal was just to help them see the advantages of using the same medium in an educational context. The audience that had signed up ranged from training managers of companies worldwide, practicing designers and animation students and proved useful for training managers to see this as a potential way of engaging their employees further in learning, or for animators and design practitioners to see this as a potential domain to explore as a career opportunity. To view the webinar recording, kindly visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9yh3s_qaDk&list=UUK_lGf4cV0IWepLHTGB3WJQ&feature=share&index=2

Today, there is a lot of awareness of Animation and Gaming in the Entertainment domain; however, not so much of animation in the Educational domain. We at TIS believe that the quality of our animation gives our learning programs a competitive edge, which is also why it is widely appreciated by our customers worldwide. Further, we have some very talented animators working with us and this domain offers alternate and exciting career opportunities for designers and animators. Also, animation is a powerful medium of storytelling and has the capability of cutting across geographical boundaries, as well as making complex subjects more understandable and engaging. As part of our ‘Ask the Expert’ Webinar series, we recently held a webinar session that focused on the advantage of using animation and 3D virtual worlds in education and training. A few of the case studies that were showcased during the Webinar have won international acclaim and helped people learn better. For instance, TIS has used Maya and Unity 3D to create a virtual retail store in Canada where new recruits/staffs in the company could explore the store environment and identify problems and link them to business impact issues. Consider this: The store witnessed too many people queuing up buy an item. A probable reason could have been that the person at the counter was not trained properly, which in turn resulted in loss of sales, in case the buyers got impatient.  Moreover, people who work at counters in a retail store are typically young; they also play a lot of games. Hence, they tend to prefer a format like this as opposed to learning concepts in a classroom or from a textbook. This program also won the Brandon Hall Gold Award for Virtual Worlds last year. The webinar was not too technical in nature and our aim was to create an awareness about the advantages of using the same medium in an educational context. The audience that had signed up for the Webinar ranged from training managers of companies worldwide, practicing designers & animation students. Most of the training managers expressed that animation could be considered as a potential way of engaging their employees further in learning, while for animators and design practitioners, choosing animation as a career seemed to be a viable option. To view the webinar recording, Kindly visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9yh3s_qaDk&list=UUK_lGf4cV0IWepLHTGB3WJQ&feature=share&index=2 -          Manisha Mohan, Senior Vice President - Design & Animation, Tata Interactive Systems

Tata Interactive Systems’ Webinar on "learning effectiveness evaluation" highlights key challenges facing organizations 61% of practitioners do not feel they have the personal knowledge to perform the task Learning & Development professionals across geographies responded overwhelmingly to the challenges in learning effectiveness evaluation during a poll conducted by Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), as part of our interactive Webinar on "Practical approaches towards learning effectiveness evaluation". The attendees were polled on several parameters ranging from ‘how they evaluate learning effectiveness’ to ‘how effective they are’ and ‘what tools are used to measure effectiveness’.  While the Webinar mainly focused on the challenges facing L&D, learning effectiveness models as well as creating an evaluation plan, we also emphasized on having evaluation measures in place. This is primarily due to the fact that evaluation measures act as a leading indicator and is an in-process measure that could enable you to take pre-emptive actions and help improve your chances of achieving your T&D objectives. A lag indicator, however, is when you are measuring the effectiveness when the process is over and you are measuring in retrospect. Hence, it is always important for training departments to align their objectives with the organization’s goals and then with the department’s / individual’s objectives. During the Webinar, we also polled attendees on key challenges while measuring learning effectiveness. The result revealed that lack of knowledge about evaluation mechanisms (61%) was a primary concern, besides citing lack of time (33%) as another reason for not measuring learning effectiveness. In yet another poll, a sizeable majority of the attendees believed that training evaluation data would help improve employee as well as an organization’s performance. They were also of the opinion that training could become a partner to business rather than being just a vendor. The poll further included questions regarding ‘organization’s readiness to conduct evaluation at different Levels’. The poll results are as follows: Not at all : 50% Only Level 3: 37% Further during the Q&A session, one of the attendees particularly wished to know more about the evaluation mechanism pertaining to Level 3 & Level 4 in a dynamic situation where the attrition levels are high. Click here to know the answer and access the archived video of "Learning Effectiveness Evaluation" Webinar.    -      Poushali Chatterjee, Principal Learning Designer & Delivery Head, Kolkata Centre, TIS

TIS, a thought leader & leading developer of learning solutions, is a ‘founding sponsor’ of the Center for Talent Reporting (CTR) CTR has developed a set of Talent Development Reporting standards for all key talent processes that help organizations run talent like a business  Standards for establishing the reporting and management of human capital are truly critical to the talent & HR functions (including training) as a sincere governance practice, and Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) - one of the leading developers of learning technology solutions across the globe - is offering training & consultancy services to implement Talent Development Reporting principles (TDRp) for all human capital processes. TIS is also a founding Silver sponsor of the Center for Talent Reporting (CTR) - a non-profit organization that has established a framework for TDRp. In fact, the formal launch announcement of CTR was done at the Tata Learning Forum held in Washington DC in October 2012, in the presence of key CTR Board Members. TDRp brings principles, standards, definitions, recommended statements & reports, and processes for all key talent processes including Learning and Development, Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, Capability Management and Total Rewards. These standards provide the much needed guidance in defining the right measures to use and in constructing meaningful management reports. Once in place and consistently applied, the standards would also significantly increase the ease and value of benchmarking with other organizations. David Vance, Executive Director for the Center for Talent Reporting, avers, "The introduction of the TDRp framework helps talent professionals plan, measure and manage to deliver business impact using a standard, yet flexible approach. TDRp helps you run talent like a business, identify business goals, align human capital initiatives to those goals, get upfront agreement with the sponsors on the expected impact, and then execute with discipline on a monthly basis using standard reports just like financial reports are used on a monthly basis to manage other aspects of any business." Adds Gajanan Kasbekar, Sr. Vice President, Tata Interactive Systems, "Till a few years ago, there was no agreed-upon standard for the reporting or management of human capital. Today, TDRp is considered as a groundbreaking initiative that brings standard principles and reporting to all human capital processes. Also, during the course of TIS’ year-long association with CTR, we have trained some of our key performance consultants in TDRp workshops. These performance consultants are today capable of defining, designing and implementing key steps in the TDRp journey for our clients, through levels of maturity." Gajanan is one of the Advisory Council Members at CTR. Hundreds of organizations are already using TDRp. Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) offers TDRp consulting services that can help align an organization’s L&D initiatives to its business goals and outcomes, making comprehensive analysis and reporting possible. The Center for Talent Reporting Established in August 2012, the main focus of this not-for-profit organization is to standardize and improve the measurement, reporting, and management of human capital through the adoption of the Talent Development Reporting principles which were developed by industry thought leaders in 2011 and 2012. CTR is supported by its members, representing 10 countries, and by sponsors like TIS. Members have access to a library with over 600 measures, sample statements and reports, tips and tools, and special discounts for workshops and conferences. CTR will soon launch a members-only community of practice and a directory of resources to increase members’ business acumen and management skills. For more information about the Center for Talent and Reporting, CTR Sponsors, or past and future events visit http://www.centerfortalentreporting.org/

Organisations are trying to put the ‘personal’ back into learning. What’s helping them are platforms like Personal Learning Environment (PLE) that allows learners to create their own learning path, select content of choice, collaborate with peers, rate content and do a host of other things. Some Learning & Development teams are already looking beyond the Learning Management System (LMS) to the PLE, driven by the need to empower and motivate the learner. The business benefits are higher return on investment, better link between training and performance, optimisation of hours spent in formal training, etc. In our recent webinar on Personalised Learning, we explored the world of PLE through a case study involving Alcatel-Lucent. The telecom company’s Cloud-based application, My PLE, is an effective platform for learners to create a learning program customised to their current and future job role and professional development. My PLE is an ecosystem in which learners can explore the world of formal, informal and social learning. It has its roots in the philosophy that learning doesn’t have to be restricted to one-off interventions, formal trainings or even the network of a single organisation. My PLE makes it possible for learners to access and get credit for learning that could exist anywhere—inside the organisation’s LMS or outside of it (think Wikipedia, YouTube, resources on other Clouds, etc.). As far as learning resources go, the sky is indeed the limit! Learning is all-pervasive, although defined by a structure in which the knowledge can be accounted for and recognised. For more on My PLE and the attributes of this application, view http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPzq71NxOC0&feature=share&list=UUK_lGf4cV0IWepLHTGB3WJQ&index=2   -         Sarbani Mukherjee, Principal Learning Designer - US, Tata Interactive Systems