You do not have access to learners or you are really short of time. However, you want to find out if your online course is easy to use and learn. What do you do? You can conduct an expert usability evaluation and expert learning audit. Both these evaluation techniques have their roots in usability inspection. Before I proceed further, these techniques have evolved from usability, but have been modified to suit the requirements of the learning field. If you use some other techniques, please do share. We are always eager to learn more effective ways of doing things.How are these evaluations conducted?An expert (usability/learning) judges the effectiveness of the course. The expert will go through the course and try everything a learner would if he/she were to take the course. They look for obstacles, ambiguity, functionality, and several other issues that hinder progress. Detailed reports are generated at the end of the evaluation.What is an expert usability evaluation?Using this technique, you evaluate the usability of an online course. An expert lists the parameters based on which the evaluation will take place. These could include:Navigation: What is the primary form of navigation? Is this intuitive enough? This would ideally mean that we do not include 'Click Next to proceed' kind of instructions. The learner should intuitively know what the primary navigation is.Visual hierarchy: Is the information organization in a logical manner? Eye movement is typically from left to right and from top to bottom. Are all elements positioned keeping this in mind? Will the learner know where the information starts and where it ends?Accessibility of information: Are important elements placed upfront? Will the learner be able to access the most important information easily.Affordance: Do buttons have the affordance of a click? Will the learner know when a click is required? Will he/she know what is expected on an interactive screen? During learner testing, I have seen learners click images that are not clickable or miss buttons that need to be clicked. This is because the element does not have the affordance of a click. Therefore, it is important to identify such issues.Fonts and font sizes: Will the learner be able to read the text easily? Do font colors hinder readability? Are these fonts and font sizes consistent across?What is the difference between a QA and an expert usability evaluation?A QA checks whether the online course maps to the signed off storyboard/wireframe. It also checks functionality, consistency, and whether the course has any bugs.Expert usability evaluation, on the other hand, checks whether the elements in the course are usable. It also takes into account user experience. Does the eLearning application cater to the five principles of usability - learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and satisfaction?A QA is more content-centric while an expert usability evaluation is more user-centric. This is the main and the most crucial difference.What is an expert learning audit?Using this technique, you can evaluate the learning effectiveness of a course. An expert lists the parameters based on which the evaluation will take place. These could include:Learning objectives - content mapping: Are the learning outcomes addressed? Can the content be directly mapped to the learning objectives? Is there more information than is stated in the learning objective?Learner-content mapping: Is the content specific to the learner profile? Is it relevant? Will it help the learner meet the learning outcomes?Learner motivation: Is the course motivating enough for the learner? Why will he/she complete the course? Will they find it interesting? Will he/she be motivated to take an exercise?Vizualization: Do the visual elements aid learning? Are they similar in look and feel across the course?Language: Will the learner understand what is written? Is there any ambiguity?What is the difference between an ID review and learning audit? By the time the course is developed, several ID reviews have already been done. The learning audit is conducted by a third person who has not been a part of the design phase. Therefore, the course is looked at by a fresh eye and this makes a world of difference. The expert looks at the course without considering the constraints. I believe this is a good thing because several times we compromise on learning because of we are thinking about the constraints. He/she looks to identify the obstacles that will hinder learnability. An expert can help us identify where we have compromised.Keep the following in mind if you are evaluating:Ensure that there are no distractions. This requires a lot of concentration, else you may miss a crucial issue.Try everything. What is the learner were to click this? What would happen if I go here instead of there?Use screen grabs to highlight issues. This is helpful as the reader will not have to shuffle between a report (xls, word) and the course.Include suggestions wherever possible. Provide two or three alternatives if possible. It would be very effective to show a suggestion visually.Ensure that you mark the repetitive issues as a global comment. But, it is also important to identify all those screens in which the issue is present. This will help save time when the reader is fixing the issues.If you have set parameters, you could check each screen for each parameter in a logical manner rather than just scan a screen. This way you will not miss anything.It can become very tedious, tiring, and repetitive. So, be prepared.The reports generated from both the expert usability evaluation and the learning audit is valuable source of feedback. You will be able to identify the things that can be worked on based on the suggestions provided by the expert. Use these techniques to evaluate your online course. Try it once and see how much of a difference it actually makes. But, remember, this is still no match for direct feedback from the learner.

Virtual worlds (VWs) must take user experience seriously. Are these VWs usable? Let us look at Second Life. This is based on my experience and are only thoughts (not expert opinions). I wish Second life would relook at the following:Navigation: Why does the user have to spend time learning how to use the controls? Why isn't the navigation intuitive enough? Why is the Search option so confusing? As a new user, what do I search for? How do I decide where I would like to go? How do I know how big the VW is?Editing Appearance:Privacy: What is the first thing a user does? Most users edit their appearance. Why is this visible to the rest? I can see another user editing the appearance. The stance is weird and the appearance and disappearance of clothing items is downright funny! Can't the user have the privacy to change their appearance? Filtering: Like other social networks, I wish SL provided the option to view a user's profile. This helps understand more about the person. This may help avoid awkward conversations and situations. Usability: The slider widgets used to readjust length of clothing are not efficient. Removing a part of clothing is tricky. I had trouble getting rid of a skirt my avatar had on on top of her jeans. I have also seen my friends struggle to with hair, clothing, shoes, and so on.Conversation: Why should avatar's type as you type on your keyboard? Let's admit it looks very funny. Is there no other intuitive way of letting another user know that you are typing?Actions: It is hilarious to watch a user master the art of sitting at SL. Most times, they face away from us or just run around the place. :) This is a usability issue. A user need not have to practice several times to sit to get it right. In terms of SL for learning, I like the thought of letting the learner create something. But, most objects in SL (atleast those I have come across in my brief time there) are PPTs. SL also has virtual classrooms. When we avoid making the learner read lengthy notes and sit through lectures, why use it in SL? When the fancy of the VW wears off (as it did with me), learner motivation is bound to dwindle. What then? Is there no other interesting format? Check these posts by Karl Kapp on how VWs effectively.Examples of usaing virtual world 3d spaces learning Virtual Hospitals ProtocolThree Virtual World Learning Best Practices

Each Kernite gets an opportunity to present on a topic of their interest on Tuesdays and Fridays. This has not become a ritual at Kern. It was my turn to present and I was looking for a topic to present on. This was when I came across the term Pecha Kucha. I read more about this and was quickly fascinated. I presented on Using Pecha Kucha in Learning. This session was meant to be interactive where we all pooled in our thoughts to understand how and whether Pecha Kucha would be a useful tool in training. Given below is a brief introduction to the concept and then thoughts by Kernites.Pecha Kucha (pronounced as peh-chak-cha) is a Japanese term for chatter or chit chat. In 2003, Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham designed with presentation format to ensure that young designers got an opportunity to share their work. The idea was the keep each presentation really short and concise to ensure that the audience stayed focused. This also allowed multiple presenters to present at one event. The most fascinating aspect about pecha kucha is that the environment has to be informal. Pecha kucha is not about being locked indoors with a presenter going on and on and the audience sleeping with their eyes open. Check out the pictures in Pecha Kucha's official website to get an idea of what informal means http://www.pecha-kucha.org/A typical pecha kucha night has 8-14 presenters. Each presenter is allotted 6 minutes and 40 seconds. They can show 20 images for 20 seconds each. Pecha kucha must be highly visual. Presentations do not have text and bullets. Instead, they have eye catching images/photographs that supplement what is being said by the presenter. Let us look at a popular example of pecha kucha. This presentation format is widely used in the field of design, architecture, photography, art, education, and business. In the corporate world, employees are opting for this format for internal presentations to:check the length of the presentationensure that the presenter zeroes in on the messageavoid interruptionsavoid horrible poorly designed PPT presentations The essence is to keep the presentation crisp and short. During a pecha kucha presentation, the slide automatically moves to the next one as the presenter talks. The presenter must practice to ensure that he/she says what he/she has to say in the span of 20 seconds.Can pecha kucha be an effective learning tool? I think so! Why?It is bound to grab the audience's attention (especially Gen Y).The presentation is crisp and to the point. All unnecessary information is filtered out leaving behing the real message.It may help bring people out of their shell. Since the setting is informal, people may be more comfortable.It is energy packed and highly dynamic.Pecha kucha as an instructional toolA trainer can teach a concept using this presentation format. But, we Kernites were not too kicked about this idea. Why? Pecha kucha is supposed to involve several presenters. The fun may be lost if it is restricted to just one. Also, 6 minutes and 20 seconds may not be suitable for all learners and topics. The learner may feel that the lesson was rushed. Another disadvantage is that the Q&A happens at the end of the session.However, it may be an effective tool to recap what has already been taught or prior knowledge. It may also be useful to summarize a particular topic using pecha kucha. How? Allot one topic to each group in the audience. Ask them to design a pecha kucha presentation summarizing the topic assigned to them. From each team, have a presenter present their topic. This will ensure high involvement and motivation. This will also encourage healthy discussions and in turn, informal learning among learners. If your learners are spread across the globe, you could conduct pecha kucha online. This may not be as effective as conducting the event in a physical location but it is good enough.Pecha Kucha as an Assessment ToolHow can pecha kucha be used as an assessment tool?Problem Solving: Give a case study to your learners. Ask them to arrive at a solution(s) based on what they have learnt. Ask them to present this to other learners using the pecha kucha format.Analysis/Critique/Reflection: Pose a question or a statement and ask the learner to analyze, critique, or reflect on it using the pecha kucha format.Pecha kucha is a great collaboration tool. It not only brings learners together, it also encourages informal learning. One concern that Vaishnavi, a Kernite, raised was that not all will be comfortable with the presentation format. She personally feels that she would feel under pressure if she was asked to stick to 20 seconds per slide. The environment must be informal and dynamic. It must encourage participation. Presenters must also ensure that time has been kept aside for Q&A.Have you used Pecha Kucha for training? Please share your thoughts and experiences.Also read:http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/magazine/15-09/st_pechakucha#http://www.pecha-kucha.org/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,501060724-1214999,00.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecha_Kuchahttp://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=8c161680-e761-4c33-9d4d-b250c15567ce&k=32343

Have you noticed that most clients hate the information gathering stage? You may want to do detailed research and have answers to all your queries before you propose a solution, but several clients wonder "Why are they over doing it?" Have you experienced this? What could be the reasons for this?The information we ask is common sense to them and therefore, they wonder why you haven't figured it out yourself.They wonder how certain information is going to help you design the training program and therefore, they feel that you are asking way too many irrelevant questions.They have sent you all the documents but they feel you have not read them and that you continue to ask the same questions.My previous vendor did not bother me with a third degree. Why are these people wasting my time?Why is information gathering important?Anyone can design a training program based on documents shared by the client, but getting the right information will help you design a training program that will make a difference. You are expected to deliver an effective training program. How are you going to do so without understanding the organization and its employees?This stage also plays a crucial role in building credibility, trust, and rapport with the client. This is the instance where your team gets to interact and make an impression with the client.It helps clearly understand the reality. All misconception, ambiguity is discarded right at the beginning.On some accounts the client are right. What can you do to ensure that information gathering stage is effective.Ensure that you keep it short. If this stage takes too long to close, it is bound to test the client's patience. They want to see solutions and results. The faster you propose a solution the better. Avoid long breaks between meetings. Ensure that you get the information you need over a short span of time. Also, ensure that you make good use of the time allotted to you by the client. Fix an agenda for the meeting. Ensure that the client knows in advance what the goal of the meeting is. This will give them time to prepare for the meeting. They will be able to answer your queries immediately.Ask the right questions. Do not have a standard list of questions and ask all your clients the same questions. Each project is different. You need to modify your questions as per the need. Remove the irrelevant questions and stick to the ones that will provide you valuable information to move ahead.Ensure that you read all the documents shared by the client. It is a bad idea to think that you can get the information directly from the client and therefore, avoid reading the documents. Clients will be offended if they realize that you have not read the information they shared.Do not ask the same questions over and over again. Get your question right and record the answer.Do not introduce new team members halfway through the information gathering stage. If you do, ensure that they are briefed well. Else, they are going to ask the same questions and it may be difficult for them to catch up. Explain the rationale for the questions. This will help clients understand why you need this information. It will help them see that you are not over doing it but just doing your job right.

Many companies are reluctant to invest in social learning using the Web 2.0 tools. You can try and convince your clients about its power and usefulness. But this may not be the only thing stopping IDs from using Web 2.0 tools. In India, Internet and Web 2.0 tools are accessible to very small percentage of learners. Most learners:Do not have access to Internet. We have learners who work in villages/districts to learners who are foot-on-street sales executives to learners who have access to just one computer.Are still very much lurkers. Learnability testing has shown us that people are very reluctant to voice out their thoughts in a public forum.I use tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, and so on for my own self-development. But these tools are very specific to a learner profile and therefore, not the only learning solution. If the learners do not have access to or are not inclined to use Web 2.0 tools, what can we do to ensure social learning takes place? Social/informal learning has been around for ages and is not a new phenomenon. People exchange notes in class, outside class. Employees discuss training at work and outside work. So, how can you encourage people to talk about what they have learnt during and outside the training?1. Include activities. This works well regardless of whether it is during or after training. Ensure that you make these activities fun and challenging. Ask them to do some research and share with the team.How: Include this as your implementation plan and get the buy in of the management. Encourage learners to take an hour from their work. Let them come together in an informal setting (such as a cafeteria, outside in the lawn).For example, for a sales executive, you could have impromptu role plays on selling skills. Divide people into groups of two and have them enact different situations.2. Induce competition. This especially works for highly motivated learners and if the learning objective is a skill based one.How: Include this in your implementation plan. Ask the management to send an informal mail or put an informal notice for all to see. Make it fun and do not enforce it on employees. Involve internal managers and ask them to observe the behavior and decide the winners. Put the names of the winners on the notice board or send an email out to everyone appreciating them. Basically, give them due recognition.For example: We had to provide grooming skills for shop floor executives. We suggested that the management announce 'The Best Groomed Employee' at the end of every week. The employee was required to apply what was learnt to achieve this. The store chief helped identify the best groomed employee in his store.3. Use learning aids. Put up interesting posters, catchy motto/lines, distribute flash cards.How: Design eye catchy posters/handouts. Keep this very informal. Use bright colors and interesting illustrations. make the learners laugh if you can (comic strips should do the trick). Remember to share only the key points. Things that will help reinforce the most important concepts. Keep these in places where it will catch the learners eye.For example: To help customer service associates touch up their make up, we suggested posters be put up in the washrooms. Visual description of the steps guide them and reinforces learning.4. Design a great course. The biggest drawback about eLearning is that it is self paced (I know this has been discussed as a boon and I completely agree). People take courses and then forget about them as soon as they click exit. Designing the course right helps a big deal. If a course that inspires learners or makes them think, they will talk about it. Think about it. When you read an exciting book or watch a great movie, what do you do? Discuss with your friends? Share your thoughts on how the piece moved you or inspired you.How: Understand your learners. Find out what makes them tick. Identify what motivates them and how they think. Understand their attitudes. Why will they like your course? Find the answer to this.For all the above, avoid having too many. Focus only on the key learning points and stick to these. Informal/social learning is about people connecting with one another to learn. Try these and social learning will take place even if your learners do not have access to Web 2.0 tools. The key is to keep it informal. Give people the freedom to participate. Involve people from within the organization to take responsibility for these.

Given below are two views on training:Jaya: I have a list of courses that I am supposed to take. Most of them are irrelevant as I know most of what is covered. These elearning courses are updated regularly. But this typically means that that they change the names in the scenarios and then ask us to take the course all over again. There are a few courses that we are required to take every year because of some rules set by the U.S Government. It seems pointless to go over the same course over and over again. Ravi: I attending a classroom training when I joined. This session was on product knowledge. I found it very useful as it helped me understand the products we were dealing with. I am sure I will benefit from any other training my organization wishes me to attend. I would like training on communication skills.Here, we have two individuals with completely differing viewpoints on training. Interesting, isn't it? The first individual works for a big software company and the other works as a shop floor marketing personnel. Most software professionals will give you a similar response. Why are the viewpoints so different? Jaya hates training, while Ravi is open to it.Let us look at the reasons why Jaya is against training.1. Learn About Everything Under the SunThe training/HR department has about 200 courses on their LMS. A huge list of courses is shared with an employee and they are asked to take it in their own pace. This is mandatory. A person will check if employees are completing the course. Therefore, Jaya clicks next on most of the courses and therefore, manages to finish her list of courses. Does the training department do any research at all? Do they know they know how their employees feel about training? Do they have any clue as to what their employees need and what they don't? Do they consider the employees motivations? Employee says: Why do I have to learn about communication skills? I don't interact with clients anyway! Having employees take courses that are not relevant does not help the cause. It does more harm actually.2. I have enough work, Thanks!Most employees (and not necessarily software professionals) will tell you this when you ask them whether they have time for training. This is because:a. They do not see value in training. They do not feel the need to invest time in training as they are sure they know all there is to know.b. They do have lots of work. They have pressing deadlines, but the training department insists that they complete specific courses within a given period of time. They are distracted as they are more concerned about a deadline looming over their heads.3. It is just sooo boring...yawn!Most software employees will tell you how boring the eLearning sessions are and how they click them away! The course do not interest them and therefore, they do not give it a moment's thought. An hour long course is over in a matter of minutes. What is worse is that they would have done extremely well in assessment section. Therefore, they feel confident that they know everything.Let us look at the reasons why Ravi is pro training.1. I benefited from it last time!Simple! Ravi has a positive attitude towards training because he very clearly benefited from it the last time. He feels confident that any training that his management suggests will help him work better.2. Thirst for KnowledgeRavi feels he will benefit from a course on communication skills. He obviously realizes that he has lots to learn in this area and that a training program may be a great idea.I have already blogged about How to tackle a demotivated learner? So, now I am going to share a few tips for the training department.STOP churning out courses because you have to!The training department has a budget allotted for training. That's great! But, please do not churn out unnecessary courses! Stop trying to fill in your employees' calenders just because you HAVE to! Most employees in the corporate world are over exposed to training. Remember Ravi? Another reason he likes training was because it was new to him. Try newer ways of teaching. Avoid stuffing eLearning/ILTs down the employees throats! Avoid packing their days with unnecessary training.START investing time in researchThe training department (especially of software companies) has no excuse for not trying to understand their employee's needs. Do some research. Understand the skills sets required for a particular role, map the competencies of employees, and suggest courses. Understand what your learner's motivation and attitudes are. Use this valuable information to design a powerful course that will make a difference. PLAN well for training Ensure that your employees do not feel the need to balance work and learning. Ensure that you have their deadlines, schedules, and time in mind when you plan training. This way neither work nor learning gets affected. DO NOT make them choose between the two. The employee will always choose work. If it is a core skill, give them time off work to take it. Ensure that you make their training as smooth as your possibly can.DESIGN a powerful courseHow? The learner is taking an hour or so from his/her work to learn. Give them something that excites them and makes them think. After a full day's work, it is extremely tiring to go through boring training. Give them a breath of fresh air. Make their learning experience a memorable one. Ensure that they do not feel like they are putting in extra effort to take and finish the course. Do not make them regret the time they have invested in this.STOP ruining it for othersThere are so may demotivated learners and the main reason for this is lack of respect for learners. Value their time and treat them with respect. Please do not hold a gun to their heads and say LEARN! Encourage a climate of knowledge sharing. Make them want to learn. Bad training programs poisons the employee's mind against learning itself. A job of a trainer/ID is tough as it. The job is made twice as hard with bad experiences with training.START exploring newer ways of teachingSee what works for your employees. Avoid resorting to tried and tested modes of delivering learning. Try newer ways of teaching things. Explore how you can encourage social learning at your workplace. How can you get people to learn from each other? Use effective combination of solutions to deploy learning. DO NOT insist on employees taking the same course over and overThe learner should have the option of revisiting a course if he/she wishes to do so. Do not impose this on them. If you have a rule saying certain courses have to be taken every year, use different ways of refreshing their memories. This could be in the form of handouts, discussion, quick games/scenario-based checks, and so on.CUSTOMIZE your coursesMost training departments buy off-the-shelf products for soft skills and for technical training, they arrange classroom sessions. If soft skill such as communication is a core skill, then no off-the-shelf is going to cater to the needs of your learner. If soft skill is not a core skill but a concern, no off-the-shelf is going to help! Why? If your employee does not communicate with client face-to-face but only over emails and audio conference, the scenarios in off-the-shelf course may be very general and may not cover these. You need a course that will include scenarios that the learners face in their day-to-day lives. Therefore, off-the-shelf is anyway a bad idea. If you are buying a ready made course, ensure that you have it customized for your needs. Technical training, on the other hand, can be very dull. Ensure that you decide a mode of delivery that will allow active participation. Also, ensure that it is not theoretical and you give information that the employees can actually use.Think about the effect your courses are having on the learner's psyche. If it is a negative one, stop what you are doing immediately and rethink your approach. Please do not ruin it for other who are trying to do their jobs right. If it is positive, pat yourself on your back and continue to change lives for the better.

Saturday, I had an opportunity to meet fellow IDCI members at Adobe, Bangalore. It was great to meet and interact with instructional designers from other companies. I was finally getting to meet the people I interact with online through Twitter, Ning, Linkedin, and blogs. Everyone was extremely friendly and the quick coffee before the session helped me catch up with everyone.Abhinava (@Abhinava)presented on the LH theory. LH theory or the love-hate theory is a philosophy Abhinava swears by for successes in life and work. Abhinava started the session by making us think about ourselves as learners. He posed several questions such as when do you learn, what do you learn, how do you learn. Most things we learn are not necessarily through formal training. After discussing these, he summarized by saying that we learn when there is a need. He linked this need to the Maslow's theory. Abhinava asked us to reflect on the concept of Love and Hate. You can view Abhinava's presentation here.What does it mean to design using love?Designing using love means:Giving the learners positive motivations to meet a need or help them gain somethingDesign a 'feel good' learning programProviding a source to love such as the company itself, the narrator of the course, and so onTaking your time to provide continuous, ongoing reinforcements to ensure that learning occursEnsuring that you have the learner's buy in every step of the way by providing logical reasons/explanationsIn other words, ensure that the learner understands the consequences of learningWorks well for motivated learners and those with high EQ Designing using hate means:Giving the learners negative motivations to force them to protect an existing need or to avoid some kind of lossForcing your hand to ensure that they learn to avoid repercussionsEnsuring that you remove the source of hate as soon as the objective is met to ensure that learning is sustainedProviding quick, useful information that the learner needsEnsuring that the learner understands the consequences of NOT learningWorks well with learners with 'I do not care' attitudesRemember the following points:Use both love and hate wisely. Too much of hate is detrimental to learning. Too much love is wasted if there is no need.Do not try and trick the learner. Be honest and transparent.Design for the learners and not for the content.Ensure that the source of love is available always and the source of hate is removed as soon as its objective is met.It is not about IDs or the content. It is always about the learner.Love your learner always and they will love you back.Abhinava also touched upon another very interesting aspect. I have been thinking about this for very long. What does Instructional Design encompass? Just the content? Just designing strategies for the course? Well, no! It involves a lot more than that. So, let us see what it involves:Identifying the problem: What is the current gap that the organization is trying to fill? How can this problem be solved? Training may not be solution. You may realize that the organization needs to relook at their structure or processes. Training may also not be the sole solution. You may need a combination of changes to make it an effective solution.Understanding the learner: Identify need: How is filling this gap (if through training) going to cater to the learner's need? How will they benefit? Identify motivations: What are their internal motivations? What are their attitudes? Will they want to take this course? Why or why not? Understand learning environment: Where will they take this course? How much time can they take out from their daily work? Are there any disturbances? Are there any factors that will hinder learning?Understanding the content and identifying the ID strategy: ID is not about page level strategies only. It is about the macro strategy that will bind your learning program together. It is about effectively connecting the different learning solutions together.Delivery medium: Identifying the most effective medium/media to delivery learning.Implementation plan: Ensure a successful implementation plan to ensure retention and application of knowledge. On the whole, the session was highly interactive and informative. Looking forward to many more! (For IDCI members: If I have missed anything or misunderstood something, feel free to add/correct me!)

I know I have already blogged about how most people outside the industry frown on eLearning. I am ready to crib about something else now. :) Why do people think instructional design is easy?Case 1:Acquaintance (who happens to be a software engineer): So, what do you do?Me: I am an instructional designer. I design learning programs for corporates.Acquaintance: Really? I am usually free during weekends, give me some work. I would like to do something.Me: Yeah ok.Thinking to myself: Do you know that you need to learn how to do my work? I was trained for a whole year and am still learning about how I can work better. You think you can master this task over the weekend?Case 2:Acquaintance: Hi, I hear you work from home. Can you get me a job like that?Me: I don't think so.Thinking to myself: Do you even know what kind of work I do? How do you know whether you will like it or not? I work from home, but this is 'serious' work. (I get this very often. People think my job is a hobby and not a 'real' job.)Case 3:ID: I didn't realize storyboarding was so tough. I thought having good writing skills was sufficient.Me: Well, ID is a lot more than that. (I go on to share my experiences and crib about how people think instructional design is easy.)Coming back to my original question: why do people think being ID is easy? Is ID about throwing a few slides together? Is ID about content chunking/content development? I'd say it takes alot more than that. If you are looking to take up a job as an instructional designer, you may want to check whether you have the following traits:a. Ability to read and grasp varied subjects: Do you read a lot? Do you read all sorts of books/blogs? An ID should be a voracious reader. He must have the ability to read anything and grasp what is being said.Why?You will come across diverse subjects in your career as an ID. You cannot afford to be 'comfortable' with just one domain (such as soft skills/technical). You should be able to read all kinds of subjects and understand what is being conveyed. Be it rocket science or how to dress to a prom, you should be able to read it and understand it.b. Deconstruct theory and convert into practical examples: You should be able to look beyond the theory and search for real life examples. You can pick on the SME's brain, Google it, read books/blogs, and so on. But, get the information that will help you design learning effectively. Being an ID is not about copying information from one source and transferring to another source. What you do with this information is important. Transform it, make it learnable. (Believe me, it is easier said that done)Why?There are several reasons. Everyone understands a concept better when you share an example. Examples help apply knowledge. What will people do with theories? They want information that they can use. The SME may not be helpful enough to understand why theory is not sufficient or he may be too lazy to do the research for you. So, get used to it. Don't depend on others, go looking for the information yourself.c. Understand the DLC: Instructional design is not just a part of the process, it is the process. ID is not only about identifying training needs. It is about identifying what the need is. It may not be training the way you understand it. It may mean relooking at the organization structure or the policies and procedures. Even if you are going to play a small role in this process, understand how the process works. Instructional designing is no longer (if it ever was) about storyboarding. It is a lot more. ID starts when you talk to your client, do research to understand your learners, propose the solution, design the table of content, brainstorming about the mode of delivery and implementation plan, storyboard, develop the program, do a QA, test it, and roll it out. Ensure that you know about the entire process. See how you can contribute at all times.Why?If you are lucky, you may get to play a part in all stages of the process. You shouldn't have to learn about this later. Believe it or not, in all my projects, I am involved right from the word go till the very end. The project is mine and I know it inside out. I believe in it and know what works for it and what doesn't. I work in a team. My work is not done when the storyboarding is done. I love how my boss (Geeta Bose) puts it: This is not an assembly line where everyone plays a small part and exits. This is so true. If you are designing a part, quit now and join a company that will allow you to design the product itself.d. Being sensitive to people's needs: Are you intuitive? Are you observant? Are you non-judgmental? If the answer is yes, you will be a good ID. You need to understand your learners. You need to observe them at work and pick up important details that the client will not share with you. Don't judge them for being the way they are. Like Abhinava (@Abhinava) says, love your learners and they will love you.Why?It is important to be attached, not detached. You need to understand what your learners feel and why. How can you fill this gap? Getting these answers will help you design an effective learning program.e. Keep your feet firmly on the ground: Every day you will read about new technology, how it is great and is going to replace all other forms of teaching. Read it. Think about it. Use it. But do not replace this information with whatever you have learnt so far.Why?Designing effective learning solutions is not about using the latest technology or applying the latest theory. It is about identifying the right solutions given your audience. Do not look down upon any form of teaching. Your solution may lie in ILTs, eLearning, out bound training, job aids, a book, restructuring of an organization. Keep your options open and choose wisely.f. Visualize what you read: Do you visualize what you read? Do you have an imagination? I know there are visual designers for this job. But I firmly believe that as an ID, you need to visualize what the program is going to look like. A job of an ID does not end with content chunking and organization. It also involves visualizing how each screen or idea will unfold.Why?Visualization is not only about graphic elements. It is about how graphics, text, audio, and other learning elements come together to make information learnable. Visualize how the complete training program will unfold. If you are clear about this, the product will be brilliant.g. Openness to learn: Are you open to learning yourself? It is not only about making others learn. It is equally important for you to learn. Unfortunately, several people think work pressure is a good enough reason to not learn. This only means that you are not managing your time well. Invest in learning and you will do well. Network and learn from others. Find out what others are doing, listen to what they are saying.Why?It is important for you to believe in 'learning' if you are going to want your learners to do it. You have to constantly learn to ensure that you have all the information and the skills required to do your job well. What you learn may not be useful immediately, but will help you in the long run.h. Respect yourself: Are you used to voicing out your opinions? Will you fight for what is right? I know it sounds idealistic, but it really helps. IDs must questions why. Believe in what you are doing and stop blindly following orders. You respect yourself and people will automatically respect you.Why?It is important to know why certain things are the way they are. You may raise questions that others haven't thought of yet. Clients will appreciate that you are truly trying to design an effective program.I am sure there are several more things that can be added to my list. But, I have to stop somewhere. Finally, do not become an ID if:1. You think its is going to be an easy and comfortable job. No job is easy.2. You love technology and are dying to use it. Design for learner and not because you want to try out a fancy technology.3. You think you know a lot and can share it. Like Abhinava says, it is never about you. It is always about the learners. You may know lots or nothing. As long as you are willing to learn and read, you will do fine.Read Instructional Designers need more skills than just writing! to really know what ID is really about (while you are there, check out the other great posts as well). If you already in the field, read 5 things an ID can think differently about!Have you ever got the impression that people thought your job was easy? Share your experiences here. Also, if you have anything to add to my list, feel free to do so.

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Speak Out is now a part of eLearning Learning. For those of you who have not heard of this site, I recommend you visit it now. The tag line of this site says it all: 'A community collecting and organizing the best information on the web about eLearning'. This site acts as a huge reservoir of information. The best blogs in the field of eLearning are featured here. Tony Karrer has brought together the best blogs under one roof.If you are a learning professional, here are the reasons why you must visit eLearning Learning:This site includes the latest posts by all the great bloggers (who you are probably already subscribed to). The difference being you can now go to one site and find all the new posts there.Search has now been made easier. If you have a query, what do you do? Go to your favorite blog and hope the author has written on it? Google it? Now, all you need to do is visit this site and search. You will find relevant posts from several blogs.Tony Karrer makes life even easier by assimilating a list of best blog posts for a particular category or month. Quoting eLearning Learning:The goals of eLearning Learning are: Collect High Quality Content - The goal of a content community is to provide a high quality destination that highlights the most recent and best content from as defined by the community. Provide an Easy to Navigate Site - End users most often are people who are not regular readers of the blogs and other sources. They come to the content community to find information on particular topics of interest to them. This links them across to the sources themselves. Be A Jump Off Point - To be clear all content communities are only jump off points to the sources of the content. Help Surface Content that Might Not be Found - It’s often hard to find and understand blog content that’s spread across sites. Most users are not regular subscribers to these blogs and other content sources.Do visit it to see what this site has to offer.

Check out this SlideShare Presentation: Scenario Based LearningView more presentations from Kern Learning Solution.

What is your attitude toward rework? How often have you heard or said 'I already changed that! You want me to work on that again?' Rework can really demotivate you, especially when you are new to the field. You will see rework as you not getting it right the first time or reviewer not appreciating the effort you put in. Rework can also be very mechanical. You just need to add a line here, replace an image or remove word there.When is it ok to rework several times?a. When you are exploring a new approach: When you are trying something new, be prepared to rework. You are bound to realize that there are loose ends; things you had not thought of earlier; newer ideas that you think will work better; that old ideas do not have the necessary impact and so on.How to tackle: Ensure that you are working in a group. Extra heads help identify the issues at an earlier stage. Have smaller milestones and frequent reviews.b. When you have time to improve the quality: You know that your design is good but not great. The reviewer points out relevant value adds that can make your design great. Be open to this.c. When you want to ensure you get it right: When is it important to get it 100% right? It is important to get it right when:the training is in line with a primary role/skillyou want to being a attitudinal/behavioral changeyou need solutions to bring about a mind shityou have promised resultsd. When the reviewer is adding value: It is important to allow the reviewer to add value to your work. If it can be improved, then why not? Be open to newer ideas.When is rework frustrating?a. When you don't see eye to eye with person giving the feedback: The person giving you feedback may be a client, an authority, a SME and so on. But, never fix something because you are being told to do so. Ensure that you are convinced that the change is a value add and will aid learning further.How to tackle: Have long drawn discussions about why this change needs to be made. Share your concerns. Ensure you reach a consensus.b: When there is no clarity on what the reviewer is thinking: This can be very frustratedly. If you continue blindly fixing, you will have several version before things are clear in the head of the reviewer.How to tackle: Have detailed discussions to understand what the reviewer is trying to say. Ask the right questions to ensure that the reviewer thinks further. Do some research and share information with reviewer. Also, double check by restating what you have understood and what you are going to change.c. When new things creep up at every round of review: This happens to most of us. Where the reviewer is pressed for time and therefore, scans through the storyboards and shares a top level feedback. This never gets over till they actually sit down and go through it.How to tackle: If possible, arrange a meeting with the reviewer. Take them through the storyboard and fix issues in front of them.d. When you are pressed for time: If you are pressed for time and the review cycles are just not getting over, there is a major problem. The possible reasons:Time-effort allocation for this project was incorrect.The reviewer has great expectations.You are just not cut out for this work.Attitude to ReworkWhy did I feel the urge to blog on such a topic? This is because I used to hate rework myself. But, over the years, I would like to believe that I have checked this attitude. Two months back, I worked on a project that required extensive rework at several phases. I realized that (though I was frustrated at times) every time I reworked the product looked better. It is highly satisfying when you look at rework from this point of view.Rework is probably as important as writing the storyboard for the first time. Be open to it. Respect the people you work with. Remember most people want to ensure that we have a good product. Your goal should also be aligned to this. It will help if you reduce obvious errors while storyboarding/fixing. The more challenging the project, the more the chances of rework. Follow this and it will help reduce rework:Ensure you understand what is required clearly before attempting to do it.Ask the right questions so that you have all the answers.Ensure that you are totally convinced about what you have done. If you are not, the reviewer is surely not going to be. Be proactive. Do some research to get a clearer understanding if you are unable to get it from the reviewer.Bounce ideas off peer if you are stuck.

Jai and Prachi live in Bangalore with their 2 year and 2 month-old son, Druv. Druv is an active kid. He loves watching Hanuman and Jungle Book. He repeats words as soon as he hears them. He stays at home with his grandparents and parents. They typically converse in their mother tongue. He is the darling of the house. Thinking it is time, the parents start looking for a school for their son. They research the best schools in the area. They visit a few and select one. They approach the faculty for admissions. A faculty member mentions that the kid is a little younger and therefore, the parents will have to meet the headmistress. An appointment is made with the headmistress. The parents and Druv finally meet the headmistress. The headmistress takes a few plastic fruits and asks Druv to name them. Druv gets Apple and Banana right. She then shows him a watermelon. Druv has never seen a watermelon before and therefore, refuses to answer her. She continues to ask him the name of the fruit. Finally, Druv gives in an says "Stop it!" and talks in his own language (child talk). The headmistress says, "Your son does not know English. How will he fit in class?" She asks Druv's mother to ask a few questions in their mother tongue. Druv promptly answers all these questions. The headmistress watched him closely. She then tells the parents that their son may have a speech problem. She says that she has been in this industry for a long time and has seen several 2 year olds. Children of his age should be able to speak a complete sentence. The fact that Druv was unable to do so and was blabbering shows that Druv has a speech problem. She suggests that they take him to a spastic society and get some tests done. She also suggests that they come back with the test results. She mentioned that this school also took in special student and therefore, she can help them. The parents were shocked and quite stunned to react. The parents were later extremely angry and offended. They checked with Druv's pediatrician. She was equally angry. She explained that kids at the age of two connect a few words together and cannot be expected to talk fluently. VIBGYOR High is the name of this school. This is a real incident. The parents discussed here are people very close to me. Druv is like my very own son. I also have a two year old son. He does not talk in English and cannot talk complete sentences. He only connects two or three words together. So what was my reaction to this? Why am I sharing this here? I am absolutely appalled by the headmistresses behavior. Why?1. You do not judge kids based on their behavior the very first time you meet them: Children are different at home and extremely different in front of new people. The headmistress who has seen several 2 year olds should have known this. Before you reach such conclusion, you must spend some time with the child.In our realm: Do you make rash judgments about your learners based on their behavior the very first time you meet them? There is always more that what meets the eye and it is your duty to understand the complete picture before you describe a learner. Remember how offended the parents were. If you jump to the wrong conclusions about your learners, you are going to offend the company.2. Stress interviews are not for learners: At home, you may teach your kid names of cars rather than fruits. How can the headmistress expect the kid to name the fruits without understanding what he already knows? Is it a crime for the kid to not know what a watermelon is? She should have made the kid feel comfortable, rather than forcing him to answer. Is a stress interview really necessary for kid?In our realm: Do you make your learners feel comfortable when asking them questions about their work? Do they feel like they are being 'tested' or judged. There is no doubt that it is exactly was this headmistress was doing. Judging the kid...3. Do not expect the learner to 'know': Any kids goes to school to learn languages, numbers, shapes, colors, etc. The headmistress had no right expecting the kid to know English and names of fruits. In our realm: Do you assume that your learners must know certain things? When you meet your learners, you must be free of preconceived notions of how they must behave, they must know, and what they need to learn.4. Handle learners with kid gloves: The headmistress should have been more sensitive to the parent's feelings. She should have shared her thoughts on the kid's speech in a very tactful and sensitive manner. You cannot just declare such things out loud. If you want the parents to take you seriously and not get offended, you must ensure that you have enough facts and that you consider their feeling before giving them that information. This headmistress was hardly professional. She neither took the time to understand the kid better, nor did she handle the parents well.In our realm: Do you identify learning gaps after a detailed analysis and backed by research? Or do you general push a list of courses that you think may solve a surface level issues? Be sensitive to your learner's and client's needs. Treat them with care and more importantly, with respect.Please do not put your kid in VIBGYOR High. If the headmistress is like this, imagine how the staff would be. All children (learners) are different. Each has a different learning curve. Some kids start walking earlier, some starts talking later, and so on. It would be wrong to pass judgments without really understanding them. Someone I know started talking only when he was 5, does this mean he that he had a speech problem? I don't think so. He speaks fine. If headmistresses and teachers don't understand that each child is different, I dread the day when I have to put my son in school! Finally, I really don't understand why schools want to take only the so called 'smart' children. What is great in taking the cream and showing to the world that you get the best grades? Take all children and do the same and that would be truly great! Do we have the option of making just the smart learners take the course? No. This would be crazy! Infact, our focus is on the so called low performers. At this point, I must warn you: When you request your client to share names and numbers of learner who you can talk to, they may give you their best performers. Ensure that this is not the case. You want to talk to all 'types' of learners and not just the management favorites.My last and final point: During learner analysis, please do not be this headmistress! Acting as she has, you will only damage the learner and the learning. Understanding your learner requires higher EQ. Be human...

(Photo Credit: Veer)Giving feedback is truly an art that one needs to master. Before I go ahead, let me make it clear that I am referring to feedback given for assessments. We had this really interesting #KernLearn session on Twitter last week on Designing Assessment in eLearning. Given below is the transcript.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------rnarchana 1. Do assessment questions aid learning? How can they be designed so as to enrich the learning experience? #KernLearnpartvinu #KernLearn yes, they do, the strategies are dependent on multiple variables, formative or summative, blooms level, audience maturity etcshana1729 @rnarchana 1) IF designed better, assessments enrich, otherwise kill learning. understand learner motivation n design acordingly. #KernLearnshana1729 @rnarchana how to design assessment in elearning- a guide: http://bit.ly/1x8C7 #KernLearnshana1729 @rnarchana A) Numerous no. of qn kills interest B) design in innovative way- dare 2 move out of traditonal methods, yet learnable #KernLearnshana1729 @rnarchana C) Make assessments more visual, but avoid unnecesary images. In elearning, a dry screen de-motivates learner.. #KernLearnshana1729 @rnarchana D) Challenge the learner (if the profile of learner fits it) E) Make it game based F) Design around a story..#KernLearnshana1729 @rnarchana F) Don't let learner think that "I am being examined" #KernLearnshana1729 @rnarchana #KernLearn 2. I think max is 10 if it is designed in traditional methods - mcq, mmcq etc..geetabose 1. Assessments in refresher courses: used an exercise to help learners recall skills & clearly identify areas to brushup & focus. #KernLearngeetabose 1. What was special abt this exercise - it cud guide learners across levels based on response & help zero in on thr focus area. #KernLearnrnarchana 2. Assements in eLearning: How much is too much? Any thumb rules you follow? #KernLearngeetabose @rnarchana Clearly depends on the key testing points identified and their impact on learning outcome... 1-2/ LO is a good measure #KernLearngeetabose RT @shana1729: F) Don't let learner think that "I am being examined" #KernLearn | this is an interesting point...rnarchana 2. Learner will think its too many only if he does not see the purpose. If designed well, a quesn will have him wanting more. #kernlearngeetabose For adult learners, their motivation is high if they know upfront they r being examined & know the consequences @shana1729: F) #KernLearnrnarchana 2. 2 many/2 little is relative. How many testing points do U have 4 the learning objectives is. imp & R they motivating enuf #KernLearnpartvinu #KernLearn 3 screens 1 AQ, and final assessments generally 1 per objective, or 2 per topicgeetabose RT @rnarchana: 2 many/2 little is relative. How many testing points do U hav 4 learning objectives is imp & R thy motivating enuf #KernLearngeetabose Most critical aspect of assessments that aid learning is the 'diagnostic' feedback that the learner receives - #KernLearnrnarchana Assessments should have rewards and punishments. Increases impact. These should be designed based on the learner's motivations. #KernLearnrnarchana RT @geetabose: Most critical aspect of assessments that aid learning is the 'diagnostic' feedback that the learner receives - #KernLearnrnarchana Designing assessments is not about tricking the learner into making errors. It is about making them think rather than guess #KernLearngeetabose Use assessments creatively- enable learners to demonstrate knowledge, explain reasoning, develop argument or evaluate a situation #KernLearngeetabose What's the most creative use of assessment that you have seen? Share some examples? #KernLearn vijeesh @rnarchana Assessment Qs: Response and analysis based assessment Qs can work wonders #KernLearnvijeesh @rnarchana 2. 10 interactive and motivating Qs per half an hour #KernLearnvijeesh 1. Most important! RT @shana1729: @rnarchana F) Don't let learner think that "I am being examined" #KernLearnrnarchana An example for interesting assessments: http://tr.im/OpPJ Check Employee Security, Front Line Loss Prevention, #KernLearnrnarchana Examples of interesting assessment in ELearning http://tr.im/OpQB Check examples of scenario based learning #KernLearnrnarchana Examples of interesting assessments in eL http://tr.im/OpRE Check Pre-Op intro and Main Surgery #KernLearnvarmarashmi RT @rnarchana: 2. 2 many/2 little is relative. How many testing points do U have 4 the learning objectives is. imp & R they motivating enuf #KernLearnvarmarashmi RT @geetabose: RT @shana1729: F) Don't let learner think that "I am being examined" #KernLearn | this is an interesting point...varmarashmi RT @geetabose: Most critical aspect of assessments that aid learning is the 'diagnostic' feedback that the learner receives - #KernLearnvarmarashmi Assessments enhance learner involvement and interaction (also visible in twitter sessions) #KernLearn-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------While there are several thoughts here that interest me, the one that mattered most is the one shared by Geeta: Most critical aspect of assessments that aid learning is 'diagnostic' feedback that learner receives. Tell me something...1. While designing feedback, do you ever think, 'How will my learner react to the tone of the feedback?'Why is this important, you ask? What is the standard feedback that you use "That is correct. or That is incorrect? I will tell you what I think is wrong with these (I could be biased as I hate conventional ways).a. It just sounds too robotic! The learner will find no joy in getting it right. On the other hand, if he does get it wrong, it is going to have 'zero' impact on the learner.b. It sounds condescending. If your learner is the sensitive/timid/introvert/self-respecting type, he is going to be offended. Learner motivation dips and you have lost him.What can you do instead?Think about the tone. Think about the feeling that you want to evoke in your learners. Use direct feedback to make them feel good (You are right! or Absolutely! or We agree!). Use milder (but still effective) ways to tell him he got it wrong (Oops! or Nope. or Really? or Are you sure?). Please do not reprimand. We want to encourage him to learn and not make him feel small.2. Do you ever think about what you want the feedback to do?For example, how does the following feedback help?Feedback for incorrect answer: That is incorrect. Rakesh falls in the low income group. This learner has got this assessment wrong. This means that 'something' went wrong. She has not understood what you have explained previously. (Remember that is also not her fault) This is your opportunity to ensure learning is checked. This is your chance to set things straight. Here, you can explain why Rakesh falls in the low income group. If you don't, the learner is not going to go back and check (not even the studious ones go back). He will move ahead and your learning objective is already in danger.What can you do instead?Do not underestimate the role of feedback. It can play a very crucial role in checking misconceptions/understanding. We all know that assessments are designed to check understanding. But checking does not mean identifying whether they got it right or wrong. By checking, I mean providing them the rationale. Tell them why they went wrong. It is not important to prove them wrong but to make them understand why it is wrong. Even if the learner gets it right, the rationale reinforces all that she has learnt. When she reads it, she feels good that she also had the same logic in mind. If it was good guess work, at least she can read why it is right.3. Feedback can be more than just text!Text is just one way of giving feedback. Coming back to a point that I have touched briefly, what is the desired impact? Do you want to the feedback to have a high impact? Make the learner think? Use more than just 'That is correct. or That is incorrect.'What can you do instead?Audio: You can use audio to let them know how they have done. Audio is a very powerful medium of getting feedback across. You must have seen how games such as Mario Brothers, Pacman, Tetris, and others use audio to indicate whether your move was a good one or bad.Visual: Show the consequence of an action as a visual. For example: image of a happy or a angry customer.Rewards and punishments: Add a challenge and raise the stakes. This ensures high impact. Some simple ways to do this could be points system, a (virtual) pat on the back, a big jump ahead, happy ending, and so on.3. Choose my feedback strategy based on my learner.But most importantly, chose your feedback strategy based on your learner (or as we say at Kern, learner persona). Why? Imagine this.Your learner has to take your course because your research shows that this is a skill that he needs help with. But your learner believes otherwise. He thinks he knows everything he needs to about the topic.So what will you do? I would suggest you go for rewards and punishments. If you go by the conventional method, he will think he knows better and that the exercise itself must be flawed. So, challenge him. Trust me this works like a dream. At the end of the course, the learner still feels good about himself and he has also learnt a lot.If your learner persona is a shy type who is afraid of getting it wrong, keep your strategy fairly simple. Encourage him all the way and he will do his best to learn. Therefore, chose your feedback strategy based on who your learner is. Understand their motivations and design your feedback accordingly.Next time you are writing feedback for an assessment, ask yourself 'What do I want to do with this feedback?' (I pray the answer is not 'nothing' :)) Let us work on mastering the art of giving good feedback. Do share instances of how you use (un)conventional feedback to teach better.

Kern Turns Green! Check our new website, brand new us! http://kernlearning.com/More on why 'Green' later. Watch this space! In the meantime, we would love to hear from you. Feel free to share your thoughts on our website.

I have always worked on eLearning rather than ILTs. I did start my ID career working on an ILT. But last year, I have had the opportunity to work on two completely different types of ILT.Type 1: During this session, we had to teach call center executives the basics of Internet. We conducted telephonic contextual inquiry and mystery shopping (over the phone) to understand our learners. The learners were a fun loving lot: young, eager to work well, motivated. Designing ILT for these guys was absolutely fun. We introduced several videos and interesting activities and group discussions, which had the desired impact. We also had young, enthusiastic trainers run the training program.Type 2: This was much, much more challenging. This training program was huge! Kern Learning Solutions conducted an assessment center to understand the current competencies and carried out detailed contextual inquiry. Based on the findings, training areas were formulated. I learnt a lot during the storyboarding phase of this project:1. Working with SMEs2. Designing activities that interested the learners3. Ensuring printing too place (believe me this can be a nightmare)5. Clear communication with the trainersI attended the pilot to check how the learners responded to the training. The experience needless to say was absolutely thrilling. I learnt a lot. I specifically wanted to share what I thought of the role of the trainer. During a #KernLearn session on Twitter, I posed the following question:rnarchana What makes a trainer 'good' during classroom training?partvinu The trainers should be able to involve the participants in the discussion through listening, and creative interventions.chneels Should be able to convey the right message and content to the learners without putting them to sleep:)chneels trainers should teach content with more examples and situations..partvinu trainers can use humor but only to enliven the atmosphere, not to divert the attention of the learnerssandeepdev Learning by doing & learning by mistakes... the holy way of teachinggeetabose Good teachers do not provide asnwers, they say Find out yourself! RT @sandeepdev: Learning by doing & learning by mistakes...rnarchana Good trainers always have their finger on the pulse of the audience. They adjust based on the participant's needs.rnarchana They inspire, encourage, and praise. RT @geetabose: Good teachers do not provide answers, they say Find out yourself!rnarchana A good trainer is extremely 'likeable', 'approachable', 'full of energy', 'good listener', 'highly observant', 'confident'.rnarchana A good trainer makes the 'learning' come alive. He engages the learners mind without solely depending on presentation toolsrnarchana A good trainer will never be heard saying 'Man! The participants are terrible. They won't open their mouths.'rnarchana gd trainer ensures that every participant gets a chance 2 voice their opinion/participate. He uses their names (not hey U! )rnarchana Good trainers are well-prepared. They find all the answers. And if they don't know an answer, they are not afraid to accept it.mutechords @rnarchana A good trainer is one who can visualize the realistic outcome of the training programmutechords I enjoy trainings where there were no PPTs but more interactions+anaysis of situations. good trainers are like that i guess. even before it has startedshana1729 @rnarchana A good trainer shud b interactive n engagingshana1729 @rnarchana A good trainer will have a clear learning/teaching objective, wil conduct mock sessions before he goes live..shana1729 @rnarchana A good trainer should be able to tackle the participants who goes on and on debating something useless.shana1729 @rnarchana A good trainer will never read out the text on the slide!shana1729 @rnarchana A gud trainer ll nvr underestimate learners. But understands and digs out the deep knowledge n crazy ideas from participants..shana1729 @rnarchana A good trainer Sets expectation participants before starting off then maps Expectation and Achievements at d endshana1729 My views on a good ILT, nd my bad experiences as well: http://bit.ly/Z5maD #KernLearnsumeet_moghe @rnarchana that's the one part i slightly disagree with. good trainers are facilitators -- they guide participants to the answers.This discussion captures the characteristic of a good trainer. What are the 'don'ts'?(Photo credit: Veer)1. Do not invade the learner's personal space. If the trainer goes too close, he will end up intimidating the learner.2. Do not 'stuff' information down the learner's throat. The trainer must remember that the learner has 'prior knowledge and experience'. It would be terrible to assume that the learner knows nothing. The trainer show draw out the answers from the learners and ensure that everyone learns from each other.3. Don't be rigid. The trainer is a facilitator of learning. It is ok to add more points to the training material. The attitude 'It is not in the text book' will not work here.4. Don't hurry topics because you have to meet a deadline. Don't skip activities or rush through the topics because you are worried you won't finish on time.5. If there are obstacles, underplay them. For example, there is a power cut as you are taking a session, what would you do? Make a hue and cry over the facilities or the lack of it? Or ensure that you continue with the discussion without allowing anything to interrupt your flow?6. Don't drag your feet. If the trainer is not energetic, how will the learner energy levels stay up? Regardless of how well they know their stuff, if there is no energy, they are detrimental to learning.7. Don't digress. Too many thoughts/ideas is not what they need. Stay on the right track. Prepare well in advance to crystallize your thoughts.8. Never blame it on the learner. If they don't respond to you, it is because you have made ZERO impact on them.If you have any more points to add to this list, feel free to comment.

In my last post, The Role of a Trainer, I touched on what it takes to be a good trainer and what are the list of don'ts that the trainer can keep in mind. There are several more aspects of ILT that I find intriguing.1. How your ID strategies may be absolutely brilliant but your trainer can ruin the training very easily or how a brilliant trainer can make up for poor ID2. How ID for ILT is so very different than ID for an eLearning module3. How an instructional designer has to take into consideration several things: other learners, the venue, the seating arrangement, the facilities, the space, the trainer, the mood, the attitude, and so onWhat I find even more intriguing is designing activities for ILTs. Activities in ILT are the crux of the training (atleast I think so). The activities encourage social learning and active participation. It also ensure 'hands on learning'. What do you need to keep in mind when designing an activity for an ILT:1. What type of activity are you designing? Is it a case study/scenario/game/individual exercise?2. How do you want to divide your participants? In groups of 2, 3, 4, 5?3. Are any props required? Can you use relevant props that will aid learning and make the experience extremely memorable for the learner?4. How much time would this activity take? 20 mins inclusive of discussion? 30 mins?5. How will they share what they have done? Should a representative present the thoughts/findings? Should the class see the whole 'event' unfold in front of them?6. How is feedback shared? Ask the other learners to share their thoughts in what just transpired?7. How do you summarize the learning to make it easy to remember? Here's an experience that has to stored as learning. How can this be done?8. How do you ensure healthy competition? Offer an award/reward by listing the criteria for emerging winner? Offering praise at the end?When we think ILT, unfortunately, everyone imagines training within four walls. While this is not wrong, I wish out bound trainings also sprang into our minds. Or when we think of training within the classroom, we do not imagine the trainer near the whiteboard and the learners seated in an orderly fashion. I wish we would think of people all over the room, enthusiasm in their faces, order within chaos, almost like a play where everyone gets to play a part and learn from it. Hmmm, FUN!I wish in the near future, I get to design such a training program where learners are on their feet and learning by doing. Soon.... Meanwhile, if you have designed such a training, please do share. Would love to hear and turn green with jealousy! :)Also, check this video out: What Makes a Great Teacher?

I was reading an interesting blog post on Instructional Design versus Experiential Design: do you have what it takes? by Koreen Olbrish. I have picked out a particularly interesting bit.Experiential learning is a process of learning by doing. According to David Kolb, an individual learns from personal experiences and from the environment.1. Having said this, I think it may be incorrect to deduce that elearning/workshops may not be able to provide experiential learning. In well designed programs, the learner can learn by doing and needless to say, he will learn from his own experiences and from the environment.2. Instructional design is based on the learner's true needs. Therefore, it will be a systematic layout of content if the learner truly needs this. Instructional design is about designing the program such that learning happens. Therefore, the type of instructional strategy suggested above is just one among millions.3. Even VLEs require to have a sound instructional base. Why? Your environment may be extremely real and may wow the learner. But, if you have learning presented in a manner where they are required to read off a book, attend a lecture in a VLE, or have information which is just difficult to find, this will make it less easy to learn. The learner may be better off with an eLearning program.4. Even games have boundaries, rules, logic that can be learnt very quickly. If these are defined well in an eLearning program, I think we can design experiential learning. If the learner gets to do things to learn, I think you have a good program. Again, it has to have a strong instructional base.5. I guess it is great if instructional designers break content into simpler chunks to ensure that they have a greater understanding of the content itself. But how the content should be presented, should be based on the learner's current knowledge and the skills that he wishes to acquire.6. I am a huge fan of VLEs provided the usability issues are removed. But, I think it may not be right to say that great eLearning programs and workshops cannot provide for experiential learning.7. I completely agree with Koreen that it requires a different kind of skill set to actually design experiential learning. It requires a lot of research into the learner's reality, the content itself, iteration in the design process, lots of brainstorming, and competent instructional designers, visual designers, and SMEs.8. Therefore, my point in a nutshell, it is never Instructional design versus Experiential design. If your learners are learning, there is always instructional design in work there. You may not have designed it your self. I remember @Abhinava mentioning the same during his session at the IDCI session. We learn a lot of things unconsciously but this is always backed up by good instructional design.What do you think?1. Can we ensure experiential learning in eLearning/workshops?2. Is experiential design truly possible only in a VLEs?3. Is instructional design always about simplifying content?

I was chatting with my colleague Yatin, when he jokingly told me 'Well, you don't seem to like the challenge then.' I always thought myself as a person who enjoyed challenges. I hate mechanical, dry, boring, work. I have to have to use my head, else my heart is not in it. And, I cannot work if my heart is not in it. So, then why did I not like that particular challenge?I like a challenge, when:1. I can see the light at the end of tunnel. I know that there is a way out. Like in games, when you know that you just have to keep planning your attack and finally you will get past to the next level.2. I am confident that I have what it takes. Let us face it. We are good at certain things and not so good at others. It is ok to accept that there are things that I do bad. What can I do about this? Think about how I can improve. Read more about it. Talk to people who are good at it. If it is not worth investing time in, I check whether someone else can help me do this while I focus on doing what I am really good at.3. I have all the resources that I need. I have everything I need to tackle this challenge. Or I know where I can find these resources. If I don't have the resources, the challenge is impossible to meet. Brings me to the next point...4. The challenge is truly attainable. Don't you just hate challenges that you can do nothing about it. Like a dead end in a game or an impossible opponet who refuses to die. As a gamer, I prefer to give up my life and redo things better. But the challenge has to be attainable, else I give it.5. The possibility of an 'epic win'. I have to know that I am close to an epic win. That I can crack this case. That I am soooo close that it will be stupid to give up. That I am on the verge of something great.6. I have the time and luxury to sort things out. Conquering a challenge requires clarity of thought. Therefore, I need time to figure things out. I need to sort things out in my head before I attempt to try my hand at this challenge.Have you ever given up a game because it was just too frustrating to continue? Have you felt so disappointed with loosing that you never try again? So, I think there are challenges and there are challenges. Some of them excite you and some of them scare you off. Some of them make you want to give it your best, while others make you want to quit. I think these are really useful when we design online training also. We use challenges to engage the learner, but this will fall flat if we don't:1. Make the challenges attainable.2. Show them light at the end of the tunnel.3. Reward them for right choices.4. Create situations where epic wins are possible.5. Provide necessary information to make the right decision.6. Give sufficient time to figure things out.

What are the 5 unlearnable elements that all IDs should steer clear off?1. DefinitionsDefinitions (especially poorly written ones) are not important. Look at a few examples.Negotiable instrument is a written document by which a right is created in favour of some person and this is transferable by delivery. Meaning?Credit is the provision of resources by one party to another party where that second party does not reimburse the first party immediately.Sounds confusing!Direct manipulation is a human-computer interaction style which involved continuous representation of objects of interest and rapid, reversible, incremental actions and feedback. Now in English please...How many of us are comfortable introducing a concept using a definition? Have we ever stopped to wonder how effective these definitions are? Here's what we typically do: Start any module with a definition because it makes the content look authentic. Then, we go on to simplify the definition further. If we stop to think about it, we may just realize how unlearnable these definitions are.Definitions are meant to simplify a concept. Help understand an idea/process better. Why is it important to share a definition when you can jump directly to the explanation? I remember in school how I had all the important definitions by heart. But looking back now, the visual depiction of evaporation or osmosis was far more useful in understanding the concept. Think about it. Is it important for a manager to know the definition of conflict or identify a conflict situation and react appropriately? Don't bother with definitions. They only intimidate or confuse the learner further and serve no learning purpose.2. HistoryWhy does man have the urge to start from the beginning? Why is it so important to know what happened in the past? When I learnt about computers, it started with history of computers. When I learnt about the Internet, it started with history. When I learn about Search Engines, it starts with history. Really, how important is this information to me? What can I do with the knowledge of history? When can you use history?Teach a scientist the history of a particular theory because it may important for him to know: 'This has already been tried and the results were 'this'. When you want to drive home the important of a current process vs a previous process. Common Craft Videos do this beautifully.Don't use it unless it is absolutely critical to learning. If your SME insists, move it to references.3. Information dumpSome eLearning applications look like a dump of information. What we need to understand is that SMEs (at least 99% of them) will give you information. Let me share an instance with you. I was handed responsibility of storyboarding for a technical skill-based course. I had a never ending content dump. Most of the content in this was theoretical and could be classified under information. When I asked the SME for examples to substantiate the theory, the SME told me: 'We have done all the research that need to be done. So you don't need any more information. All you need to do is make it learnable.' Sure. I didn't give up and thankfully I had another very cooperative SME. I would surf the Internet for suitable examples and get it validated. The content dump and the course look completely different.Next time you dump information in your storyboard, dont bother. Just mail the word document to the learners. Your eLearning is as learnable as the content dump. No one is going to give you information in the learnable format. It is our job to make it learnable. Make information learnable. Remove all the necessary content and get the real stuff out.4. VisualsSimply putting an attractive visual on the screen will not help the learner learn. I have seen SBs where the visuals are based on the least important information on the screen. Focus on designing learnable, useful visuals. They must support and reinforce what is being described.5. ExercisesExercises for the sake of it is a pure waste of time. The usefulness of the exercise is in danger if it is:1. Very obviousthe question is poorly designed and gives the answers awaythe question is really not important/too simplisticThe question does not require much thought (while designing or solving)2. Forced (because I have to add an exercise after 10 screens)Exercises also have to be learnable. They have to have a purpose. They must make the learner think.Next time, we start storyboarding let us not start with the definition, move to the history, dump information on screens, provide useless visuals, and add pointless exercises at regular intervals. What are the other common used unlearnable elements that you have witnessed?

Are you a designer? Are you inspired by one? Do you want to know how their mind works? Do you want a sneak peek into the kind of work they do? DezineConnect interviewed Neil Dantas, designer who designs graphical T-shirts with a strong social message. Read more here and be inspired!As an Instructional Designer, I think it is great that these sites bring us closer to the design community. There is so much we can learn from them. A little about DezineConnect:DezineConnect celebrates design from India. It connects creative people to the world. DezineConnect aims to showcase designers, design buyers, and design support people.If you know a great designer, who must be featured here, get in touch with the DezineConnect team. You can follow DezineConnect on Facebook and Twitter. Stay connected to see some interesting stuff!

The first few minutes of any interaction is crucial because the people involved are all judging what they are experiencing. This is true for face to face interaction, the first few pages of a book or movie, a phone conversation, and so on. First impressions... Have you ever picked up a novel and found it difficult to complete it? Have you sat in class and starting doodling or passing notes because you couldn't care less what the lecturer had to say? Have you formed an opinion to not like a movie just by looking at its trailer?First impressions... In learning also, first impressions are crucial. The first few seconds decide the fate of your course. The learner may just drop out or click Next continuously to 'get it done with'. If first impression is not positive, your great ID strategies within may just fall on deaf ears.Gain attention:1. Sets expectation: What is in it for me? and What is this all about?2. Get them thinking: Really?/ No way!/ So true!!3. Makes an impact: Strike an emotional chord. Touches the learner's heart. I don't mean 'mush' :)4. Makes them give you a chance: They want to hear/see more. You have their undivided attention.Types of gain attentions: Myth breaking: Break an existing Myth. There is nothing like challenging an individuals belief's systems. It triggers an emotion in them. If you prove what you say right, you may have found respect for your course. Fact Sharing: Share facts that will inspire/surprise them. Saying Roses are red isn't going to make them notice. Share information that will really interest them. Challenge/pretests: This is good for learners who believe they know it all and there is nothing more to learn and for demotivated learners. Do not test the learner. The objective is for him to understand where he stands, to judge himself. Don't try to trick him. (When should we use pretests?) Story/Scenarios: Make the learner empathize with a scenario or people in the scenario. Make them want to help the people out. Give them control over the destiny of another individual's lives. Creaet scenarios that will make them feel, 'Hey, this happens with me all the time!' or 'That's a tough one. How will she get out of it?' Make learners love/hate the characters. I think gain attentions should have 'depth'. Visuals is a way to communicate the message. But the visuals never become more important than the message itself. If you really on WOWing the learner based on just the 'look and feel', you may just manage to capture his attention for a few seconds.If you WOW the learner through an effective message, you will grab the learner's attention for way longer. Like Micheal Allen says what use is a fancy graphics and a spinning logo if it does not aid learning.I think we don't fuss about it enough. Gain attention makes your users sit up and notice. It makes them want to see what lies ahead. It makes an impression and they are willing to give you a chance. Grab it while you can!

I thought this video was very funny. I get the joke, seriously, I do! But what really gets to me is that most us may be working this way. I wish the designer had given an opinion, made a case for himself, suggested why certain things work and certain things don't. WAKE UP, man! As a designer, your job is not to create SOMETHING for the client. You job is to understand what your client wants, what is the goal of the project and then give your expert suggestions. They have hired you because you are an expert at what you do.In training, keep the learning goal and the learner as the focus. Back up your suggestions with logic for why it would work and why it wouldn't. Don't just give in because finally the client is bound to be disappointed with your work. Your work is to find out what will truly work and ensure that the client gets that. If they are still insistent, let them know you are not happy about it but will do as is suggested. They will treat you as an expert. They will ask you for your opinion. Why?They trust you are looking out for the good of the company. They realize that you are trying to do your job right. They will support you as your goal is in line with their goal.They realize that you know what you are talking about. You have the expertise in this field and that you rationalize things before you suggest them. You don't say no, I can't do it. You say this may not be good for the design because....You are part of their team and not just any vendor. They respect you and value your presence.So, do you have a spine? Do you blindly do as you have been told? Do you think for yourself before your execute? Do you behave like an expert? It is tough, but the least we can do is try and try really hard.Also read That Dirty Word -Creative and Getting Stuck and Unstuck.

I was reading 'Is it a dead-end for L&D professionals?' thoughts shared by Mathew Kuruvilla. In August, I had blogged on 8 Tips for the Training Department, but after reading this post I got an opportunity to understand things from the other side of the table. Mathew mentions:"Unless L&D professionals evolve to a more strategic role in the organization, it’s going to be dead end for them. L&D will always be treated as a support function to HR."If you are just filling in the training calender with courses no one needs, it is surely a dead end for these L&D professionals. When you read Mathew's thoughts, you will know exactly what the L&D needs to do to ensure that move to a more strategic role. What I am more interested is how can learning consultants help make this transition from L&D to T&D (Talent and Development)? What are the challenges that learning consultants face? How can these be overcome? Let us take this one at a time.How can learning consultants help L&D transition to T&D? For every project, start with a contextual inquiry. I have seen that contextual inquiry gives you a wider access into the organization. It gives a clear picture as to what gaps exist and these gaps may not necessarily be training related. We have suggested process changes, structural changes, training, and so on to address these gaps. Assessment centers also help the L&D departments understand the existing competencies and the areas of focus (if any). This will help identify the key needs to help the employees grow.What I truly appreciate in Mathew's interview was his 3-E mechanism: Education, Exposure, and Experience. This truly helps the employee grow in a more holistic fashion. Most times, we end up giving extra attention to just one of these aspects. These make the person who they are and therefore, it is important to understand this. Most L&D professionals consider their employees as a 'clean slate'. I have often heard my cousin from the IT industry grumble that he needs to take a compliance course every year because of a US law. He mentioned that the scenarios are tweaked but the same thing is presented year after year. Imagine the effect of this on motivation! Why not have a a simple check to ensure that the person still remembers what was taught. It is less painful for the employee and we have done our job of keeping the US government happy.The crux of the matter is that training decisions have to be strategic decisions. How will the employees benefit from this? Do they really need it? What am I hoping to achieve? If only more L&D professionals think like Mathew does.What are the challenges that learning consultants face? How can these be overcome?The article touches on the challenges that L&D professionals face. But what challenges do learning consultants face?1. We are treated more like vendors who execute training rather than consultants who provide suggestions. We know our work best and that's why we do it. Make your opinions count. Make them trust you to make the right suggestions. Be extremely transparent. Don't think about your pocket, think about success. Work as an extended team.2. We do not have access to the real learners. If your clients trust you, they will open the doors and give you all the access you need. If they know why you are suggesting a particular task, they will understand that you have only their interests at heart.3. Clients underestimate the importance of training. Give them holistic learning, not just training. Support them while they implement the training. Give them ideas and solutions to make learning a habit, to encourage transfer of knowledge. Your task does not end with implementation. You are an extended team that supports them when they need it. You do your work right and your clients will see the difference for themselves.Can we really help L&D professionals make this transition to T&D role? Are you going to stand by and watch them make this transition or are you going to make your presence and importance felt by helping them? I am quite sure there is a lot more to this. Please add to this or share your thoughts or critique mine.

I was reading Donald Clark's latest post on Funny Exam Answers. I found the Neils Bohr's incident particularly interesting. Read the post to understand what I am referring to. This had me thinking.Do we always assume that there is only one way to do something or one right answer?When we design assessments, do we fail to take into consideration that there may be more than one right answer?Do we ever consider that the subject we are dealing with may have gray areas and is not necessarily black and white?Do we take into account the fact that there are several variables in a real situation? Are we making it too simplistic and therefore, unusable because we fail to include the various permutations and combination that exist in real life?Do we restrict our learner's imagination and insult their experience by giving them multiple choice questions that keep in mind only one aspect of real life?Do we given them type in answers and then reprimand them for getting a spelling wrong or for not writing things the way we taught them?I remember an incident from my college days. My English teacher would recite a poetry and would ask us to interpret the meaning of a verse. I would always wonder that there are several interpretations that can be drawn out from poetry. It all depends on the way you look at it. Most of the times, we are going to have different people interpreting different things and very seldom there is one right answer. Also, I think we want our learner to think of several situations. They should be able to apply what they have learnt in different contexts using their discretion, knowledge, and experience. We do not want to make all learners similar by expecting them to behave in the exact same fashion. We want to encourage them to think and make the right choices. Read another post that I had written some time back on Exercises that help reflect on gray areas.Recently, we developed a small learning nugget on understanding your consumers and positioning a product. This nugget was meant as a refresher for an ILT program. The objective was very clear. The learner should be able to apply what he learnt during the ILT. He should be able to observe the farmer and his realities, identify what type of consumer this is and position a product accordingly. This was the learner's first experience to eLearning. During Learner testing, we realized that they wanted much more. They wanted more cases, they wanted to compare farmers, they wanted more variable factors and increase in complexity. Simplicity is fine, but pointless when it fails to capture the real influencing factors. The common misconception may as well be that simplicity means fewer variables. What I now understand is that multiple variable factors is far more realistic. So is it about simplicity vs. reality? Are we trying to equip the learners to deal with what is real or are we massaging their egos that giving them easy stuff? That's the question that needs to be answered.