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7 Tips for Designing Effective Mobile Learning

Neal Quesinberry

In my last blog, I discussed “Why Mobile Learning?” Now, let’s look at how you can move your online training to mobile. Designing for the mobile user is different. And whether the learner is using an iPad or Android phone, you have to keep the small screen in mind to make the learner’s experience a good one.

Push. Pull. Or Collaborate.

When designing content, consider whether you will use content push, content pull or collaboration. Content push is intentionally delivering the instruction or materials to the learner (e.g.  sending the learner a link to a mobile learning module). This may be anything from simple presentations and animations to more sophisticated simulations and games designed to drive content to the learner.

Some of the most effective mobile learning uses ‘pull’ mode (where the learner requests the information or knowledge) rather than ‘push’ mode. The key is motivating learners to seek out content. Today, most learning takes place informally. In the pull model, learners determine when to access content, and the mobile application provides ready access.  Examples could include a wiki, reference documents, or a just in time learning module that functions across the organization.

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Why Mobile Learning?

Neal Quesinberry

Advanced mobile technology is booming in the business world, and m-Learning is booming right along with it.

In 2010, Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt described the mobile ecosystem as a “confluence of computing power, Convergence of Data connectivity and cloud computing” and proclaimed a new focus for the industry – putting mobile first.

With this new focus comes a new emphasis on mobile learning.  A recent e-Learning Guild survey reports 70.2% of respondents are using their personal mobile devices for business applications.  That translates into using their devices to learn, not to mention browsing the Web, connecting to social networks, making purchases and playing games. The same survey found that “companies are progressing on the mobile front, and while the initiatives are as yet small…the percentage of companies that plan to do m-Learning has increased from 38.5% in 2007 to 51% in 2011.”

When does using m-Learning make sense?

In a blended learning model

Effective m-Learning is more than simply repackaging existing e-Learning. Rather it should enhance learning and support additional training materials like e-Learning modules and instructor-led training. M-Learning can activate knowledge before classroom training through exploratory exercises, or summarize the main concepts afterwards. M-Learning can be an excellent tool for just-in-time training, too.  For example, it can deliver readily available information in the form of performance support, like on-job-training materials, job aids, forms and checklists. It can also provide real-life scenarios using simulations and scenario-based games.

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The Subject Matter Expert and the Instructional Designer – A Match Made for Learning

Jennifer Kerwin

If you’ve worked in your industry for a while and understand what it takes to excel at your job, chances are you’re a subject matter expert. But if you’re a subject matter expert – a ‘SME’ – why would you have to work with someone else to develop training? After all, a SME would appear to know the most about the content and target audience.

Instructional designers are learning experts.  They focus on learners and determine how information can best be structured in light of learners’ existing skills, knowledge and learning preferences, as well as the organization’s infrastructure to support learning. 

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Selecting an e-Learning Partner: The Benefits of a Request for Proposal (RFP)

Luke Kempski

Now more than ever investments in learning technology need to show value to the organization. This value can be realized in reduced costs, improved performance, increased sales or some combination. As a learning leader, you may need to invest in a partner to increase the value training is bringing to your organization. This partner may be in consulting, learning technology or learning content development. Regardless, you will want to go through a professional selection process to help ensure you pick a partner that will help your organization achieve its learning goals.

Selecting an e-learning partner begins with defining your needs. You want to assess the strengths of your internal team and determine what you want to keep in-house and what you want to outsource to a partner. You’ll want to consider capacity, budget and timeline. You also need to determine if you want to engage a partner on a project basis or if you want a broader contractual relationship.  For more information on Learning Partnerships, you can check out my white paper on the topic.

Once you have a general idea of your needs, budget and timeline, you should develop an e-Learning Request for Proposal (RFP). The RFP is your tool for qualifying and eventually selecting an e-learning partner. It combines a clear articulation of your needs with a request for information from the provider such as company background, work samples, proposed solution, and projected costs. The completed RFP forms the basis for selecting the provider or qualifying a “shortlist” of providers for an in-person review and final selection.

We recently posted a custom e-Learning RFP template on our learning solutions website. The RFP template will help you organize your needs and reach out to qualified prospective partners. It will help you start a process where you assess the capabilities, compatibility and costs of different providers.  You will also use the Request for Proposal process to outline the criteria for selection. This is important to facilitate a fair selection process within your organization, much like when you hire an employee.

While developing an e-Learning RFP and a partner selection process requires time, it will help you properly document your needs and assess the qualifications of prospective partners. This will ultimately increase the likelihood of a successful relationship that increases the value of your training investments.

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Increasing Employee Engagement in Training using Technology Part 2

Steve Hulse

Think of one of your best professors in college or a mentor at work. What made him or her stand out from the rest? Expertise is certainly important, but most likely it was his or her ability to hold your attention with examples and stories that showcased information in the context of how it should be used.

When it comes to training, telling an interactive story continues to be one of the most effective methods of engaging and educating people.

What does it look like?

Let’s say that you need to train your company’s project managers on how to accurately gather information and estimate a proposal. During your needs analysis you discover that project managers are not asking the right questions to accurately gauge project complexity which in turn impacts the estimate. In general terms the program might include these components:

  • A fictitious company website that provides background information about the client
  • A client “meeting” where learners can select questions and receive feedback about the caliber of questions employed. Questions that are reasonable but “off target” should be included to encourage the learner to be selective and not simply ask all questions on the list.
  • A simulated database of similar projects for the learner refer to as they plan their response
  • A “drag and drop” exercise that lets learners build a project scope from a list of key phrases, many of which are good ideas but which would not be appropriate for this particular client, followed by feedback from an expert coach, i.e., the computer module
  • An overview of the estimating process where the actual Excel® sheet used for estimates is introduced and explained
  • An exercise that guides the learner through completion of the estimate with feedback after every step

The above exercise teaches project managers the mechanics of the process, but there’s one more vital step – repeating the program using a different situation without providing any feedback until the entire process is completed. This measures whether the learner comprehends the content and can apply it in a realistic situation.

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Increasing Employee Engagement in Training using Technology – part 1

Steve Hulse

There’s no question that a well-trained staff is fundamental to business success.  It provides employees with the knowledge they need to sell the product and answer customer questions. Unfortunately, most training is little more than a massive information dump, a “teach-them-everything-so-I-can-check-it-off-my-list” approach that leaves employees both bored and clueless about what really matters.

Sadly, technology makes programs like this easy to produce. These electronic page-turners are often mistakenly referred to as interactive learning experiences by virtue of being accessed via computer. But clicking the “Next” button does not make a program interactive, nor does correctly answering a multiple choice question guarantee competence.

What options are available?

Video is one technology that has the power to latch on to our emotions, move us to make decisions, and reinforce new behaviors. For example, Susquehanna Wealth Management used video as part of a blended learning design that showed bank tellers how to broach the topic of customer referrals when they noticed large withdrawals or deposits. Since Susquehanna didn’t have the necessary bandwidth to place video online they used short video vignettes on a DVD paired with an on location instructor and a facilitator guide. Learners could see the correct behavior modeled on the video and discuss it with the instructor and others in the class.

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Out-Learn the Competition

Luke Kempski

Do you hire talented salespeople and teach them about your product, industry and value proposition or do you hire people who know your business and teach them how to sell? This question inspires spirited debate among business executives. All people come with a combination of natural talents, skills and experiences that land them somewhere between “expert with sales talent” and “sales pro with industry knowledge.” From there, you must prepare them to represent you to your valued customers.

In, “Out-learn the Competition,” an article published in the Spring 2011 issue of Catalyst Magazine, I explain how taking a learning solutions approach to your sales training challenge can help your sales teams be smarter than the competition and win more sales.

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Taking Training on the Road with Mobile Learning

Steve Hulse

Almost a year ago I wrote about emerging Trends in Learning and Development, but one trend that’s really taken off is the rapid growth in mobile learning. Recent studies show that nearly 50 percent of all Americans use smart phones, and while that may not be surprising the fact that so many use them for learning, is.

Statistics show that investments in m-Learning – defined here as learning delivered to smart phones, PDAs  and tablet computers – is estimated to grow to almost $247 million by the end of 2011, according to Ambient Insight, LLC, an international market research firm. Ambient Insight predicts that the largest demand will come from custom development and content conversion of existing training. Moreover, they believe the healthcare sector will account for 20% of the total U.S. market for m-Learning.

Bringing health care education into the home

That certainly mirrors what we see in our region. For example, Penn State College of Medicine has a long history of providing e-Learning to its staff, students and patients, but more recently they’ve moved into the m-Learning arena for patient care. As a case in point, physical therapy is key to restoring health among patients recovering from surgery or serious injury. But therapy typically demands two to three visits each week for three months or more, placing a severe hardship on many patients who find travel difficult because of age or injury.

To combat this problem the College of Medicine plans to deliver education to homebound patients using tablet computers. The application is designed to remind patients when and how to exercise using videos, ask questions about the patient’s level of pain, and submit results to a database for review by therapists and physicians. As patients recover mobility therapists can assign additional exercise regimens. A byproduct of this approach is that it should save both time and money by reducing repetitive treatments by therapists, and free up time to treat those patients who need individualized attention.

Diagnosing dietary problems

Another medical oriented mobile app targets people with food allergies. Soon to be available on the iPhone, this app tracks allergic reactions to food groups, identifies specific triggers in the diet, and then – based on the user’s geographic location – recommends local practitioners who can treat the illness.

Office workers maintain training while on the road

In the financial industry workers spend a significant amount of time out of the office, so Merrill Lynch has turned to m-Learning to continue critical training. Implementing their GoLearn initiative over two months, Merrill Lynch delivered three courses via Blackberry to more than 2,000 investment bankers and support staff. According to Merrill Lynch, the results exceeded expectations. Compared to a control group enrolled in conventional e-Learning, mobile learners achieved a 12% higher course completion rate, scored higher on tests, and required about 30% less time to complete the course work.

In a post training survey, users praised the convenience of m-Learning (75%) and said they would like to complete more training in this format (100%). Merrill Lynch now plans to expand m-Learning to target orientation programs for new employees, and issues in ethical decision-making, performance management, market abuse, and sexual harassment.

Merrill Lynch is not alone in getting high marks for mobile learning. Accenture, a global management consulting firm, uses m-Learning to augment its in-house e-Learning compliance training program. Overall, their employees report a higher level of satisfaction with mobile learning compared to conventional e-Learning.

Fast food industry serves up m-Learning

McDonald’s was thinking outside the box when it chose m-Learning for its employees in Japan. Instead of using more common platforms like smart phones or iPad, McDonald’s turned to the Nintendo DS game system and eSmart software to teach new hires how to prepare food. Each store is equipped with two game consoles at a cost of over $2 million, but McDonald’s predicts that this approach will cut training time in half for new employees.

The ubiquitous nature of smart phones, tablet computers and Internet access makes m-Learning a logical choice when you need to reach a dispersed audience. Work schedules, locations, and time zones disappear as learning is delivered to workers when and where they need it.

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iPads Make Smarter Salespeople

Luke Kempski

A recent article in The New York Times and blog post by my colleague Joe Tertel tout the popularity of the iPad as a business tool. Many companies are finding that arming employees with the device can give them a competitive advantage.

I’ve been talking to a number of clients about putting iPads into the hands of their sales staff so they can educate customers. We talk about making their salespeople “smarter” by helping them easily capture customer needs and respond with compelling presentations of products that meet these needs.

Using the iPad to Boost Sales

This is exactly what automaker Mercedes is doing with the iPad in its dealerships. Salespeople begin recording key customer information while they are standing next to – or seated in – the car they are selling. From there, they can connect to marketing presentations centered on models that match customer input. The sales reps can also access real time information about deals and begin the credit application process.

Imagine how this can increase the speed and efficiency of the buying process. Who wants to go back to the salesperson’s messy desk and repeat answers to questions that have already been answered in the showroom or parking lot?

Hyatt Hotel & Resorts is also benefiting from giving iPads to its salespeople. Instead of paging through bulky portfolios, reps can show potential clients digital images and videos of property highlights. Since no rep can be intimately familiar with all properties, the ability to quickly access rich presentations of other properties enables on-the-spot cross-selling.

iPad Apps Provide a Competitive Edge

Many of our clients are reluctant to make public their plans for mobile sales apps because they see these investments as a way to get ahead of their competition and bring new value to their customers. GE has been more open about its use of iPhones and iPads. In a video on Apple’s website called “Reinventing Mobility,” GE talks about using the iPad to “share valuable information with customers like never before.”

GE and many other leading organizations know that business customers value the information and knowledge bundled with their products. Customers also appreciate a streamlined buying experience that combines personal interaction with technology to navigate a complex product selection process. Let’s hope that the iPad and other mobile devices will provide us all with smarter sales consultations when making important buying decisions for our businesses.

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Onboarding Online

Steve Hulse

Onboarding is a critical function that gets new hires up to speed on organizational culture and structure. It’s the best opportunity to set expectations and define responsibilities before employees get sidetracked by all their new responsibilities.

But let’s face it. Large portions of orientation content doesn’t change very often, and it can tie up HR personnel and managers for extended periods of time on a recurring basis. Is there a better way to handle this? I think so.

In “Orienting Employees with e-Learning,” an article published in the Winter 2010 issue of Catalyst Magazine, I outline how to take advantage of technology to personalize delivery of critical facts to new staff during onboarding. When you turn over the presentation of redundant content to online learning you free up your staff to tackle more pressing issues. Moreover, the evidence shows that online learning can both engage learners and increase retention of knowledge. Combine that with savings from not having to print reams of material, the ease of updating information, and the ability to accommodate special needs employees you have a compelling case for moving much of onboarding to an online format.

Let me show you we’ve helped other organizations in this area. Call me, and let’s talk.

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