Infosys’ Learning Services help clients win with innovations in learning. We address enterprise learning needs in the Flat World with a comprehensive solution that combines traditional learning approaches with new models and technologies.

July 31, 2012

You can say more in a three-minute film than in 100 pages of text.

While we all know, how interesting video-based training programs can be, I recently happened to see some really boring videos in training programs that just put me off. Although videos can be a great tool, many times we see Instructional Designers or trainers including videos in Training Programs only to create a "wow" factor. Here are some situations where videos can be used as a powerful learning tool.

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June 13, 2012

Micro-Learning - The New Kid on the Block

Micro-learning refers to the design of learning interventions using Mobile devices commonly referred to as Mobile learning, the recent buzz of the virtual learning domain. Many organizations are experimenting with this new and ever evolving technology to exploit its benefits. The most significant aspect of this tool is its availability and accessibility. The brands and quality may vary extensively, but the basic gadget is there with almost everyone. The urge to utilize this technology in various domains is obvious, and the education and training industry is no exception.

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Don't underestimate the amount of SME time you will need !


When developing a training programme for a new ERP implementation, please, do not under-estimate the amount of time and effort you will need from the Subject Matter Experts.  You will need them to help develop a curriculum, you will need them to validate and review blueprints and prototype training materials, you will need them to provide input as to the processes (and in some cases the actual operations) to be taught, and you will need them to review and comment on all kinds of things for you in the lead-up to the start of training.


And the fact is that, typically, by the time the training team gets going (or is even formed), SMEs will already be very, very busy. 

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May 31, 2012

Tips for Performing TNA at Onsite: Preparing, Planning and Executing

A lot of times, many of us need to travel onsite for performing the critical activity of requirements analysis (RA) or training needs analysis (TNA) at the beginning of the project. During TNA, it is critical to know and analyze who, what, when, where, why and how of training to be able to meet the training needs of an organization. Considering the cost factor involved, onsite TNA is usually planned for a short duration. And therefore, am sure all of us would agree to the need of optimum planning and utilization of the TNA duration.

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May 28, 2012

Common pitfalls during Training Content Development

The main cause of failure in major transformation projects is the inability to address the human elements of change. For a large transformational program to succeed, it is imperative that the End User Adoption be a key focus area and that it follow a well-planned strategy.  Development of Training Content, in turn, is a key component in overall user adoption. In fact, the Training to the end users is the first moment of truth. A highly effective Training sets the pace for the overall success of the rollout.

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May 2, 2012

Thinking Mobile First - Does it apply to Learning Content?

Recently, a customer asked me if we could convert their existing application simulation content to support HTML5 & CSS3 to render on mobile platforms. The immediate response could have been Yes, there are tools that can convert existing simulation content in HTML5 but I believe there-in lies a fundamental problem. While using standard conversion tools might work and would render converted content on the mobile platform, would it provide the most optimal user experience given that the original content was designed for the desktop? Would it leverage the core frameworks provided the mobile framework. I believe the answer is No.

 

So before creating learning content, I believe it is important for Visual Designers and Instructional Designers to understand the mobile platform the content is being designed for, its capabilities, its advantages and disadvantages. Just as Thinking Mobile First is being applied to the Enterprise Software world, there is a need for the same principles to be applied to learning content design & development.

 

There are some simple guidelines developers can look to adopt:

- Stay away from any use of Flash as Mobile platforms will no longer support it.

- Keep things simple

- Less is more

- Think about what is most important to the users when it comes to learning on their mobile devices.

- Is my content suited for the mobile platform?

- The user is everything. Focus on them.

- Make use of the mobile platform's functionality

 

Do you believe that these principles of Thinking Mobile First apply for mobile content development?


Enterprise LCMS as an extension of WCM

A decade ago, there were a flurry of Learning Content Management Systems in the market with several implementations scoped and implemented. Now, that trend has died down but the need for Content Authoring, Content Management & Reusability, Translation Management, Workflows and various publishing models have not gone away. Customers are still looking to solve this problem given the limited investments in the training function, they are looking to leverage existing technology in their IT landscape to meet their requirements.


Recently, I completed an implementation of a Web Content Management System with custom authoring components, supporting localization of content, integration to Translation Management tools and custom publishing model. After the implementation, I have been exploring if Enterprise WCMs can be extended to become Enterprise Learning Content Management System?


My analysis leads me to believe that it is doable and it provides benefits to organizations that extend beyond what a traditional LCMS would provide:

  • Single repository of content (web content, published material, marketing collateral, product briefs and training content).
  • No additional licensing costs to purchase a different product
  • Existing infrastructure can be leveraged to meet 2 distinct needs (Web Content Management vs Learning Content Management) with a lot of common themes.
  • Integration to a automated Translation Management solution
  • Integration with external version control tools with extend the inherent versioning of a WCM such as  subversion.

So, what extensions will need to be developed in order to make it a LCMS:

  • Custom templates will need to be defined for development of assessments
  • Custom Publishing process will need to be developed to package the content as AICC, SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004
  • Integration with WYSIWYG tools for easy of content authoring in the WCM


Do you believe that an Enterprise WCM (Web Content Management) system be extended as an LCMS? Let us know if your comments.


May 1, 2012

More of "The Secret Ingredient" - the Learning Strategy

In my last entry "What's the Secret Ingredient" I wrote about how important the learning strategy is to the success of a learning organization.  I asked the question on "What would a learning strategy look like?".  In this entry I will discuss this question and provide some recommendations on where and how to begin.

 

Where should we start?  Should we start with how we organize the learning team?  After all we could then ensure we have the right resources and technology and processes in place to create the needed learning.  Sound good?  Probably not the best place to start as this could lead to the same results as before, and that could be the wrong results, or at least not the results we are looking for.  No business today can afford to make a learning investment and not have reasonable assertion that it will lead to success.  The business needs to know that you have all the necessary ingredients in place that will lead to the expected results and success, every time.

 

Let's instead first start by asking a few questions:

-          Why is the learning organization in place? 

-          Why does it exist or is it being created?

-          What is the business trying to accomplish?

-          What work are you being asked to do?

This should help us understand that learning is not in place to just for the sake of existence.  It is and should be in place to support the business, and not just one area or champion but all causes leading to the business' success.

 

So how do we begin to formulate this strategy?  Based on the answers to the questions above, and maybe a few others, you should have a fair idea on what the business is trying to accomplish strategically and how it is organized to accomplish its objectives.  This should help you determine how learning can best support the business. 

So how do we begin to formulate this strategy?  Based on the answers to the questions above, and maybe a few others, you should have a fair idea on what the business is trying to accomplish strategically and how it is organized to accomplish its objectives.  This should help you determine how learning can best support the business. 

1.       Curriculum - based on the business strategy/goals what skills are needed to support the business.  This can be looked at function by function as it is certain to vary.  Then you will need to look at what skills already exists, these will be the ones that you would include in the curriculum but do not need to focus on delivering. Then and most importantly you will be able to outline the necessary courses and delivery plan needed to build the skills in the organization and drive the new business!

2.       Organizationally - if the business is geographically dispersed either globally or even domestically you need to consider how you organize your learning organization to support this.  A central approach will not enable the learning team to really be a part of the business and become an integral team member.  A totally dispersed learning team will not lead to efficiency or effectiveness in growing performance.

3.       Resources - now that you have an idea of how you want to be organized you need to figure out what kind of people and skills you will need to enable and support the learning organization.

4.       Process - how will things be done to ensure completeness, quality and efficiency especially over time.  Will you need to meet ISO requirements or some other internal or external quality requirements.  Best to know that now and formulate your strategy accordingly.  In any case, make sure you define or adopt a closed loop process even if not required by external forces.  It takes a bit of effort up front but in the end it will make your life much easier when it leads to quality and efficient solutions, along with being able to answer questions from your sponsors.

5.       Measurement - right from the start you want to clearly identify what success means and gain agreement on this from your sponsor.  This is very important as you want to report your achievements against this each step of the way and have the visibility for all interested parties to recognize when you reach success.

  

There are more things that can and in some cases should be included in a Learning Strategy and that is dependent on how large or complex are the goals.  However these are a few of what I have found to be very important elements that are commonly overlooked in formulating an effective and efficient learning strategy.  I hope you have found this helpful and I would be very interested in any comments you have about this article.

Thanks for reading!

April 30, 2012

Teaching Grown-ups - Basic rules

Adult Learning, or Andragogy literally means "leading an adult" so the methods we use to "lead an adult", should they be same as the methods used to lead a child. To my mind, success of any adult learning intervention is subject to all or a combination of the following six assumptions. What do you think?

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Your Own YouTube for Learning Content: Converting PowerPoint to MP4 Videos

Web 2.0 has led to the development of Web sites, such as YouTube, that allow users to upload and stream videos. This technology has immense educational value. Many companies have started using similar video streaming technology within their Intranet sites to stream educational videos.

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