New Case Study - Explore Learning

Posted by Adam Chester on 10/07/2014 at 11:21

Explore Learning have completed a case study to talk about how they're using Prodeceo and what their learners think of it.

You can read the case study here.


The A-Z of Training: K is for Knowledge

Posted by Adam Chester on 09/07/2014 at 09:00

Building knowledge is an important aspect of many training courses. It may have fallen out of fashion but knowing the correct information can be the difference between making the right decision or a costly mistake.

When devising a new training course I always start with establishing the learning objectives as these help me to structure the course. To achieve the learning objectives I begin to think about what knowledge would be required to get the desired results.

In considering the knowledge that I might use to meet the learning objectives, I find that it is helpful to distinguish between essential and supplementary knowledge.

Under essential knowledge I place the knowledge that is critical for meeting the learning objectives. These may cover a single whole learning objective or part of one.

All other relevant but non essential knowledge is considered as supplementary knowledge. Examples of this might be historical information or activities that are related to the essential knowledge.

To complete the course design, I combine the essential knowledge with supplementary information. The supplementary information helps learners commit the key points to memory and connect it with their existing knowledge. It can also be a good change of tempo before jumping into the next section of essential knowledge.


The A-Z of Training: J is for Justification

Posted by Adam Chester on 03/07/2014 at 10:12

Do you feel that you have to justify your learning and development plan to everyone in your organisation? Do you need justify your budget to senior management? Are your trainees struggling to work out the reasons behind the training?

In the first case there are many potential justifications; updates to legislation or regulation, changes in business processes or even increases in profit margin derived from performance increases your training would deliver.

As trainers we have clear learning objectives in mind when we design and deliver a training course. Communicating these effectively to learners is the most straightforward justification for their participation and engagement. For learners who are on the fringes of your target audience, this is harder as the learning objectives matter less to them on a day to day basis. Here I would suggest that you stress personal development for the learner as the main justification.

Fostering a culture of learning and development is difficult, but making that change can free you up to raise the bar for you training organisation. How much more could you achieve if you didn't have to justify all of your learning and development activity?


Time for a new LMS?

Posted by Adam Chester on 30/06/2014 at 17:23

Are your learners disengaged with your LMS? Have you encountered the same error for 100th time? Do you need a hug from an LMS that cares? Then it might just be time to consider a new learning management system.

There are lots of great reasons to switch to a new LMS. New features like mobile compatibility or better reporting are common business needs. On the other hand perhaps your LMS hasn't seen an update in a while and the bugs are becoming frustrating.

If I was drawing up a wish list for an LMS, it would:

  • Be easy to use. For the learners and the instructors.
  • Be cloud based. No IT department needed, and available anywhere in the world.
  • Encourage blended learning. Use the most appropriate medium for each activity.

Fortunately I am able to work on implementing my wish list every day as we develop Prodeceo. We take suggestions from people using the platform everyday and incorporate them to make the LMS better for everyone. If you have a wish list for your perfect LMS- we might already have built it!


The A-Z of Training: I is for Independence

Posted by Adam Chester on 25/06/2014 at 09:00

The 70:20:10 model demonstrates that the majority of learning occurs outside of formal training sessions. If our learners are learning more outside of our sessions than in then we need to support their independent learning as much as possible.

We think that online short course libraries are a great way to this, as they are always available and can be viewed anywhere.

How are you supporting your learners’ independence?