Learning Styles

For several years learning professionals were writing and reading about different learning styles. The talk was about how different people learn more effectively from different styles of content presentation. In more recent years some educators are saying that learning styles are not a factor. They are saying that all learners can learn from good presentations regardless of the modality.

In a January 9, 2019 Inside Higher Ed article Greg Toppo, a senior editor at Inside Higher Ed., discusses the topic of learning styles.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/09/learning-styles-debate-its-instructors-vs-psychologists

“But Daniel Willingham, a cognitive psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia, said the categories themselves ‘haven’t been shown to mean anything.’ Nonetheless, recent surveys have found that about 90 percent of Virginia students believe in them.”

In this article Toppo also says there are learning professionals who very much support the concept of different learning styles.

“Richard Felder, a professor emeritus of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University who has written in support of learning styles, said psychologists have spent decades working to debunk the theory. ‘On the other side are literally millions of people who have used learning styles to design instruction’ and to help students become better learners, he said.”

A quick search of scholarly articles about learning styles produces a host of articles. In recent years there have been many learning professionals who have written to deride the concept of learning styles. At the same time there are many others who have written scholarly articles based on the theory that different people learn differently.

A good number of learning professionals continue to develop and deliver learning products designed to deliver instruction geared to different learning styles. I am not sure there is any harm in doing so, even if it is true that the learning styles theory is invalid. I also believe that the learning style theory is a comfortable concept. We believe we understand what needs to go into content for each type of learner. We can include graphics and pictures and so forth for the visual learner, audio for the auditory learner, and materials that can be handled for the kinesthetic learner.

However, I believe that a good learning professional, using whatever methodology works for them, will provide what is needed for learning to occur. It is the design of the learning product as well as the instructor’s delivery of the content that will provide the learner with what they need to grasp the content not the learner’s perceived learning modality.

I am perplexed at how much time and effort is being put into arguments for and against the concept of learning styles. I understand that the research that has been reported is that learning styles do not have merit. I think it is time for researchers to design some new studies. Learning events that make use of different modalities to deliver the same instruction should be developed. In addition instruction covering the same content using various modalities should also use different instructors’ preferred delivery styles.

Each of these instructional units should administer the same evaluation instruments to each group of learners. Comparisons of the outcomes should be informative and might help us to understand if there are indeed differences, or if all well designed and well delivered modalities lead to effective learning outcomes.

Another Way

I have found that when technical professionals are tasked with developing instruction, the hardest thing for them to do is learn how to write learning objectives. In this post I suggest a method for communicating what the learner will be able to do without writing those dreaded objectives. Even better, using this method will allow you to translate the end result of this exercise into objectives that are painless to develop.

Rather than beginning with writing statements of objectives, begin by writing questions that you want a person who took your training module to be able to answer. These questions should ask something about every area that you plan to cover in the module. Keep in mind as you do this, that we are now talking about covering small, discrete units of training in an instructional product.

 

https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/numbers-dont-lie-why-bite-sized-learning-is-better-for-your-learners-and-you-too

 

“According to the Journal of Applied Psychology, learning in bite-sized pieces makes the transfer of learning from the classroom to the desk 17% more efficient. Here’s why microlearning is more efficient than traditional longer-duration courses:

When bite-sized learning content is easily and readily accessible, learners can take it at their own pace, wherever they are, and most importantly, when they are “ready.”

Because bite-sized courses are more focused, learners don’t have to clutter their memories with irrelevant information. This makes retention easier.

Learners have to digest only small chunks of information. This makes comprehension easier without spending too much effort.

Because microlearning content addresses only 1-2 learning objectives, courses, on an average, yield 4-5 learned takeaways.”
…….

“Cut to the chase. Do away with the history, the background information, and the theories. Deliver the “how-to” right away. Remember, your learners are looking for just-in-time solutions.”

 

If however, you are not developing a small unit then I suggest you partition out each area that you will be covering and develop questions for each of them. You may want to develop questions for just the first section and proceed as I recommend below before moving to the next segment of your learning product.

Develop a list of all the questions that you want somebody to be able to answer when they complete the training. In some cases your training might require a demonstration rather than an answer. For example if you are training someone in how to drive a car there are many questions that you will want to ask them to answer but you will also want them to demonstrate their ability to drive the car. In this case questions can be developed that say something like show what you will do when you get into the car, show what you will do when you want to turn left, show what you will do if someone darts out into traffic unexpectedly, etc.

The end result of developing these questions will provide you with an outline of what you should include in the learning materials.

You may find as you develop the learning materials that you think of additional questions. That is OK; add them to your list. Keep at this until you believe you have listed all the questions that someone will need to be able to answer and you are ready to begin to develop the instruction. It is at this point that you can stop and translate the questions into objective statements.

Examples:

• Describe how to develop learning objectives from a set of questions designed to cover the content of a learning module
• Explain what needs to be done to make a legal left turn

Hopefully this technique for developing objectives will help both you and your learners.

Writing Complex Multiple Choice Questions

The last few years have seen a general improvement in the quality of learning events offered for business learners. We have learned that chunking content, offering hands-on activities, and self-tests improve retention. Even more importantly it improves how well learners apply that content. While all of this is great, there are still some improvements to be made. I would like to address how we develop test questions for large populations and provide some recommendations for developing more complex items.

I have often heard course developers complain that because of the need to develop multiple-choice questions they are unable to develop questions that actually test what they believe the learners need to be able to do. Hopefully, this blog and other posts will begin to provide more information about how they can more effectively develop multiple-choice questions.

Developers are required to use multiple-choice questions in most cases because we don’t have the bandwidth to read and review items for large groups of test takers. Given that requirement, there are ways to improve our multiple-choice items. Multiple-choice questions don’t necessarily mean simple questions. There are numerous ways to ask multiple-choice questions that allow for developing higher order items. 

Here I will go into a little bit of detail on a few methods that have a good success rate. As always, if you have any questions, please leave a comment below.

Pictures or graphics – If the test delivery tool allows for including graphics, they can be used in questions and/or response options. Show pictures of several items in each response choice, with only one answer choice showing all the correct matches.

Matching – ask a question that requires that the test taker match items in two columns. Include more items in the second column so that the match for the last item in column A doesn’t fall into place. Response options should list the letter (or number) of several items in each answer choice. Only one answer choice would list all the correct matches.

Example: Match the items in column A with the item in column B that is needed to operate that item. Note column B contains extra options.

Column A	Column B
A1. Clock with plug	B1. Electricity
A2. Car	B2. Gasoline
Etc.	B3. Oven
	Etc.

Answer Options:

1. A1 and B1, A2 and B2 etc.
2. A1 and B2, A2 and B3 etc.
3. XYZ and DEG, GXT and TOQ etc.

Putting a machine or other physical product together

If learners have been taught how to repair, fix or configure a machine a test question can ask in which order a machine should be put together. The answer options could show different parts that need to be installed. The question can ask the order in which to install the component parts.

Multiple Step Process – The first part of the question describes a situation, process or problem that requires several steps to resolve. The learner is asked for the steps and the order in which to complete them. A list of steps is then presented for the test taker to use to resolve the situation.

With this type of question it can be stated that there are many options that are not listed, explain that the test taker should only consider the options listed to respond to the question. Response options list the letter or number of several items in each answer choice; only one answer choice lists all the correct matches in the correct order.

Example: In which order should a person begin to plan for a long trip? There are many options that are not listed here, consider only the options listed to respond to this question.

1. Determine the trip distance
2. Decide on the mode of transportation
3. Identify the costs of the different options available
4. Identify the amount of time required for each option
5. Find a friend to travel with to help defray the costs
6. Consider all factors to find a good time to travel

Answer Options:

1. 1,2,3,5
2. 2,4,1,3
3. 6,5,2,3
4. 4,3,2,1

Provide a short description of a process – Describe a process and ask how it can be applied, or what can go wrong, or any other concept that the learner needs to know. Response options list the letter or number of several items in each answer choice. Only one answer choice lists all the correct matches to the content the learner needs to know.

Ordering – In this technique a question can list several steps in a process. The test taker is asked which steps need to be taken and in which order, to achieve a result. It is a good idea to list more steps than are needed. Mention in the body of the first part of the question that not all steps listed will be needed. Response options list the letter or number of several items in each answer choice; only one answer choice lists all the correct matches in the correct order.

Example: What steps need to be taken and in which order, to develop a KWPQ? NOTE: There are more steps listed than are need.

1. do the thing
2. list the thing
3. put the thing in the place
4. start the thing
5. set the timer for the thing
6. display the thing
7. process the thing

Answer Options:

1. 1,3,5,7
2. 2,1,7,4
3. 6,2,3,5
4. 4,6,1,3

These are just a few ways and there’s a lot more to the craft of successfully developing tests with multiple-choice questions. But hopefully the above thoughts will help. As always, I’m glad to answer questions.

 

Evaluating and Tailoring Training to Employee Needs

For the most part, technical training offerings are developed by people with a technical background. They usually interact with product development groups to learn about the product. They also often interact with marketing teams and sometimes field folks in the roles for whom the products and services are being developed. All of this is very good and usually results in a quality learning product.

One area that I think needs to be employed more frequently is the use of evaluation techniques. While there is quite a bit of literature and research which addresses the different types of learning delivery, I think more research is needed about how different types of learning products work within your organization and within each function within your organization.

https://trainingindustry.com/articles/measurement-and-analytics/evaluating-the-effectiveness-of-training-a-learning-leader-challenge/?utm_content=cpdc

“People often focus on how to design a training program and how to deliver it ’but spend comparatively little effort on how to know that it had all the intended impacts,’ says Tom Whelan, Ph.D., director of corporate research at Training Industry, Inc. Regardless of how challenging proving the business impact of training may be, it is critical for the future of learning and work.”

There are now many different types of learning products in use. I think it would be worthwhile to find out how each type of learning product in use in your organization contributes to learning.

Adult Learning Principles: Increasing Employee Training Effectiveness

“If you want employees to learn and retain information in workplace trainings, focus less on the training itself and more on the needs of the employee.”

It may even be worthwhile to try out two or more types of learning products that address the same learning needs. Results for your organization may vary from other organizations within your company. It may even be that the type of delivery systems you use for one function within your organization may not be as effective for another. You may want to take a look at the demographics of each group. It may be that the make up of different groups might impact the type of learning products that they find most useful.

While rigorous research might provide ideal data about the effectiveness of different types of learning products it often isn’t likely to get funded. That does not mean that useful data can’t be collected. A short ten 10-question survey that gathers demographic information and reactions to different types of learning products can provide useful information to inform new development. However, it would likely be a good idea to exclude classroom training. For the most part unless your organization can and will offer classroom training, including it as an option in the survey won’t provide data that can be actionable.

As always I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Successful Learning: What Does It Take?

As we move forward into 2018 many articles are available on how to change, improve, or modify learning products. There are articles on informal learning, micro learning, customized individualized learning, and many more methods for enhancing instructional products. All of these new processes and techniques are worth considering. They are all ways to improve content delivery..

There are some aspects that every successful learning event needs to contain, just like a car. No matter how many new bells and whistles are added, a car driven by a person needs a way to steer (wheel), a way to stop (brake) and a power source (gas).

The core components of every successful learning event are:

Presentation
Processes, concepts, steps, basically whatever explains what needs to be learned

Examples
Small chunks of instruction interspersed with exercises

Active learner participation
Practice

Feedback

However, the core components alone do not necessarily lead to learner interest and attention. Any more than a meal of unseasoned potatoes, vegetables and meat will encourage a well-fed person to eat. The core learning components are enhanced and improved with augmentation. The important message that I want to impart as we read and learn about all the new techniques for developing learning products is that the basics need to always be there. The event can – and should! – be completed by adding aspects that improve learner attention and interest.

While the areas that comprise the core components of any learning event are always the same, there are different methods for enhancing the learning product. The target audience needs to be taken into consideration when adding enhancements. Are school children the target audience, or is a technical business audience? It could be any of a multitude of other audiences as well. It is important to add content that is appropriate for the specific audience.

Like the need to add active components to the core learning activities, it is also a good idea to include material that allows the learners to be actively involved in the techniques that foster learning. For example a competition where leaners read a story and then compete against each other or even compete against the computer to respond to questions about the story. For adult learners activities can include matching solutions to problems or selecting new components to upgrade a computer. Maybe have participants work in teams to compete against each other to complete an assignment. If the activity is being done remotely teams can “punch a clock” when they complete the activity. All the teams could then review the correct solution(s) to find the winner(s). These are just a few ideas. I am sure you can come up with many other ideas to add engaging activities to the learning event. There are now many recommendations on-line for these types of activities. For example see:

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/golden-rules-for-engaging-students-nicolas-pino-james

Pino-James, Nicolás PhD. December 8, 2014, Updated December 11, 2015. Retrieved from Education Technology. Golden Rules for Engaging Students in Learning Activities.

https://robinson.gsu.edu/2016/05/teaching-and-engaging-a-new-generation-of-learners/

Turner, Patrick. May 9,2016, Retrieved from Georgia State University. Teaching and engaging a new generation of learners.

https://www.lifehack.org/396355/how-to-make-learning-fun-for-adults.

Summers, Joseph. Lifehack. Retrieved from Touro College. Online Education for Higher Ed. 49 Ideas for Online Learning Activities.

All Together Now

As learning professionals, it is important to constantly monitor what your organization is doing and what type of learning events they will need to be successful. While you may not consider yourself to be in a sales role, you still need to be tuned into what your business organizations are doing and what they are planning to do. It is important for you and your colleagues to figure out the type of learning events the organization will need to be successful. If you only function as an order taker and wait for your client organizations to tell you what they need, it is likely that you will not be giving them what they actually need.

You need to be plugged into each organization that you serve. You need to get copies of their plans, marketing materials and hiring needs, as well as anything else that will inform you of where the organizations will be going.

In years past, once the business directions were identified, the training team could work with key individuals to develop training and development products that met the organizational needs. Today things are different. Instructor-led training events with learners all in the same place is rarely an option. Learners are frequently scattered all over the world. In addition, each learner is likely to need to develop a different set of competencies, knowledge and skills. Learners will also likely want or need to consume their learning at different times and in different ways.

While training events need to meet individual employee’s learning needs, events also need to ensure that the employees learn how to apply learnings as a team. Very often, a product or service offering requires the involvement of different corporate organizations. Sales needs to sell the product; support needs to service the product; marketing needs to make customers aware of new offerings and how they will meet their needs. Most successful organizations have representatives from all these internal organizations working together to meet customer needs and business objectives.

I recommend that as you move forward into 2018, your training organizations develop connections to members from each business function to develop mini-modules that together meet customer wants and needs for your product and service offerings. I believe it would be a good idea to have a training team with members from all organizations – for example, sales, services, marketing, finance and so on – that meets regularly, just like product and service teams. This training team should discuss the learning needs both for internal folks and customers regarding new and existing product and service offerings. This will allow for the development of mini-modules of training. These modules should include information from all organizations whose work relates to the product. It should also include service offerings that the organization wants customers to be informed of, and of course to purchase them as well.

While corporations that develop and sell services and products may have different internal groups working on their offerings, the customer likely has multiple organizations using the vendor’s offerings in different ways in different places. Developing mini-modules of instruction that can be consumed by different people and in different ways for different purposes will go a long way towards helping us improve the effectiveness of our learning offerings.

Evaluating and Adopting Change

We live in an age where change is constant. In the learning field there are a lot of new products, processes and methodologies that we as learning professionals should review, consider and hopefully, find some that will work for us. As we review the new, we also want to keep in mind what is already working and add or augment to what we know works for us.

As Crystal Kadakia and Lisa M.D. Owens point out you can update what you have, refreshing and adding without getting rid of what is good.

https://www.td.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-Archive/2017/03/Modernizing-the-Learning-Design-Process
Association for Talent Development (ATD)
Wednesday, March 01, 2017 – by Crystal Kadakia, Lisa M.D. Owens

“Don’t throw away your existing programs just yet. You can modernize them by adding a few of the nine elements commonly seen in modern learning:
• accessible 24/7
• autonomous
• chunked into smaller bites
• easily updateable
• experiential
• self-selected
• hyperlinked to related content
• MVAK—that is, multimedia, adding visual, auditory, or kinesthetic input
• social.”

Here is another list from early in the year about the new topics for 2017:
http://www.yourtrainingedge.com/top-learning-and-development-trends-in-2017/
Top Learning and Development Trends in 2017
By Guest Contributor – 01/16/2017

Your Training Edge: Your Online resource for Corporate Training
• Mobile Learning
• Social Learning
• Adaptive Learning
• Virtual Reality
• Measuring Effectiveness

Both of these lists are good because so much is going on these days. I think when the 2018 review of the 2017 new trends and predictions for 2018 come out we will once again read about a multitude of new and innovative ways we can enhance and improve learning events in our organizations.

I think the guest author of the “Top Learning and Development Trends in 2017” has it right.

“As an astute professional, you need to keep a close eye on every development in the training and development space and other areas. Connect the dots and use newer techniques even from outside the learning and development domain to make your strategies unique and innovative.”

However, I also want to mention that we should not lose sight of several other factors to consider in modernization the way we plan and create learning materials. I believe the most important element is still the need to begin with identifying the end result at the beginning of any effort. The end result is what we want learners to be able to do as a result of what they have learned. In this way we can develop the training with a focus on what needs to be included to achieve that end result. Yes, this isn’t new, but it needs to be considered in our modernization activities.

We need to continue to focus on both how we present learning events as well as how people learn. We also need to look at things like explaining the concept or process that needs to be learned. In addition, we need to include examples, practice, feedback, and an explanation of where things can go wrong and how to prevent or fix issues. Yes, again, these things are not new but they need to continue to be mentioned as sometimes we get wrapped up in the new and we forget what still is relevant and important.

Development of learning products can be roughly divided into a few areas, formatting the content of the presentation, looking at how people learn, and determining what has to be integrated into the learning event to make learning happen. We need to give learners the ability to assess how well they are doing, which practice exercises allow them to do. In addition to practice questions about the concepts or processes, we need to provide the learner with situations that allow them to use what they have learned to solve problems. It is not enough to ask learners to explain a concept or a process; they also need to apply their learnings to real world situations. A very good way to do this is to develop scenario questions. Scenario questions describe a situation in which the learner has to apply what they have learned to respond to the question. Feedback explaining how and why things need to be done to address the situation described in the questions is critical for learning to occur. Learners need feedback and they also need pointers to places where they can learn more.

In the last few years we have really begun to make good progress in finding ways to enhance learning events. But we still need to pull all the components together, test how well they are working, and see what else we need to do. It is great that we have new tools and that we can make things available 24 seven but we still need to focus on how learning happens and what is needed for learning to occur. So let’s continue to find new ways to design, develop and deliver learning products.

Brainstorm: Let’s Come Up With Some Ideas

As far back as I can remember, those of us in Learning & Development roles have been writing and reading about how to improve our industry, how to get a seat at the table, how to identify learner needs, and several other how to’s. Each year we write about the same issues and problems. We offer a few new twists and hope that things will change. While I don’t pretend to have the definitive solution to these ongoing issues, I do want to talk about a few of my own thoughts as well as a few things that are currently being posted in the literature. Many of us have already agreed about things such as chunking instruction, my hope is that we can all help with some ideas about using small steps to get the change we need.

Here are some of the issues we need to address. Our challenges are mostly the same as in previous years. Below are some of the challenges and a few solutions gleaned from this year’s literature.

Click to access lil-workplace-learning-report.pdf

2017 Workplace Learning Report
How modern L&D pros are tackling top challenges

In this report the following points are covered
• How to demonstrate ROI from training programs
• How to demonstrate business impact
• How to give learners the ability to talk to or otherwise interact with trainers
• How to give learners the flexibility to learn anyplace at any time

To this list I would like to add a few additional “need to” items that appear each year on various lists and still are on this year’s lists:
• Interview the requesting organization. This is the stage where we gather the information on the actual need. This might be the most important suggestion in this post. We need to stop being order takers and we need to start being detectives. We need to use a line of questioning that will lead us to discover the issues and then identify the need based on the issues
• Identify what will be needed based on what is happening in the organization before the need is apparent to the organization that will need it. For example, what will field sales and support people need to know and be able to do concerning products and services currently being developed. As learning developers, we need pipelines into the organizations that need training as well as organizations developing the products and services. We also have to keep tabs on what customers are saying. We need to find out which publications to read and who we have to talk to. We need insights into what is happening worldwide.
• And lastly, but of key importance, we need to measure the right metrics

One technique for addressing some of our needs is to actively involve management in the learning process. While this article talks to the sales organization, integrating coaching activities into training implementation, should, in my belief, be applied to all organizations.

https://trainingmag.com/trgmag-article/industry-insight-three-ways-make-your-workplace-learning-stick
Article Author: Byron Matthews, President and CEO, Miller Heiman Group

“When you embed coaching activities into training implementation, sales managers will be equipped to coach more effectively and drive the kind of behaviors that can lead to better selling.”…
“Training, when combined with good, consistent coaching that’s tightly integrated into the company’s business processes, and delivered in a way to reinforce what the workforce has learned, drives behavior change and leads to performance improvement. Coaching guides sales professionals during the journey of understanding concepts to practice to independent application to ‘muscle memory’ of what they have learned.”

Another suggestion for finding new ways to improve the role of the L&D organization is to incorporate diversity into the L&D organization.

https://trainingmag.com/trgmag-article/creating-ld-team
CREATING AN L&D A-TEAM
Article Author: By Gail Dutton

“Cultivating diversity in the workplace is essential to drive innovation, according to 96 percent of respondents to the “Voice of the Workplace” survey conducted in March by Waggl and the Northern California Human Resources Association (NCHRA). That’s true for L&D, too.

“We’ve all witnessed cases in which diversity has directly driven innovation by creating an environment where ‘out-of-the- box’ ideas are heard and encouraged,” Greg Morton, CEO, NCHRA, said when the survey results were announced. “Having multiple perspectives encourages management to see things differently, and can help enormously with problem solving. It also helps us to avoid ‘group think.’””…

““L&D is shifting from creating, delivering, and administering training to coaching and advising in ways it hasn’t done previously,” acknowledges Daniel Stewart, president of Milwaukee-based Stewart Leadership. “That opens a tremendous need for new skill sets and alternative views from outside L&D.””

Please share with me and the others who read this blog what you are doing (or what you know about what others are doing) to address the problems we face as L&D professionals. Let’s talk about the small things, and maybe we will make changes that will have an impact on the challenges we have been facing.

Content versus Packaging

Many years ago when someone wanted to express their views they would stand on a box and speak to the assembled crowd. Every so often I feel the urge to get up on my soapbox and once again speak to what I believe is key in designing instruction. Regardless of whether that instruction is instructor led, via gaming, mobile, blended, or any other method of delivery. This is one of those times.

As I read the latest articles on instructional methodologies for improving learning, I keep seeing posts that talk about the selection of media. The comments are all about packaging the content. And not nearly enough, in my opinion, about developing quality content through good instructional development processes.

Most of the current publications addressing the development of learning products are about different delivery methods and uses of media, or combining media and classroom strategies. I keep wondering why learning designers are not talking about strategies for developing the content. I believe we need to keep reinforcing the methodology of starting with the end result, moving on to identify what the learner will need to be able do, and then what the learner will need to know, before determining which media would be appropriate.

There is no question in my mind that we now have many really good delivery tools. But they are not the key component to good instruction. I liken it to using the finest ingredients to create a dish using a poor recipe. The results can’t be predicted.

I believe we need to keep reinforcing the key steps in instructional design. If developers begin with the end in mind and then determine what the learners will need to be able to do at the conclusion of the learning event it will go a long way toward helping identify the media that will support effective learning.

There’s nothing wrong with adding interesting and engaging methodologies for delivering the content, but if the content is not good, it doesn’t matter how good the packaging is. When you receive a present or gift and you see how beautifully it is packaged, you’re likely to be impressed. You usually appreciate it for the moment but, in most cases, what is more interesting and more important (and more valuable!) is what’s inside the package. To me that’s the same as instructional development processes figuring out first and foremost what the content needs to be and then looking at the delivery media.

Of course practice in applying the concepts and skills is also critical to making learning happen. With all the new learning technologies available, developers can find many interesting ways to provide practice in performing the learning goals. But even here we need to expand our thinking about how to provide instruction and associated practice exercises.

It’s Time to Finally Kiss Traditional eLearning Goodbye

By Jenny Dearborn January 7, 2015
https://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/its-time-to-finally-kiss-traditional-elearning-goodbye/?utm_campaign=elearningindustry.com&utm_source=%2F&utm_medium=link

“Skip the dinosaur era thinking that every learning need can be solved by a self-paced click-through eLearning and get on the cooler AND more effective bandwagon of mobile, social, chunking and gamification.”

While good delivery methods contribute to the overall learner experience, developing good instruction is not dependent on the delivery method. That is not to say that the delivery methodology isn’t important, but it isn’t the major factor in developing good instruction. Good instructional development needs to first have the learning objectives and the end result identified prior to selecting the delivery methods. Once that is done it is time to consider the delivery methods.

If A Classroom Is How You Train, You’re Doing It Wrong
By Daisy Hernandez September 29, 2016
https://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/if-a-classroom-is-how-you-train-youre-doing-it-wrong/?utm_campaign=elearningindustry.com&utm_source=%2F&utm_medium=link

“… many companies fail to develop a structure that supports new learning technologies. When blended learning programs go wrong, they can reduce the engagement and retention levels they were seeking to improve. When professionals are considering this type of approach, there are a few nuances to consider.”

… Vary learning communities by size and scope, so learners can go as in-depth as needed and the information can be shared with external members.

… Foster continual reinforcement of content with virtual training rooms so learners can engage with each other and experts before, during, and after training via Q&As, comments, etc.

… provide access to additional channels, such as discussion boards, newsrooms, mobile access, etc., to cultivate learning communities.”

Thank you everyone for listening to me during this brief time on my soapbox.

The Changing Times

Usually when I select a topic for a new blog I start by doing some research. I think about the topic and what I want to share. Then I look for current postings about the topic, what the most common thinking is, and what new or interesting information I can impart.

For this blog I wanted to look at the roles of corporate course developers and trainers. It wasn’t so long ago that people who wanted to be hired into a technical role often found that only training roles were available. They generally came in, did their time in the role, and then moved on within the corporation.

I was very surprised to learn that the requirements for current jobs had changed significantly. In what I think of as only the recent past, the main requirement was a technical background and a willingness to learn on-the-job how to develop and/or deliver training.

Today the role of instructional designer now has many additional responsibilities. And, of course, along with the additional responsibilities there are additional areas of knowledge required to carry out the role responsibilities.

The instructional designer is now a sought after role. People want to be in the role rather than wanting to move from it into a more prestigious role.

https://elearningindustry.com/6-figure-instructional-designers
WANTED: Six-Figure Instructional Designers
By Vicki Kunkel
May 26, 2015

“Once considered the red-haired stepchildren of corporations, instructional designers are finally going from no-respect Rodney Dangerfields to super cool content heroes.”

Kunkel also had two important observations to make.

The first was that the role now commands a six-figure salary, but she also said:

“One caveat: nearly all of the director and VP level positions required both design and development skills; not one or the other.”

This last comment was of great interest to me as, other than when I was a student, I have worked as a course designer or as a consultant to course developers but never both. The role of the course developer has expanded to include more areas of expertise and is generally now referred to as an instructional designer.

I am wondering where the role of the individual who uses a structured process to design and develop instruction has gone. In the past this role was known as an instructional designer. This role, while still performed in an academic setting, doesn’t seem to have a place in corporate training departments. As this is a role that I have performed in several different corporate settings I believe it is a role that has gotten lost and that corporate training departments might do well to consider bringing it back.

What Do Instructional Designers Do?

What Instructional Designers Do: Is this a career for you?
by Connie Malamed

“Instructional design involves the process of identifying the skills, knowledge, information and attitude gaps of a targeted audience and creating, selecting or suggesting learning experiences that close this gap, based on instructional theory and best practices from the field.

Ideally, workplace learning improves employee productivity and value and enhances self-directed learning.”

I believe that the change in the role responsibilities for the corporate person who is called an instructional designer are excellent but I would also like to see corporate training departments considering the value of adding someone who does the up front analysis of what is needed based on learning theory. As we move more and more away from instructor led training I believe this role will become even more important. I believe using these techniques will allow for better-targeted learning experiences with better learner retention.

If we look at other professions we can generally see that people who perform those roles do a creditable job with delivering the needed end result. Accountants, engineers, business executives and many others for the most part deliver a more successful end result than training professionals. Almost all business training organizations request feedback on the quality of the course and when an instructor is involved the company also looks for feedback about the delivery. This is because there are, in my opinion, far too many complaints about the quality of training offerings. If a learning professional does the up front analysis and identifies the end results for a learning event, it will go a long way towards offering a better quality product.