Simon House Ltd

The Critical Role of Training in Digital Transformation

The Introduction:

In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital transformation, organisations increasingly need to rely on innovative technologies to stay competitive and relevant. Amidst this wave of change, the role of Learning and Development (L&D) professionals has become pivotal. We’ll briefly review why we’re significant in this article.

The Role

1. Adapting to Technological Advancements:

As organisations adopt new technologies, employees must acquire the skills to effectively utilize them. L&D plays a crucial role in facilitating this transition by designing and providing resources and courses that align with the business, as well as the knowledge and skills needed. From artificial intelligence to data analytics, continuous learning ensures that employees stay proficient in the latest tools and methodologies.

2. Cultivating a Learning Culture:

It’s all too easy to get caught up in the ‘new and shiny’ phase of new technology, but a successful digital transformation also requires a continuous learning culture. L&D professionals can contribute by fostering a culture that values curiosity, experimentation, and ongoing development. This involves creating a supportive environment where employees feel encouraged to upskill – or reskill – to meet the demands of a digital era but cannot be driven by L&D alone – it must be an organisational culture.

The Pitfalls

1. Lack of Alignment with Business Objectives:

One common pitfall to a lot of organisational learning – not just digital transformation – is a disconnect between learning objectives and organisational goals. L&D programs should align strongly with the specific competencies needed for successful digital transformation. Regular collaboration with key stakeholders and learning to speak their language rather than ‘L&D speak’ is essential to ensure that learning objectives are coordinated with broader business strategies.

2. Outdated Training Methods:

In the dynamic world of digital transformation, traditional training methods may become obsolete. Avoid the pitfall of relying solely on ‘tried and tested’ classroom training and static materials. Where appropriate, incorporate interactive case studies and scenarios in your e-learning to adapt behaviours, embed virtual/augmented reality to improve skills and make learning more easily accessible, and create other interactive methods to enhance engagement and provide a more immersive learning experience, especially where these can be accessed within the flow of work.

The Mitigation

1. Continuous Assessment and Feedback:

Regularly assessing the effectiveness of learning programs through feedback loops and evaluating the value back in the workplace with line managers is essential in any learning transfer, but where the ground can seem to be moving rapidly under your feet in digital transformation it is even more critical. This enables quick identification of gaps and allows for prompt adjustments to course content or delivery methods. Continuous improvement within L&D is key to ensuring that any learning initiatives remain relevant and deliver what the organisation needs.

2. Leadership Involvement and Support:

Secure buy-in from organisational leaders to emphasise the importance of learning in digital transformation. Take the time to explain the value to the business and how you will support and deliver measurable results. Winning leadership support not only helps allocate resources but also sets the tone for the previously mentioned learning culture from the top down. Encourage leaders to actively, and visibly, take part in learning initiatives to demonstrate commitment and promote a shared vision.

3. Agile Learning Strategies:

In the fast-paced digital landscape, where delays can cost millions, agility is essential – and not something L&D have traditionally been great at! Develop learning strategies that can adapt to changing technologies and business priorities. This might involve creating modular training programs that can be easily updated or implementing just-in-time learning solutions to address immediate skill gaps. Maybe more resources than courses.

The Conclusion

As digital transformation reshapes industries, the role of Learning and Development professionals is more critical than ever. By recognising and addressing common pitfalls, L&D teams can play a significant role in driving successful digital initiatives. Embracing a culture of continuous learning, aligning with business objectives, and staying agile in approach will position organisations to thrive in the digital era.

Using triggers in PowerPoint

PowerPoint triggers are a great tool to help you create eLearning courses. The ability to create personalised experiences for each learner and reduce the amount of content in slides can make it easier to consume.

Triggers are also an excellent alternative to traditional animations – and they allow you to create non-linear learning pathways. For example, they allow you to display text or trigger an audio answer from a click by the learner.

What is a trigger?

A trigger is an animation that is started by clicking a slide object. It could be to hide, or reveal an object or start a motion path – any animation you like. PowerPoint triggers are perfect for interactive content, especially in kiosk or 1-on-1 settings.

You can use this feature by adding an animation, or series of animations, to any object – including 99% transparent shapes which is very useful for making parts of an image interactive rather than the whole thing (think of a screenshot with various icons on and being able to click them each individually).

Triggers are set from the Animations tab, and you must have the clickable object and the ‘target’ object on the slide when you set the trigger. Select the target animation first, and then choose the Start effect on click of… option. This will make the animation start whenever a particular object is clicked.

Basic example: You have a grid of 9 quiz question boxes on your slide. You could create animations that will fade the question (or the answer) in/out when they are clicked in any order. This makes them more interactive and gives you the ability to give your viewers various options.

What are the benefits of using triggers?

Triggers let you show or hide content until someone clicks on it. They allow learners to navigate the package in the order they determine rather than a preset linear ‘click next to continue’ pattern

PowerPoint triggers can be difficult to use to start with, but with some practice and some imagination you can use them for some amazing impact – and your PowerPoint presentations will never be the same again!

Combining animations with triggers

To create some really interesting slides you can combine animations, and by controlling the timing (down to 0.1 seconds) you can create a wide array of effects that look nothing like your normal death by PowerPoints.

At this point you will have realised that this is sounding and looking more like eLearning than PowerPoint – and you would be right. You will likely end up with many objects and animations on each slide, and it can get very busy, very quickly.

How do I work with all these objects?

Easy. Make use of the Selection pane all the time. Keep it open and change the names of every object to something relevant or meaningful to you, and then you can hide/show them to see what’s under each layer of images. No more having to cut and paste objects, or move them and try and put them back in exactly the same place (have you discovered the align tools..?)

Start off simple and build from there – and be prepared for a lot of positive feedback and people asking if you are actually using PowerPoint!

The Pros and Cons of AI Generated Training Course Content

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving, and its potential applications in training course content generation are becoming increasingly popular. This technology enables the creation of “original” materials that can be used to deliver quality learning experiences to learners. But how effective is it? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of using AI to generate training course content.

an AI generated image created from the prompt "create an original image in the style of stock photographs depicting a human using an ai chatbot in the workplace"

The Pros of AI Generated Content
One of the biggest advantages of using AI generated content for training course material is its cost-effectiveness. AI creates materials quickly, which saves time and money for instructional designers and trainers. Additionally, AI-generated course materials are often more engaging than traditional resources, as they can present information in innovative ways that grab learners’ attention. As a result, learners tend to retain more information from these courses than with traditional methods.

Another benefit to using AI generated content is its ability to keep up with changing trends. For example, as new topics emerge or existing ones become obsolete, instructors can use AI technologies to quickly generate new materials that reflect current trends. This gives instructors an advantage in staying ahead of the curve when creating their courses.

The Cons of AI Generated Content
While there are many benefits to using AI generated content for training course materials, there are also some drawbacks that should be considered before taking this approach. For example, some argue that using artificial intelligence eliminates human creativity from the process by relying too heavily on machines for course creation. Additionally, because it does not have access to all data available about a topic or subject matter area, it may not provide as comprehensive coverage or accuracy as humans would do on their own. Finally, many people believe that learning should be based on personal connections between learner and instructor; however, due to its automated nature, this could be difficult with AI generated courses.

Conclusion:
When it comes down to it, deciding whether or not to use artificial intelligence in your training program is ultimately up to you! While there are definite advantages such as cost savings and speedier production times when utilizing this technology for generating training content, there are also some drawbacks such as lack of creativity and accuracy that should be taken into consideration before making a decision either way.

[this blog post was written by an AI chatbot as an experiment – the prompt was “Using AI to generate ‘original’ training course content. the pros and cons of this approach.” What do you think of the results?]

What’s the DIF?

One useful way to ensure your action-based training is focused on the business outcome of performance is by using a DIF analysis.

What is a DIF analysis?

It’s a way to assess the Difficulty, Importance and Frequency of tasks in order to decide if there is a learning intervention required, and if so, at what level (resource, course, tutor etc).

It’s important to note this approach only really works in a process-driven environment where several people carry out the same tasks in the same way.

In principle, the more difficult and/or important the task the more likely it is to require training.

The less frequently the task is carried, the more likely that training – or refresher training – will be required. Compliance training can be a good example of this.

A course provides an opportunity to practice, fail, find out why and have the opportunity to learn from each other and ask the ‘what if’ questions.

A blended approach provides the opportunity to acquire and refresh the requried knowledge outside of the classroom environment (before and after any course) but also have the opportunity to ask questions from a trainer, coach or ‘super user’.

Readily accessible resources provide each person with the information they need to carry out their task(s) – these could be videos, user guides, diagrams/process charts that they can access at the point of need.

There is application for eLearning here too, although – releasing the pin in the grenade – I would argue it shouldn’t be used by itself for anything that is deemed difficult and important. I would consider using eLearning mainly in those areas that require a blended training solution but are not difficult.

What are your thoughts on the uses and constraints of the DIF analysis?

Some appy reflections

Home page explaining assessment criteria

I’ve recently been learning how to develop a simple, but effective mobile app.

Why? Because I work with many really great, busy people in various emergency services who are doing their Leadership and Management apprenticeship but dont have a lot of time to focus on their evidence gathering.

I wanted to do something that would help provide them with some straightforward help, support and explanation of what the different criteria require, but without it being really heavy for them or time intensive for me. That’s when I wondered if an app could help!

I started creating the app just as a test exercise for myself, without any real expectations of releasing it, but the more I worked on it the more excited I became by the possibilities it offered.

But a trainer getting excited by a new ‘training toy’ is nothing new is it!

So I want to offer the app to anyone doing a L5 Operations/Department Manager apprenticeship in the emergency services for free. I’m ex-Police staff and currently work with several Fire services so this sector has a special place for me and I want to give them something extra. In return I would be grateful for any feedback – positive and negative – that will help me improve the app for them.

Will this ever make me any money? Probably not, but I think it’s a great way to help provide value, by having the right resource at the right time.

What does it contain?

An explanation of each criteria in non-academic language to make sense of what it requires.
The best format to use for your interview.
An explanation of what to address in your Project.
The format to follow when choosing and recording your CPD.
Where you might get your behaviours evidence from.
A few ‘what not to do’ tips.
A place for you to record your own thoughts and comments.
A feedback page so I can improve the app based on user suggestions and requests.

How do I get the app?

You can download it for free by clicking h ere or scanning the QR code below.

Some great design ideas

I’ve been following the wide range of submissions and feedback being developed by some seriously talented learning designers for The Learning Conference, being held online 3-5 August 2020.

There are learning solutions being proposed and used that I have never heard of (check out Glideapps for a start), some old dependable routes and some innovative uses of existing platforms that aren’t traditionally used for learning, including Instagram.

Regardless of how long you have been in learning design you will come away with something of interest and value – and this is just the competition – if the Conference itself is half as good it may well be the best learning Conference ever!! I have nothing to do with the conference, but like you I have been to many conferences that are just glorified sales pitches and sometimes not very subtle ones either. It will be great to go and actually gain some relevant knowledge and learn some practical skills that improve my game and that I can pass on to others.

My top 3 highlights from the competition so far:

Glideapps.com to produce an app that runs from Google sheets – and there’s a full free version! Here’s the first app I created as a demo version, which took me an afternoon, including all images and learning the system.
Carrd.co – one page, responsive websites. I’ve not tried it yet, but I will be doing so very soon!
Using Instagram to replace an LMS! Here’s the demo of what was produced by Shirleen Wong.

I would love to know what has impressed you the most so far – get in touch!

If I’d known how much work was involved…

“If I’d known how much work was involved, I wouldn’t have signed up!”

Have you thought that, or had it said to you, about a course or apprenticeship?

There are lots of reasons a learner may find themselves feeling like this – they didn’t do enough research into the course, it was mis-sold, their circumstances have changed, the training provider hasn’t provided the required structure, poor time management….

It’s very easy to say that this should have been sorted out before the course started and that expectations should be set at a realistic level but, once the learner reaches this stage and has no doubt put lots of time and effort into the course already, what can be done to help?

Know the end goal

The learner must know and understand what is required of them. What criteria they must meet and what the timescales are for completion. What they are responsible for and what the training provider or employer responsibilities are. Are different assessments required? Is there a mix of theory and practical, or just one of those? Is there a final assessment to prepare for? Is a portfolio of evidence or showcase required – and if so, what does that need to address – and how?

Plan to succeed

Once the success criteria and assessment conditions are understood, it’s time to plan how to meet them in the time that’s left. Identify what has already been achieved and then focus on prioritising the rest into ‘easy’, ‘difficult’ and ‘impossible’ categories; then seek help and support from the training provider and employer to resolve the ‘impossibles’ so they can see a way out of the current situation. Move on to planning how to meet the difficult tasks. By the end of this exercise they should have a plan for how and when they will be able to meet the criteria, what support they will need and the order those tasks need to be achieved.

Review progress

Keep checking your plan to see if you’re on track. Small changes to the plan are very normal in order to deal with unforeseen circumstances, such as illness, but regular and frequent reviews help keep the focus on the tasks currently due, identify new challenges that need resolving, allowing assistance to be sought earlier rather than later. The reviews also help demonstrate that progress is being made and can reduce any stress being felt.

Re-plan if necessary

Don’t be afraid to rework the plan if it’s no longer achievable. Follow the same steps and stay focused on what is required to meet the criteria. It may be necessary to aim for a lower grade than initially desired (a pass instead of a distinction) but is still achievable by putting effort into the right elements.

It’s not SME its you!

Ady Howes posed a good question today:

“When designing digital content for training, how would you say working with an SME differs to when you are designing content for face to face learning?”
Ady Howes on LinkedIn

How to deal with SMEs is a far bigger subject than can be covered well in a single blog post, but there are a few suggestions that can help:

They are not always right – especially when they want everything they know about their subject included in the session you are delivering. They are experts in their field, but it’s unlikely they need the learners to have that same level of knowledge, despite what they think.

You have to be firm and focus on what the learners need to know (list the desired outcomes as must have, should have and could have). Keep asking the SME why a learner needs to know something and get the SME to provide valid workplace examples of when and how they expect the learning to be put into practice. If its not directly relevant to the learner, it shouldn’t be there.

Demonstrate the difference between their approach and yours.

Have fewer slides, not more. Slides are normally boring – or even worse, they are filled with words! Ergh. Nothing worse.

Have more activity – quizzes, chat interaction, annotating on the screen, Q&A, breakout rooms, a break to do research and then come back and share what they discovered.

The SME should recognise that they were more engaged with your delivery method than their own

Provide all the extra “they need to know all of this” stuff as resources, links, user guides etc that can be accessed after the session. Provide a named person (the SME?) as a point of contact for any queries.

Remember, the SME (normally) wants this to be very successful and genuinely believes that more information equals success. You need to take the time to listen to what’s important to them, then harness that passion for their subject and redirect it in the direction you need them to go by focusing on the outcomes/objectives for the session more than the design or even the content..

Your job is to deliver their outcomes, so make sure you understand what they need and the change they are seeking.

Lessons learned

I was copied in to an email this morning from a learner who felt let down having received feedback from me regarding the quality of the portfolio of evidence for their Apprenticeship.

Now I wasn’t involved in the delivery or assessment of the two year programme and only got invited in at the end to advise on how the group could prepare for End Point Assessment – and the answer was they needed to have been preparing for the last few months, rather than waiting for Gateway to loom and start planning it then!

They had covered the requirement briefly during their induction but, understandably, they had forgotten all about it with the pressures of learning all the content from the monthly workshops and completing their assignments. The need to complete a portfolio of evidence never factored into their planning. so imagine how devastated they were to learn that all that work needed completing just when they thought they had finished.

The lesson?

Telling someone something once and then not reinforcing its importance or relevance to them personally is a waste of time – theirs and yours.

Provide the right information at the right time
Reinforce it at appropriate times and show how it meets the individual’s needs
Review it regularly to ensure understanding
Break it into smaller pieces so it isn’t overwhelming

EPA is not that difficult…is it?

Why are so many apprentices failing their EPA?

There appear to be many – but certainly not all – training providers struggling to deliver the high quality they want to when they get to the EPA – and by then it’s too late and the remedial actions should have been put in place months before. Yes, EPA is different to anything we have had to do before – but no, it’s not rocket science and you can consistently achieve it with a few simple rules.

And those rules are heavily weighted around EVIDENCE OF ACTIVITY. What it is, what it isn’t (and one thing it isn’t is submitting a bunch of assignments that were designed to gain a qualification and hoping that’s evidence of activity).

Of course, some providers haven’t read the assessment plans and are carrying on as they always have (and that will have very poor consequences for their future business as well as the apprentices) and in other cases they have been let down by a lack of guidance and support from the EPAO – however it’s not rocket science.

Despite a busy workload, I REALLY think a 1-day EPA workshop for training providers to go through in detail how they can help their apprentices to pass first time will work wonders. Spend some time going through some live (sanitised) examples from your apprentices so it’s a real world learning experience, looking at what can be achieved naturally and what has to have some more effort applied.

Above all, let’s support the apprentices in achieving what they have spent normally well over a year working on and preparing for. An Apprenticeship is so much more than the old – or embedded – qualification so let’s build on that value and make it work for employers, training providers and apprentices (and End Point Assessors).

My area of EPA expertise is the team leader/supervisor and operations/ departmental manager Standards, but I’m happy to consult on other Standards if any clients would benefit from that too. In my experience and in talking to a lot of other end point assessors it’s not the knowledge element that is lacking – we have all been doing that for years in L&D – it’s the PORTFOLIOS which are seriously letting the apprentices down. Apprentices often fly through the CBI and PD components of the EPA and can discuss some great workplace examples in depth – and yet there is little to no evidence of these examples and activity being submitted. Is this the apprentices’ fault or are they not getting the direction and support they need from the training provider?