The Future of Blended Learning - Global Mission report

Alec Keith, MCIPD, Senior Learning Consultant, Epic

In May 2006 I participated in the ‘Beyond e-learning’ Global Watch mission to the US, sponsored by the DTI. The mission comprised representatives from content developers such as Epic, corporate users such as Reuters, and academics such as the University of Abertay Dundee. Global Watch missions are a key aspect of UK Trade and Investment’s strategy for encouraging UK investment and promoting sales overseas. Independent research shows that for every £1 invested in Global Watch, over £8 is generated for UK plc.

The aim of the mission was to pinpoint innovations in e-learning, identify best practice and exchange expertise in design and implementation of blended solutions. Our group spent a week in Boston, San Jose and San Fransisco, visiting corporate and academic institutions including IBM, Fidelity, MIT, Convergys, Perilux, Microsoft, Accenture, SRI, Cisco, Genentech, Sun Microsystems, Stanford, EMC and UmassOnline.

Below is a summary of my findings. To prevent previous assumptions and prejudices affecting the conclusions, all examples, quotations and case studies are restricted solely to those gathered during the week.

1. WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE US?

This report looks at what’s new in the world of US blended learning, focusing on corporate users. In order to promote debate, the approach starts with two premises:

1. Most e-learning isn’t actually used, and…
2. When it is used, rarely achieves the desired business benefits

So what can be learnt from the US blended learning experience? What works and what’s coming next? And what are the lessons for the UK in terms of addressing these premises?

2. BLENDED LEARNING – WHAT’S THAT?

On the face of it, the task seemed simple - discover what works in US blended learning and publish the findings. However, it became clear very early that blended learning is old news - “Blended learning is just a means to an end”, and “Blended learning is still in the literature, but not discussed seriously”, we were told.

So before we can learn any lessons from what’s happening in the US, we must first understand how the nature of US learning itself is changing.

3. THE CHANGING LEARNING LANDSCAPE

The increasing pace of change in US markets, regulatory environment and technology, together with a new learner profile is affecting what’s required of blended approaches. The traditional approach of discrete, one-size learning events, perhaps sandwiched with e-learning, is being replaced with something radically different. The new world blurs the distinction between learning and communication and delivers mass-volume, business-led community solutions that engage learners in a continual learning process.

The following table summarises the old and new world, with key findings and conclusions below.

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4.1 KEY FINDINGS

4.1 AUDIENCE

Before we can design, develop and implement effective programmes, it’s vital to appreciate the nature of the new world audience. The following summarises some key features identified during research:

Widening base: US organisations recognise a new target audience - not just staff, but customers and partners. This is particularly true of fast-changing firms such as IBM, Microsoft and Cisco, who have rolled out major programmes to channel partners and customers supported by accreditation and certification. Cisco launches 1-2 new products every week, supported with e-learning nuggets downloadable from their web site, whilst Microsoft supplies e-learning vignettes in all new products, such as how to implement parental controls on operating systems.

The growth of new technology allows these organisations to reach far wider audiences than previously. Cisco communicates, collaborates and educates employees, partners and customers worldwide via IP multicast and unicast streaming, repaying the investment in a media studio within 12 months.

What’s more, many US organisations have embraced the concept of corporate responsibility i.e ‘giving something back’, so widening their audience to the general public. This includes e-learning programmes aimed at developing digital literacy and basic skills, but also in global warming, the environment and so on. Cisco have recently launched ‘Preparing to Breastfeed’, having recognised the need for major corporates to take the lead in educating the widest possible audience. The Cisco range also includes ‘Peter Packet’, teaching networking basics and social awareness to children. Similar initiatives are stirring in the UK, particularly in the oil industry for instance, and we should expect more to come.

Global, digital thinkers: The new world audience grew up with the internet and uses technology instinctively to communicate. They are also global thinkers – many have friends around the world, communicate across geographic and time boundaries and naturally share knowledge. The opportunities for exploiting new technology to leverage this sense of community are huge. It demands a shift from traditional training events to a more integrated approach using technology to communicate, knowledge share etc. This is explored in more detail below.

Broad, not deep: The pace of change and demand for new knowledge means today’s audience requires a huge quantity of knowledge, much of which is perishable. In general, learners want lots of information, but not depth. Unlike the old world audience, new learners are content with ambiguity – it’s breadth/volume that counts. This has major implications for the structure and delivery of learning solutions, discussed below.

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4.2 LEARNING

“It’s no longer about training, but performance.” Blended learning isn’t about one-off events – solutions must be part of learners’ everyday working lives. Cisco’s aim is to “weave learning into the fabric of your day”. This changes the emphasis from trainer led delivery, focused on content, to an informal performance led approach, focused on the audience’s needs.

Aligning L&D with the business: The increasing importance of aligning L&D closely with business needs is clear. L&D cannot expect to spot learning needs from afar, we need to integrate totally with our audience in order to deliver solutions when they’re needed. A good example is how EMC (supplier of enterprise-wide intelligent storage and retrieval technology) reduced their investment in e-learning from $7m pa to $1m pa with improved results simply by identifying what the business wanted, rather than what L&D thought they wanted.

Gearing up for community learning: Community/collaborative learning is hot. Numerous examples were given of the effectiveness of group learning and the opportunities presented by collaborative tools, such as discussion forums, blogs, wikis etc. Examples include the success of sites such as Wikipedia and Flickr – user generated content. Jetblue have taken the concept one stage further with customers creating the company’s advertising copy! Community learning is still early days in the corporate world, but all organisations we met have started. Genentech (biotechnology research company) are experimenting with dynamic FAQs, learning cafes and communities of practice. Sun Microsystems have 2,000 active bloggers sharing experiences and war stories on project work.

Informal learning: It’s estimated that 80% of learning is informal, i.e out of the learning paradigm. To date, L&D professionals have been anxious about informal learning – by its nature, out of our control and difficult to measure. But in the US, the anxiety is disappearing. As outlined above, new learners can cope with ambiguity. There’s no need to remember anything, you can always ‘google’ it or use new technology to ask - anyone, anywhere, at any time, including complete strangers. And IBM have started measuring informal learning, such as the frequency of data sharing, recognising and rewarding individuals/team accordingly. Informal learning is on its way and we must gear ourselves up for it.

Quantity, not quality: This may not be what any L&D professional wants to hear, but it’s true… to a point. Organisations like Cisco, Microsoft and EMC have delivered business benefits by producing volume, easily accessible solutions. Genentech’s approach is “all about providing information to the rest of the company”. EMC has delivered results through a “simple, but effective” approach with huge libraries of content as VILTs (video instructor led training) and VODs (video on demand), easily accessible/searchable by staff, partners and customers. However, there’s still a market for high-end quality solutions, such as games – Cisco’s virtual hands-on lab/interactive simulations, for instance. What we’re seeing is a shift from ‘produce and consume’ to ‘search and retrieve’ – ‘googlisation’.

Performance support: Training and performance support are merging. Numerous examples of online, just-in-time performance support were identified. Cisco for example, use Ajax technology to embed context sensitive support/instruction in their products. Fidelity’s vision is to include online nuggets/content based instruction in all new devices, forms, templates and applications. Vodafone use performance support tools, with search and retrieve functionality to teach product knowledge in Italian call centres. However, State Street (a financial services provider), warn of the effort required to build EPSS (Electronic Performance Support Systems) into the learning culture. It mustn’t be assumed that all users will embrace this new way of working.

4.3 LEARNING DESIGN

The changing nature of learning has several implications for learning design:

Changing role of L&D professionals: Aligning to the business requires us to be consultants, not just trainers. We must understand our business users, speak their language and handle the increasing speed of change. EMC found that simply asking experienced, skilled Instructional Designers to take on this new role wasn’t enough. We need to develop our skills as coaches and mentors to handle the new world of learning. The end result of these changes, according to Accenture, is a merging of learning, internal communications and the corporate library into a single function – Talent Management.

Scalability/quantity: The requirement for volume requires subject matter experts’ knowledge to be harnessed for scalable solutions. This typically requires in-house development of e-learning rather than engaging external suppliers. The e-learning suppliers become consultants in this initiative, working closely alongside the client organisation to coach, mentor and help build internal capability. In Genentech for instance, subject experts make extensive use of Articulate Presenter and Camtasia to make large volumes of e-learning content available to the widest possible audience, whilst outsourcing development of more specialist, high end solutions. This trend is already being seen, but to a lesser degree, in the UK. Any organisation that hasn’t yet done so needs to gear itself up to design and develop blended solutions, including e-learning, selecting a trusted e-learning partner to help build internal capability.

Keep it simple: Volume solutions must be simple. EMC, Genentech and Cisco make extensive use of Podcasts, VILTs etc, concentrating on breadth of content, searchable in small chunks. Whilst learning models tend to be linear, with limited use of more sophisticated e-learning features, the audience doesn’t demand anything else. What’s important is speed and ease of access.

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Personalised learning: With so much content being produced, learners need guidance on selecting what’s appropriate to their needs. Hence many organisations are personalising their learning, and creating individual learning paths, depending on role, capability frameworks etc. What’s more, assessment, certification and accreditation of programmes is key – “testing is more important than content”.

Motivation of learners: In the new world of volume solutions and informal learning, motivation of learners is a key issue that hasn’t yet been cracked. Whether to make completion mandatory is still being debated, but either way the challenge is to encourage learners to want to learn. ‘Learning miles’ and credits, tied in to competency frameworks and linked closely to performance at work are recognised as the solutions, but it’s an issue the US is still struggling with.

5. CONCLUSIONS

We’re facing a new world of learning and a new world of learners. To ensure the future of blended learning in the UK we need to recognise what’s happening in the US and act now. In particular, UK L&D functions must:

1. Align L&D closely with our business users to ensure we’re continually abreast of their fast-changing needs
2. Be prepared to meet the needs of a widening audience, including clients, partners and the general public
3. Gear up for volume production of learning solutions, mostly in-house using rapid development tools, with support from specialist providers
4. Implement plans for exploiting the power of community learning and informal learning - soon
5. Think performance support, not training, in everything we do
6. Identify how our organisation’s internal functions are changing and prepare for a widening, challenging role

This isn’t simply another set of theoretical ramblings from the trade press. As shown by the numerous examples, the conclusions are based on actual experiences of real US organisations.

Alec can be contacted at Epic on 01273 728686 or mobile 07834 049414, email aleck@epic.co.uk

6. FURTHER INFORMATION

The Global Watch findings will be published at the ‘Beyond e-learning’ seminar on September 7th 2006, at RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), 66 Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD

This free one-day seminar will report back full findings and provide the opportunity to hear from all members of the mission team. Delegates will also receive a copy of the misson report.

Further information can be found on the Global Watch website, where you can also reserve a place using the on-line registration form.