Epic's Blended Learning Consultancy
Our consulting team comprises dedicated experts ideally
placed to help you review, plan and implement your blended learning
strategy.
We conduct blended learning consulting using our “critical
workstreams” approach, where each workstream comprises a series
of tactical activities critical to the successful roll-out of blended
learning.
This enables us to address:
- Vision and goals - what are your business
drivers, aims and measurable targets for blended learning?
- Human infrastructure - are your audience,
HR community, line managers, senior managers and other stakeholders
ready for an on-line or e-learning approach?
- Technical infrastructure - what technical
infrastructure is required to deliver the training?
- Blend methodology – what does your
ideal solution look like in terms of scope/content and media?
- Processes and procedures – how
can best practice be achieved in design, delivery and support?
- Evaluation – how should the
solution be evaluated in order to learn lessons for the future?
- Business case – what is the business
case for your investment in blended learning?
Click on a link above for more on each workstream or click below
for details on our consulting team
Vision & goals workstream |
 |
ensuring your strategy aligns with your organisational
goals
Learning is not an end in itself. Its purpose is to enable achievement
of your organisational goals. To successfully implement blended
learning, you have to align learning with those goals. You need
a clear vision for blended learning: What is it aiming to achieve?
Is it agreed by key stakeholders?
During this workstream we will look to answer:
- What are your business/organisational drivers behind the initiative?
- What is your overall vision for the initiative, both now and
in the future?
- What benefits are you looking to derive from blended learning?
- Scalability and reusability – ability to deliver
to larger numbers of trainees?
- Higher productivity - ability to reduce time for learning?
- Increased numbers of individuals accessing training and
support?
- Increased speed to competence?
- Improved recruitment and retention?
- Encouragement of lifelong learning?
- What are the critical success factors for the project?
Read
examples of Epic’s work in strategic development
top
 |
Human
infrastructure workstream |
| …. ensuring the right environment for blended
learning |
| To succeed, blended learning
initiatives require a supportive human infrastructure. Your
learners, line managers and senior managers must be ready
to implement the new models of learning.
Hence one of our first tasks is to assess your capability
to implement and support blended learning. Through interviews,
focus groups, workshops and diagnostic tools we would look
to answer such questions as: |
- What are the relative sizes and learning needs of your target
audience?
- What are their expectations/culture?
- What internal communication/marketing efforts, if any, are required
to increase the level of readiness and positive attitudes towards
remote learning?
- Are your senior managers prepared for the initiative in terms
of buy in and commitment?
- What should senior management’s role be in the implementation?
Not only must the target audience and line managers be ready, your
HR community must be prepared for a blended approach. So:
- Who will design, develop and deliver the solutions?
- Will in-house resources be used, external providers or a combination
of both?
- What skillsets are required to address the learning goals?
- What new skills will be required? How will these skills be developed?
Having reviewed your human infrastructure, we might then recommend:
- Change programmes to move your organisation towards a blended
learning culture
- Learner support strategies and tools
- 'Champion networks’ to promote the usage of blended learning
- Awareness raising campaigns to promote its benefits
- Workshops to develop your internal capability in:
- Designing, developing and managing blended solutions
- Authoring e-learning
- Selecting and managing external suppliers
- Creation of e-tutor teams and blended learning support staff
Read
examples of Epic’s work in human infrastructure
top
Technical
infrastructure workstream |
|
| ….ensuring you invest
strategically in technology |
Alongside the human infrastructure, we will review the readiness
of your
technical infrastructure to support and deliver blended solutions.
This is crucial – our recommendations must be aligned with
your organisation’s ability to roll-out the solution from
a technical perspective:
- What learning delivery infrastructure is currently in place?
- What is the desired technical environment given the stated goals?
- What access does your target audience have to technology?
- What information (if any) should be recorded/tracked to address
the agreed goals?
- What authoring environment/features (if any) are required to
address the agreed goals?
- What technical standards should be defined for training design
and development?
Having reviewed your existing infrastructure we might then recommend:
- Use of rapid e-learning development tools
- Adherence to technical standards such as SCORM, AICC etc
- An appropriate Learning Management System
- Technical specifications for the design and delivery of blended
solutions
- Generic or bespoke authoring tools
- Support tools such as virtual classrooms, collaborative tools
etc
Read
examples of Epic’s work in technical infrastructure
top
 |
 |
Blend
methodology workstream |
| …finding the right
blends |
We will explore more detailed training requirements and review
existing training provision. This allows us to recommend where you
should concentrate in terms of subjects and delivery method, or
‘blend’ of learning. We will answer such questions as:
- What training is currently available to the target audience?
In what format?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of this training?
- What are the gaps/overlaps between the requirement and what’s
currently available?
- What current offerings should be considered for blended learning?
- Where should new material be developed?
- What constraints will affect your choice of delivery media?
- What media should be used to deliver the materials?
We will build your ‘model’ of blended learning based
on the target audience, content and constraints, such as budget,
IT infrastructure etc and so help define optimal blends.
Read
examples of Epic’s work in blended methodology
top
Processes
and procedures workstream |
|
| …ensuring best practice in blended solutions
design and delivery |
Naturally, you want to ensure your blended learning
solutions adhere to best practice both in terms of development methodologies
and delivery techniques. We will review:
- How are training materials currently commissioned, designed
and developed?
- What QA processes are in place?
- Are any formal quality procedures, such as ISO 9001 in place?
- What guidelines and methodologies are in place for designing
and developing training?
- Are materials used for accreditation/certification against professional
standards/qualifications?
- What is your policy for accessibility and usability?
- How are materials maintained and updated?
We might then recommend:
- Best practice design/development methodologies, based on ISO
9001:2000, PRINCE etc
- Standards for accessibility and usability, such as Section 508
- Agreement of processes for streamlining maintenance
- Use of document templates, checklists, guidelines and support
tools
- Processes for accreditation and certification of blended solutions
- Processes for translation and localisation of materials
Read
examples of Epic’s work in processes and procedures
top
Evaluation
workstream |
|
| …ensuring maximum return on investment |
Before implementing blended solutions, it is crucial that you determine
how success will be measured. Such measures should be built into
the plan and a process established for continual evaluation.
We will determine:
- How are training initiatives currently evaluated? How often?
- Who is involved/consulted in the evaluation process?
- How are plans revised in light of new developments?
We can then help you:
- Agree measures for success of blended solutions
- Implement pilot programmes for testing blended solutions and
for building a process of continuous improvement
- Develop processes for gathering feedback on blended solutions
- Evaluate effectiveness of blended solutions using Kirkpatrick
levels
- Assess Return on Investment (ROI)
- Review and re-plan your blended learning strategy
Read
examples of Epic’s work in evaluation
top
Business
Case |
|
| …securing funding for your plans |
| This final phase brings together our findings
from the other workstreams to determine a set of recommendations,
supported with cost justifications, for the investment required
to deliver your blended learning strategy. |
Using our ‘Blender’* tool for calculating
ROI, we will analyse costs and financial data to prepare report
that includes:
- Summaries of our key findings from each workstream
- Conclusions and recommendations for:
- Design and development of blended solutions
- Priorities for subjects/skills/content
- Delivery method(s)
- Who should design, develop and deliver the training
- A business case which outlines:
- Development costs for each element, plus ongoing costs of
support and evaluation
- Cost savings, of rolling out the plan and other benefits,
potential revenue streams etc
- ROI
- Risk analysis, with preventative and contingent plans
Together, the above provide a sound business case to help ensure
funding for your plans.
*The Blender™
The Epic Blended Learning ROI Calculator is an easy-to-use but
powerful tool for planning blended learning programmes. We work
closely with you to ensure accuracy in all cost projections in order
to derive a comprehensive set of recommendations for blended solutions.
Where appropriate, we will train you in usage of the tool so you
can plan your own solutions.
Read
examples of Epic’s work with business cases
 |
Limit your risk by
taking the guesswork out of ROI calculations |
| Back your ideas up with a strong,
costs-based business case |
| Increase your options when it comes to planning
learning campaigns |
top
 |
How we work
with our Clients |
We do not have a prescribed approach to every assignment
– we will work closely with you to establish what’s
right for you. We will explore your environment and develop realistic
plans for blended learning. We will always:
- Begin with a setup meeting with you to jointly plan our activities
and agree protocols
- Report back interim findings at agreed intervals
- Conclude the assignment with a full report and presentation
outlining our findings, conclusions, recommendations and business
case
Outlined below are some typical activities we will undertake in
order to address the critical workstreams, all of which will be
agreed with you in advance, along with how we will work together
during the assignment:
The deliverable from the assignment will be the final report
and/or presentation, outlining our key findings, conclusions and
recommendations, together with a plan for successful implementation
of your blended solutions.
top
Why Epic Consulting?
If you are looking for expert assistance in planning, implementing
and evaluating blended learning, our team offers:
- A strong track record of successful consulting projects: We
have helped many organisations derive the maximum benefit from
their blended initiatives. The following are just some of our
consulting clients:
- American Express
- B&Q
- DfES
- DWP
- Environment Agency
- Inland Revenue
- Orange
- Rank
- The Royal Bank of Scotland
|
|
We would be pleased to provide references for the quality of our
work
- A pragmatic, flexible approach to consulting: Our critical
workstreams approach allows us to tailor our activities to your
specific requirements. Regardless of where you are in terms
of planning and implementing blended learning, we can adapt
our approach to suit your needs
- First class consultants: Our team comprises outstanding individuals,
each with:
- Unparalleled expertise in the practical design and delivery
of blended learning
- Industry expertise recognised by government funded research
projects
- Award winning capability
- A client-centred partnership approach to consulting
- Leading edge thinking: We pride ourselves in our up-to-date
knowledge of leading edge initiatives and new blended learning
developments. This is achieved via our network of contacts,
regular attendance at conferences and access to the latest publications
and research studies. This thinking is reflected in the widespread
publication of Epic White Papers – discussion documents
freely available to clients on such subjects as ‘Blended
Learning’, ‘Learning Management Systems’ and
‘Change Management in e-Learning’
- Fast results: We move quickly! Our expertise and streamlined
approach enable us to typically deliver consulting reports within
8 weeks, allowing you to move forward at your pace, not ours
top
|
