Defence Academy commissions CRM

February 27th 2009

Epic has been commissioned to redevelop the Certificate in Resource Management (CRM) e-learning solution. This programme was originally launched in 2005 and raised awareness amongst all Defence Academy staff, not just those in finance, around the subject of resource management.

There were two clear aims associated with the training - to raise internal standards of resource management and demonstrate to external bodies, such as the Treasury and National Audit Office, that essential competencies had been achieved. Following successful initial roll-out, the redevelopment aims to provide an enhanced learner experience and exploit up-to-date Flash technologies to create engaging and interactive content.

The CRM redesign includes an overhaul of content presentation, an increase in learner engagement and creation of additional interactivity. This will add significant value and modernise the existing modules cost effectively. The redeveloped solution will present the end user with a series of learning ‘environments' rather than a static menu. This represents a shift away from the traditional 'show and tell' presentational model towards a more active notion of learning by discovery. This will be reinforced by presenting the topics (accessed via a 3D environment) as ‘webquests' where learners have to seek out knowledge (provided in printable resources) in order to respond to a series of challenges.

Epic Account Manager, Nick Timpson, says: "We've gone for a ‘learning by discovery' approach which encourages active learning. The onus is on the learner to explore links to a set of resources which they then have to apply to a real world task or challenge. Like a webquest, it's a treasure hunt with a purpose. This kind of model really bridges the gap between learning and doing and ensures the learner is fully prepared to apply the training to their real-world duties."

Nick continues, "We're delighted to be working on this rebuild of the CRM course. It's a great opportunity to share ideas and demonstrate what can be achieved in a Flash based environment with a client that has always been at the cutting edge of e-learning."