Feed Your Workforce ( little and often )

Dr Adam Chester

Agenda• Introduction

• How technology is changing our brains

• What does this mean for learning & development

• Feeding your workforce

• Top 5 tips

Training Technology• Cave Paintings

• Papyrus

• Printing Press

• World Wide Web

The World Wide Web• The WWW has existed for 25 years.

• Vast quantities of information are available to us.

!

• It has affected all areas of our daily lives.

Google• We “google” information

• Google acts as the gatekeeper to the information

Time for a game• On the next slide is a list of 12 words.

• You will see them for one minute.

!

• I’ll ask you to recall them later.

Word List• Tiger

• Handbag

• Computer

• Stick

• Packet

• Bridge

• Newspaper

• Fragrance

• Cake

• Tunnel

• Aeroplane

• Green

How Do We Think?• We have two memory stores.

• Working memory

• Long-term memory

How Do We Think?• Working memory is a scratch-pad.

• We use it while we are “thinking”.

!

• What is (3+4) x 4 ÷ 2?

How Do We Think?• Long term memory is our permanent store

• What is your favourite colour?

• How many children do you have?

Effects of the Web• We don’t remember as much information

• Attention span has changed

• Attitude has changed

Reduced Memory Ability• When was the last time you remembered a phone

number?

• What do you do if you can’t recall the name of the lead actor in Casablanca?

• Research has shown that if we know information will be stored by technology then we are less likely to remember it ourselves.

Attention Span• Ten years ago the average attention span was 12

minutes.

• An experiment last year concluded that the average was now only 5 minutes!

• This effect is most pronounced for younger people.

Changed Attitudes• We expect everything to be on demand!

!

• We are much less patient!

!

• Instant gratification.

What does this mean for learning & development?

Traditional Delivery

Learner acquires knowledge/skills

Learner attends training

Learner applies knowledge/skills

Where’s the problem?• People forget!

• People won’t ask!

– Samuel Papert, MIT

“You can’t teach people everything they need to know. The best you can do is position them where they can find what they need to know

when they need it.”

Bitesize Learning• Creating resources that learners can use as a

reference.

• Common use cases:

• Business Processes

• Software Based Tasks

What should go into a resource?

• A short course should cover a single topic.

• How to raise an order for steel stock

• NOT!

• How to raise orders

!

• Keeps the course brief and focussed.

A Short Course Template• We use this template for

creating short course libraries.

!

• Lets use my washing machine as an example.

A list of important steps

A detailed walkthrough of the

task

Further Resources

Step 1: A list of important steps

1. Open door

2. Load clothes

3. Close door

4. Add powder to drawer

5. Add fabric softener to drawer

6. Choose cycle

Step 2: Detailed walkthrough

• Pull the lever to open the door.

• Insert either coloured or white clothes.

• Add 35g of Persil washing powder into the drawer.

Step 2: Detailed walkthrough

• Fill drawer up to indicator with fabric softener.

!

!

!

• Close drawer.

Step 2: Detailed walkthrough

• Choose a programme

Clothes Temperature Drying Timer Programme

Towels 90 180 1

Whites 60 120 2

Coloured Cotton 40 120 3

Delicates 40 - 4

Step 3: Further Resources• A guide to laundry care symbols - http://

www.textileaffairs.com/lguide.htm

• Washing Machine Manual - http://www.electrolux-ui.com//DocumentDownLoad.aspx?DocURL=2011\132\935111EN.pdf

Template Stages• In the first stage we are providing a simple outline

of the task.

• The second stage gives the learner a complete walkthrough of the task.

• Since the course is focussed on a single topic the learner can focus on the individual task.

• Additional resources provides opportunities for further relevant learning.

Distributing your courses

Distributing short courses• There are many potential options for making your

resources available.

• Physical resources

• Documents on shared storage

• Online e-learning courses

Physical ResourcesPros

Portable Do not take over the user’s screen

Cons May be expensive to reproduce Require reissue on changes to process May be moved or lost

Documents on Shared Storage

Pros Easily shared Updated at minimal cost

Cons Old versions may be stored locally No reporting No feedback mechanism

E-learning CoursesPros

Include multimedia resources Can be used on mobile devices Can be reported on. Collect feedback from learners

Cons May be difficult to produce LMS required

How do short courses help?

Addressing Memory Adaptations

• By creating and indexing your processes learners can look up what they need.

!

• You can provide authoritative resources

Addressing Attention Span• Short courses are focussed on a single topic.

• Duration should be no longer than 10 minutes

• There should be exit points

• I know what I’m doing from here so I’ll stop.

Addressing Attitude• Your resources can be instantly accessible online.

• Learners don’t have to wait for you to run courses.

!

• Learners are in charge of their own learning.

Making the most of your courses!

1: Make your courses visible• Everyone needs to know about the courses!

• Link on the intranet

• Reminders in the weekly email

• Posters in communal areas

2: Keep them up to date• Courses need to be updated with changes to

processes

• Nothing will stop them being used quicker than the suggestion that they are out of date.

3: Encourage their use• Encourage your learners to use the system.

• If you can get buy in from other departments and managers then that is a good start!

4: Measurement and Feedback

• Monitor the uptake of the courses and review your approach to points 1-3.

• It may take some time for the new library to become established.

• Use the feedback from learners to improve the resources

5: Build it for mobile• Enable your learners to access the material from

any device.

• They can now access your resources wherever and whenever they need to.

Conclusions

Changes• Modern technology is changing learning brains.

!

• Maintaining engagement is becoming more difficult.

Memory Challenge• How many words can you remember?

• 6 or more?

• 8 or more?

• 10 or more?

• All 12

Questions?