Articles

Simon Strudwick presentation at CNIE-RCIE 2022

Presentation at CNIE/RCIE Conference 2022: Designing a New Hire Orientation programme for remote delivery during COVID

When our new hire orientation moved online, the initial focus was on providing as much information as possible in a lecture format. The participants complained that there was too much information, the presenters complained that important information was getting lost, and the program sponsor complained that none of this met her requirements – which were about delivering a great experience and not a knowledge dump.

Problem addressed by the case:

Participants felt overwhelmed by too much information delivered during a three day remote new hire orientation, and the orientation did not meet the goals of the program sponsor.

Solution devised:

I designed a five-part presentation format that emphasized storytelling and hands-on activities, and was simple for all presenters to follow.

Process for developing the solution:

I used a step-by-step process to identify key messages in existing presentation and remove “nice to know” information (which reduced the average length by 50%), redesign the curriculum to create a logical flow to the order of presentations, identify gaps in the curriculum where additional presentation were required, and map opportunities for fun, wow, and inclusive experiences onto the curriculum.

Click here to download the slide deck (PDF).

Workplace training

How I Design Effective Workplace Training Assessments

“If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking it is stupid”

Albert Einstein

When I am training people in the workplace I am teaching them how to do a job, not how to pass a test. I ask managers, “What will the learner need to be able to do after this course that they cannot do now, and how will I know?” An effective assessment is a critical element of most workplace training courses. I always plan my assessments (and learning objectives) before developing my course content in detail. Sharing these plans with my stakeholders in advance helps make sure we all agree on what is being taught, and how we will know that learning has occurred.    

I Assess the Same Skills Used on the Job

Good summative assessments direct the learners to higher level learning objectives. I like to use scenarios that require the learners to draw from several learning objectives and apply what they have learned from the training in the context of what they will be doing on the job.

For example:

In this scenario I am training Chris to create a new user on a computer system. Chris will follow the new user job aid to create both a new user account and a security token.

LESSON OBJECTIVE:  By the end of this lesson the learner will be able to follow the new user job aid to create a working account for a new user on the system. 

The best assessment for this would be for Chris to create a new user account on the system using the new user job aid.

What needs to be avoided are assessments that reward only superficial learning, and fail to direct students to higher level learning objectives.

For example:

In the above scenario I could ask Chris questions about information that is on the job aid. 

Would this be useful? 

No. This only tests whether Chris has memorized a job aid that they would be able to refer to on the job. 

I Deploy Formative Assessments Strategically

Assessing learning objectives should not be left to the end of the course. Learning should also be assessed throughout the course as each new idea is introduced.  

Formative assessments are not a ‘big deal’ in the lesson. Their purpose is to provide learners an opportunity to practice applying each new idea as they learn. This way learners and trainers can identify strengths and weaknesses early, so that action can be taken.

For example:

In this scenario there are two parts to creating a new user account. First, an account form must be completed, and then a security token must be sent to the user.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: by the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to follow the new user job aid to create a new user account.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: the learners will work in pairs to create a new user account using the new user job aid.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: by the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to generate a security token and send it as an email attachment.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT: the learners will switch roles and continue following the new user job aid to generate a security token and email it to their partner. 

As I introduce each new idea, I am presenting the teaching content. During the formative assessment activity, I might work with the groups to help answer questions and make sure everyone is successful. At the end of the lesson there is a summative assessment to bring it all together.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT: the learner will follow the new user job aid to create three new users on the test system working on their own. Security tokens will be emailed to the trainer as evidence of completion.

I Match Assessment Methods to Learning Objectives

A specific learning objective will describe how it needs to be assessed.

For example:

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: by the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to name three types of health insurance
ASSESSMENT METHOD: the learner will name three types of health insurance.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: by the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to clock in and out of the timekeeping system
ASSESSMENT METHOD: the learner will clock in and out of the timekeeping system. 

This can also be done in reverse, defining the learning objective according to the assessment instead.

For example:

ASSESSMENT METHOD: the learner will read a scenario about workplace bullying and then choose the most appropriate course of action
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: by the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to evaluate a workplace bullying scenario and choose the most appropriate course of action. 

I Follow All of My Assessments with Quality Feedback

Whenever an assessment is given, it is important to provide feedback to the learner regardless of whether they answered correctly. Sometimes learners do not completely understand their answer, so when giving feedback, I always explain what was right or wrong and why. I also make sure to call attention to the key learning points that are relevant.  

I Continue to Assess Learning After Delivering the Course

So now my students can successfully complete my course in a simulated low-stakes environment while the learning is fresh. On the job, the learner will eventually encounter scenarios that were not covered in training.  Have I equipped my students with the thinking skills to help them to choose the right course of action to take when they do not know the answer? Has enough time passed to allow learners to forget? Are learners able to assess their own understanding and continue to improve their skills in increasingly complex situations?

I like to keep an eye on performance metrics and talk to managers about the performance changes they have noticed over time. I am always prepared to provide further learning support and make changes to my course as I learn more about its effectiveness over time in preparing learners to continue their journey.

 Simon Strudwick

Design better e-learning for adults with 5 lessons I learned from teaching tough high-school kids

I honed my teaching skills in a rough part of town training the toughest audience there is: high school kids. They will exploit any weakness and will not hesitate to tell you exactly what they think. If you dare lose their interest, things can go very wrong very fast.

Now I design e-Learning for adults, but I always take some time to consider how to get and keep the learner’s interest so that they finish the course prepared for productivity, and not just holding a piece of paper with a mark on it.

STAY ON TARGET

Don’t overcomplicate things or confuse your students with stuff that isn’t relevant to THIS lesson. While it is tempting to share things YOU think are interesting, remember your student is on their own individual learning journey and may not have the full context yet.

GET THEM DOING (USEFUL) STUFF

Participation and interaction are powerful learning tools, but I have seen plenty of lessons go wrong because the learning value and purpose of each activity was not clear and upfront. If you waste their time, you will lose your audience just as quickly as if you had given them a whole bunch of reading.

LET THEM DISCOVER THINGS FOR THEMSELVES

Wonder and curiosity nurture interest, so try to build opportunities for the students to explore for themselves. This equips your learners to continue to improve on their own and prepares them to tackle new challenges. Think about including things like simulations or branching scenarios.

SUCCESS IS MOTIVATING

I have seen too many courses designed with all of the testing at the end. Lead lessons with an opportunity for learners to experience success early, and continue offering chances for success throughout. Not only does this allow them to motivate themselves, but can also help identify and support strengths and weaknesses early.

FUN EXPERIENCES ARE MEMORABLE

Adults like to have fun too, but instructional designers often stop as soon as they cover the required content. When you take the time to make your course something people actually enjoy doing, you will see your training time go down and on-the-job performance improve. A little gentle humour is often appreciated.

High school students don’t put up with lazily designed learning, and neither do adults. If you lose their interest, you lose the lesson. You won’t see it on your evaluation – you’ll see it on the job.