eLearning is at a crossroad because of emerging technologies.

And it starts with the hardware, oddly enough. The push has come from both smartphones and tablets--led, of course, by the iPhone and iPad. Underneath these various mobile devices is one would-be constant: the WebKit browser standards. Theoretically, all of these touch devices should respond identically to a developer's programming.

Tablets

That all sounds good, right? And it does work that way with Apple devices, because Apple controls both the hardware and the software (which has been a large part of their success in the past 5 to 10 years). And since something like 97% of web traffic from tablets comes from the iPad, design for tablets is still pretty simple.

Smartphones

Phones are different. As Android phones began to hit the market, Apple's share of smartphone web traffic fell to just 50% last year. Now, it's back up to 69%--a healthy jump! Just theorizing here, but one of the factors involved in this increase could be that there are now many flavors of WebKit "standards" in the Android market. Some devices can be upgraded to the latest operating platforms, and some can't. Some play one kind of video, while others demand a different version. That makes what's supposed to be easy for developers, very difficult. It can make the user experience frustrating, too.

Back To eLearning

The whole Flash vs. HTML5 thing wouldn't be an issue for elearning if we just stayed on the desktop. But mobile device sales are exploding and there's a huge benefit in liberating elearning from the desktop and taking it to where our learners are. Since mobile devices are going to have to survive without Flash, one of the main role of HTML5 is to re-create some of what Flash does, but using an open standard. That should be a good thing for everyone. But as I noted above, the standard has been fractured within the Android market.

So the uptake is this: if you want to get your elearning to your learners--when and where it has the most impact--you're going to have to begin to ignore Flash and embrace HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. OR--you're going to have to use tools that translate your PowerPoints into HTML5. That's a surefire fix for some, but like most rapid elearning tools, the results are far from what can be accomplished with a custom development approach.

It's funny. Having recently returned from exhibiting at Training 2012, I have to say I'm very surprised at how many times I had to explain what "custom" elearning was. "So what tool do you use?" was the persistent question. Just Flash, HTML5, CSS and JavaScript was always the answer. More than one person left with a confused look...

I find that you can make anything simple, if you analyze and organize it right. Simple...but not always easy. Still, once you get something boiled down to simple, it is easier to achieve.

So why not make world-class elearning simple to achieve? It's the "what and why" that helps us get to simple. In later posts, I'll spend time on the more difficult "how," topics.

Simply put, world-class elearning has four, key elements:

elearning: the journey, not the destination

We have to get out of our T&D silos! As we develop elearning courses, we need to stop along the way and integrate with other initiatives. Be aware of the needs of sales channels, marketing, branding--even customer education. The more we integrate, the more strategic value our courses will have. And that's a critical goal for world-class elearning.

elearning: not as usuual, but naturally

For reading a book, I get the linear, page-by-page format. But it's boring our learners to death! We have to free learners from back/next elearning, or risk losing them. World-class elearning means helping learners do what they would do naturally, on their own. This includes...

• Present interesting examples and models to learn from
• Allow learners to take the path and pace they choose
• Provide safe practice, in simulated realities

elearning: go ahead & immerse yourself

Most people I talk to wish they were doing immersive simulations, but see that as a distant goal. Still, simulations aren't as hard as most people perceive them to be. Use these guidelines...

• Start with business objectives. With these as a foundation, you'll aways be pointed in the right direction.
• Focus on areas where confusion is likely. Help learners differentiate between good, better and great choices.
• Simulate real situations where learners can apply new knowledge to practice making decisions--and fail--where there's no real penalty.

mlearning: it's not just another app

According to Morgan Stanley, more smartphones than PCs will be sold next year. Now is the time to begin your mlearning program, making information work for you--wherever your learners are. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Keep it simple. mLearning happens on the go, just a few minutes or seconds at a time.
• The interface matters! mLearning has to look and act the way other mobile applications look and act.
• Remember that, while most of you elearning may be in Flash, most mobile devices don't play well with Flash.
• mLearning isn't just another app--it's one of the best ways to ensure knowledge transfer and improve your ROI!

Think of anything else that should be on this list for world-class elearning? If you do, leave a comment here!

Two weeks ago I started a pretty good conversation on the eLearning Guild LinkedIn discussion group. The topic was ADDIE sucks--or does it?

But here's why I really asked the question: with all the focus on faster and cheaper, and all the rapid development tools on the market, it appears to me like there's a lot of e-learning that's still just linear presentations.

Whether you use ADDIE or not, what comes from a linear presentation is more e-reading than e-learning. Remember GIGO (garbage in, garbage out)? I'll even go as far as saying that alot of e-learning/e-reading is still set in the mold of instructor led training. Slide 1 (next) slide 2 (next) slide 3 (next)...right? This may come in under budget, but what's the ROI? Isn't that our real responsibility? To impact either the top- or bottom-line? 

Learning Naturally--Natural Instructional Design

Being a simple guy, I like to look at what people are willing and likely to do on their own. If you stick with what people do naturally, you're ahead of the game. And what I know is that people naturally explore--for instance, how much do you use Google, Wikipedia or YouTube? We also learn by doing, or practicing. You got good at reading and writing, riding a bike, swimming, using email--pretty much everything--by practicing, didn't you?

So I propose, in and around whatever step-by-step process you use, build in a chance for people to explore your content, and then give them a chance to practice what they've learned. ADDIE, or whatever, is just the start of effective e-learning!

The LinkedIn Discussion

In case you missed the discusion on LinkedIn, most people said that it was a useful, though general design process tool. Here are some other comments:

• It sucks. I wish we had used other e-learning models when I was in school. It isn't scalable when your client wants the work yesterday. No one wants to pay for all of research that goes into building the model, unless you are working with the Government/Gov.related. --Beth K.
• ADDIE doesn't suck, it's the universal availability of rapid tools and a basic misunderstanding of ADDIE concepts and strategies that suck. Just because learning is so ad-hoc and ephemeral today doesn't mean that we abandon some basic truths about learning and mastery. --Douglas M.
• ADDIE is the little-black-dress of instructional design models and is still relevant today despite new learning platforms and formats. --Mary I.

One of the most interesting approaches was from Nancy Munro, who uses the IMPROV model. Borowwed from improvisational comedy, Nancy's IMPROV stands for: 

• Impact--the tangible business impact to achieve.
• Metric--how will you measure the impact?
• Proof--how will you prove the metric is met?
• Real World--use real world examples; tie in real job tasks.
• Ongoing--take stock of what can change and allow for it.
• Variety--use a variety of training resources

I give Nancy two thumbs up, both for having a business sense and being creative. With "Real World" she can also get at one of my main criteria for good learning, and as I said above, that's practice.

I've done some sort of design for more than four decades (architecture, graphics, photography, copy writing, training, business strategy, e-learning) and it all comes out the same to me. Design is a process of synthesis; taking things apart and putting them back together, better. I've seen iterative, revolving and start in the middle processes of three, five and seven steps.

In the end, it's whatever works for you and gets results, right?

That's the question. Now, can you give me an answer? I'm sure there are lots of answers, so, what comes to your mind?

When I think about it, there's lots of things that start floating through my mind. But it hasn't all gelled yet.

It stands to reason that changes in business, technology and e-learning methodology MUST have had an impact on how instructional designers work. What's your story? Is ADDIE worn out? Is it still relevant?

I know for w/, writing with simulations in mind has made a huge difference in how we approach ID. And yet, at least some of the basics will never change. Nor should they.

Another thing that comes to mind is always thinking about the financial outcomes of e-learning. Most managers want more proof that they are getting results than they used to, so that enters into how we design, too. We focus more on business results and how to measure them. A good thing, I think, because it keeps us more on-point, all the time.

So, I'm asking here, on Twitter and on LinkedIn, to see what you and your contemporaries think. And when I've heard enough, I'll write another blog post about changes in ID.

Let me know what you think!

Having just completed Training 2011, I'm reminded that it's good to get out of the office.

I love striking up conversations with people who are collected together for the purpose of learning and getting better at what they do!

Sure the travel and long hours can be a drain, but it's fun to see new places (like the San Diego convention center, below) and there's nothing like taking the pulse of our business by connecting with people who live it every day.

So what are participants here saying? I'm not surprised, but for the most part, the same things they've been saying for the past several years. And while I think it's a marketplace that has always moved pretty slowly, it makes me wonder if e-learning is stuck on hold. For instance, this is 2011, and most people I know are still using SCORM 1.2 and not 2004. And while I think that's for good reason, here are some other things that seem less well-justified.

In conversations here at the show, I find many people...

• Are still frustrated with how boring most e-learning is
• Continue to have doubts about how well e-learning is received by boomers or blue collar learners
• Remain driven more by budgets than by ROI, and are attached to rapid e-learning tools because of it
• Believe that immersive learning simulations provide for superior e-learning, but remain overwhelmed when it comes to designing them

So, what can you do with the areas where we seem to be stuck on hold?

Boring e-learning is due largely to linear thinking that leads to linear PowerPoint-like courses. Learners should have control over both their pace and their path in a course. Think of presenting content as a series of topic portals, where the learner can explore and bring more detail to many related issues, without leaving that environment, and without clicking next. Most of use don't naturally think in a linear fashion, so we shouldn't force it with learners.

Boomers and computers cease to be an issue when you do three things: cut out all the extra content and give them content tailored to their success; remember to tell them "so what" and not just "what" so they can see the bigger picture; and, give them a chance to practice what they've learned, so that they can get good at it. Hmmm-m. That's good advice for any age group, isn't it? The point is, give them high-value content, using the computer well, and the other issues melt away.

Budgets are a fact of life, but they aren't the bottom line. The bottom line, literally, is how much you grow revenues or retain as profits. When you successfully tie your e-learning efforts to business results, and you can measure what you do, you can justify bigger budgets. And if think you can't, try harder!

Immersive simulations don't have to be out of reach or overly complicated. They do take time to master, but the key to a good simulation is this: focus on the gray areas of decision making to provide learners with a chance to differentiate between various courses of action and their consequences; give learners a chance to fail, because overcoming failure is truly a learning experience; and, template a pattern of interactions that work for your needs and then build on or alter as needed, saving your time and trouble for the creative parts.

So is your e-learning stuck on hold? I suppose in some way everyone's is. But don't settle for that...break out of your rut!

A while back, we launched a new product course for a premium automotive manufacturer and we used it as a test to see what impact our courses had.

For 60 days the manufacturer was offering a cash spiff for any retail sales person selling this new product. If that same retail salesperson also took the new product training, the company doubled the cash spiff. Pretty good incentive for completing the training, right?

At the end of that test period, the company informed us that salespeople who took the training outsold salespeople who didn't take the training, by 30%. Yes, 30%!

A documented 30% gain in sales, due to 20 or 30 minutes spent on an immersive training module.

Now, to put that into even sharper perspective, in 2010 that same program:

• Served approximately 16,600 retail salespeople and their managers 
• Who racked up 120,000 successful online course completions
• At a cost of about $5 per course

And the ROI? It's such a big number that you wouldn't even believe me if I told you.

If you aren't putting this kind of high value, immersive e-learning strategies to work with your sales force, or your employees, for that matter...what the heck are you waiting for?

And you shouldn't stop at just increased sales, go for business solutions like increasing brand preference. e-Learning can do that, too.

Our clients and our learners repeatedly tell us (check out this video) how much impact our courses have, and how much the value our unique approach. But the fact is, this isn't hard. Anyone can develop a program that drives these results, just by pinpointing their business goals, and putting the learner first.

Why is it that companies trust their e-learning to w/?

That's a question I love to answer because we really are quite different than most e-learning companies, and we really do have deep expertise in sales and human performance.

Just like their learners, e-learning executives and sales training decision makers respond positively to the high production value of our courses. They always look great--without resorting to meaningless eye-candy. And let's face it, everyone enjoys a really fun and engaging web experience.

As people get a little further into our courses, they're hooked when they see learners interacting with avatars in 3D environments. That's where learners actually get to practice what they've learned, so they can get good at it before they return to their jobs. A seasoned executive recognizes the ROI this kind of learning-by-doing can have. We call it natural learning.

So we talk to all the stakeholders at a new company. We find out what their issues are and what matters to them. We help then zero in on the highest value learning topics. And we explain to them how we take in all the information their SMEs can give us, but then we filter it and reshape it to content that makes the most sense to learners. We provide content and tools that learners understand and can put to work immediately. That kind of translation is mostly a function of our instructional design, but it gets attention in media design, too. It's a unique marriage of concepts and visual design.

But at it's heart, w/ is a strategic e-learning agency. We learn our client's business and market. We understand how they want to present the company and their brand(s). That makes us different than other companies, even different than a lot of internal departments, who see e-learning as a tactic and something to complete and check off the list.

We understand business. So we understand that if we can't make a difference in either the top-line, or the bottom line, we just don't belong at the table. We're in it for the long-haul.

There's a lot of sample work on our site, but we're always happy to set up personal tours, too, where prospective clients can see more of what we've done for others--and why we say w/ is e-learning NOT as usual™. You can call or email us, of just go to this form, to set up your own, private tour. 

Why should avatars (online characters) be part of your e-learning strategy?

Simple. They make learning more interesting, more engaging, more social and more real. The result? More compelling e-learning, more enthusiastic learners, more results.

According to a Stanford University study:

"Characters are well liked because they make online interactions more personal. When presented with only a single character for interaction only 15% of users dislike the character. When presented with a choice of multiple characters, more than 90% of people prefer interaction with the character, to no character at all."

In fact, since w/ has been using avatars we've found learners not only do enjoy our courses more, but they also spend more time in them and they learn more and remember more, too. Avatars are the perfect way for learners to practice selling, management or coaching simulations!

So, do you want your learners spending more time in courses? Soaking up more, remembering more? Of course! Here's what we've learned about avatars. In surveys learners agreed or strongly agreed:

• 84%...Actually meeting the customer characters made them more real for me.
• 88%...It was helpful to observe the retail sales character's approach to selling.
• 92%...The coach provided useful insights and advice on customers and selling.
• 89%...It was useful to actually practice selling the products to customers.
• 88%...It was helpful to go through the selling scenarios more than once.

It's interesting to point out that these learners had anywhere from a couple of years on the job, to more than 20 years. And they raged in age from 20-somethings to 50-somethings. What you can deduce from this is that regardless of age or experience, we are all social beings and we all relate positively to the presence of an avatar in our e-learning.

If your e-learning efforts don't show up as either the top- or bottom-line results, then you're just wasting your time. Shame on your e-learning strategy!

Sure it's great to have learners love your courses, It's great to have clients rave about your work, too. And there's nothing wrong with winning awards. But you have to use surveys and any empirical data that are available to prove that you're on track, and to measure and shape the future of your program. And I'd swap any other benefit or accolade for hard-line, black and white, financial results. Not that the rest aren't valuable, but without tangible results, what's the point?

In the sales e-learning we do at w/, we design-in three specific outcomes:

• Increased sales
• Greater customer satisfaction, and
• Increased brand preference within the sales channels (which is bound to transfer to the end customer)

You can expect that great sales e-learning would result in improved sales and customer satisfaction. But what does w/ do to create brand preference? It's really not so complicated.

It's simply an investment in learners. The natural learning design of our courses helps learners gain confidence and be more successful with our clients' courses. The ROI on this investment is greater comfort selling our customer's products, which, in turn, creates a natural preference for selling our customers' brands. That translates into more and better consumer experiences and should even lead to an increase in word-of-mouth advertising.

Now that's great e-learning strategy! 

And if you're interested in how this could work for your organization, just contact us. We can help. You can also join us at the Training 2011 conference in February. Here's a QR and text link that describes the w/ session: http://bit.ly/f1punG 

At w/ we concentrate on allowing adult learners to explore courses at their own pace, following their own path. We don't imprison them in a "click-next world." And once they have picked up new product and customer knowledge we allow them to practice selling to avatar customers, in a simulated sales environment. It's safe to fail, and just the right feedback is always available for getting better.

These are quotes from different Sony courses (just from October) give you an idea of how learners respond:

• Great job on the training. Pretty nice and not boring!!!!!!!!!! Very informative.
• Very good, straight to the pionts needed to sell.
• I actually learned more than I thought I would.  Not about the models themselves but what each feature meant and exactly what it did.
• Having video and audio during the training was helpful; I did like the examples that were from the employees view.
• Very different from other trainings. Was quite enjoyable!
• These training lessons will greatly improve my Sony sales!
• The team that built this rules!
• I love the product, I'm excited to sell it and learning about it was made simple through this learning module.
• The combination of animation and interactive activity in this training session really kept me involved and attentive.  Good work.
• NICE WORK ! The avatars are quick and fluid on the screen. The avatar delivery is kept short, sweet and informative. I "LOVE" the low stress roll play ... Thank-you.
• Love you Sony.
• Fast, easy, informative tips that will help me close sales!

Lots more quotes that we could share, here, but you get the idea! What I especially want you to notice is:

• How we get such positive comments on the format.
• How much good learning and selling help are appreciated.
• How much we build on brand preference...selling Sony products.

In our estimation, these add up to world-class e-learning! Don't you think? If you want to know more about how we get these results, request the w/Insights paper: Sales e-Learning That Pays For Itself.