The Workplace eLearner: Designing and delivering eLearning into the workplace

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ITF Research Forum 2nd Vocational Education
Research Forum 2005 Presentation
The Workplace eLearner Designing and delivering
eLearning into the workplace
Keith Tyler-Smith eProject Manager, TANZ
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Technology Learning
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Quote

• There has been a dramatic shift in recent years
  away from viewing educational institutions as the
  principal places in which learning occurs towards
  a recognition of the power and importance of the
  workplace as a site of learning.
• (Boud, D. (Ed.) (1998) Current Issues and New
  Agendas in Workplace Learning. Adelaide National
  Centre for Vocational Education Research)

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Presentation Outline

• Polytechnics workplace learning
• Case Study Project background
• Project team approach
• Development process
• Workplace learners
• Course design
• Delivering training into the workplace
• Applying new learnings
• Re-thinking the design
• Dramatised interactive scenarios
• Conclusion

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Polytechnics/Industry Relationships

• Historically, polytechnics, industry, business
  public sector have an extensive close
  relationship e.g
• Polytechnics provide entry level workers
• Cooperate to place learners into internships,
  clinical placements, apprenticeships, work
  experience etc.
• Industry representatives on curriculum advisory
  boards

• Industry guidance with curriculum design
  applied qualifications
• Industry business specialists as guest tutors/
  examiners

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Delivering into the workplace

• Delivering training and education into the
  workplace is a different story
• Polytechs seen by some as

...too rigid, too expensive, unresponsive and
not really equipped to develop and deliver
programmes that are tailored to the clients
specific needs

• Some workplace training/education developed
  delivered by polys, but unsystematic patchy

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Polytechnic Constraints

• Polytechnics operate under many constraints such
  as
• Differences in funding structures eg EFTS vs ITO
  funding
• Institution admin, management financial systems
  geared to EFTS funding structures
• Not well set up for one off customised course
  development delivery
• Recovery of high institution overheads drives up
  costs
• Little fat in poly sector to develop/deliver
  training outside normal classroom-based operation

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Change in Learning Landscape

• Technology globalisation driving change in all
  spheres
• Competitive edge now dependent on smarter,
  change-responsive workforce
• Skill shortage means development of existing
  staff now key to retention and recruitment
• Learning needs of those in workforce for career
  advancement, career change upskilling
• Traditional poly demographic changing
• Working life no longer 9-5 day/5 day week norm
• Part-time night/block courses no longer suit many

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Quote

• In an era of lifelong learning universities and
  polytechnics, in the industrialised world will
  be marginalised unless they are efficient and
  flexible enough to meet todays myriad
  educational and training needs
• Daniel, J.S. (1996), 'Implementing a technology
  strategy', ch. 8 in Mega-Universities and
  Knowledge Media Technology Strategies for Higher
  Education, Kogan Page Ltd, London, pp. 136-65

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Workplace Learning

• Traditional method of off-job workshop, seminar
  type workplace training seen by some as not
  effective in skills/knowledge transfer to
  workplace

... a loss of US90 billion to business because
of the failure for more than approximately ten
per cent of training transfer to succeed.
Detterman, D. K. (1993) The case for the
prosecutionTransfer as an epiphenomenon. In D.
K. Detterman R. J Sternberg (Eds), Transfer on
trial Intelligence, cognition and instruction.
Norwood, NJ Ablex.

• Cost of off-job training, including cost of
  training, loss of productivity, cost of travel
  etc. a barrier

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Web Technology Enabled Learning

• eLearning technologies offer polytechnics an
  opportunity to effectively deliver highly
  applied, contextualised and personalised
  workplace learning
• Web-delivered, technology enabled learning offers
  workplaces the opportunity of increased skills,
  expertise knowledge transfer through
• learner centred education/training
• convenient learner access
• extended learning time frame
• ongoing peer/tutor interaction communication
• workplace contexualised applied learning

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Case Study

• Comparison between original pilot project funded
  by Skill New Zealand
• The National Certificate in First Line Management
  level 4 (online)
• Delivered to Meat Inspector Supervisors in 80
  meatworks throughout NZ
• And eCDF project
• The National Certificate in First Line Management
  level 4 (online)
• Delivered to Public Sector employees throughout
  NZ
• Corrections, Local Government, DIA, Police, NZQA
  Fire Rescue

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TANZ

• Tertiary Accord of New Zealand
• Two NI two SI Polytechnics / Institutes of
  Technology
• Manakau Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Universal College of Learning (UCOL)
• Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
  (CPIT
• Otago Polytechnic (TekOtago)

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Project Background

• 2001 ASURE NZ PSTO approach TANZ to develop
  deliver NCFLM level 4
• Wanted an online solution to dovetail with their
  intranet document management system
• Widely distributed workforce - cost of off job
  training too much
• Wanted an identifiable career path opportunity
  for meat inspector supervisors
• Faced with ageing supervisor group (average age
  45) qualifications not recognised outside
  industry
• Needed to encourage greater level of churn in
  ASURE workforce

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Development of Pilot

• TANZ project, but lead by CPIT
• Project designed delivered in very short
  timeframe March to June 2002
• Involved Front End Analysis (FEA) with
  stakeholders reference learner group
• Usability tested with reference learner group
• Developed using Blackboard as LMS
• Initially used a traditional distance learning
  approach to course structure

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Team Approach

• Team approach to design development (all
  part-time)
• Project manager
• eLearning designer/Web Developer (prior to
  Sweden)
• Content writer
• Web developer/ LMS Administrator

Project Team visits PPCS Belfast Meatworks
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Design Development of Pilot

• Rapid prototyping approach to design
  development
• learners, subject experts, designers, developers
  course facilitators interact in continuous
  review/revision cycle
• used learner feedback and evaluation to improve
• redesigned updated while delivering early units
• deliberately designed to enable easy
  re-contextualisation to different industry

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Pilot Course Architecture
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Experience so far

• Programme went live in June 2002
• First cohort of 32 just completed full programme
• Second cohort of 55 ¾ through
• 3rd cohort to start in 4 weeks time
• To date 87 have engaged in the programme 11 have
  dropped out of which 6 have re-enrolled
• Feedback from learners organisation shows
  significant value add

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Learner Feedback

• I also got quite frustrated when I got busy at
  work and couldn't work on it as much as I liked
  but this is not a reflection on the course, I
  have compared it at times to a good novel, once
  you pick it up it is hard to put it down.
• I have enjoyed doing this course so much and
  have got so much out of it that I am considering
  continuing on with some other form of
  training/self improvement when I am finished.
• I have learnt some new ways to tackle issues,
  understand that I have already been doing a lot
  of things the corect way and learnt new ways to
  approach issues .  Also there are a number of new
  skills I have developed because of this course.

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Client Feedback

• This is an applied, realistic programme that our
  staff can use immediately to improve their impact
  on achieving our business objectives, and the
  seamless service provided by TANZ has enabled us
  to continue to concentrate on what it is we do
  best."
• Simon Norton
• Organisational Development Manager,
• Asure New Zealand

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Things learned

• First time eLearners face multiple steep learning
  curves at start
• Negotiating the technology skills confidence
• Negotiating the LMS platform web navigation
  skills
• Negotiating the content no formal learning for
  most for many years
• Negotiating the loneliness of the long distance
  eLearner
• Can result in acute anxiety learner walking
  away
• Perseverance pays off confidence grows
  learners skills, motivation, involvement,
  participation progress rises dramatically
• Once learner is engaged can be life transforming

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Things learned (cont.)

• Adult learners are goal focused want to know
  what it is they actually have to do upfront
• Already have experience want to access content as
  they need it not necessarily how the course
  designer says
• Online conversation designed for minimal use but
  rapidly grew in importance - seen as important to
  share knowledge experience
• Involvement support of line managers crucial
• Workbooks too cumbersome
• Learning assessment activities located
  applied in the workplace provide authentic,
  meaningful context specific results

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2004/05 eCDF Project

• TANZ PSTO submitted proposal to TECs eCDF in
  September 2003
• Contract awarded in December 2003
• Project began in March of 2004
• First funding received in June 2004
• Programme went live in August 2004

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eCDF Project Proposal

• Contextualise National Certificate in First Line
  Management - Online (NCFLM - O) for Public Sector
• Develop an additional range of high usage Unit
  Standards for FLM Health Safety for use in
  other offerings of NCFLM-O or other
  qualifications
• Deliver online into a range of Public Sector
  Organisations
• Test a range of learner support and degrees of
  blendedness options
• Research and evaluate the development and
  delivery process and outcomes
• Develop a range of technical, content
  repository standards specifications

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Project Objectives

• Five objectives
• Provide a range of Unit Standards in an online
  format that will expand employees access to
  industry training increase capacity and
  capability
• Develop delivery models to increase effectiveness
  of workplace education training
• Course design to ensure transferability
  reusability of learning materials delivery
  models
• Develop repository guidelines, specifications
  criteria to ensure transferability, reusability
  currency
• Provide learnings and information back to key
  stakeholders sectors

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Team Approach

• Same project team work on programme
• Full time Project Manager
• Dedicated eLearning Designer (living in Sweden)
• Contract Writer
• Half-time web developer/LMS Admin
• Contract Facilitators (one in Brisbane)

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Applying New Learnings
So changed the course structure What you have to
do up front So changed content navigation to
provide printable but easily navigated pages So
introduced an online orientation module F2F
technical workshop So changed to worksheets at
end of each section So made discussion central
to learning activities

• Adult learners already have experience - want to
  access content as they need it even
  non-sequentially
• Learners want to print off content struggle
  with navigation
• First time eLearners need more support at start
• End of module workbooks too cumbersome take too
  long for feedback
• Online discussion is important

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Redesigned Course Structure
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Changes Made

• Addition of interactive dramatised scenarios
• Low Threshold Applications (LTAs) used to
  overcome workplace technology issues
• i.e. HTML, photos audio
• Scenarios based around team in core public
  service
• Used to illustrate issues of
• Workplace Relationships
• Managing Conflict
• Team Building
• Problem Solving

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Experience so far

• Frequent f2f workshops planned to support online
  delivery - apart from first few, attendance very
  low, not needed by most
• Public sector varies greatly in culture, context
  technical infrastructure
• eg DIA has 8 business units all with different
  cultures ITC
• Silo nature of email anxiety in Public Sector -
  barrier to online Discussion

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Attrition

• 90 started 40 still going
• 3 categories for withdrawals
• enrolled, but not started
• started, but stalled early
• got started, fell behind then quit
• Reasons given
• volunteered by manager
• thought it would be variation on workplace
  assessment
• own workload too much
• overwhelmed by technology at the start
• lack of support from manager/ organisation

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Conclusions

• eLearning into the workplace does work providing
  learners get right support at start
• Organisation and line manager support is critical
• eLearning suits younger workers digital
  refugees struggle at start, but get it if
  supported
• eLearning in the workplace now feasible
• Technology, skill shortages trad training costs
  are primary drivers
• Polytechnics need to rapidly develop skills,
  capability new financial/admin models to
  provide tailored training/education for workplace
  contexts

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Questions???

• TANZ Website
• www.tanz.ac.nz

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Meatworks serviced by ASURE NZ
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First-Time eLearners Journey
Progress through Programme