'Trialability' and change

I recently came across the concept of 'trialability' as a characteristic of a new product or service. Trialability is the extent to which it is possible to easily try out the new product or service, before making a commitment to it. Successful innovation depends on this trialability factor. Consider the ways in which this is adopted in launching a new product - examples of tactics to improve trialability include free samples; limited free trials (for example for software products); short, low-cost subscription periods; waived installment fees; and money-back guarantees.

So how could this concept apply to change management? Most models of change management have people who are impacted by the change moving through a series of stages - for example from shock or denial through to eventual acceptance or integration. One of the stages along the way is usually labelled as 'exploration' or something similar. Could trialability be a useful concept to take into account in planning for this stage? We might consider, for example, ways to support (and reward) trial of the change - the new systems, processes, job roles etc.

From my own experience introducing elearning into organisations, I would list the following as some ways to support trialability of elearning:

· ability to complete elearning from my own desk (rather than scheduling time at a 'kiosk')

· demonstration and support from a local person I know and trust

· easy-to-use Learning Management System

· logical, easy to follow course navigation

· engaging course materials

· follow up and encouragement from my team leader and peers.

Some factors which might be in place to hinder trialability of elearning include:

· a request or enrolment process which prevents easy access to elearning courses

· completion targets (elearning success measured by the number of courses completed vs number started)

· introductory courses which contain assessments for which results are recorded via the Learning Management System

· technical issues which have not been addressed locally (issues with sound, flash players, etc)

Just when you thought you understood your learning style!

I remember the first time I heard about different learning styles - it explained so much! I was quite happy to find out that I was primarily a visual learner - that it wasn't my fault I'd struggled with university level maths when it was delivered almost entirely by lecture without any visual support. If you've studied adult education or instructional design you have probably been introduced to a number of learning theories and you probably apply at least some of them when designing training. Well, now someone has come along to challenge the very idea that learning styles exist! Dr Daniel Willingham, a cognitive scientist, has used YouTube to share his presentation 'Learning Styles Don't Exist.' Food for thought for those of us designing learning, and anyone else interested in how we learn!

Avoiding elearning 'information dump'

The great news is that rapid elearning tools are making it easy for everyone to develop elearning. We can develop content in PowerPoint and - almost at the click of a button - we have an elearning file. The not-so-good news is the quality of some of the elearning being produced. eLearning needs to be more than a PowerPoint presentation with voiceover. There is a danger that much in-house elearning becomes an 'information dump' - everything I can find out about a particular topic thrown into a long presentation (with voiceover and animation, of course!). If you've attended one of my elearning design workshops you'll know that there are some strategies you can apply to ensure this doesn't happen - that you can design truly engaging elearning which delivers the required outcomes.

I recently came across a presentation by Cathy Moore on 'action packed learning' which further explores this idea. She proposes that elearning should be designed in four stages:

1. Identify the business goal

2. Identify what people need to do to reach that goal (as opposed to what they need to know)

3. Design activities (to let learners practice the action)

4. Identify what people really, really need to know (to complete the practice activities).

Early in June, Cathy Moore ran a webinar on this topic. If you are interested in overcoming the 'information dump' style of elearning, it might be worth investing 40 minutes or so watching this session, which she recorded. If you are part of a Learning and Development team, you might want to watch it together and then have a discussion about how to apply her ideas to elearning materials that you need to design.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about this newsletter. I generally issue a newsletter about once a quarter. If you do not want to receive future newsletters, please respond to this email with ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject field.

Kind regards

Diane Wilson

P: 9960 7500

M: 0425 203 655

E: diane.wilson@synchronism.com.au

W: www.synchronism.com.au

Synchronism

design for learning

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