The art of the possible
Creating bespoke learning projects can often be a lengthy and difficult process, and sometimes one that people don’t fully understand. We have worked hard to refine our process to ensure that the learner remains central to all decisions that are made and that the solution created suits the needs of both them and the organisation. Here’s how…
Episode Seven | How we use learning design principles to support & inform digital learning?
Jez Anderson, Learning Solutions Consultant and Abi Holmes, Learning Solutions Enablement Manager, got together to chat about how we use ‘human centred design’ to underpin our design processes and the benefits this has for the learners.
They cover the basics from the simple questions ‘what is digital learning’ and ‘life before the internet’ through to topics such as ‘utilising digital to make the most of your training’ and ‘the importance of putting the learners and learning front and centre’.
If you're thinking of introducing digital learning into your organisation, this short podcast might help show you the way.
Why having a dedicated Project Manager is so important
Every customer we work with has a dedicated Project Manager to work with them and guide them through the process. Their work is underpinned by three main principles, customer success, risk management and change management.
This article explores what you can expect from your Project Manager and what traits a good Project Manager needs to possess. We’ve also included some FAQs to help you further understand their role in the whole process.
How we ‘discover’ what solution you need
Once a bespoke project begins the fundamental stage in this whole process is the ‘discovery’ stage. This is when we work to fully understand your needs and the needs of your learners. By questioning, researching, analysing and evaluating we can ensure that the solution we propose aligns exactly to your organisational needs and objectives as well as those of your learners.
This guide walks through what the discovery phase looks like and to bring this stage to life we’ve shown an example of it in practice.
Effective learning design
After going through the discovery phase our design team will offer options on the various ways in which the learning can be presented. This in itself can be confusing – what types of learning are available and what options should be used and when?
We took advice from three experts within Virtual College and created this guide to help showcase the various forms of learning design and the benefits of each – along with some handy hints and tips that might just help when considering what formats to use.
Our approach to inclusive design
Our team understand the importance of inclusivity and creating learning that everyone can access. Inclusive design is tightly intertwined with accessibility and overall, it acknowledges that all learners are individuals and have different needs, and it strives to meet them, one by one. It can’t be a one-size-fits-all deal, it has to take everyone into account.Our guide on inclusive design explains how we do this for each and every project. It details the importance of placing the learner in the centre of the learning, and how this can be achieved and it’s importance in the whole process. The guide also explains why it is important for you to understand it’s place in learning design.
Let's get creative
Imagining what the learning solution will look like can often be difficult, especially if you are new to digital learning. Our design team create a 'look and feel' document to help you visualise your logo and branding and how this will be reflected in the various elements throughout the content.
This is a key step before the testing stage where your solution is brought to life. We find that this step ensures that we are both on the right tracks in terms of envisaging how the solution will evolve.
See an example of a look and feel document below.
Develop
Now the fun really starts...our experts bring your project to life! Taking all the learnings from the process so far, we start to create your solution.
Test
We ensure that there are multiple opportunities to review the content as we go along, guaranteeing it meets your expectations and requirements.
Deliver
After working so closely with you throughout the whole process we can be confident that what we deliver is what you expect!
Maintaining the success of a project
We realise that after a project has been delivered the work doesn’t stop. Measuring the success of the programme against the learners needs and organisational goals is just as important.
It is also important that the learning is maintained and keeps learners engaged and motivated, something else that we recognise. This article explains how we approach this step in the process and how we can work with you to help you measure and maintain the success of your own programmes.
Building a strong relationship
Not only do we recognise the importance of a Project Manager throughout the process, but it is also imperative that you have a strong Relationship Manager who is with you every step of the way.
Our Relationship Managers work hard to establish a trusting relationship with you. We sat down with Sarah Cooksedge, one of our relationship managers, to get an insight into how relationship management works at VC, and how we offer support that is second to none.
The art of the possible
Taking people’s ideas and turning them into reality is what we thrive on, and seeing a bespoke solution come to life, that is engaging and exciting for your learners is why we do what we do. We believe in creating learning that drives change and using our human-centred approach to learning design, we’re guaranteed to build training that makes a real difference to your organisation and gets results.
This short animation summarises the process laid out here…
Ready to translate your business requirements into impactful learning experiences
With 27 years’ experience helping you translate your business requirements into learning is our specialism. We collaborate closely with you to get to the heart of your culture and your people and what matters to them, build impactful experiences designed around your learners and evolve your training programmes for the long-term by analysing impact and considering ever-changing business and people goals.
Speak to our team today to find out how we can solve your training challenges, no matter how big or small.
