Welcome to the Synapsys Updater July/ August, where we are looking at the upcoming Leadership Summit and Learning Technology group, introducing our new team member and learning to start with the problem and not the solution. Jumping to Solutions in Learning Design We’ve all seen in it in the digital learning world. There’s an issue, something isn’t going right, something new has been brought in; it’s a training issue and we need an eLearning course. How often do development projects start with the solution and go from there? That means the very best outcome you can get is a good course that the client or customer is happy with. What’s the problem with that you ask? Nothing as far as your solution matching their solution, but if you actually want to address the issue then there’s a real danger in jumping to solutions. I’ve recently attended NZATD conference in Auckland, New Zealand and AITD Conference in Sydney, Australia and there was a clear steer in both that the starting point is the problem not the solution. If every time there was an issue we made a course, the company LMS would be jam-packed with eLearning.. oh wait, it is. That’s not even talking about the quality of most of the learning, just the quantity and likely the size of each course too. The size is relevant because you’re almost certainly not only going to get “we need a course” but also “it needs to cover…” and you know that list of what needs to be covered is going to be more like the size of War and Peace than the Art of War. Where does that leave you as a learning designer? It automatically takes you to a place where the solution looks like a page-turning epic and you’re challenge is often about making that presentable more than actually focusing on the learning, let alone the problem. The solution? Continue reading Nigel Young's article here Upcoming Christchurch Learning Technology Interest Group The Learning Technology Interest Group (LTIG) in Christchurch is a collaborative group in the region made up of people and organisations with a strong interest in leveraging technology to improve learning in their organisations. Synapsys plays a pivotal role in the group, by organising the events and communications of the group and encouraging members to present, share and contribute at events. We have an upcoming LTIG event with a presentation from Sakthi Ranganathan on VR/AR and we will be hearing from Denise Bewsell about the exciting work RMPP have been doing with their nationwide Action Network. Being held on 24th July at 4pm in Christchurch, if you would like to attend please email Rachael at rachael.hemingway@synapsys.co.nz for more information.
Chief Executive CommentLearning and Development in a changed world; what's the plan? The Learning & Development function is in transition from essentially an execution support role, to being a strategic lever that is central to many of the talent-development challenges we’re all facing. Understanding and responding to change, building engagement and retaining staff, leveraging digital technologies to improve performance; technology-based learning solutions have a part to play in all of them. The potential is obvious, but seizing the moment can be more difficult. At the upcoming ELMO New Zealand HR Leadership Summit I will be outlining the challenges I see organisations facing in ensuring their L&D interventions are the best they can be, and the strategic responses that are getting traction. More information on the Summit here or contact me if you would like a copy of the presentation. Meet our new Project Manager/ Snr Instructional Designer Maire Smith has a demonstrated history of success in learning experience design, UX design, project management, and quality management, Maire has over fifteen years’ experience working on learning solutions for the government, energy, and banking sectors. Her blended learning solutions and mobile-learning-support designs help learners to transfer new concepts into their day-to-day practice on the job. |