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St. Charles Update: Mixing Strategy into Blended Learning
In the current business climate, an organization needs to be exceptionally nimble in its ability to adapt to rapidly shifting circumstances, and this agility is nourished through learning – the active acquisition and application of new knowledge and skill. So, it is incumbent on business leaders to establish learning as a significant priority.
In doing so, however, the business leaders should avoid thinking just of “training.” The concept of “blended learning” – an approach to learning that integrates multiple delivery channels – is considerably broader and is recognized as a best practice approach. Especially in the current environment, where learning needs are changing so rapidly and where dollars to invest in training are constrained, a blended approach that truly leverages technology is the only strategy that can deliver what is needed – on time and on budget.
The problem is that blended learning is all too often pursued without a guiding strategy. In the business world of today, we find that there is a tendency for organizations to mix and match ingredients – such as classroom training, webinars, self-paced courses, podcasts, and some social networking – without much regard for the recipe that optimizes learning success.
Why is this the case? In our view, there are a couple of reasons. First of all, people seem to get caught up with the allure of the tools. In one recent client situation, a decision-maker wanted to develop animated modules using avatar technology ... no matter what. When asked why, he said, “because they are cutting edge.” Not a particularly strategic perspective. In another client situation, a sponsor acknowledged that she could “sell” e-learning to management, but trying to sell learning strategy would fall on deaf ears.
Another reason, in our opinion, is that learning professionals tend to focus more on the quality of training than on the quality of learning. In other words, higher priority is placed on developing strong content than on evaluating the success of learning and improvements in performance. It is generally a lot easier to be tactical than strategic, but we do not believe that it is an either/or situation.
Whatever the reason, a blended learning approach without a guiding strategy is likely to be misguided. And dollars invested in learning are likely to diminish the ROI.
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