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Analysis and Design.jpg

BEST Buddies Programme

Analysis & Design

In this section, we examine the four core questions of learning design:

  • Who are the learners?

  • Why deliver this course?

  • What are we going to deliver?

  • How are we going to deliver it?

Who are the learners?

The following learner personas have been developed based on the staff who typically step up to buddy/subject matter expert (SME) roles within the business.

How will the learner personas influence the learning design?

Insights gained from these learner personas will influence the design in six key ways:

  • access to content

  • format of content

  • time commitment

  • language

  • communication with learners

  • accessibility of content

Access to content

Learners all have access to the same basic level of equipment via the company (including laptop, internet connection and access to the company LMS (learning management system) and preferred video conferencing tool). This course is considered part of the development journey within the learner's role, meaning that the learning is expected to be carried out "on the company's dime and in the company's time". For this reason, the course design will ignore the possibility of learners accessing the content through their personal devices (such as mobile phones).

Format of content

While all learners are individuals, and must be treated as such, there are some broad-brush stereotypes that apply to staff based on the area of the business they work in. For example, staff in Customer Contact are more likely to speak up and voluntarily participate in group exercises in a virtual classroom, while Back Office staff are more likely to remain passive unless specifically called on. This passivity is reinforced in Team India staff by the cultural understanding that speaking up in such a session (especially to ask a question or to admit not understanding) is viewed as an insult or challenge to the trainer's authority and competence. Such traits mean that, while a virtual classroom environment or heavily social learning focused style would likely work well for the average member of Customer Contact, it could have a detrimental effect on learners from the other areas. The negative view of e-Learning that is prevalent within UK-based teams is largely caused by text-heavy compliance courses, which must be completed annually. Feedback shows that 'innovations' that have been trialled in the past 18 months are landing well with the target audience. e-Learning ‘innovations’ The following are innovative only in the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, they had not previously been used in the e-Learning that staff in the company were required to complete: •“Choose your own adventure”: learners are given options for how they want to experience parts of the content, e.g. watch a video or read some text/ listen to a call recording or read the transcript. Learners have the option review the content in the same format or in the alternative format if they wish. The learner response is strongly positive. Learners report feeling more empowered to control their own learning rather than being forced through a one-size-fits-all experience. •“Competence checks”: the course/module starts with a competence check to find out what the learner already knows about the topic. The learner's score determines whether or not they are required to complete the content or can skip onto the next module/end of the course (as appropriate). The learner response is mixed but leaning positive. Learner feedback shows that they like the concept, but that we haven't got the execution right yet. Analysis of the feedback also suggests that this element would be most appreciated on the annual compliance e-Learning. Some learners would prefer it to be optional whether they took the competence check or bypassed it in favour of reviewing the content first. •“What do you think?”: the course/module/lesson/topic starts with a scenario where the learner is challenged to choose the correct next step(s) based on the information in the scenario. Feedback is provided for each choice, and the following content develops why the right answer is the right answer. The learner response is positive. Learners report that they like the interaction that this provides and that it helps them feel that they understand the content better. This seems particularly effective for behaviour-focused content, such as that created in response to a complaint or regulatory breach. •“Audio/video scenarios”: internally produced recordings (generally supported by relevant images and/or video) using the vocal talents of colleagues from around the business (which provides much needed diversity of voices). The learner response is strongly positive. Learners report that they find these much more engaging than text equivalents. Staff who have volunteered to provide the vocal talent have also reported that they feel more invested in the training that results for having been part of its creation. •“Video overviews”: internally produced videos summarising the key elements of a topic or training programme. Often used to introduce the training programmes associated with large change projects to help set learner expectations. Rarely, if ever, assessed. The learner response is positive. Learners find the videos much more engaging than a text-based Knowledge Share and the quality of the delivery is consistent and delivered at a time suitable to the learner, which cannot be guaranteed where managers are deputised to deliver such messages through team huddles. •“Downloads”: downloadable handouts for the learner to refer back to once the e-Learning is complete. Relatively little feedback received, but what we have is positive.

Time commitment

As all work associated with the course is expected to be completed in work time, the learner's manager will need to give specific consent for the learner to attend the course and guarantee that the learner will be given the time they need to complete it by the cohort deadline. A formal learning agreement, entered into by the learner and their manager and facilitated by the Academy, may be an appropriate way of ensuring that all impacted parties understand the time commitment and expectations of the course.

Language

Company staff and contractors (including Team India) are expected to operate in English, but for a significant minority of the expected target audience, English is not their first language. While a minimum level of operational English can be assumed, colloquialisms, slang and regional vocabulary could cause confusion and should be guarded against within the course scripting. Strong regional accents should be avoided for videos and audio (unless there is a specific training need for such accents to be represented) and subtitles and/or a text alternative should be provided for all internally produced videos at a minimum (where possible, this option will also be available for externally produced content). Where a strong regional accent must be used (i.e. because of a specifically identified training need or the availability of suitable facilitators for virtual classroom sessions), care must be taken with the speaker's pace to maximise learner comprehension and, where appropriate, this should be supported by a written version of the speech.

Communication with learners

Where core content and/or instructions are delivered (especially asynchronously), these must be clear and unambiguous and, especially where related to assessed elements of the course, must be provided to the learner in more than one way (e.g. at the end of a virtual class/e-Learning module AND via follow up email). It must be clearly communicated to learners what they are expected to do both before they start the course and on an ongoing basis once their cohort has begun (see above recommendation for a formal learning agreement). Communication channels must not be one-way, and learners must have clear and easily accessible ways of communicating with the Academy throughout the course.

Accessibility of content

While none of the personas specifically mention physical impairments (such as visual impairments or hearing impairments) or mental challenges (such as dyslexia) , care must be taken to ensure that that learners with these characteristics are not disadvantaged by the way the content is presented. This will include: •Giving learners options for how to access the content to help them learn in a way that works for them •Adding subtitles to all internally produced video and audio files included •Ensuring that non-decorative graphics include appropriate ALT text and/or are appropriately captioned •Graphics used in activities are simple (not too busy) and do not interfere with the on-screen text •Contrasting colours (e.g. dark text on a light background) are used to improve readability NB - the characteristics mentioned above are protected under the GDPR and not provided for the purposes of training design and delivery unless the learner chooses to do so voluntarily. Fewer than 0.5% of the learners supported had volunteered such information at the time of writing so the approach is to manage any issues that arise compassionately on a case-by-case basis.

Why deliver this course?

The business need

Whilst the company has a dedicated training team (hereafter “the Academy”), it is responsible for more than 6,000 processes (a.k.a. “skills”). It is not possible for the Academy to maintain a detailed knowledge of all of these processes sufficient to train a new processor. Instead, such training needs to be provided on-the-job by a competent member of the team that owns the process. Currently those who are given this responsibility have little or no training experience and the training that results is inconsistent and recorded only by the fact that the learner attains “Licenced” status on the WFM system.​​

How the WFM system works

When a new user joins, their manager sets them up on the workflow management (WFM) system with the skills relevant to their role with a status of “In training” for each. Once training is completed for a particular skill, the manager manually updates that skill’s status to “Gaining Licence”. From here, the system will automatically update the status to “Licenced” when the user’s work consecutively passed the quality check the pre-set number times. Once “Licenced”, a user will be automatically changed to a status of “Licence Under Review” when their case fails a quality check. To restore their “Licenced” status, their next 3 items must pass. If one of those items fails, their status automatically changes to “Lost Licence”, and they will be required to meet the same criteria as at the “Gaining Licence” status to restore their “Licenced” status. This is shown in the diagram on the right.

The learning gap

While competent on the processes they are asked to train, entry level learners for this course have little or no knowledge of how (or why) to structure,  deliver and evidence effective process training.


By the end of the course, learners will be able to generate a training plan based on a specified procedure and evaluate a learner's performance against the learning outcomes identified in the plan.


This will take the learner from level 1 to level 5 of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy.

The purpose of the course

This course will provide learners with the tools and skills necessary to provide and evidence consistent on-the-job training across the company.


The effectiveness of the course will be demonstrated ultimately by the competence of the on-the-job learners once they have been trained by the learners of this course using one or more of the following KPIs:

  • Cases processed at “Gaining Licence”

    1. NB – the exact measure will be unique to the process and will include the streak of consecutively passed cases that trigger the system to upgrade the user’s status to “Licenced”

    2. Data collected over the 12 months to <date to be agreed with course sponsor> will be used to set the benchmarks

    3. Time at “Gaining Licence” is not an appropriate metric as it does not take the following variables into account:

      • Average processing time per item (specific to each process)

      • Availability of relevant work items

      • The learner’s other duties

      • The learner’s working hours

  • Number of time user’s status changes to “Licence Under Review” in the 3 months after they attain the “Licenced” status

    1. Data collected over the 12 months to <date to be agreed with course sponsor> will be used to set the benchmarks

    2. The benchmark will be per process

  • Number of time user’s status changes to “Licence Lost” in the 3 months after they attain the “Licenced” status

    1. Data collected over the 12 months to <date to be agreed with course sponsor> will be used to set the benchmarks

    2. The benchmark will be per process

In addition to the process-specific KPIs, this course may also impact the following KPIs albeit indirectly:

  • Net Promotor Score (NPS)

  • Complaint volumes

  • Staff retention

The learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

Learning Outcome

Target Level

(Bloom's Digital Taxonomy)

1

Generate specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) learning outcomes for any process they are required to train

2

Prepare a training plan to structure the training delivery of any process they are required to train

3

Identify evidence that a learner has achieved a specified learning outcome and compile this evidence into a proof-of-learning record (POL) for the learner which demonstrates that they are ready to progress to "Gaining Licence" for the specified skill

4

Modify their delivery to suit the learner they are supporting whilst maintaining the standards required to achieve the learning outcomes

5

Use the tools and templates provided by the Academy to ensure a consistent approach to on-the-job training across the company

5 - Evaluate

5 - Evaluate

5 - Evaluate

5 - Evaluate

5 - Evaluate

Learners will demonstrate their comprehension of the concepts underlying these outcomes via graded multiple-choice assessments (lower order thinking skills (LOTS) - levels 1 & 2 of Bloom's), which will be presented to the learner at the end of each module. Learners will demonstrate the higher order thinking skills (HOTS, levels 3-5) through a graded coursework project, which they will submit at the end of the course.

Formulating the learning outcomes

The SMART principle has been used to develop these learning outcomes, as demonstrated by the following breakdown:

SMART Element

Detail

S - Specific

M - Measurable

Each outcome describes a specific action that the learner will be able to carry out as a result of completing the course, e.g. "prepare a training plan"

More precise details of how the outcomes will be measured and assessed will be discussed in a later section, however each learning outcome includes an anticipated output, e.g. generate SMART learning outcomes for a process they are required to train.

A - Achievable

Continuous evaluation throughout the design and development phases will ensure that all outcomes of the course are achievable by a learner who applies the minimum effort demanded. This will include (but is not limited to) ensuring that communications to learners are clear and easily accessible, that the content is covered in sufficient detail within the core materials to enable learners to complete the required tasks, and that an assessment rubric is available and easily accessible to the learners.

R - Relevant

T - Time-bound

Each outcome has been identified as a necessary element of the solution to the existing business need. Through the design and development stages of the project, these will be used to distinguish core content from the "nice to have" content to ensure that a learner can achieve a passing score with the minimum effort demanded.

It is recognised that a learner will be able to demonstrate LOTS immediately after consuming the relevant content through simple graded quizzes. HOTS will be demonstrated through the graded coursework submitted at the end of the course and every time the learner acts as a Buddy thereafter.

Though not used to develop these outcomes, they also conform to the ABCD principle, as outlined below:

Letter

Detail

A - Actor

B - Behaviour

C - Conditions

D - Degree

The learner is expected to achieve each outcome listed

The learner is expected to be able to carry out the specific action described in each outcome (e.g., "prepare a training plan based on a specified procedure")

This is outlined in outcome 5 - the learner is expected to perform the specified action using the tools and templates provided by the Academy.

This is shown by the corresponding level of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy that has been assigned to each outcome, with the learner being expected to demonstrate (mostly) evaluate level skills by the end of the course.

What are we going to deliver?

Modular framework

Using the identified learning outcomes as a starting point, a top-down approach will be used to construct the modular framework for the course, ensuring that each outcome is supported by dedicated content.

As shown in the table below, each of the first four outcomes will form the core of a separate module, while outcome 5 will be woven throughout the course.

Module

Learning Outcomes

1

Defining Your Goal

Learning Outcome 1

Generate specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) learning outcomes for any process they are required to train

Learning Outcome 5

Use the tools and templates provided by the Academy to ensure a consistent approach to on-the-job training across the company

2

Planning For Success

3

Let The Evidence Show...

4

Meet Your Learners Where They Are

Learning Outcome 2

Prepare a training plan to structure the training delivery of any process they are required to train

Learning Outcome 5

Use the tools and templates provided by the Academy to ensure a consistent approach to on-the-job training across the company

Learning Outcome 3

​Identify evidence that a learner has achieved a specified learning outcome and compile this evidence into a proof-of-learning record (POL) for the learner which demonstrates that they are ready to progress to "Gaining Licence" for the specified skill

Learning Outcome 5

Use the tools and templates provided by the Academy to ensure a consistent approach to on-the-job training across the company

Learning Outcome 

Modify their delivery to suit the learner they are supporting whilst maintaining the standards required to achieve the learning outcomes

Learning Outcome 5

Use the tools and templates provided by the Academy to ensure a consistent approach to on-the-job training across the company

Content map

Each module will be broken down into lessons, as shown below. The course will progress along a linear track to cover the mandatory content.

How are we going to deliver it?

Module structure

This course utilises a blended learning approach, ensuring that all learner preferences and schedules are taken into account. Core content will be delivered asynchronously. Learners will be offered optional supporting content and opportunities both synchronously and asynchronously. This will minimise the risk of learners being pulled from synchronous sessions due to business needs or being unable to meet course deadlines because of holidays and other absence. This approach attempts to balance the conflicting demands on the learner’s time from the course and their BAU duties.

 

Each module will consist of the following building blocks, ensuring a consistent experience across the course:

Module section
Building block
Format
Delivery type
Mandatory?

Introduction

​The module’s learning outcomes and a high-level discussion of how they will be met

Content

Video

Asynchronous

Yes

Content

​Mandatory (core) content of the module

Assessment

​To demonstrate learner comprehension

Summary

​Review the key learning points and how they relate to the learning outcomes

Call to action

​Embedding activity based on the content covered and making use of appropriate templates. Forms part of the project assessment

Toolkit

​Summary of key content, copies of templates covered and worked examples, links to complementary resources

Virtual classroom

​Group discussion and activities to further embed content covered. Held after 2nd & 4th modules only

Content

Assessment & feedback

Multimedia e-Learning

Asynchronous

Yes

Multiple-choice quiz

Asynchronous

Yes

Content

Video

Asynchronous

Yes

Activities

Word/ Excel/ PowerPoint etc uploaded to the LMS

Asynchronous

Yes

Content

PDF

Asynchronous

No

Facilitation

Virtual classroom

Forum

​Virtual space for learners to blog, share insights about and discuss what they’ve learned

Synchronous

No

Activities

Online forum

Asynchronous

No

While the overall course progresses using a linear framework, the individual modules will be built on a core and spoke principle, which will ensure that all learners cover the mandatory content while allowing learners the opportunity to dive deeper into topics of particular interest.

Course timeline

The core elements of this course will be completed over a 4-week period requiring approximately 6 hours of learner effort (minimum). In addition to this, approximately 4 hours of optional resources will be provided over the same period.

The core modules will be bracketed by optional “administrative” content in the form of:

  1. Course Introduction – no course content, this will include an overview of the course structure, learning outcomes and expectations, both those that the Academy have of the learner and that the learner can have of the Academy and the course. Followed up by an email to all learners and their managers confirming these details, ensuring that all learners (and their managers) have this information even if they cannot attend the session.

  2. Assessment project review and grading – this is time for the Academy to grade the Assessment Project submissions ahead of graduation

  3. Graduation – no course content, this will be a celebration of success at the end of the course. Scores and feedback will be communicated to the learner by email regardless of whether they attend the graduation.

 

An additional (optional) hour has been factored into week 5 for learners who need to spend more time on their Assessment Project before the submission deadline.

Note: Timings are estimated and will be reviewed and (potentially) revised after learner experience testing to ensure that the business is given an accurate expectation of how much time the learner will need to commit.

Week
Module 
Estimated learner time (hours)
Mandatory content
Optional content

0

Course introduction

Min: 0

Max: 0.5

  • Course structure

  • Learning outcomes

  • Expectations

1

Module 1

Min: 1

Max: 1.5

  • Introduction

  • Content

  • Assessment

  • Summary

  • Call to action

  • Toolkit

  • Forum

2

Module 2

Min: 1

Max: 2.5

  • Introduction

  • Content

  • Assessment

  • Summary

  • Call to action

  • Toolkit

  • Forum

  • Virtual classroom 1

3

Module 3

Min: 2

Max: 2.5

  • Introduction

  • Content

  • Assessment

  • Summary

  • Call to action

  • ​Assessment project

  • Toolkit

  • Forum

4

Module 4

Min: 2

Max: 3.5

  • Introduction

  • Content

  • Assessment

  • Summary

  • Call to action

  • ​Assessment project

  • Toolkit

  • Forum

  • Virtual classroom 2

5

Assessment project submission

Min: 0

Max: 1

  • ​Assessment project

  • Submit assessment project

6

Assessment project review & grading

7

Graduation

Min: 0

Max: 1

  • Confirmation of scores

  • Feedback to learners

Total time

Min: 6

Max: 12.5

The minimum estimated learner time commitment is to complete the mandatory content only. The maximum estimated duration is to complete the optional content as well.

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