...Innovative learning approaches without risk and excessive costs...

LONDON – Tuesday 11th October 2011 - Tata Interactive Systems (TIS), a pioneer and global leader in customised learning solutions, today called for organisations to review how training is delivered to their workforce and consider taking a fresh approach to e-learning in order to improve results.  According to TIS, employees can significantly improve their skills, knowledge and retention of information if the content is delivered in an interesting and compelling format.
Will Chadwick, Vice President of Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) 1
Will Chadwick, Vice President of Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) 1

Will Chadwick, Vice President of Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) explains, “Many organisations are challenged daily to enhance the skills of their workforce against a backdrop of limited resources and increased compliance and regulations, when it may not always be possible to schedule down time for training. TIS creates over 3,000 hours of learning content across 160 projects every year and our data shows that organisations genuinely benefit if they review how training is delivered to their workforce and question whether there’s a better, smarter and more innovative way of meeting their objectives.”

According to TIS there are seven distinct approaches to learning. These learning approaches do not usually deliver a perfect training solution in isolation, but deliver the maximum impact when they are blended into an effective training programme.

    Story-based learning.  Appropriate for training with long shelf life, such as a company introduction. Learners progress through the course from subject basics to more advanced levels. The navigation and flow are fixed around a central character who acts as a mentor.

    Application Training. Appropriate for the roll out of a new system, such as SAP, where employees need to practice in advance and get the functionality right first time.

    3D Animation. Appropriate for teaching ‘hard’ skills as it enables learners to visualize sequences and manipulate objects in a realistic setting. It is especially useful when sequences are difficult to represent with videos, for example in medical or engineering disciplines.

    Serious Games. Appropriate for teaching business critical skills that are otherwise difficult to learn, be that knowledge, process, concept or strategy. Learning objectives are seamlessly embedded in dramatic plots with dynamic possibilities related to learner actions.

    Interactive Portals. Acts as a wrapper around clunky LMS interfaces so that employees can share their own content and experiences using informal learning.

    Business Simulations. Most appropriate for experiential learning, where the application of conceptual knowledge is used to solve real business problems. Can be taught completely online or via blended workshops.

    Mobile Learning. Appropriate for providing knowledge and skills training to a mobile workforce within short time increments. ‘Bite-sized’ training nuggets can also be used as a ‘teaser’ for new programmes or to reinforce and strengthen the learner’s existing knowledge base.

Chadwick adds, “The key to getting the best learning solution without encountering risk is to understand when and where to apply different learning techniques. Another big factor, of course, is risk. Employee training and skills enhancement within a large organisation that operates across multiple sites can be a complex and expensive business. While getting it right can deliver massive dividends, it may be considered too risky to contemplate experimenting with a different approach. However, dismissing new and innovative learning techniques as too risky could mean that learning professionals miss out on the opportunity to optimise their training programmes.  New methods can maximise the effectiveness of learning interventions, stretch the learner and deliver a fresh perspective in achieving business goals.”