What is Blended learning and how can it be

used?
- Blended learning is a combination of offline (face-to-face, traditional learning) and online learning in
a way that the one compliments the other.

- It provides individuals with the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds.
- For example, a student might attend classes in a real-world classroom setting and then supplement
the lesson plan by completing online multimedia coursework.
- As such, the student would only have to physically attend class once a week and would be free to go
at their own pace (and without worrying about scheduling issues).

- Blended learning is often also referred to as “hybrid” learning, and can take on a variety of forms in
online education environments.
- While some organizations may only use blended learning techniques on rare occasions, others might
utilize it as a primary teaching method within their curriculum.

- There are two key principles commonly associated with blended learning (which are the “secrets” to
its success): students who can share information and work with other students directly in a
collaborative setting have a more enriched learning experience, and collaboration between students
can be improved upon if group activities rely on information gathered from online resources or
lessons.
- It’s also been suggested that students who complete online coursework followed by interactive,
face-to-face class activities have richer educational experiences.

- Tools and platforms that complement blended learning include LMSs and mobile devices such as
tablets and Smartphone.
The advantages of social and collaborative e-
Learning
Collaborative learning is an e-learning approach where students are able to socially interact with other
students, as well as instructors.

- In essence, learners work together in order to expand their knowledge of a particular subject or skill.
- In e-learning environments, this is typically done through live chats, message boards, or instant
messaging.

- Collaborative learning is based upon the principle that students can enrich their learning experiences
by interacting with others and benefiting from one another’s strengths.
- In collaborative learning situations, students are responsible for one another’s actions and tasks
which encourage teamwork as well.

What are the advantages of collaborative learning online?

- This method of learning can be conducted either offline or on the web, and can be done
asynchronously or synchronously.
- It allows students to learn from the ideas, skill sets, and experience of others enrolled in the course.
- By engaging in a shared task (whether it be a project or lesson) pupils gain the opportunity to learn a
variety of skills, such as group analysis and collaborative teamwork building skills.

- In addition, even students who are unable to attend a live event online can participate in collaborative
learning, thanks to online forums, message boards, and other various posting sites that don’t rely on
real-time interaction.
Gamification in online training and learning
management systems
- Gamification is the use of game-based mechanics, aesthetics and game thinking to engage people,
motivate action, promote learning and solve problems.
- Basically, it’s the use of gaming technology to solve problems outside of the games sector.

- Games are created to draw people in, to keep them playing, to keep them interested, entertained and
involved.
- And it’s much more than just adding rewards, points, and badges to processes to motivate people –
it’s the instructional method, and not just the delivery system, that provides the elements for learning
in a game situation i.e.
- We must ask what pieces in games makes them engaging such as interactivity, content, story.

Impact of gamification
- A study done by Traci Sitzmann, an assistant professor of management at the University of Colorado
Denver Business School, found that “employees trained on video games learned more factual
information, attained a higher skill level and retained information longer than workers who learned
in less interactive environments.”

- She found that games provided a high level of instruction, but she also noted that it wasn’t just
dependent on the game per se, but the interactivity or the elements that make the game engaging.
- In other words, the engagement of the learner in the game leads to learning.

- Gamification is taking elements of gaming and adding them to traditional instruction. Instructional
designers have been using some elements for years, like stories, case studies, or interactive activities,
but gamification is more about taking into consideration interactivity and engagement first, and
objectives second.

Enterprise gamification
- Companies are now also “gamifying” various business processes to motivate employees, fundraise
for causes, and market products.

- Tech-industry research firm Gartner estimates that by 2014, “some 70% of large companies will use
the techniques for at least one business process.
- Market researcher M2 Research estimates revenue from gamification software, consulting and
marketing will reach $938 million by 2014 from less than $100 million in 2013.”
- Companies need to make sure that the games are not just doling out meaningless awards or badges.
- Overuse will cause gamification to be trivialized and non-impactful.
Micro-learning and its advantages for
amazing e-Learning
- A term that is being mentioned quite often as of late, especially in corporate e-learning
environments, is “micro-learning”.
- This teaching approach can provide a wide range of benefits to students/employees, as well as
employers/instructors.

- This is primarily due to the fact that it can provide the knowledge and skill sets that online education
typically offers without overwhelming the learner.
- It is quickly becoming one of the most popular emerging e-learning trends.

What is micro-learning?
- Micro-learning involves learning in smaller steps and goes hand-in-hand with traditional e-learning.
Activities that are micro-learning based usually feature short-term lessons, projects, or coursework
that is designed to provide the student with ‘bits’ of information.
- For example, rather than trying to teach a student about a broad subject all at once, aspects of the
topic will be broken down into smaller lesson plans or projects.

- Typically, micro-learning exercises are best utilized at the point where a student will actually need
the information, or when they are going to be most receptive to receiving that information.
- For instance, watching a video online about how to replace a car’s air filter or reading a blog post
that talks about gardening indoors are perfect examples of real-life micro-learning exercises.

- As a matter of fact, we encounter micro-learning on a daily basis.

- Even reading a bulletin that has been posted at work about on-the-job safety or going through tweets
in your timeline to catch up on the latest news can be considered micro-learning activities.

What advantages can micro-learning provide?

- Micro-learning gives students and employees the ability to gather information in “bite-sized” forms,
which can help them to absorb it much more effectively.
- It is an ideal solution for those who may not have the time to devote to a lengthy course, given that
you can learn at your own pace and avoid the risk of becoming overwhelmed by too much data at
once.

- Micro-learning can also be done on-the-go, which means that you can receive smaller lessons that
help you advance toward your educational goal, even when you are waiting for a bus or sitting in
traffic.

- Micro-learning can be carried out in a variety of ways. Emails, online posts, short multimedia videos,
and even short chat sessions can give e-learning students the small building blocks that are necessary
for them to achieve their educational goals and broaden their overall knowledge base.
How to best utilize video in e-Learning
- Faster internet connections and the increasing use of mobile phones and tablets with video
capabilities means that using video in the e-learning process has become commonplace.

- We’re more used to learning via video now than ever before.
- If you want to watch a video on how to wire a plug, plant a rose bush or bake a cake, you only need
to visit YouTube and there will be hundreds of videos available, showing you step-by-step processes
you need to follow to complete a task.

- Video brings a whole new dimension to teaching methods.

- If your course content involves a level of practical skill, this can be demonstrated. Whether it’s
building a PC or conducting a chemistry experiment, these aspects of the course will most definitely
benefit from being seen rather than simply explained in text and static images.

- Video also helps to add a feeling of personalization to a course.

- A video of the tutor giving a lecture helps the students to feel a connection, to put a face to a name.
Rapid e-Learning development process and
resources
While rapid e-learning can pertain to a number of things, it is generally used to describe the pace at which an
e-learning course is developed. Here are the basics of rapid e-learning, as well as an explanation as to how it
can be applied to the learning process as well.

Rapid e-learning in the course development process

- Rapid e-learning is, essentially, a faster process of designing and developing online-based learning
courses. Rather than spending months or even years developing a course, rapid e-learning allows
creators to build lessons and content in a matter of days or weeks.
- Typically, this is done through PowerPoint or narrated videos which are designed to dispense
information quickly and conveniently to students. Software is then utilized to test the students, as
well as to provide them with activities that they can perform on their own in between pre-recorded
presentations or videos.

- After the entire package has been developed, it is delivered to the student via an online LMS, site, or
even by email.
- Overly complicated software or design platforms are generally not used during the rapid e-learning
development process, and courses can be easily updated by the provider without a great deal of cost
or time.

How rapid e-learning can benefit learners

- Until quite recently rapid e-learning was only used to refer to the actual design of online courses.
However, today it can also be used to describe a method of learning.
- For example, if a course can be completed in a shorter amount of time than is typical for that
particular subject, then it may be considered a “rapid e-learning course”.
- The term micro-learning is sometimes used interchangeably with rapid e-learning.

- Students can greatly benefit from rapid e-learning, given that their learning is broken down into
smaller units.
- This can enable them to absorb information quickly and while they are on-the-go or even at work, so
that they can still get the data that they need to solve a problem or further their education.

- Due to the fact that students must learn in a short period of time with rapid e-learning techniques, the
key to any successful rapid online education course is to engage the user.
- This will raise the likelihood of knowledge absorption and ensure that one gets the most out of the
experience.
 How Personalization in eLearning works
- Personalized Learning is the tailoring of pedagogy, curriculum and learning environments to meet
the needs and learning styles of individual learners.
- Personalization is broader than just individualization or differentiation in that it affords the learner a
degree of choice about what is learned, when it is learned and how it is learned.

Elements of personalized eLearning

- In essence, personalized eLearning enables students to customize a variety of the elements involved
in the online education process.
- This means that they are asked to set their own goals, go at their own pace, and communicate with
instructors and students to personalize the learning process.
- Ideally, the student is placed in charge of managing his/her own learning and is able to customize the
experience by having a direct say in the processes and content that is being provided.

- Key elements that are customized in personalized eLearning are: the pace of learning, the
instructional approach, and lessons and activities that draw upon the student’s experience and
interests.
- In truly personalized eLearning environments students are given the chance to learn what they want
when they want, and even the method of learning! This typically leads to improved learning results.

Mechanics of personalized learning

- A great deal of the personalization that is carried out in eLearning settings is based upon feedback.
Feedback can either be explicit (in the form of a written suggestion) or implicit (in the form of
actions on the system).
- The feedback can be either manually or automatically processed to help with the personalization of
the platform – and ideally this should be an integral part of the learning platform.
- The transformation of feedback to a personalized system modification is mostly handled through an
Artificial Intelligence (AI) subsystem.
 Continuous learning
- On a personal level, continuous learning is about the constant expansion of skills and skill-sets
through learning and increasing knowledge.
- As life changes the need to adapt both professionally and personally is as real as the changes
themselves.

- On a professional level, continuous learning is about further expanding our skill-set in response to a
changing environment and new developments.
- This is very important because we are called to respond to changes daily: for example, the
introduction of computers in the workplace created a need for people to train on computers to
complete tasks more efficiently.

- On a personal level, the introduction of computers made us rethink how we communicate with
people and allowed us to keep in touch with people across the globe with just the click of a button.

Continuous learning for Individuals and Groups

On an individual level, continuous learning is defined by the practices the individual carries out daily in
order to continue increasing knowledge.

For example:
 Asking for help when something is not understood
 Observing more experienced employees at work
 Trying new ways of doing things and exploring alternative methods
 Practicing what has been learned already
 Finding ways to improve such as taking up training programs or online seminars outside of work

- In the organization, continuous learning has to do with shaping a team to adapt to changes in the
business environment.
- This is very important because the ever-changing economic climate demands that any team be up to
date with the latest knowledge and also be flexible and easily adaptable to any changes that may be
required.

Business Sustainability and Continuous Learning

- Embracing a culture of “investing in people” has played a major role in companies training their
employees rather than hiring new people which can be much more costly on different levels.
- Most companies nowadays want to invest in retaining their talent – and developing that pool of talent
– so they keep employees well trained and up-to-date so that they can respond to the company’s
ever-changing needs.
 - This also develops a sense of trust and keeps employees engaged and interested since new skills are
constantly added to their ‘arsenal’.
- Apart from saving money, continuous learning is a means for a company to show its employees they
are worth investing in.

Social Learning and Continuous Learning

- Social learning and continuous learning are inextricably linked.
- Individual Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn news feeds and work-related groups play a major role in what
we learn and how we communicate and share knowledge.
- Inevitably, spending all day between social media and work-related material exposes us to learning
new things.

- For example a Wall Street trader or anyone working in finance has to keep up to date with new
trends, movements in the market and changes in the environment that may affect his portfolio.
- A way to keep “learning” without using a separate learning platform is to be exposed to the social
web with its constant stream of news and trends.

- Our trader, for example, may like to take part in Finance and Markets groups on LinkedIn in order to
stay up to date with the latest information and be informed by his peers on what to pay attention to.
- This may contribute to Constant Learning.
Benefits of using e-Learning tools in Sales
training
- There are lots of benefits to training your sales representatives. Effective sales training develops the
individual’s skills and builds on existing abilities to ultimately improve business performance
through increased productivity and profitability.
- Good sales training courses can lead to an increase in activity levels, sales volumes and order size.

- There are also additional benefits to training such as improved sales force retention (since
recruitment is costly), improved employee motivation and engagement, and greater receptiveness to
change. Online sales training also presents a very low-risk investment – you only require a 0.5%
improvement in performance in order to profit from sales training and anything above that is
additional profit.

- Online sales training offers a wide range of benefits to salespeople looking to sharpen their
capabilities and build new skill sets. Good online sales training will thoroughly prepare employees
for sales success by enabling them to gain expertise and practical knowledge about successful
selling, give confidence to the learner, and provide them with the skills necessary to succeed.

- Beyond the obvious advantages (for example, employees being able to complete training courses and
modules at their own pace, on the go, and within management-set time frames) the best online sales
training uses powerful interactive tools which engage learners and allow both trainers and trainees to
track progress.
- The most effective online training programs have comprehensive tracking and reporting tools,
allowing management to see how their employees are progressing at a glance.

Some benefits of online sales training:

1. Ease of use:
- any salesperson, no matter what their level of experience, can learn from an online sales
training program

2. Interactivity:
- Questions can be asked and answered in real time. With online sales training programs
anyone can be trained at any location, in most any language.

3. Instant access:
- Training programs are available to learners all day, every day, throughout the year.
Employees can log in and start learning whenever they have the time and from wherever they
are located!
 4. Customization of training process:
- Online sales training programs allow for material to be created and added to customize
training for the individual, particular company branches, localities and/or specific
requirements etc.

5. Flexibility:
- Online sales training programs should be accessible from a variety of devices wherever and
whenever employees want to learn on the go. They should be able to log in and learn at any
time.

6. Accountability:
- The most effective online training programs have comprehensive tracking and reporting
tools, allowing management to see how their employees are progressing at a glance. General
statistics can also be viewed and broken down.

Sales training is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve business performance, and conducting that
training online makes it even more of a cost saver. If implemented properly, good sales training will be
repaid many times over.

Effective online Customer training

- You can reduce support costs, acquire new customers and build loyalty with existing
customers by offering them training online!

- Since your customers are already in the cloud, it only makes sense to provide them
with customer training where they are already located and interacting.

- Sharing and engaging with content online has become the norm and customers expect
companies to provide them with modern support and training on the cloud, they can then do
in their own time, at their own pace, and on the go!

- Supporting and servicing customers can be expensive and providing online training can cut
these costs and at the same time increase customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention.

- What’s more, online customer training is a great way to gain product/service feedback!
Customer training might also be used as a selling point to acquire potential consumers.
- A buyer may feel more secure about a purchase knowing they will receive free online
training.

- Of course, if this content is also freely available online it can be leveraged by sales or
marketing departments – customers can, for example, take a look at the training before they
buy the product or service to get a better overview of the features and functionality.
- Oftentimes online courses are more user-friendly and much less cumbersome than reading a
manual or guide so online customer training courses certainly have the advantage.