Blended Learning is a fancy name for something that is really just common sense. It means giving learners the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways, from a variety of media and situations. So as well as arranging a training course or coaching for your line managers, you can:
• Make sure they agree their learning objectives with their managers, and that their managers check progress at least every month or so.
• Set up a short regular meeting with them where you can all discuss the course, their coaching and their other learning.
• Give them each a copy of the appropriate business book on the learning area, such as The One Minute Manager or The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and ask them to read them.
• Start up an in-company learning blog – a bit like this – and give them the link so that they can read and comment on it.
• Ask them to look for, read and watch good management resources on Google, BBC, Wikipedia, BusinessBalls, LinkedIn, Amazon, YouTube, etc. (and report back to the meeting).
• Encourage them to listen to short publicly-available learning podcasts at their pc or on their iPod.
• Lend them a DVD with appropriate content (such as purpose-made training videos or even some episodes of The Office – UK or US as both are excellent) and ask them to discuss the best examples of what NOT to do.
• Organise some successful local business people to visit and present what they do in return for lunch.
• Support the managers to do ‘management-like stuff’ outside of work: run sports clubs and societies, help organise their faith groups, do charity work in the community, join the TA or Special Constabulary (UK) or other volunteer services.
• Evaluate the learning with online tool like SurveyMonkey.
Blended learning like this adds little cost to that of a single learning event or programme, but increases the impact, relevance and ‘stickability’ of the learning enormously. Go on: try it!
Last year, I had a blended learning course on facilitation skills where the first 4 weeks where online with reading materials and assignments, a teleconf with all the participants and then a two days face to face in Qatar. The course was very interesting and covers a wide range of learning styles but we have to be careful as these types of courses are not for every one. There is a high rate of drop outs due to the high level of committment required. They last for long time; It usually takes weeks and months. Also, these courses are more expensive than a 3 days classroom training.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important key here is to find committed candidates (based on competency gaps)to attend a blended learning course.
In my side the course must attended by candidates that really they want to learn something because some candidate just want a certificate as an objective
ReplyDeleteThank you, HR wOMAN! and hifaa. Useful reminders that learners need a commitment to learning as much as an opportunity to learn.
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