News Edition 6
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| 3 Digital Terms Every L&D Professional Must Know |
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by Hayley Steer - Learning Solutions Consultant at IMC
1. MOOC – Massive Open Online Course When I first heard about MOOC’s at Elliot Masie’s Learning 2013 Conference in the US, the term flew straight over my head. I now realise there are still varying levels of understanding of the term, which was originally coined over five years ago. Put simply, Massive Open Online Courses allow unlimited participation through offering an online course. They originated out of Universities with a focus on Connectivist design. MOOC’s are traditionally free, more recently taking on a ‘learn free / pay for assessment’ model. Why MOOC’s? A great deal of research into Corporate application of MOOC’s is currently being undertaken all over the world. The pro’s being that learning is free, you’re leveraging existing content, and, you’re curating a learning experience based not just on internal intelligence. The Con’s? Quality levels can vary dramatically, tracking the outcomes of learning may be more difficult, and completion rates are not high (learners are known to register, get the info they need, and move on without completing, not necessarily a bad thing if the individual’s learning need is met…)
2. Game-based Learning This is not a new term, but it’s often confused. Responses to a mention of 'games' are often along the lines of ‘no, no, my audience are in a serious profession and don’t have time for games, they just wouldn’t do it’. This is not unexpected when a game like Candy Crush or Angry Birds comes to mind (neither of which are ‘bad’ games, mind you). Gamification is about what motivates learning, such as attaching narrative, immediate feedback, challenges, self-direction, mastery and social interaction. So, the final product of applying Gamification to learning could in fact be a workshop, eLearning module, an actual game, and so on. You’re probably thinking, ‘hmm, I’m sure I do some of this already!’ Still in doubt? Here’s one of my favourite examples of a Serious Game, with Gamification components woven throughout. It takes the learner on a journey through an interactive experience of the Haiti Disaster in a number of roles. PTV Productions have won a number of awards for their work on this.
3. UX (User Experience) Design
Image care of Visual.lyUX Design emerged out of the world of software/web and is all about giving the user (customer, learner, employee…) an optimal experience. It considers look and feel, how information is structured, ease of use, accessibility, and the interaction. UX Design works because it creates an experience around how the brain works. Check it out here. Why UX Design? It will give your learners the experience they need, when they need it. Consider the type of media and interactions your audience have in their personal lives, such as social media platforms, customer app’s or entertainment. Do your learning solutions give a similar seamless and enjoyable experience? Do people want to do them? UX Design is not easy or a quick fix, but so worth getting to know. What now?
I hope this helps you not only to keep up with small talk at your next conference, but build you and your L&D team’s Digital Capability and give your learners an exceptional experience. Please add comments or questions, or get in touch as you need. All views are my own.
Source: Hayley Steer - Linkedin
Hayley Steer is a Learning Solutions Consultant with IMC. She has over eight years of experience in helping organisations in both Australia and the UK to design learning solutions and leverage technology to increase engagement and performance. Contact her via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
October 2014
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In my nine-to-five, I am often asked by Learning professionals what the next big thing is, and, who’s doing it. I also find myself asking them same question. 