[Trainingmag 2014/9-10] Online vs In-Class Success

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E-learning can be
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In-ClassSuccess
Onlinevs.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 VOLUME 51, NUMBER 5
www.trainingmag.com
FEATURES
41Games and Simulations
Trends, technologies, and case studies.
54 Results Report Card
As MasTec continues along its journey to create a
culture of learning, a look at the impact three of
its recent training initiatives have had so far.
BY JOHN CONGEMI
58 L&D BEST PRACTICES
Strategies for Success
2014 Training Top 125 winners detail best practices
for leaders as teachers and mobile learning.
60TRAINING TOP 10 HALL OF FAME
Outstanding Training Initiatives
Details from KLA-Tencor and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Leadership Center’s Outstanding Training Initiatives.
2 Online TOC Web-only content
4 Editor’s Note Driving Forces BY LORRI FREIFELD
6 Training Today News, stats, and business
intel BY LORRI FREIFELD
10 Soapbox Can Your LMS Meet Other Apps in
the Cloud? BY RAMSEY CHAMBERS
12 Soapbox Tying EQ Into Technology
BY JIM HORNICKEL
14 How-To Overcome the SME Availability
Objection BY KENDRA LEE
16 World View Focus on Switzerland
BY HEATHER ROBINSON
64 Best Practices Preparing Global Virtual Teams
for Success BY NEAL GOODMAN AND SUSAN BRAY
66 Learning Matters Getting Learning’s Game On
BY TONY O’DRISCOLL
67 Training Magazine Events MOOCs Are So
Yesterday BY DIANE GAYESKI
68 Trainer Talk Performance Art BY BOB PIKE
70 Talent Tips Let’s Get Upfront and Personal
BY ROY SAUNDERSON
72 Last Word The Three P’s of E-mail
BY PETER POST
DEPARTMENTS
training SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 | 1www.trainingmag.com
18
18
26
30
34
36
Online vs. In-Class Success
E-learning can be an inexpensive alternative to
classroom training, but does it yield the same results?
BY LORRI FREIFELD
Managing MOOCs
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) provide large
numbers of learners with unlimited access to online
material, but they are not for everyone.
BY MARGERY WEINSTEIN
7 Informal Learning Lessons
Findings from a structured review of the literature on
informal learning. BY SAUL CARLINER
Making Long-Distance
Relationships Work
Problems that involve remote colleagues result in
signiﬁcantly more severe impacts to productivity, cost,
quality, and time, according to a survey by VitalSmarts
and Training magazine. But the situation isn’t hopeless.
Here are some steps that can help. BY DAVID MAXFIELD
Just-in-Time Technology Solutions
We watch TV programs sans commercials“on demand”
and have instant access to information 24/7 via the Web.
Today’s employees want that same ﬂexibility when it
comes to training. BY MARGERY WEINSTEIN
FOCUS ON

online contents
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The Visual Handoff: Using Video to Prepare for Time Off
Whether it’s creating a quick “how-to” video or annotating
screenshots, visual communication is a quick and easy way to help
employees prepare for that essential time off.
http://www.trainingmag.com/visual-handoff-using-video-prepare-time
Technology as Trainer: Klick Academy and Klick Talks
Digital health agency Klick uses the “technology as a trainer”
philosophy to embed data-driven training into its culture and everyday
operations.
http://www.trainingmag.com/technology-trainer-klick-academy-and-
klick-talks
Think Ethics Training Has to Be Boring? Think Again
Humor does not interfere with your ability to educate. The same tech-
niques that keep people watching a TV show after they really should
be going to bed can be used to make people focus on your training
longer than they otherwise would.
http://www.trainingmag.com/think-ethics-training-has-be-boring-
think-again
Time to MOOC Your Corporate Training
Corporate MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) or online learning
portals offer skill-based courses that act as self-paced and on-demand
miniature sessions and workshops.
http://www.trainingmag.com/time-mooc-your-corporate-training
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Lorri Freifeld
lorri@trainingmag.com
I
realized the other day that my husband and I are due to take a Defensive
Driving course this fall so we can maintain our car insurance discount. I
have to admit my heart is not wildly thumping with anticipation.
This year, we have a choice: We can take the standard classroom course (in-
structor lecture and videos—six hours on a Saturday or three hours for two
nights during the week) or we can take the course online (exercises, text, and
tests). The price is roughly the same.
I’m torn as there are pros and cons to each.
The majority of the material hasn’t changed since we took
the course three years ago, while my attention span seems to
shorten by the minute. Our last instructor managed to keep
me interested with personal stories from his experiences as a
cop. But the one before that lulled me to sleep with dry statis-
tics and reading from the workbook.
I can take the online course from the comfort of my home,
but previous attendees told me I can’t click through the screens
and tests at my own admittedly fast pace—the course stays on
each screen for an allotted period of time. And, unlike the classroom course, the
online course requires attendees to take all the tests in the workbook.
Now, if the online course featured a game that put me in the driver’s seat of
a 500-horsepower Corvette, my decision might be a whole lot easier (and the
course more exciting), but I don’t know that I necessarily would retain (or put
into practice) any more information than the classroom session.
After all, e-learning has the reputation of being more convenient and cost-
effective than classroom training, but is it as effective when it comes to learning
“stickiness” and changing behavior? Our cover story, “Online vs. In-Class Suc-
cess,” on p. 18 aims to answer that question with input from Training Top 125
winners, Training Top 10 Hall of Famers, and other experts.
Serious games are one way to bolster online learning effectiveness. Our Games
& Simulations section beginning on p. 41 looks at lessons the corporate training
sector can borrow from military games, plus case studies from CMS Energy,
Xerox Europe, Aon Hewitt, and Southwest Airlines.
The “just-in-time” aspect of e-learning is another plus. Rather than have the
learning delivery dictated by trainers or executives, it often makes sense to allow
learners themselves to decide when they need to access speciﬁc information or
when they need quick refresher training. See p. 36 to discover how some com-
panies are rolling out just-in-time learning to their workforces using the latest
technology solutions.
Whether it’s e-learning or classroom instruction, the crucial thing to keep in
mind is that “Training Matters”—which just happens to be the mantra for our
Training 2015 Conference & Expo in Atlanta February 9-11, 2015. When train-
ing matters—when it is connected to corporate strategic goals and more than
just a stand-alone event—then it converts into impact.
Visit www.TrainingConference.com to register and ﬁnd out how you can turn
learning into doing.
editor’s note
Driving Forces
TRAINING EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Brent Bloom, VP, Organization Effectiveness and L&D,
Applied Materials
Raymond D. Green, CEO, Paradigm Learning, Inc.
Bruce I. Jones, Programming Director,
Disney Institute
Michael S. Hamilton, former Chief Learning &
Development Officer, Ernst & Young
Nancy J. Lewis, former CLO and VP, ITT
Corporation, and former VP, Learning, IBM
Ann Schulte, Director/Global Practice Leader,
Procter & Gamble
Ross Tartell, former Technical Training and
Communication Manager - North America,
GE Capital Real Estate
TRAINING TOP 10 HALL OF FAME
Cyndi Bruce, Executive Director,
KPMG Business School – U.S.
Jim Federico, Senior Director, Platforms &
Operations, Microsoft Corporation
Gordon Fuller, Global Design & Development
Leader, IBM Center for Advanced Learning
Daniel J. Goepp, Managing Director, Learning
& Development, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
Vicente Gonzalez, Learning and Development,
Booz Allen Hamilton
Glenn Hughes, Senior Director, Learning &
Development, KLA-Tencor Corporation
Donald Keller, Chief Learning Officer and VP,
Global Education & Development,
SCC Soft Computer
Diana Oreck, VP, Leadership Center,
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Lou Tedrick, Staff Vice President -
Workforce Development, Verizon
Annette Thompson, CLO, Farmers Insurance
Nicole Roy-Tobin, Director, Best Practices &
Innovation, Deloitte
Kevin Wilde, VP, CLO, General Mills, Inc.
2014 TOP 5
EMERGING TRAINING LEADERS
Aimie Aronica, Senior Director, Technology
Engagement, and General Manager, Austin eBay
Inc. Site, PayPal – an eBay company
Kristin Hall, Training Manager, PPD
Jennifer Hentz, Talent Development Manager,
Booz Allen Hamilton
Rebecca Lockard, Director, Learning &
Development, Advance Financial
Christine Nilsen Marciano, Commercial Lines
Training Consultant, Nationwide

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EMPLOYEES NEED CONTENT to improve performance, gain knowledge, and
grow skills. Great technology without content is nothing more than an
empty shell. But traditional approaches to content might not work as well
in today’s workplace or with today’s workforce. The
days when we built content and “pushed” it to em-
ployees in classrooms and traditional online courses
are numbered. Employees are more apt to access just
the content nuggets they need, when they need it, on
their own terms or devices. They are more likely to
“pull” content to themselves.
The factors influencing the workplace and
workforce are overwhelming and cannot be ig-
nored. Demographic shifts are bringing a whole
new generation of employees to our workplaces
in huge numbers. The technologies we use every
day continue to evolve and change, and the influ-
ences of social media on these technologies keep
growing. More and more of us are changing our
behaviors at home and at work in terms of the use
of mobile devices and how we access information.
All of these influences are converging at one time
and are forever changing the way all of us learn.
So we need to rethink our strategies to employee
learning content to reflect these
influences and include these three
elements:
1. Definition of content: Con-
tent can be anything that answers
a question employees need an
answer to in order to improve per-
formance.
2. Curation: While content is
king, context is queen, and we
must provide a structure and
form to this content so employ-
ees can find it, access it, and use
it quickly and efficiently.
3. Delivery: No effective content
strategy is complete without a
clear strategy for getting this con-
tent into the hands of employees
with no barriers and no friction.
To find out more, visit:
http://www.trainingmag.com/
next-generation-learning-content-
strategies.
6 |SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 training www.trainingmag.com
by Lorri Freifeld
TO SUBMIT NEWS, research, or other Training Today tidbits, contact Editor-in-Chief Lorri Freifeld at lorri@trainingmag.com or 516.524.3504.
news, stats, & business intel by Lorri Freifeld
3 Ways to Become Byte-Lingual
How would you rate your overall “fluency” with your technology and tools? You use
your e-mail system and smart phone every day; what would the impact be if you
learned one new productivity feature each week for a year?
Three ways to become “byte-lingual” include:
Seek micro-improvements. Saving YouTube
learning videos to my computer to watch later,
programming special “shortcuts” into my smart
phone, and learning the speed keys in my most
frequently used applications alone saves at least
15 minutes a day.
Observe others. Years ago, I watched someone
download a YouTube video to their computer, edit
the parts of the video they wanted to show in a
meeting, and then import that video clip into their
PowerPoint presentation. That one hour changed
my life; I save about two hours on each presenta-
tion I create (plus, no more headache of having to
be “online” during every client presentation).
Watch online video tutorials: Visit video (or
product) Websites to learn about the product (ser-
vice, program, etc.) you’re interested in. Watch
these “bite-sized” videos, and learn more…faster.
Also, consider leaving a tip (or a question) in the
comment area below it.
Using tools, applications, and gear more ef-
fectively, you could save anywhere from 30 to
90 minutes of time…every day. Imagine if your
team of five people had 120 hours of “extra”
time this coming year. What would you be able
to get done?
For more ideas, visit: http://wmck.co/byte-lingual
By Jason W. Womack, MEd, MA www.womackcompany.com
www.twitter.com/jasonwomack | Jason@WomackCompany.com
Products & Services >> E-Learning Stats >> Tech Talk p. 8
3 Elements of a Next-Generation
Learning Content Strategy
By Chris Osborn, VP, Marketing, Biz Library (www.bizlibrary.com)
Productivity Coach’s Corner

(This column is adapted from Bruce Tulgan’s new book from Jossey-Bass/Wiley, “The 27 Challenges
Managers Face: Step by Step Solutions to (Nearly) All of Your Management Problems.”)
>> Blackboard’s new Blackboard
Registration Module is delivered through
a strategic partnership with Genius
SIS, a Web-based information,
registration, and e-commerce system.
The environment now offers fully
integrated learner registration, tracking,
e-commerce, and enterprise reporting
systems and tools.
>> Ace Hardware, a retailer-owned
hardware cooperative, is implementing
uStudio, Inc.’s video platform to drive
its sales training processes in more than
4,800 stores.
>>Audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG
LLP acquired the Workday Consulting
Practice (a provider of enterprise cloud
applications for finance and human
capital management) from AXIA
Consulting.
>> Corporate training and leadership
development company VitalSmarts agreed
to be acquired by Providence Equity
Partners. The investment from Providence
will accelerate VitalSmarts’ corporate
growth initiatives. Andrew Shimberg will
continue to lead the company as CEO.
Cofounders/authors Joseph Grenny, David
Maxfield, and Kerry Patterson will continue
to provide intellectual property leadership,
research, and new content. Al Switzler
and Ron McMillan will continue in
advisory roles.
>> Grovo, a cloud-based video training
platform that teaches Internet and
professional skills in 60 seconds, and
Manhattan real estate services firm
TOWN Residential, partnered to provide
TOWN’s 600 representatives and
employees with free access to Grovo’s
training library, which includes videos
on more than 130 Internet tools, cloud
services, and professional topics, as well
as use Grovo’s cloud platform to deploy
customized, digital marketing-focused
courses.
Partnerships&Alliances
Ensuring E-Mail Effectiveness By Bruce Tulgan
than 31 hours of training. Perhaps the
most shocking finding: 41.5 percent of
respondents said they have not received
sufficient training to perform their job.
These results create a compre-
hensive look at the SAP training
landscape and provide insights into
the expectations and needs for fu-
ture developments. For the complete
2014 SAP Training Survey report, visit:
www.michaelmanagement.com/survey.
WHAT DO MORE THAN 1,200 SAPprofessionals
think of SAP (business enterprise software)
training? Michael Management’s 2014 SAP
TrainingSurveyfoundout,tappingintokey
topics such as training availability, delivery
options, and training challenges.
Thetrendawayfromtraditionalclassroom
training to e-learning continues as more
than 51 percent of respondents indicated
a preference for online SAP training via
instructor-led virtual sessions or e-learning
options.Thepreferenceforclassroomtrain-
ing, on the other hand, dropped from 37
percent in 2013 to 29.5 percent this year.
However, there is a significant gap be-
tween the amount of training needed and
received. More than 62 percent of respon-
dentsreceivedlessthan10hoursoftraining
to perform their job well, while 52 percent
indicated they should have received more
The Future of SAP Training
www.rainmakerthinking.com | Twitter @brucetulgan | brucet@rainmakerthinking.com
In today’s high-tech world, more and more
managers tell us that employees sidestep
one-on-one meetings and prefer instead
to communicate via electronic message.
Electronic communication can be a powerful
tool for effective communication—especially
asynchronous communication—but sloppy
e-communication practices are a nuisance. As
such, make sure your direct reports learn and
practice good e-mail discipline. Teach them
the following:
yourself if this is really something that
should be communicated in-person at a
one-on-one meeting.
then send the reminder to yourself!
and with true purpose.
so it is still relevant—context is everything.
incoming and outgoing electronic
communication based on how you will use
them later.
will review and respond to electronic
communication and let people know when
to expect your responses.

The most common industries for
e-learning in first quarter 2014 were
software, health care, financial ser-
vices, IT services, and marketing.
The top U.S. states for e-learning
were California, Florida, Georgia,
Illinois, and Massachusetts.
8 |SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 training www.trainingmag.com
>> Scitent, Inc., a full-service e-learning
company focused on creating online
education programs for nonprofits,
corporations, membership organizations,
and health-care organizations, released
its new, proprietary learning management
system (LMS), SCIDEA. The SCORM-
compliant e-learning platform supports
blended learning, certification, and
continuing education (CE) credit
management.
>> AppointmentPlus, a provider of
online and mobile scheduling solutions,
launched Academy.AppointmentPlus.com,
a free online community featuring training
courses, discussion groups, and a lecture
series. The Academy aims to connect
people from diverse backgrounds and
provide a forum to discuss scheduling best
practices and solutions.
>> Interact is new software that provides
on-the-job skills training, assesses
workforce competencies, and measures
training programs. Employees have
access to their performance videos
and annotated comments by their
trainers and management. Interact can
manage documents and share data and
information with employees.
>> Jones/NCTI tackles safety, real-time
problem solving, learning on the job, and
other top opportunities to educate field techs
with Amp, a new mobile field performance
tool. Amp provides just-in-time knowledge
and push notifications to front-line field
teams. The company also launched its new
Amp online destination, www.jonesnctiamp.
com, where training professionals can learn
more about just-in-time knowledge and uses
for the application.
>> IBM announced new cloud-based
software and a new Talent and Change
consulting practice to enable organizations
to use analytics and behavioral science
to identify top talent, deepen employee
engagement, and manage transformational
change to provide differentiated client
experiences. The cloud-based offerings
include IBM Kenexa Predictive Hiring, IBM
Kenexa Workforce Readiness, and IBM
Kenexa Predictive Retention.
Products&Services
>> Technology start-up
showd.me unveiled its new platform
for enterprise peer-to-peer learning.
The platform includes elements
such as searchable profiles, self-
managed session scheduling, Web
conferencing, and Google apps
integration, and provides a suite of
tools that addresses key challenges of
traditional LMSs.
>> Morf Media launched its Gamified
Intelligent Learning System (GILS),
which uses advanced game theory
and artificial intelligence to enable
employees to enter virtual worlds
where they can progress through
work simulations to better learn and
interact with others as they create
and execute strategies and perform
complex tasks. GILS is available
anytime, anywhere, delivering
the same immersive, interactive
experience on smart phones, tablets,
and desktops.
>> Mindflash released a new version
of its online business training
software that precisely analyzes
trainees’ facial expressions to
compute a real-time “Engagement
Score” for each portion of the
course. The score is provided in
aggregate, never by trainee, to help
the trainer identify opportunities for
improvements in course materials.
A minimum of five trainees must
complete a course before an
Engagement Score is generated. The
new functionality was developed
in concert with Stanford-based
computer-vision company Sension.
THE MINDFLASH E-LEARN-
ING Report provides
insights into corporate
e-learning trends based
on data from hundreds
of thousands of e-learn-
ing software users. Here
are some fast facts from
surveys done in the first
quarter of 2014:
64% of all e-learn-
ing courses were
taught by men.
96.64% of students
taking e-learning
courses received
passing grades.
90.93% of training was mandatory.
74.01% of course assessments had
tests.
Tuesday was the most common day
of the week for starting e-learning
courses, (18.26%), completing them
(17.91%), and passing them (17.88%).
E-Learning Stats

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T
he cloud. It’s everywhere. My teenage son
has never used a USB drive or burnable
CD/DVD because all his schoolwork and
music are stored online and accessible from any
device. By the time my seven-month-old starts
watching movies, he probably never will know
what a DVD is because all the movies he’ll watch
will be on Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, or
some other similar service.
When it comes to businesses, we are moving to
the cloud a bit more slowly because of all the leg-
acy applications that are still important to our
organizations. However, the pace at which we are
transitioning is increasing at an astounding rate.
In fact, Gartner estimates that by 2017, cloud of-
fice system users are expected to constitute 33
percent of the enterprise universe (New Devel-
opments in the Cloud Office System Market,
Gartner Inc., May 22, 2013). On a related note,
Cisco expects cloud data center traffic to triple by
the same year (third annual Cisco Global Cloud
Index, 2012–2017, Cisco, October 15, 2013).
What this means, in a nutshell, is that orga-
nizations rapidly are moving a diverse array of
their business applications off their own infra-
structure and onto infrastructure provided by
their application vendors. However, when con-
sidering adopting a cloud-based application,
organizations have to do their homework. First,
there are various “flavors” of cloud to consid-
er and determine which best meets the needs of
your stakeholders. On top of that, organizations
must consider the entire ecosystem of intercon-
nected applications that it takes to run their
business and whether their cloud strategy will
continue to allow for that interconnectivity.
Learning is no different. When thinking about
moving to the cloud, you can’t just think about fea-
tures and pricing. You need to think expansively to
consider all the applications it takes to deliver your
learning programs and whether the solutions you
are considering will provide you with sufficient
flexibility to meet your business objectives.
PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC
Thereareplentyofarticlesthattalkaboutthediffer-
ences between “public” vs. “private” clouds. I won’t
dwell on this topic, but it is important to talk briefly
about these two different approaches. First, regard-
less of which flavor you choose, cloud applications
bring one main benefit: They allow organizations to
offload activities that aren’t their primary areas of
expertise and allow them to focus on those activi-
ties that are their primary areas of expertise. In the
case of Training and Development organizations,
this means no longer worrying about servers, up-
grades, and system availability so you can spend all
your time focused on delivering world-class train-
ing and development programs.
From there, the difference between public and
private clouds starts to get nuanced. Public cloud
applications are often less expensive because re-
source utilization on the part of the application
vendor can be maximized and some of those sav-
ings are passed on to clients. In exchange, however,
clients give up a level of control when it comes to
deciding when they want to upgrade, the ability
to customize, and the level of integration that can
happen with other applications. Private cloud so-
lutions, on the other hand, tend to be a little more
expensive, but put a higher degree of control into
the hands of the client.
Neither option is objectively better or worse.
Organizations just need to decide which is right
for them. The best scenario is if you can partner
with a vendor that can support either model so you
have the flexibility to change if your needs change
over time.
MEET IN THE CLOUD
Whereitcangetcomplicatedforsomeorganizations
is when they start to think about how they are going
to make all the various applications that they have
integrated with their learning management system
(LMS) meet in the cloud. Human Resource Infor-
mation System (HRIS), Customer Relationship
Management (CRM), Association Management
soapbox
Can Your LMS Meet
Other Apps in the Cloud?
Yes, but when considering a move to the cloud, you can’t just think about
features and pricing. You need to expansively consider all the applications it
takes to deliver your learning programs. BY RAMSEY CHAMBERS
Ramsey Chambers
is vice president of
Product Management
and Strategy for
Meridian Knowledge
Solutions (www.
meridianks.com),
the company behind
learning management
system Meridian
Global. Meridian’s
technology platform
empowers enterprises,
governments, and
member-based
organizations
to develop their
people by delivering
learning, assessing
performance,
and fostering
collaboration.

System (AMS), virtual conferencing solutions, au-
thentication solutions...the list goes on. Typically
with a public cloud solution, you are limited by the
supported integrations and application program-
ming interfaces (APIs) for data transfer. For many
organizations, this is sufficient to meet their needs.
For other organizations, their needs require more
flexibility to integrate with other applications they
deem critical to their business. Often, with private
cloud solutions, you’ll find greater ability to
integrate and customize since the solution is
dedicated to an individual client. Again, nei-
ther solution is objectively better or worse.
Some solutions will just be better suited than
others in certain situations.
Regardless of which cloud flavor you are
evaluating, here are some standard integra-
tion capabilities you should expect from
your LMS provider:
conferencing solutions such as WebEx or
Adobe Connect
exchange with an HRIS, CRM, AMS, or other
proprietary applications in your organization
-
gies such as SAML or Active Directory
dirty way of getting data into the system
retrieval so you can show LMS data within
other Web applications (REST stands for
representational state transfer and refers to an
architectural style for Web applications.)
IN THE REAL WORLD
-
ing for a robust LMS that would provide the best
cloud solution has been a great fit. For other or-
ganizations whose needs were a bit more diverse,
a private cloud solution was a better choice.
For example, a pharmaceutical/health-care client
already had an established, branded portal that
served as the main interface for all of its nurses,
doctors, and other users. When it was evaluating
a new LMS, one of its primary needs was to find a
system that could blend into its existing solution.
It selected a private cloud solution with RESTful
tightly integrating with the LMS, the client was
able to show all course data directly on its Web
portal, allowing users to enroll and launch con-
accessing content in an LMS. As a result, users
never had to learn a new system or access new
software to arrive at their content. This resulted
in sustained client satisfaction and a flat line in its
support requests.
Another client, in the world of accounting, is a
-
site. This client created an experience in which
learners search, find, and purchase content from
new account is created for users in the LMS, per-
missions are assigned to the content, and users have
instant access to begin their learning. This client is
great content with the confidence that the cloud-
based LMS will be there when its users need it.
THE CLEAR CONCLUSION
For many organizations, the cloud is the obvious
choice as they consider their next LMS. Regardless
of which flavor of the cloud you are considering,
applications you require to run your training and
development programs. If your situation is fairly
simple, a public cloud offering may offer cost sav-
ings and ensure you are always using the latest and
greatest technology your vendor has to offer. If your
situation is slightly more complex, a private cloud
offering may be a bit more expensive but will pro-
vide additional flexibility while allowing you to
things you do best. t
There are various “flavors” of
clouds—including private and
public clouds—to consider
and determine which best
meets stakeholder needs and
provides sufficient flexibility.

H
umankind is by far the most creative spe-
cies on planet Earth. From the first spear
to the idea of the wheel to the Internet,
what we invent is limited only by our ability to
imagine what is not yet real. When one imagined
thing becomes reality, that sparks innumerable
ideas about what can come next. Fantastic!
Technology can be defined as an activity or
innovation that forms or changes culture. Addi-
tionally, technology is the application of math,
science, and the arts for the benefit of human-
kind and other. A modern example is the rise of
communication technology, which has lessened
barriers to human interaction. But therein lies
the rub. The fabulous technological gains have
far outpaced the progress made in enhancing our
emotional intelligence in general and specifically
in using such advances.
As I’ve worked in 44 countries to date, only about
5 percent of people respond knowingly to my ques-
tion: “What is emotional intelligence or EQ?”
A big picture definition of EQ is that it
covers the areas of our self-awareness, self-man-
agement, social awareness, and relationship
management. At Bold New Directions, we call
emotional intelligence “Life Intelligence.”
So how does EQ tie into technology? Well,
since technology is meant to serve human be-
ings and it is human beings who use technology,
our capabilities to apply “Life Intelligence” to
our use of technology directly influences how
limited or expanded the results are. Because
there are almost limitless forms of technolo-
gy, for the sake of this discussion, let’s use the
two common technological reference points of
the Internet and smart phones. But please, as we
go through the four EQ quadrants below, think
about how these apply to your world and what-
ever technologies you use.
As we play with the four big picture areas
of EQ, it is helpful to think of the first two—
self-awareness and self-management—as being
internal-to-you factors. You could be isolated on
a desert island and these still would be active hu-
man being ingredients of your internal worlds.
Whereas the next two—social awareness and
relationship management—are in play (to various
degrees) when we are in connection with others
(whether in person or through any technologi-
cal communication means) or anything else in
our external worlds. For most people, the first two
and the second two are constantly interrelating.
But how effectively are we using the interactiv-
ity is the big question and equally large area of
opportunity. Here’s a short peek into the four:
SELF-AWARENESS
First, what is self-awareness? Or, what can we be
self-aware about? The list is long, including aware-
ness of our thoughts (an amazing 60,000 a day),
feelings, body sensations, images, impulses, intu-
itions, strengths, weaknesses, and on and on.
For a technological example, I have a friend who
is a self-admitting addict to online fantasy sports.
Once they get started on any given day (in fact, ev-
ery day, so they say), they lose themselves to the
activity, and lose self-awareness. Their focus is out-
ward and into the game. This lack of self-awareness
is having serious consequences on their marriage.
Another increasingly common occurrence
is seeing more and more people walking along
absorbed in reading and writing e-mails or tex-
ting away furiously, lost in the activity and with
probably very little self-awareness. People cross
streets this way. If you lose self-awareness of
where you are in space like this, the consequenc-
es can be fatal.
Question: When you are working with any form
of technology, what is your state of self-awareness
during the usage time?
SELF-MANAGEMENT
What does it mean to “self-manage”? Basically,
it is when you are intentionally in control. Here
is where the four EQ areas begin to show their
interrelationships. If you are not self-aware that
you are thinking, feeling, or doing something
(such as unmindfully crossing a busy street
while in the unconscious habit of texting), how
can you possibly change that behavior for bet-
ter outcomes? All intentional change starts with
self-awareness. Then you can look at options to
soapbox
Tying EQ Into Technology
Balance and emotional intelligence (EQ) are the keys to using technology. If
you are in conscious charge of your technological choices and activities, then
you are mindfully choosing your life. BY JIM HORNICKEL
Manager-leader
specialist Jim
Hornickel is the
director of Training
& Development at
Bold New Directions.
Along with a B.A.
in Management,
Hornickel’s
professional experience
includes 25 years as
a manager-leader in
several industries;
life, leadership, and
relationship coaching;
and authoring books
“Negotiating Success”
and “Managing From
The Inside Out (16
Insights for Building
Positive Relationships
With Staff).” For
more information,
visit www.
managementtraining
institute.com/
home and www.
boldnewdirections.
com.

manage any behavior, with any technology.
Question: What is your current ability level to
use self-awareness to alert you that some current
technological activity or habit would be better if
changed, and then work at self-managing that
behavior for your own success and well-being?
SOCIAL AWARENESS
What is included in social awareness? Ev-
erything outside of yourself! This includes
people, things, events… How does this re-
late to technology? Since technology (unless
medical implants within your body) covers
things and methods used externally by hu-
mans, increasing your awareness about how
you are relating to these tools is the start to-
ward seeing if you are using the tool or it is
using you.
When my wife got her first smart phone,
I observed her by using my social intel-
ligence. She began to spend lots of time
on the device, and while access to information,
e-mail, etc., is helpful in this modern world,
it also can be seductive. I did not want a smart
phone to capture me; rather I wanted to be in a
state where I was intentionally using it. It took me
a full year before I felt I could handle the device
sufficiently well to buy one.
Question: When you consciously observe your
relationship with people and things such as tech-
nology, how often are you on automatic and how
often are you truly present and mindfully making
decisions to engage in that activity or not?
MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS
What is managing relationships? When you are
self-aware and managing yourself, you are bring-
ing a consciousness to your social interactions
with people and things (technology). Without
those three EQ elements, you are ill-equipped
to manage your relationships with people and
things in your life.
A few years ago, a friend told me a story relat-
ed to managing relationships. Smart phones were
the newest technology and her family members
each had purchased one. Her revelation came
one evening when she looked up at the dinner
table from her smart phone to see that all six of
them were actively using their devices and that
they had stopped “being” with each other. She
brought this social awareness to everyone’s atten-
tion, they laughed at the absurdity, and made a
pact to not disengage when with each other by
using even that wonderful technology. A time
and place for everything.
A major change has occurred with people, tech-
nology, and managing relationships: Facebook
is a prime example. The technology of connect-
ing people almost anywhere on the planet has
fabulous possibilities for uniting people. But I
know of so many examples of people who now
think their Facebook “friends” are real in such
a way that being with others in person or even
by the technology called phones has been all
but abandoned. People are creating more isola-
tion by spending many, many hours sitting by
themselves in front of a computer monitor, smart
phone, or tablet. While updating information
(photos, facts, etc.) is valuable in relationship
building and maintenance, technology can only
go so far in bonding. Human qualities and the in-
tangible energy that exists between people simply
cannot be conveyed through Websites in a man-
ner anywhere close to sitting down with friends
and loved ones or at least talking with them via
phone when distance is too great.
Question: Has communicating with people through
the Internet begun to feel “real” to you? What hap-
pens when you step back and compare an hour on
Facebook with an hour sharing a beverage at the
kitchen table with a dear friend or two?
As with all of life, balance and emotional intel-
ligence are the keys to using technology. If you
are in conscious charge of your technological
choices and activities, then you are mindfully
choosing your life. If technology has begun to
hold you captive, you might find a bit more ful-
fillment by realizing that and taking control of
your interconnection—either on your own or
with help from a training company. t
Fabulous technological
gains have far outpaced the
progress made in enhancing
our emotional intelligence in
general and specifically in
using such advances.

W
hen working with subject matter
experts (SMEs), the No. 1 objection
trainers encounter is availability.
SMEs have a real job and assisting with train-
ing development generally isn’t part of that
job, or if it is, it’s only a minor part. SMEs
have little time to devote when trainers ask
for their assistance.
This challenge causes no end of frustration
as you attempt to meet development dead-
lines without the critical information you
need. Your training comes off as incomplete,
theoretical, or ineffectual.
So how do you entice SMEs to fully engage
and provide you the information you need
to develop quality training? When engaging
SMEs:
1. Set expectations upfront. Advise your
SMEs what role you need them to play and get
their agreement that they can meet your ex-
pectations. If SMEs have concerns, it’s better
to address them at the start of a project than
midway through. Now is the time to carve the
strategy to work together, or determine if you
need to work with a different SME.
2. Schedule regular 20-minute meetings.
While nobody likes more meetings, and SMEs
are already unavailable, if you have consis-
tent meetings on the calendar that SMEs can
schedule around, frequently they’ll do that.
Limiting the meeting length to 20 minutes
and adhering to that time shows respect for
the SME’s schedule. As your SMEs see that
you’re truly only going to use 20 minutes,
they’ll show up and engage more.
3. Communicate consistently. Keep SMEs
updated on your progress throughout the
development process. Send brief e-mails or
voicemails with two- or three-sentence up-
dates on how the project is progressing. Don’t
underestimate the power of voicemail to help
SMEs connect with you as a peer as they hear
your energy and enthusiasm. Think of it as
building the relationship. On the plus side,
they’ll also remember that they owe you the
next piece of the project, even without you
asking!
4. Ask quick questions. Rather than save
up all your questions for a meeting, call or
e-mail quick questions between meetings.
Yes, you may need a lot more information, but
perhaps gathering it a little at a time will help
keep you moving forward. Use meetings to
delve in and get clarification or the next layer
of information.
5. Contain the complaints. Nobody wants to
work with someone who is complaining about
them, and complaints have a way of get-
ting back to the target. While SMEs are
frequently difficult to work with, don’t
unwittingly sabotage yourself by com-
plaining to co-workers. Instead, bring
your concerns about their availabili-
ty directly to the SMEs and brainstorm
alternative communication methods
that will work for both of you.
6. Give praise freely. Too frequent-
ly, SMEs are forgotten once the training
is delivered. Their hard work goes unrecog-
nized. Throughout the process, praise SMEs
for their efforts and the successes you’ve re-
ceived as a result of them. After delivery, share
the accomplishments. Acknowledge and give
them credit as part of the team. They’ll be
eager to work with you the next time. t
how-to
Overcome the SME
Availability Objection
Six ways to entice busy subject matter experts (SMEs) to fully
engage and provide you with the information you need to develop
quality training. BY KENDRA LEE
KLA Group President
Kendra Lee is a top
IT seller; prospect
attraction expert;
and author of the
book, “The Sales
Magnet.” KLA Group
develops custom sales
training programs to
help clients break in
and exceed revenue
objectives in the
small and mid-
market business
(SMB) segment.
Lee is a frequent
speaker at training
conferences, national
sales meetings, and
association events.
To find out more or
to subscribe to Lee’s
newsletter, visit
www.klagroup.com or
call 303.741.6636.
Too frequently, SMEs are
forgotten once the training
is delivered. Be sure to
acknowledge and give them
credit as part of the team.

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world view
Focus on SwitzerlandThe Swiss tend to prefer didactic training methodologies that rely on
deductive reasoning. BY HEATHER ROBINSON
S
witzerland is surprising in many ways.
Land-locked in the center of Europe, un-
able to feed itself, and with no natural
resources, Switzerland nevertheless is
one of the most powerful economies in the world,
serving as headquarters to leading corporations
in several industries. A nation the size of Virginia
with a population of only 8 million, Switzerland
speaks four languages, and almost 22 percent of
Switzerland residents are non-Swiss. The Swiss
have achieved their surprising success through
hard work, paying attention to detail, and fol-
lowing through on well-crafted plans. Given this
background, not surprisingly, the Swiss do not like
surprises—including when it comes to training.
DESIGNING AND PREPARING FOR TRAINING
Swiss training calendars for open-enrollment
courses often are established a year in advance.
Internal training departments may want course
outlines and descriptions three to six months in ad-
vance. If your agreement has the client producing
the materials, expect lead times of several weeks for
them to do so. Be sure that the course you deliver
closely follows the outline you have provided. For
more customized training, keep similar lead times
in mind as you contract with the client, clarify ob-
jectives, gather information, circulate surveys, and
develop materials.
The Swiss tend to prefer didactic training meth-
odologies that rely on deductive reasoning. Lead
with the general theory and then present clear, spe-
cific examples explaining how they illustrate the
theory. Any experiential training activities must
be justified and framed, clearly explained, well
managed, thoroughly debriefed, and linked back
to the theory. Be careful in the use of competitive
activities—they can backfire in a country that val-
ues consensus and modesty.
Prepare accurate, current, and polished presenta-
tion materials. Swiss participants expect to work
through materials page by page, so move material
you are not going to cover explicitly to an appendix.
Leave your “trinkets and trash” at home—Swiss
environmental consciousness favors quality and
sustainability and may judge such giveaway items
as crass or irresponsible.
IN THE TRAINING ROOM
Announce the agenda and schedule (including
break times and duration), follow it, and “sign post”
frequently. Swiss participants want to know “where
they are” in the sequence of events. The day may in-
clude a 30-minute break both during the morning
and the afternoon and a sit-down lunch of at least
an hour and up to two hours. Ask your client in ad-
vance what conventional start, end, and break times
areandbuildyourdesignaroundthem.Thinktwice
aboutswitchingtheorderoftrainingsegmentsonce
you have provided the schedule. If you must do so,
apologize for the variance and explain how this
change better serves the goals of the training.
Beconservativeandfactbasedwhencommenting
on group or individual participant contributions.
For example, don’t say, “Great example!” but rath-
er, “Thank you, that is a useful example that links
back to the theoretical point…”
If you ask the participants as a group and in an
open-ended way to provide feedback on how the
training is going, you are likely to get a bland, po-
lite response. It is more useful, particularly during
a multi-day event, to solicit participant feedback
by asking specific questions that allow for both
negative and positive comments. Allow them to
provide their responses individually in writing.
LANGUAGE AND GLOBALIZATION
While many international Swiss corporations
have English as the language of the workplace
and all Swiss study English in school, many Swiss,
particularly those over age 35, feel inhibited ex-
pressing themselves in English. Thus, it is wise to
allow small group discussions to occur in the lan-
guage most comfortable for the participants. It is
important to note that “German-speaking” Swiss
do not speak German among themselves, but
rather their particular dialect of Swiss-German.
German is the academic language, but not the
language of social interaction.
Many major organizations in Switzerland have
large contingents of international employees,
which can influence training culture. However, it
is best to prepare to meet the Swiss expectations
and then adjust should you find yourself working
in a more globalized environment. t
Heather Robinson
is a senior associate
with Global Dynamics
Inc. As an organization
consultant, she
balances elegance,
fun, and rigor in
optimizing productivity
in multinational
corporate teams and
coaching business
leaders to global
success. Robinson’s
expertise is based on
personal background,
academic grounding,
and more than 30
years of industry
experience. The child
of a Swiss mother and
an American father,
she has lived in India,
Turkey, Switzerland,
Germany, South Africa,
England, Greece, Israel,
and Pakistan. Robinson
can be reached at
programs@global-
dynamics.com.

NEED FOR FACE TIME
“If you review the findings of the Washington community
colleges study more closely,” says CypherWorx, Inc., Found-
er and President Paul Cypher, “you will see the researchers
assessed how 40,000 students performed in approximately
500,000 online and classroom courses. They found there
were additional variables at work, including a finding that
when a student struggles and doesn’t seek help in a course—
especially when there is access to teachers, as well—then the
fault can’t lie solely with the switch to online courses.”
Adds Verizon Wireless Staff Vice President of Workforce
Development Lou Tedrick, “The results of the study don’t
surprise me, given the ‘face
time’ that is needed for success
for most students. If you take
that away from a struggling
student, his or her perfor-
mance is likely to be worse.
In the workplace, we try to
determine what would be best
learned online vs. in the class-
room and go from there. If we
don’t think online is the best
possible solution and bringing
folks into a classroom is not
feasible, we try other means
such as a manager-led module
or virtual instructor-led train-
ing (viLT), so there is time for
1:1/group interaction.”
That’s why it’s so important
for Learning professionals to
conduct a thorough needs analysis and determine the “right”
training delivery method, says Mary Beth Alexander, AVP,
Organizational Development and Corporate Marketing at
Economical Insurance. “That involves educating key stake-
holders and subject matter experts on the benefits and risks
of each solution to make the ‘right’ decision. Training tech-
nology and high-quality instructional designers who possess
strong skills and competence greatly contribute to learners’
success. We also regularly communicate to our leadership to
ensure they make time for their employees to participate in
and complete e-learning courses without interruption, just as
we would in an instructor-led classroom.”
training SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 | 19
E-learning can be an inexpensive alternative to
classroom training, but does it yield the same results?
BY LORRI FREIFELD
A
Training reader sent me an article about a study done at
Washington community colleges, which showed that
more students drop out and fewer get a passing grade
when they take a class online than when they take it
in a classroom. And students who already were strug-
gling do worse when a course is changed over to online
delivery than when it was delivered in a classroom set-
ting. He wondered whether this might indicate a change in the training field,
while I contemplated whether the results would carry over to the workplace.
That led to further speculation about corporate online vs. in-class success,
including whether e-learning is as “sticky” as classroom learning when it
comes to changing behavior, topics best suited for e-learning, tips for moving
classroom courses online, and criteria for measuring success. So we asked a
few of our Training Top 125 winners, Training Top 10 Hall of Famers, and
other experts to weigh in on the topic.
Online
In-Class
Success
vs.
www.trainingmag.com

COST-EFFECTIVE BUT NOT STICKY?
E-learning has the reputation of being more convenient
and cost-effective than classroom training. But is it as ef-
fective when it comes to learning “stickiness” and changing
behavior?
“That’s a question we hear a lot, and the answer is that it
varies from person to person,” says Don Spear, CEO of on-
line training marketplace OpenSesame. “However, one of
the reasons our customers find e-learning particularly effec-
tive for retention is that learners can revisit the courses as
much as they want at any time for refresher purposes. Plus,
students can choose the best time for them to take the online
course, according to their timeline and commitments.”
Spear says courses that are “bite sized” (meaning they
run from a few minutes to 15 minutes long) help those who
might otherwise struggle to stay focused for a longer period
of time, as can happen in a classroom setting. “And online
course designers increasingly are integrating ‘gamification’
techniques and more engaging mid-course exercises, quiz-
zes, and post-completion summaries to help the information
more easily take hold.”
The key is to make it interactive, says Jiffy Lube Manager of
Learning & Development Ken Barber. “More graphics, more
videos, more voiceover, more knowledge checks, and fewer
word slides will make the course engaging and fun for the
students.”
If learners know why the information is important to them
and the course is designed well to engage learners, then there
Online vs.
In-Class Success
When Web conferencing services such as WebEx, GoToMeet-
ing, Live Meeting, and Google Hangouts went mainstream,
companies gained a way to conduct trainings and meetings
without spending thousands of dollars on airfare and hotels for
employees. On-demand courses delivered even more flexibility
by allowing users to dictate when, where, and at what pace
they learn. Yet trainers know that sometimes there’s just no
substitute for the energy and personal connection of a physical
classroom. There are distinct pros and cons among classroom
training, Web conferencing platforms, and on-demand
e-learning. Here’s a look at the options, and how to blend
them for effectiveness and affordability.
CLASSROOM
Classroom trainings are most ideal for small groups and espe-
cially in cases when interaction, team bonding, and/or nonverbal
communication are vital to achieving learning objectives.
Role-play and simulations, often used in sales and management
trainings, are perfect activities for live classroom trainings. On
the downside, classroom training is expensive if you need to
scale from 20 people to 500. It’s also difficult to coordinate and
schedule among people who are living in different places and
across different time zones.
LIVE INTERNET
Live online training offers a flexible and cost-effective alterna-
tive, and is achieved by using a Web conferencing platform. This
method is ideal for broadcasting messages across a large popu-
lation of users, such as the CEO announcing a new executive or
the HR director discussing a revamped benefits program. Such
trainings are easy to scale and distribute, and by incorporat-
ing video, the trainer becomes alive for participants. However,
all participants must log in at the same time for the session
(although they typically can access a recording after the event);
there is limited opportunity for interaction; and you cannot
speed up or slow down the training to match a user’s learning
needs. Therefore, avoid highly complex or technical topics when
using this method.
SELF-PACED ONLINE LEARNING
As a third option, there is on-demand e-learning, offered
through on-premise or cloud-based software where trainers
can upload existing content into templates and quickly develop
multimedia courses. Participants can run the training when it is
convenient for them and in sections instead of all at once. Users
can adjust the pace, by replaying a chapter or slide if needed.
They may run the training off of any device. With e-learning, you
can teach complex subject matter, such as software training,
and include quizzes to test knowledge. Compared with class-
room training, e-learning is affordable. Unfortunately, there’s
virtually no opportunity for nonverbal communication or interac-
tion, and obtaining feedback from users can be difficult.
BLENDED LEARNING
With blended learning, companies get the best of all worlds by
incorporating physical, live Internet and on-demand training
into their curriculum. Consider using the on-demand platform
for delivering foundational knowledge prior to a live training ses-
sion. The Edmonds, Washington Police Department did just this
when teaching its officers how to use Tasers. They use an on-
demand platform for learning about proper safety and scenarios
for using Tasers. Live classrooms are used for the tactics on how
to operate the Taser.
In another example, Yammer, a social enterprise software
company, provides an on-demand platform for delivering pre-
requisite courses for its certifications; the classroom for users
to apply the knowledge; and the on-demand platform again for
issuing final exams.
A LOOK AT THE OPTIONS
By Randhir Vieira, Vice President, Product and Marketing, Mindflash (www.mindflash.com)

will be less “going through the motions” says Chesterfield
County, VA, Performance Support Coordinator/Instruction-
al Designer Sherri Dosher. “If an organization simply puts
PowerPoint bullets online, the end result will still be death
by PowerPoint. It’ll just be DOA at the computer versus the
classroom.”
Dosher believes e-learning can be just as effective as
instructor-led training if the following conditions are met:
activity, and feedback).
WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?)
environment.
Tedrick agrees. “I know we have learners who just ‘click
through’ online training, and it’s frustrating, but it does
show in their results typically. So we often supplement online
training with manager-led reinforcements and assessments
for reinforcement/tracking. Getting the leaders—who are
with the employees daily—to show the value of the training
is really key to success.”
Economical Insurance’s Alexander notes that new author-
ing tools are more robust than in the past, which allows for
rich media to be incorporated into e-learning modules to en-
hance learner engagement. Economical Insurance recently
developed a safety procedures course for risk control inspec-
tors that contains embedded simulations created in Flash.
This allows learners to virtually practice each step by using
the mouse to emulate various hand movements. Alexander
says all learners achieved 100 percent on the mandatory test-
ing, and 96 percent indicated the simulations were effective
in understanding the process, ultimately leading to a change
in behavior.
BEST-SUITED TOPICS
Some topics do lend themselves more naturally to compre-
hension and “stickiness” in an e-learning format, such as
compliance-based courses (e.g., sexual harassment) or soft-
ware/technical skill-building courses such as Office Suite,
Windows, and JAVA, says OpenSesame’s Spear. “These
courses are often video-based, allowing employees to pause
the recording at any point to apply the lesson on their own
computer.”
Barber notes that “repetitive content, especially for new
employees in a high turnover environment, is ideal for
e-learning.” He offers an example that speaks to the e-learn-
ing versus ILT option:
“For our store managers and assistant managers, we have
two certifications available as part of their development
journey. The first is Management Training certification,
which is made up of 13 e-learning courses. The courses cover
topics conducive to e-learning such as ‘Opening & Closing,’
‘Scheduling,’ ‘Time Management,’ etc. While these could be
taught in an ILT class, the information is easily communi-
cated in an interactive e-learning course.”
“The second certification,” he continues, “is Leadership
Training certification, which is taught in an ILT class. Top-
ics for Leadership Training include building blocks of a
successful team, performance management, and change
management. These topics benefit from the interaction
within a classroom where students can discuss, collaborate,
solve problems, and role-play. By limiting the content that
has to be taught face to face, we can maximize the quality
of the instruction in all areas and minimize the cost in time
and money for ourselves and our students.”
Verizon uses online training for knowledge-based courses
where it can deliver consistent information, broadly (global,
large nationwide groups), at the end-user’s pace. “We also
often use online as a ‘primer’ or ‘pre-requisite’ to an ILT or
vILT experience that is more application/skills focused, so
everyone comes in with a common base,” says Tedrick.
Cypher likewise believes there is a place for both online
and in-person learning in every organization. “Most often,
www.trainingmag.com22 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 training
Online vs.
In-Class Success
CASE STUDY:
ECONOMICAL INSURANCE
Through a partnership with SkillSoft, Economical Insurance com-
pleted a Value Impact Analysis on one of its successful leadership
programs that was implemented a few years ago. The purpose
of the survey was to measure satisfaction with the organization’s
Leadership Development Channel, determine motivation for using
this learning tool for leadership development, and determine
job impact. Economical Insurance’s corporate leaders generate
results that have monetary value to the organization, and the
Value Impact Analysis demonstrated that if productivity increases
as a result of participating in this leadership training as opposed
to attending an in-person leadership conference, there is business
value associated with that increase. The work completed in the
analysis allowed the company to translate the productivity gains
into monetary terms. Based on monetary value, Economical
Insurance achieves an overall productivity gain by using the Lead-
ership Development Channel; that gain per survey respondent
translated to approximately $1,700.
Through the Impact Analysis survey and subsequent analysis,
Economical Insurance was able to demonstrate the value of the
product and the return on investment the learning asset has pro-
vided. The Impact Analysis Report looked only at benefits derived
from program participation. Approximately 25 of 45 participating
leaders completed the survey; the savings for Economical Insur-
ance for only these 25 leaders’ participation was approximately
$5,500. The estimated productivity gain with only these 25 of
the company’s licensed audience represented $45,000. The
estimated ROI for these 25 leaders was also $45,000. Com-
ments from participants echoed the data provided in that this
learning tool is viewed as an effective solution to obtain one form
of leadership and management development.

we recommend a blended approach,” he says.
“Utilize the online modules and training to
provide core learning and communities of
practice and then host classroom sessions
for employees to share their learning out-
comes and methods for instituting what they
learned.”
TIPS FOR A SWITCH
As more and more Training departments
continue to do more with less, and new gen-
erations of workers clamor for just-in-time
training on their devices, companies increas-
ingly are converting classroom courses to
e-learning—or least implementing a blended
approach. Some things to keep in mind:
“One of the most important things to evaluate when
making any changes related to training is how training
aligns with an organization’s business goals, and the spe-
cialized learning needs of its employees,” OpenSesame’s
Spear says. “For many organizations, the move to on-
line training can meet a real business need—relieving an
over-extended operating budget. E-learning can save orga-
nizations real budget dollars while not compromising on
quality of training. And many of our customers are using
online courses to reach workers who may not have access
to in-person training—e.g., their schedules do not allow;
they are remote workers; they cannot travel to the in-class
training, etc.”
Development time is another important factor to consider,
Alexander says. Over the last ﬁve years, Economical Insur-
ance successfully reduced its e-learning development time by
using the latest training technologies and platforms. “Many
www.trainingmag.com training SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 | 23
CASE STUDY:
JIFFY LUBE
In 2013, Jiffy Lube determined that its Leadership Training instructor-led training (ILT)
class needed to be dramatically updated. With the new content, the organization had to
ﬁnd a way to free up time during the three-day ILT engagement. The team determined
that three topics—Time Management, Goal Setting, and Financials—could be moved
to e-learning and free up more than eight hours in the ILT class. The new courses were
developed and launched in January, along with the new Leadership ILT class.
Aside from the freed-up time for the new ILT content, the company saw a 75
percent increase in the number of students who have completed the new e-learning
courses. The blended solution allowed Jiffy Lube to effectively train on more content
without compromising the quality of the learning experience.

www.trainingmag.com
learning organizations consider a best practice of ILT to be
eight hours of development time for one hour of instructor-
led training. With e-learning, that number can go as high
as 200 hours or more depending on the complexity of the
module or course that is developed.”
It is critical to conduct thorough due diligence in assessing
the impact and value of the investment, Alexander stresses.
“One critical question is: Why we are making this decision?
Is it because it is the latest trend or is it adding business value
through productivity and performance gains? And from a
technology standpoint, you need to have a robust LMS that
can track learner metrics, which are critical to success. The
late Peter Drucker said it best: ‘What gets measured gets
managed.’”
Besides the business perspective, it’s important to think
about the human aspect. “Starting a new approach to work-
place learning is daunting for some, so it’s important to
educate employees about the ‘why’ and ‘how’ at the onset of
the process,” Spear says. “First, let them know why e-learning
is now a part of the training curriculum and how they can
use it to meet their individual goals and professional objec-
tives. Then, teach them how to use the platform to find the
courses they need and make the most of the experience.”
Many people are naturally resistant to change and tech-
nology can add another barrier, notes Alexander. “With a
multi-generational workplace consisting of four generation-
al cohorts, every adult learner has a personal preference. It
is hard to shift habits and behaviors, and some learners are
reluctant to use training technology, while others encounter
challenges in navigating through the technology.”
Chesterfield County’s Dosher offers a few additional ques-
tions to ask and tips:
Is the content appropriate for online delivery? Some content
requires a physical environment delivery (i.e., CPR, pre-
sentation skills, etc.).
Tip: Partner with subject matter experts to determine if
content can be delivered effectively online.
How technology savvy is the organization? Do most learn-
ers work with computers in their job? Do learners have
the appropriate technology for the course (i.e., players for
video, speakers for audio, Internet connection and brows-
ers capable of handling course requirements)? Does the
organization have technology assistance to provide sup-
port for large-scale deployment?
Tip: Do a needs assessment to determine where the orga-
nization is on use of technology and partner with the IT
department to identify technology support it can supply.
Understand and be able to respond to the requirements for
the hosting process (LMS requirements) and the specifica-
tions for the software used to author online courses.
Do learners know why this course is going online, why it is
important to them and that it is a legitimate form of learn-
ing just like going to a classroom?
Tip: Create a communication plan that includes leader-
ship with the end result of support for the online course
beginning at the top and including every level of supervision
within the organization.
MEASURING RESULTS
Aside from learner engagement, completion rates, behavior
change, and expectations/goals achieved, experts say there
are a few other factors organizations should evaluate when
24 | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 training
Online vs.
In-Class Success
CASE STUDY:
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL ACADEMY
In September 2013, San Diego Zoo Global Academy and its
e-learning partner, CypherWorx, Inc., announced the preliminary
results of their efficacy testing for the online animal care training
certificate series. This study looked at the training provided to
zookeepers and other animal care professionals in zoo settings.
This was training that always had been required of employees and
traditionally was delivered in a classroom. However, when learners
transferred from a classroom setting to an online environment, the
results showed that knowledge retention rates were significantly
higher.
The study involved the first four animal care courses, and pro-
fessionals from four organizations across the U.S. served as the
study participants. Some 155 individuals completed one or more
of the academy courses. Pre- and post-tests, aligned with each
course’s designated outcomes, were administered just prior to,
and immediately following, training.
Gains in knowledge were recorded for each of the four tested
courses. Average gains ranged from a low of 7 percentage points
to a high of almost 23 percentage points. While pre-test scores
varied by course, recorded post-test score means ranged from
93.8 percent to 96.8 percent.
Two of the pilot testing organizations agreed to conduct a
follow-up assessment. Participants completed a follow-up test
for the Zoonosis course 90 days after post-test administration.
Results indicated that, following an initial gain of 15.7 percentage
points and achieving a post-test mean of 96.5 percent, students
maintained 10.2 of the original point gain. This equates to 67
percent retention of the gained knowledge, relative to post-test
performance, and exceeded previous retention rates for class-
room training.
When building the courses, instructional designers at
CypherWorx focused on the following design aspects to bring the
content to life:
mnemonics

comes to measuring training success. “Other
important measures in the real world are
cost, institutional knowledge retention, and
lost on-the-job time,” notes Cypher.
And accesses of an online training course
can be important data because it can deter-
mine if learners are accessing the course for
specific content they need in the work envi-
ronment, notes Dosher. “The online course
then serves a double purpose: initial delivery
of the entire course and also as a job aid for
just-in-time knowledge or skills. You can’t
go back to a classroom whenever you need
a piece of information from a class, but you
can go back online to a course and get what
you need when you need it.”
Feedback loops are essential in any train-
ing program, Spear adds. “Direct employee
feedback, as well as aligning training with an
individual’s overall performance, promotion,
or attrition, can help determine the effectiveness of the program
when evaluated at a holistic, organizational level, over time.”
At the end of the day, Alexander says, “the learning meth-
od—whether online or instructor led—must support the
strategic objectives of the organization in order to compare
the results. “The learning curriculum must provide the
development of skill and competency of the employee to
transfer on the job.” t
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CASE STUDY:
GREYHOUND LINES INC.
Greyhound’s business model requires its employees to be geographically dispersed
and operate 24/7/365. As a result, Greyhound Lines Inc. moved from classroom-only
training to e-learning only for leadership and customer service courses, and has seen a
dramatic reduction in customer service complaints.
More than 600 Greyhound employees—from supervisors and field reps to counter
staff/customer service reps and bus drivers—have received training from OpenSesame
via courses on leadership development, business skills, soft skills, and customer ser-
vice. Greyhound uses the Skillport learning management system (LMS), which allows
it to track assignments, participation, and progress in courses. Assignments can be
made, with automated reminders for the student, and it is simple to pull statistics and
reports on course usage and progress.
Greyhound is a big believer that the “just-in-time” module provides training when
students are ready, wherever they are. Mobile courses make it easy for Greyhound’s
“nomadic” workforce to take courses on the go. In fact, in 2015, Greyhound plans
to roll out iPhones to its driver workforce, and they’ll be able to access OpenSesame
training from there, as well.
Because of the cost reduction for e-learning, Greyhound now can commit to training
its workforce regularly. It is now a paid benefit, which has had a positive impact on
engagement, morale, and productivity.

These unrestricted online learning portals allow outsiders to
take advantage of the material at any time, often for free. This
gives companies an opportunity to avoid reinventing the train-
ing wheel. If another, similar organization already has created an
online portal with the same subject matter you need to educate
your employees about, so much the better—especially if you
are able to have your workforce access the materials at no cost.
Here is how some companies and training experts recommend
approaching the use and creation of MOOCs.
GIVE LEARNERS A PROACTIVE ROLE
With MOOCs offering information on a wide variety of subjects
just a Google search away, some learning professionals find that
theseresourcescanempoweremployees.“Likemanycompanies,
we are evolving from a training organization into a learning and
developmentrole.Thedifferenceissignificant,”saysChrisClem-
ent, director, Sales Training and Development, Shaw Learning
Academy, Shaw Industries. “Training often is viewed as some-
thing that is ‘pushed’ to a population, while the learning and
development model is more of a ‘pull’ approach. MOOCs po-
tentially can fit in a ‘pull’ model by making a variety of learning
from various sources available, and allows learners to become
much more involved in the direction of their development.”
The two MOOCs Clement says he is familiar with are Cours-
era and edX. The company does not currently direct employees
to use these resources, but the access we all have to these sites
gives employees the ability to research subjects and fill learning
holes on their own. For example, an employee newly promoted
to a high-level management position could type in “business
management” into the search box on Coursera.org and would
find courses such as “Introduction to Finance” from the Uni-
versity of Michigan. Site visitors have the option of clicking a
button to pay a fee to “earn a verified credit” or they can click
another button to “join for free.” Similar to Coursera, edX.org
visitors have the option of clicking a button to “simply audit this
course” for free or “try for a certificate” for a fee.
Shaw may take a structured approach in the coming few years,
directing employees to specific MOOCs to expand the learning
material for its Shaw Learning Academy courses. Clement says
he foresees the possibility of directed MOOC use as part of a
inding high-quality, relevant training ma-
terials online can be difficult and costly.
The learning sites developed by most
organizations usually are off-limits to out-
siders, or are only open for a fee. The exception to
this rule: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
Managing MOOCs
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
provide large numbers of learners
with unlimited access to online material,
but they are not for everyone.
BY MARGERY WEINSTEIN
F

blended learning program. “Effective training in the 21st century
will have to become more diverse, incorporating blended learning
as an approach to truly be effective. That means thinking beyond
traditional instructor-led training (ILT) models and designing
programs that meet people where they are,” he explains. “An ex-
ample would be to combine ILT with video-based programs, Web
modalities, and 24/7 content such as a MOOC. This gives training
a longer retention period and also allows organizations to expand
their bandwidth beyond live facilitation.”
Learners also can benefit from a more active role using a
MOOC via the collaborative power it offers. “MOOCs can
facilitate collaboration if employed thoughtfully and if an
organization is willing to put in the effort to facilitate the col-
laboration among its employees who are taking the MOOC,”
saysJoshBrand,seniordirectorofGlobalDeliveryforHarvard
Business Publishing (HBP). “For example, a company can
significantly enhance the MOOC experience by creating an
action-learning project that its employees must complete in
small groups as they go through the MOOC. The projects
must be scoped thoughtfully and tied to real work.”
The openness of the MOOC platform makes it easier than it
might be on other platforms for learners to engage each other.
For instance, Brand says HBP uses a MOOC-like platform to
encourage executives to teach one another. “HBP delivered
a large cohort program for 700 executives at a pharmaceuti-
cal company focused on leadership, strategy, and customer
centricity. The program is orchestrated through a proprietary
HBP ‘MOOC-like’ platform, and has both self-paced and live
elements. The live elements are all done virtually because the
executives are located around the globe,” Brand explains.
“One of the design elements of this program is ‘teach oth-
ers,’ where each executive is challenged to teach at least three
people in the organization the core content of the program.”
DEVELOP YOUR OWN MOOC
CreatingyourownMOOCcanbeexpensiveandlaborintensive.
“Both the content production and the technical platform can be
costly,” says Andrew Miller, program director for Aquent Gym-
nasium,adivisionofglobalstaffingfirmAquentthathascreated
a MOOC program focused on online design education. “In our
case, a single course costs well in excess of $160,000 to produce.”
Like any kind of new learning resource, a company thinking of
investing in a MOOC has to consider its business goals and the
related needs of the audience (learners) it is trying to reach. But
youalsoneedtothinkaboutwhetheryourgoalsandtheneedsof
yourlearnersaresuitedtotheMOOCformat.“Yes,MOOCscan
allow for interaction between students and instructors via mes-
sage boards, and some MOOC providers allow for ‘office hours’
(again, online) where students can ask instructors questions.
But if the material requires real-time feedback and interaction
between teachers and students, or if active discussion between
studentsisessentialtothelearninggoals,thentheMOOCmodel
may not be appropriate,” says Miller. “Similarly, if you are not
trying to teach thousands of people, you may not want to invest
in developing, building, and managing a MOOC.”
AMOOCmaybehelpfultoaglobalorganizationwithalarge-
scale training program. For example, a global organization
might have a training initiative that includes a combination of
methods/units such as workshops, trainings, and assessments,
says Miller. “The cost of sending instructors out to all of its lo-
cations might be prohibitive in this case. The workshops could
be facilitated by local teams in each location, but the training
components and assessments could be produced centrally and
served as a MOOC.”
EMC Corporation, which just launched a MOOC in
June, is becoming familiar with some of the challeng-
es and benefits of operating its own MOOC. Beth Cliff,
head of Global Talent Development and EMC University,
notes, “There are a number of difficulties, but none are

insurmountable.” She says challenges include:
management system (LMS)
t
QUICK TIPS
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“I
nformal learning is emerging as one of the most
powerful disciplines in our industry,” writes
industry observer Bob Mosher.
Not really.
Yes, informal learning is powerful, but it’s not new. As long
as people have learned how to perform work-related tasks by
observing and interacting with others, informal learning has
played a significant role in training and development. But its
role in the context of the modern workplace and the content-
rich and often social Internet has spurred renewed interest
in the last decade as an alternative to the formal classroom.
This article summarizes the research by describing seven
assertions about informal learning that have emerged from
the literature review. A sidebar on p. 32 explains how the re-
search was found, as well as the difference in nature between
research on formal and informal learning. For the full list of
references noted in this article, visit: www.trainingmag.com/
trgmag-article/7-informal-learning-lessons.
1.
Informal learning in the workplace differs from true
informal learning. True informal learning is learn-
ing in which learners establish the objectives and
determine for themselves when they have achieved them.
For example, a training manager might need to develop
a strategic plan for her department. Lacking experience in
one, she seeks the advice of colleagues on a LinkedIn group
and reads some of the articles and books suggested in the
discussion.
As suggested by this scenario, most of the material that work-
ers learn outside of the classroom either happens as the result
of an intentional act by the employer or addresses procedures
and policies workers must follow in a particular way. So British
researchersHelenColley,Phil Hodkinson,andJanice Malcolm
clarified the definition of informal learning in the workplace.
Rather than complete control over objectives and completion,
Findings from a structured review
of the literature on informal learning.
BY SAUL CARLINER, PH.D., CTDP
Saul Carliner, Ph.D., CTDP, is research director of Lakewood Media and
an associate professor at Concordia University in Montreal.
Informal
Learning
Lessons
7

www.trainingmag.com
Colley, Hodkinson, and Malcolm noted that informal learn-
ing includes shared control over:
-
identified a fifth characteristic: consciousness, which is the
2.
Rather than separate, formal and informal learning
are interrelated. -
another, researcher Victoria Marsick—who once thought
-
-
-
-
-
nent called clinical education, in which students work under
-
serve as clinical education in many adult education, educational
3.
“Triggers” spur workers to initiate learning informally.
-
-
According to the latest version of their model of informal
4.
Informal learning is a circuitous and possibly
inefficient process.
Even if they do, the first solution they devise as a result of
Millar tells the story of some motivated fast-food workers
-
training SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 | 31

many cases, however, the suggestion did not fix the problem,
resulting in repeated calls and increasingly angry clients.
Downing addressed the problem by suggesting that customer
support representatives follow a prescribed protocol to diag-
nose callers’ problems. This protocol would solve 80 percent of
the problems. If they used a search afterward, representatives
were trained in methods for conducting the search.
Robin Kay even found gender differences in the ways that
people try to solve software problems on their own: Women
tend to ask for help soon after realizing a problem arose,
while men try to solve the problem, often consulting several
sources if needed.
Although informal learning might be the only realistic
way to solve an immediate work problem, it is not always the
most efficient form of learning.
5.
Workers need time and other resources to learn
within the context of the job. One of the reasons
workers might try to solve problems on their own
is that they feel they are doing so as efficiently as possible.
They might feel the need for efficiency because, as Thomas
Westbrook and James Veale found, some workers do not feel
like they have permission to learn on work time.
In her 2005 study, Andrea Ellinger found that workplaces
where senior managers do not indicate that they learn infor-
mally on work time nor express support for doing so further
discourage workers from learning on the job.
In other words, two of the most fundamental ways employ-
ers can support informal learning by their workers is to:
when it’s the only way to solve an immediate work problem.
modeling the behavior and vocally expressing their
support for doing so.
6.
Workers need access to appropriate resources to
support their informal learning. One of the reasons
workers might go through several processes of
learning and re-learning is that they lack needed resources.
That’s certainly the case in the study Downing conducted.
In that instance, workers needed three essential resources. The
first was an effective strategy for searching the Internet. In fact,
people—assumed to be “digital natives”—lack effective skills
for searching the Internet. They often do not know how to use
advanced search capabilities nor how to distinguish the most
useful information from the least useful.
The second resource workers needed is access to high-quality
content. Kay noted, for example, that manuals are among the
most valuable resource for learning software.
Although the Internet has much free information, some-
times the most valuable information needed requires a
subscription. For example, most companies limit access to
their technical support databases to authorized workers and
reports require a subscription before people can view them.
In addition, some of the most useful and accurate material
for your workers needs to be custom developed, such as inter-
nal policies and procedures guides and specialized knowledge
bases.
The third resource needed is access to coaches with whom
workers can explore the lessons learned informally. Although
trainers have formalized the role of coaching in recent years,
in the context of informal learning, coaches are any super-
visor or co-worker with whom the worker can discuss and
validate lessons learned.
In fact, some researchers have found that workers interact
with as many as a dozen people in the process of learning in-
formally in the workplace. This social aspect of learning has
spurred interest in communities of practice—that is, formal
and informal networks of people who discuss work-related
issues and learn from one another.
The social aspect of learning also has spurred interest
in the role of social media in informal learning. Some re-
7 Informal Learning Lessons
REVIEW METHODOLOGY
The conclusions in this article emerged from a structured
review of the literature on informal learning. A research team
conducted a search of several databases such as ERIC and
PsychInfo using keywords informal learning, incidental learn-
ing, and nonformal learning to generate a list of articles on
research and theory about informal learning since 2000. In
addition, the team conducted a manual search of journals
Human Resource Development Quarterly, Human Resource
Development Review, and Journal of Workplace Learning to
locate research and theory. The team reviewed the articles and
identified themes in the research.
When reviewing the research, the team observed one major
difference between general research on formal and informal
learning processes. Most of the research on formal learning
is experimental. It involves manipulating a condition and
observing how people respond. These studies usually have a
control group—one that did not participate in the experimental
condition—and researchers reach their conclusions by compar-
ing the results of the experimental and control groups. These
studies involve scores, if not hundreds, of participants.
In contrast, the research on informal learning is based on
observations and in-depth interviews describing their informal
learning processes. These studies do not involve a manipula-
tion of a condition nor a comparison between two groups.
Instead, researchers collect in-depth descriptions of situa-
tions. The broader observations about informal learning, then,
come from patterns consistently emerging in different studies
conducted by different researchers.
For the full list of references noted in this article, visit:
www.trainingmag.com/trgmag-article/7-informal-learning-lessons

listservs can play this coaching role.
For organizations to facilitate informal learning, then, they
might provide workers with training on Internet search skills,
access to coaches who can help workers validate what they
have learned and synthesize it, subscriptions to information
sources needed on the job, and custom-developed content.
7.
Despitethepropositionof70-20-10,noonereallyknows
how much workers learn informally. According to pop-
ular belief, the relationship is supposed to be 70:20:10,
meaning70percentofwork-relatedlearningoccursinformally;
20 percent through coaching; and 10 percent of learning oc-
curs formally. The idea was proposed by University of Toronto
professor Allen Tough in the 1960s, revived in the mid-1990s
by consultants from the Center for Creative Leadership, and
revived again in the last few years.
But management researchers Scott DeRue and Chris Myers
noted there is no research evidence to support this model. In
fact, the only research evidence that attempts to identify the
extent to which workers learn on the job was provided by the
Conference Board of Canada, which determined that only 56
percent of all work-related learning occurs informally.
In practical terms, this means that training professionals
should take a balanced approach, providing formal and in-
formal learning and appropriately investing in each. Because
formal learning involves the purposeful development of re-
sources and the use of set-aside time and places for instruction,
the investments needed for formal learning usually exceed
those for informal learning. But because informal learning
requires subscriptions, custom-developed content, and work
time, and could involve seemingly unproductive trial and
error, it isn’t free.
IN OTHER WORDS
Informal learning plays particular roles at particular stages of
development within a job. As I note in my book on informal
learning, informal learning helps workers transfer the first
training lessons to the job.
Once workers become proficient in the basics of the job, in-
formal learning helps workers expand the scope of tasks they
can handle and the efficiency and effectiveness with which
they do so. As workers become experts, informal learning
helps them deepen their expertise.
And as workers outgrow their jobs, informal learning helps
them identify possible new jobs and begin the process of pre-
paring for them. t
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[Trainingmag 2014/9-10] Online vs In-Class Success

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