You manage a training function and you have decided to utilize a learning management system (LMS). Great choice. Now you need to figure out where to start. Regardless of whether you are using a home-grown system made in Excel or a database, or if you are using a commercial program, the initial steps are straight forward. Thinking through those steps should help you better understand the value of the LMS. A recommended approach might be:

1. If you are using a commercial program, review the entire program and decide which features you will use at first, and which you will hold off on. This is critical because the task of populating an LMS is daunting. Start with priority. Make sure each feature you target has an owner.
2. An obvious first step is to get all company employees entered. No short cuts here. If at all possible, get the list tied to your payroll system to keep the process of updating the list easy.
3. My favorite next step is to add in all available courses. Start by reviewing old training tapes and web programs. Look for the programs you offer in house. Don’t forget job aids. It is likely you will surprise yourself with the number of programs available. Make sure you are careful in noting which programs require re-certification.
4. If at all possible, enter detail as to wages and training costs. You want to build as accurate picture as possible as to the cost of training. Senior management should know how much a training event costs inclusive of salary. Too often this step is ignored, as well intentioned training managers don’t want managers to see how expensive training is. My view is different. I think senior managers should see this so they provide the appropriate attention and resource to the training department to assure programs are excellent. The challenge is to make sure that training costs are accompanies by a description of benefit and an ROI calculation.
5. Have a manager review his or her team, and assign training programs to that person. Start with the managers who most support the LMS.
6. Once the system is up and running, review it with all parties who will access it. Get their buy in, and set a plan for stage 2.

Let us now if you have experience to share. Post a comment here, or start a discussion in our forum.

A reader from India posted a question on our Constructivism page, asking how constructivism would be applied to a poetry class. Let’s imagine that a teacher were interested in teaching students the poetry of Shakespeare. Constructivism would challenge the teacher to:

• assure the students draw from their experience to relate to the poem
• keep a larger context, where they don’t just break down the poem into small pieces but keep the ‘whole’ in mind
• somehow, someway learners get involved in constructing their own poems and through them, find a way to relate to the poems being taught

This activity is easier if students are allowed to select their own poems. Ideally students would be offered a large variety of poems to choose from so they could select the ones that most relate to their experience. If the poems of Shakespeare were the subject, then perhaps students can draw from Shakespeare the poetry that best matches their lives. Students interested in leadership might select Henry V, and the romantics might choose from Romeo and Juliet or the sonnets.

Let’s make it harder though and assume that you want to teach the famous ‘To be or not to be….” soliloquy from Shakespeare. If you want to try a constructivist approach, what you don’t want to do is dissect the passage, explaining each line as you go. A more constructivist approach might be to:

1. ask students to describe a situation in their life where they felt alone and at conflict
2. have each student write about that feeling
3. work with students to convert their passage into something that matches a shared understanding of ‘poetic.’
4. then describe for them what Hamlet was feeling just before the speech begins, and ask the students how they feel Hamlet might react
5. review the students posts and challenge them to revise the passage to get either closer to Hamlet’s, or to at least understand how their version is different than his

Recognize that steps 4 and 5 above in particular could take a long time to work through. The teacher’s goal is to guide the student into discovery. Hard to do, and time consuming and standard curriculum don’t often allow this luxury. If you have limited time, adapt what you can.

And remember, constructivism is an excellent approach to learning but not the only approach. As an instructor you are an artist, tasked to come up with the best method to teach a topic at a given time.

Thoughts? Other ideas?

A Case Study
Background

A client came to us looking for a more interactive way to present information. The client was especially concerned about the abundance of slides in their current presentation. This existing, overhead-based presentation called for a lot of lecturing. Funderstanding came up with two alternative presentation methods for the client: Proposal 1 created an interactive, live “simulation” that was designed to be a blend of chaos and order. Proposal 2 created a structured, instructor-led learning environment.

What a Typical Product Module Will Look Like: Proposal 1
Module Description

The first presentation was actually rejected by the client, a pharmacological firm. The client instead chose Proposal 2, which we’ll describe momentarily.

Proposal 1 begins with a discussion of the plan for the next two days. The presenter reviews the key topics that the “class” should have learned during their in-field training and introduces them to the use of clinical studies. The trainees have the opportunity to watch an experienced colleague handle a typical sales call. The facilitator then asks the trainees if the demonstration looked “easy” and encourages them to try the technique on their own. Next, the trainees form teams of two (class size permitting), and the teams schedule appointments with three doctors.

Each of the doctors the trainees meet with represents a different segment of the marketplace. Each doctor has a prefabricated agenda and throws tough questions at the trainees. If the trainees cannot answer the questions, the doctor dismisses them and sends them to the training program’s resource center.

Based on their interactions with the doctors, the trainees see what information they still need to learn and are motivated to seek out answers. Basically, the trainees visit the resource center with a definite agenda: to learn enough information so they can effectively field all the doctors’ questions. When this role playing and research stage is over, the entire class reconvenes so the trainees can share their experiences with each other. The facilitator offers information on topics the group found particularly challenging. All in all, the learning experience is greatly enhanced by group projects, games, and role playing.

After this powwow, the trainees return to the doctors and the cycle repeats. This gives the trainees another chance to apply what they’ve learned and receive additional feedback. By the time they’ve completed the class, the trainees have had ample opportunity to apply their newfound knowledge and sales skills, better preparing them for their new jobs.
Resource Center

The resource center provides convenient, easy-to-use materials, including books, magazines, clinical studies, sales materials, short videos on specific topics, people, and, in the future, computer-based training. By challenging the trainees with specific, practical questions, the role-playing doctors prompt them to seek out and learn the appropriate information.
The Presentation Database

Funderstanding provides the training facilitators with a series of stand-alone presentation modules, offering a flexible means of responding to the specific needs of the class. Each module address a specific topic, with the visual aid of computer graphics.

What a Typical Product Module Will Look Like: Proposal 2
Module Description
Benchmark

Proposal 2–which the client chose over Proposal 1–begins by assessing what the trainees already know. The trainees are ushered into a room filled with posters proclaiming typical customer objections to their product. The facilitator asks the trainees how they would overcome these objections and sends them off to discuss their answers in groups. Following the group brainstorming sessions, the trainees present their conclusions to the entire “class.” The facilitator explains that during the next two days, he or she will work with the class to ensure that they learn all the information they need to overcome these objections and sell their product with confidence.
Core Learning

The facilitator then presents core material, reinforced with video when available. He or she covers the information in segments small enough for easy retention. Funderstanding works with each program facilitator to determine the exact number of segments, their content, and their order. The program might be structured something like this:

Topic 1 — 3 hours

Topic 2 — 3 hours

Topic 3 — 3 hours

Topic 4 — 3 hours

The specific content of each segment varies, depending on the product the trainees are gearing up to sell. For example, Topic 1 could begin with the marketing strategy during the morning session, then in the afternoon, present the physiology of the circulatory system, plus a discussion of CHF and hypertension. Topic 2, on the other hand, could begin with the anatomy and physiology.

The facilitator continually reminds trainees that their newly acquired knowledge will help them overcome their customer’s objections, applying a real-world context to the class. The emphasis is on creating an environment that allows trainees to utilize what they have learned.
Activities

The facilitator gets the class as involved in the learning process as possible. For example, if a trainee has a strong background in one particular topic, the facilitator will encourage him or her to lead discussions and share his or her experiences. Plus, trainees participate in activities enabling them to apply what they’ve learned, from preparing presentations to completing crossword puzzles.

Each day, closing activities give trainees the opportunity to articulate the major lessons learned. For example, on the first day, trainees might report to their classmates about specific topics from the package insert. The facilitator might then relate the technical information learned to a hypothetical sales call, making the application of the material covered more tangible.

Trainees increase their knowledge and confidence throughout the learning segment, and by the end of the second day, can meet the challenge of making a solo sales call to a doctor (played by a trainer other than the class facilitator). Each trainee and role-playing doctor fills out an evaluation form indicating the trainee’s strengths and areas for improvement.
Module Conclusion

At the end of the first day, the facilitator recaps the day’s events and assigns the trainees a case study to review for the next day. The case study could deal with competitive products and the advantages and disadvantages of each. For example, the case study might introduce a doctor who objects that the product being sold is no different from its competitors. The trainees would need to both recall what they’ve learned and understand the competitive products to present their case the next day.

At the end of the second day, the facilitator will lead a discussion linking real world scenarios with the topics covered. During this time, they will reinforce the connections between the trainees’ newfound knowledge and their job of selling the product. An experienced sales representative might even participate in this conversation.
Summary

Each learning segment consists of some combination of presentation, visual support, and activities. The segments are flexible enough so they can accommodate the discussion of different products. This customizability ensures that all key messages are addressed, while engaging the learners through interactivity and variety. By the end of the second day, trainees can apply all the information they need to effectively sell their company’s product.