eLearning Blog

Mobile penetration has changed not only how we consume information, but our preferences in what constitutes good information design. Even if you do not currently deploy training on mobile devices, a “mobile first” philosophy provides superb design principles to positively impact learning outcomes.

I had the pleasure of attending the eLearning Guild’s Learning Solutions 2012 Conference. One of my goals for the conference was to explore the tools offered to develop mobile learning. There were several offerings, but two were standouts in my opinion for very unique reasons.

The Accord LMS allows integration of data streams from project spaces and business applications into learning data reports more effectively than traditional learning management systems.

Let me suggest five foundational skills to consider over the year ahead. The good news is that these skills don’t cost money and there are many free resources on the Internet.

Key principles for an effective assessment strategy include repeated assessment and measurement and adaptive methods to improve results.

Better assessments can provide key data points regarding the work force’s potential to apply specific skills in their job, and what specific points of challenge they may face in execution. If you know what to look for, it is not difficult to construct better assessments and collect this critical data for the stakeholders in your organization.

Measurement isn’t the fact of providing data to stakeholders, but a context of the story the data tells, and the insight it provides to stakeholders. Do your metrics inform stakeholders about employee capability against key strategic objectives or reduction of risk?  Does your data report on how training helps the organization respond to the challenge?

Now that you’ve got a great LMS that does everything you need and then some, what next?  The hard part – pulling all of your content together.

Creating customized courseware is MUCH easier than most people think.  Accord LMS includes Extended Learning Events (XLE), which allow you to track the utilization of non-SCORM resources.

Accord LMS provides integrated business metrics across different learning resources.

• Understand your requirements before shopping.
• Maintain control of and direct product demonstrations.
• Focus on real requirements, not fancy features you don’t need.
• Ensure product demonstrations cover all your requirements before exploring extra features.
• Nail down how much the features you need will cost.

Define your training objectives, how you will measure it (report assessments) and then work backwards to build your training content to achieve those objectives.

You don’t have to choose between “integration” or “flexibility” or “personalization” or “best of class”. Accord #LMS #DNN accommodates all of the above and lets you pick and choose.

How does your system drive learners into it? How does your system go to where the users are? How does your system provide performance support? How does your system provide social networking?

Three New Year’s resolutions that will insure your training program is relevant, useful and delivers useful metrics.