Everyday my Outlook RSS feeds are full of articles about instructional design, training and organizational development.

“Ten Tips to Make Training and Development Work”

“How to Develop a Multi-Year Training & Exercise”

“Complete Guildines for Developing an Effective Training Program”

Most of the information is similar.

Much of the common theme – using an ISD model is critical to the success of developing sound instructional experiences for users.  I agree with this.  I live it everyday.

But how do non-instructional designers, non-teachers absorb this information and make sense of it for their own organizations?  Without some basics, the average user will just get lost in massive amounts of theory, philosophy and at the end of their research find that they’ve spent a lot of time reading and not much time understanding where to start to help develop experiences for their people/employees/clients.

Which is why when people ask me about the instructional design process and what models I use I tend to tell them that the best thing to do is to keep it simple.

Keep it simple

How do you keep it simple?

Ask yourself this very basic question. When determining how to help someone do something better, more efficiently or help them understand how to do something that is brand new to them, keep it simple and keep the end in mind.

What do you want learners to know and be able to do?

Once you answer the question of “what should people know and be able to do”, you can begin to develop exercises and experiences to show, model and ask users to try it themselves in order to consume the learning.  The question focuses on the end result.  You have to identify the end before you can even begin the process of designing learning.

Simple right?  Yes.

What else can you do to get started?  Communicate

Communication should be a given in the process of developing learning experiences, right?  Little do we realize there are many instances when it doesn’t happen.

Ever walked into a training session and wondered what the purpose of the training really was?  Sure you received a notice of the training, maybe even a title for the session, but did the trainer or organization communicate to you the purpose for the training, how that training tied to your specific job/role, and how by attending the training would help you meet and possible exceed your job/role competencies?

The need for communication makes sense when you read it in this context but how much is really occurring within your organization when it comes to growing and supporting your people?

Oh and brace yourselves, communication isn’t just about what you’re “telling” your people.

Communication is also what you’re people are telling you (or could be telling you if you’d provide them both the opportunity and means for doing so).

If you aren’t spending time asking questions and collecting feedback from your employees, you’re really missing the boat on the “what” they need to know.  And if you aren’t communicating with your employees about what you expect of them and what competencies are tied to their current job/role, as well as competencies that are tied to the jobs/roles your employees wish to pursue, then how can your employees provide feedback as to what support they need?

Communication is critical.  Both ways.

So, if you’re trying to find a starting point as to “what” you should focus on when figuring out training and support for your people and at least initially avoid the piles of research about training and instructional design, start with these two basics.

1. Keep it simple
2. Communicate

If you would like more research detail let me know.  I’ll forward you the link to one of my 100+ feeds I receive each day.

Check out the webinar I presented on behalf of eNetColorado in celebration of National Digital Learning Day, February 1, 2012

http://connect.enetcolorado.org/p7fz9mt0prj/

eNetColorado’s mission is to improve student achievement by collecting and disseminating resources that incorporate technology tools and content in easy-to-use formats.  Visit eNetColorado for more information.

Very interesting article in The Washington Post this week describes one school’s change from traditional homework to research based activities for home.  I wasn’t much of a worksheet proponent as a student or as a teacher, so for me, this change is both refreshing and inspiring. 

Ironically, I saw first hand last night the difference between “traditional” homework practices and those that are focused more on children researching or reading at home. 

Last night, my son “forgot” his homework folder at school (which is another conversation all together). But instead of a lost night for homework activities, we visited Raz-Kids.com. 

Raz-Kids.com is a reading site that provides books online with audio and visual components.  Children go through a 3-step process online.  First, the book they choose is read aloud to them, with complimentary pictures and video.  Second, they are asked to read the book aloud and even record it in the self-contained program if they so desire.  Finally, they are asked to take a short 5 question quiz addressing basic comprehension of the book.  Raz-Kids.com keeps track of books read and completed and as a reward for students, provide points in which they can use to “buy” characters and devices for their own area.  My son has access to building a space rocket interior, where he can add furniture, but also aliens and robots.  Of course, all of this is tagged to the particular student, so it requires a login and password (both of which were set up by his teacher). 

So, my son’s “forgetfulness” contributed to an evening of engaging books and not boring worksheets.  His teacher has asked that 1st graders read at least 10 minutes every night to their parents.  I think my son was online last night reading books for almost an hour.  And it didn’t stop last night.  He was up bright and early this morning reading online again. 

Because yes, he needed to get more points to add the orange alien to his rocket ship. 

Bye bye “traditional” homework.  Hello engagement. 

For the complete article I mentioned at the beginning of this post, please visit The Washington Post “Gaithersburg school says no homework – just free reading.”

A few months ago, I started using text messaging for basic communications with new connections.  I started using text messaging for simply sharing my business information.  Have a mobile business card ready to be delivered to anyone you meet can be powerful.

But what about expanding the capabilities to using text messaging to reach your customers?

There’s no doubt that more and more people are using text messaging even more so than email these days.  Why not have a text messaging service that can provide updates to your customers and increase your business?

That’s the power of iZigg.

I’m now helping businesses and organizations use iZigg as an additional marketing outreach.

Take a look at the video here and contact me with questions about how iZigg can help your business or organization grow.