[Savannah-hackers] ADV: Creative Approaches to Training Newsletter - February 2002 Issue

[Creative Approaches to Training Newsletter]

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..................February 2002

Coming Up in future issues of Creative Approaches to Training Newsletter... Using "Radio Shows" for training - Audio CDs or MP3 files can be used to inexpensively deliver creative and entertaining training programing to commuters, road warriors, or anyone else on your staff. Handhelds - Inexpensive palm organizers are taking training and performance support into the field, but the limitations of these devices present new design challenges. DVD - Low cost PC-based video editing and DVD authoring tools make DVD an affordable and effective option for creating and fielding interactive video learning programs. Section 508 - Designing e-learning for Section 508 compliance - - issues and resources.

_IN THIS ISSUE:

Email newsletters provide rapid training results Those HTML email newsletters that you receive from Internet information providers keep you up to date on the latest news. HTML email newsletters can include most web page elements, such as attractive fonts and text formatting, graphics, photographs, and links, enhancing the impact of your message. These capabilities also make email newsletters an effective method of rapidly addressing the learning needs within your organization. Why use email newsletters to deliver training? HTML email newsletters are an excellent media option when you need to deliver information to the field as rapidly as possible. Email newsletters are consumed on-the-spot, they typically appear less threatening to audiences than logging in to an e-learning course, and the use of graphics and attractive layouts make HTML newsletters more compelling, entertaining, memorable, and effective than text-only messages or paper-based training documents. Email newsletters provide a number of benefits and advantages: Email-based training campaigns provide learners with brief, easy to assimilate episodic learning presentations that do not require users to set aside time for a learning session. Users can spend 10 minutes reviewing the newsletter training along with their other email. Newsletters can be rapidly created and fielded, with content that is rapidly assimilated, providing immediate results for your organization. No delay of six months or more to develop a traditional e-learning course. Individual messages provide content in small episodic, modular chunks that focus learner attention on a specific topic, allowing your audience to painlessly assimilate learning objectives. HTML email can include most of the elements of traditional e-learning modules, including text, photos, graphics, and animations. You can also easily link to rich media, such as Flash animations, audio, video, and traditional e-learning modules, as well as interactive tests, surveys and chat.

Did you implement a creative training approach that was well - received? We want to hear about it. Send an email to our editor.

Delivering Training via Email Newsletters

.................................................................... What types of training can you accomplish with email newsletters? Email newsletters are a flexible and efficient method of reaching both staff and customers, and are especially effective as a method of addressing brief topics, or individual portions of a larger topic. Trainers can use email newsletters to break up learning into shorter elements that learners can review as part of their daily routine, without requiring each learner to set aside time for a formal training session. Newsletters can be an effective method to: Rapidly address a specific time-critical training need, Describe new policies and practices to employees and customers, Identify and explain new procedures to employees and customers, Describe how to use new equipment to employees and customers, and Inform customers of new features and services.

..................................................................................... Implementing an email newsletter learning campaign is similar to creating a typical e-learning course, with a few unique requirements. Proper planning and execution is essential. The steps include: 1. Identifying the audience and their individual learning needs. Note that you can field different versions of a master newsletter, with each variation customized to address specific subgroup within your organization. 2. Planning the sequence of topics to determine what will be addressed within each individual newsletter that comprises your learning campaign. Determine the most efficient way to structure objectives and content, and determine the appropriate delivery schedule for each content module. 3. Designing and creating the content of each newsletter. This includes text, graphics, photos, animations, or more detailed interactions (such as interactive Flash modules) delivered via links that generate a pop-up browser window. 4. Sending each newsletter issue to employees or customers according to your predetermined delivery schedule. 5. Following up, includes adjusting your approach as appropriate, based on audience reactions to each newsletter issue. Follow-up options include sending email messages within a few days to summarize user questions, comments and concerns. Other implementation practices can include providing links to a topic website that hosts user discussions, provides reference links and access to back issues of the newsletters, archives user questions and comments, provides a FAQ list, or deliver a survey or test.

.......................................................................................... An example of an HTML email newsletter learning campaign would be a major corporation that needs to rapidly train 25,000 employees on new Internet security policies and procedures. The information on requirements, processes, and procedures is still evolving. The timeline is tight. A more detailed training program is eventually required, but for now, you need to get the information out as rapidly as possible. This type of training need could be addressed effectively and efficiently via an email newsletter learning campaign. The initial steps are the same as any learning development project: defining the audience, identifying learning objectives, identifying content resources, and deploying training. Since individual topics may be distributed over a series of weeks, you need to determine the appropriate breakdown of topics and sequence of presentation, and determine a topic delivery schedule appropriate for the learning requirements. Production stages are also similar to traditional e-learning development. Instructional designers define learning objectives and create content, graphic designers create visuals and HTML document layouts, and web programmers create interactive modules as required. The campaign should also include other elements to help enhance the impact and effectiveness, including sending follow up messages within a few days that include subject matter expert answers to student questions, links to surveys or tests, student feedback and comments, links to additional web-based reference pages, or links that display browser pop-up windows providing interactive modules designed to evaluate comprehension and retention of the topics. Students with a strong interest in the topic can also be offered an opportunity to subscribe to a follow-up forum that provides an ongoing discussion of the topic (if applicable).

Interested in using HTML newsletters for your training programs? Join our topic forum that focuses on issues associated with designing and implementing newsletter-based learning programs, get free access to more detailed ideas and information, and exchange feedback and suggestions with other forum members. Click here to join.

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In Our Next Issue: Using "Radio Shows" for Training - Audio programs are relatively inexpensive to design and create, can be delivered to your audience via CDs, cassettes or MP3 files, and can provide learners with creative, informative and entertaining training programing.

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