Focus Magazine - Winter 2017 - 58

VIRTUALHOW

shi here is individual or
personalized learning targeted
FIGURE 3 WHAT LEARNERS WANT
toward areas where learners
need the most development and
have a high level of interest.
Organizations are seeking to
build individualized, adaptive
learning with powerful
analytics that can gauge
performance improvement and
business impact real-time.
Adaptive learning metrics,
when collected and analyzed,
can be used to predict
outcomes contingent on certain
thresholds or criteria. is
impactful learning framework
can transform a business.
Other learning methodologies such as microlearning and
these changes? e key to moving
gamification also play a role in translearning capabilities in the right
forming learning. Many organizations
direction starts with the business
look at these as separate approaches
stakeholders
and how the process is
when it's all part of the same ecosysmanaged.
tem. (Figure 2)
In L&D, we view the world in
Technology advances have made
terms
of how people learn, and our
these methodologies easier to develop,
acronyms make perfect sense to us.
implement and track through
Business heads, however, are not
dedicated platforms designed
reading about learning
specifically for improved engagement.
methodologies, exploring the latest
Revolutionary technology such as
technology
or seeing how L&D
augmented reality and virtual reality
changes can drive the achievement of
will drastically change our definition
business goals. L&D's primary job is to
of engagement and learner
educate the business, show value and
immersion. ese cutting-edge
work with them to plan a
technologies are already being used
comprehensive long-term strategy.
for education and have a deep
(Figure
3)
foothold in the healthcare sector.
For any new learning approaches to
It's only a matter of time before
work, you must have strong leadership
they become great tools for selling
support and on-going buy-in before
simulations and practice. Imagine
making any changes. is includes a
having a virtual hospital where a sales
multi-step process starting with
representative can safely role-play to
building a business case and sense of
improve sales and account
urgency. is gets the stakeholders'
management skills. e simulation
will feel like a real-life experience,
attention and allows for identifying
while tracking valuable feedback on
advocates and early adopters that can
how well the learner is performing.
help get people on board. It leads to
e question remains: If learning
the next step, building the strategy
methodologies and technology are
and planning for what will happen
progressing, why do some
and how it will be achieved.
organizations struggle with making
As the plan formalizes, it's critical

58

that buy-in is gained throughout
various organizational levels,
expanding the change advocate
network. rough this process the
team must identify and remove
barriers that impede progress and
look for opportunities to pilot the new
solution. is builds success stories
and internal examples that provide
real value and data for future support.
As these mechanisms build, the goal is
to become an unstoppable force that
leads to achieving the intended
change.
Of the many factors driving
learning innovation, business support
and stakeholder buy-in are critical. It's
only then that you can begin to
redesign the curriculum, select
technology and implement innovation
programs that drive new levels of
performance. ■
About this Study: Working in
partnership with LTEN, TGaS Advisors, a
benchmarking and advisory services
firm, researches learning and
development in life sciences companies.
For more information on this topic,
contact Rich Waite, vice president,
learning and development solutions, at
Rich.Waite@tgas.com.

FOCUS | Winter 2017 | www.L-TEN.org
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