Reflecting on the way in which blended learning works in the real world, Here are some questions that I’ve found useful to ask when thinking about blended learning strategy and frameworks when working in organisations. A bit random and some leading questions, I know and I’m sure there are many more…………
What is the organisation aiming to achieve and why?
What is the need?
Who defines the needs?
What do learners need to be able to do?
How does performance need to be improved?
How does improved performance contribute to organisational goals?
Is blended learning (or any kind of learning intervention) the right solution?
What are the alternatives?
What is the current learning & development and OD strategy?
How open is the organisation to changing the way in which they operate?
What changes are happening at the moment?
What changes are anticipated?
What risks is the organisation prepared to take?
What value can be added as a result of changing the way in which learning and development is approached?
Who are the stakeholders?
How does the culture of the organisation align to a blended learning approach?
What systemic factors are potential blocks and barriers to blended learning?
Is the infrastructure/learning ecosystem in place to support blended learning?
What LMS/VLE is being used and for what purpose?
What open source tools are being used?
How is social media and elearning currently used in the organisation?
What methods and media are currently used by the organisation?
How do these methods and media compare with those used by learners outside of work?
What does the organisation need to measure and why?
Why does the organisation need to monitor learning?
How will the success of blended learning and performance improvement be measured?
Does the organisation trust employees to direct their own learning?
Does the organisation support and value informal learning?
Do learners value and participate in informal learning?
What skills do leaders and managers need to effectively support blended learning?
What skills do learning and development professionals need to effectively support blended learning?
What new skills do learners need to participate in a blended learning solution?
How can managers, learners, IT departments and other stakeholders be involved in blended learning design?
How can managers and leaders be engaged in supporting blended learning?
What autonomy do individuals have to take responsibility for their own performance?
What drives and motivates individuals to learn at work?
How can communications and marketing teams support the success of blended learning?
How can formal and informal learning be combined to offer learners suggested routes to improve performance?
To what degree should directed and self directed learning be combined to offer the organisation maximum ROI?
What is the organisations view on personalised learning?
How can flexibility and choice be offered to learners in order that they can engage in a personalised development journey?
What assessment tools could be used to help the learner identify their own learning journey?
What do learners need in a blended learning solution?
How will learners decide which is the best personalised route for them?
How much influence should a line manager have on decisions about an individual’s journey to improve their performance?
What level of responsibility do learners have for their own learning?
What real examples of success can be shared with stakeholders to increase buy in of the organisation and the individual?