I have been asked to create an asynchronous course on the decision process for building a specialized package of benefits & allowances for an employee. I am having a HECK of a time!

The SME and I have tried to isolate "the most common errors" to just focus in on one or more challenges within the decision process, but I had an unsucessful time doing this with her.

There are numerous variables in this decision process (more than 15), and within those variables, there may be different cultural perspectives and regional/local contextual issues. Then, many decisions depend on corporate policy (and this course is for a dispursed global audience from different companies).

She presented several case ideas, but she was nervous about the different perspectives out there...

Does anyone have samples to share, where you tackled very complex decision processes via e-learning???

We are going to face this later when we try to convert a live course to blended learning.
I just don't believe asynchronous is the best medium for teaching decision-making processes with multiple and complex variables...

Either this or some tips. I've been battling with this course for over a month now!

Thanks.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Palesa,

Hi Palesa
I would like to suggest that a solution to your challenge is a job aid rather than training. This may include training on how to use the job aid. I am suggesting you create either a hard copy or computer based job aid that walks the employee through each of the decision points for each variable. This is something like a flow chart or a trouble shooting guide that would contain the logic and variables in your process. Technical support employees use them frequently to aid troubleshooting products.

I’d start with a couple of huge white boards and sticky pads and diagram out the process. I guess that as you complete this task you may agree that it really isn’t reasonable for employees to keep that all in their heads. I bet if you implement a job aid the performance results would surprise you and you might even be a hero.

Sounds like a fun project to me.

I refer you to A Handbook of Job Aids by Allison Rossett & Jeannette Gautier-Downs. See Chapter-8 on Job Aids for Procedures.

Good luck!

Cj

Thanks CJ for the VERY useful advice. I'm thinking your job aid idea is good, and my director and I also discussed doing a webinar bringing in our colleagues from other parts of the world and their perspectives. I am new to e-learning and up to now was saying, "how the heck" and "will I ever"? I'll look for Allison Rossett's book.

Hi Palesa:

Great!. Hope it all works out.

Best regards,

Cj

hi Palesa
Not sure exactly what you are trying to accomplish but as I read your post I couldn't help think about an online presentation I saw the other day about obtaining proficiency versus providing training. It was a very powerful presentation that discussed how training, or learning may not be the solution, but obtaining proficiency is the actual goal. It went on to remind how we actually learn to do tasks, and training is only a small part of that. In fact there is many other activities that occur (often after the training) that move us towards proficiency. So the presenter suggested that we not just build a new training course (whether ILT, eLearning or Webinar) but that we should create a process that may include some or all of these, but also set up situations of mentoring, practice, research etc. And it was explained that much of that can be done online through some innovative uses of the "web 2.0” tools. Later on I spoke with my friend at Bersin and Associates and discovered that much of what they are advocating (informal learning) is in fact aligned with the presentation. It has made me stop and think differently. As I read your post it struck me that this may be the root of your difficulty in creating a course. Maybe a course alone is not the answer. Maybe it requires some of these other items to actually address the issues? I am certainly happy to share what I was looking at (the link etc) and share thoughts and ideas back and forth, if that would be helpful to you.. email if desired scase@aleragroup.com