Having run the first consultants DL programme in October 2009, there are a number of improvements that I want to incorporate in the second version, which begins on 10th May 2010.
The overall purpose of the programme is to create an extra route to market for our consulting tool, the Excellence Audit. This means that our training programme has three important strands; firstly to introduce and explain the key features of our Future Shape of the Winner Model and Excellence Audit; then to help consultants to work out how the model connects with, and hopefully strengthens their existing consulting practice; finally to help them to identify the client situations in which the model can be of most use and to consider how they can promote its use to these prospects.
On the first programme, I was not clear enough in my own mind about these three different learning objectives.
In effect, this is a progression from articulating meaning right through to making new meaning. On our first programme, one consultant has most successfully made this transition, with another two who are making progress. We would like to improve that performance on the second programme.
In creating the learning plan for Programme number 2, I will encourage participants to create their own learning journal, hopefully on their own blog, and will set assignments that draw attention to these three different strands of the Programme.
It will be most interesting to see whether I can persuade this group of mature professionals to keep a blog record of their reflections, but of the seven participants, three already have their own blog, and two of these three are enthusiastic users of blogging. I am hoping that their example to the rest of the group will encourage others to join in. I have tried to replicate my H808 experience, where an e-portfolio was a required element of the ECA, by pointing out to participants that the blog can be evidence of learning which can be included in their submission for accreditation.
I also plan to use the Elluminate Web Platform for the first time on the Programme. This will be an improvement on the previous Webinar platform that we have used, as it has a number of useful educational features, such as a whiteboard, breakout rooms, a session planner, recording and polling. It also has an audio feature which allows group discussions during a session. The educational features offer us the change to shift from a largely transmission approach to include more interaction. An option we plan to experiment with on programme 2 is to provide some of the inputs in a podcast format, again freeing up web tutorial time for discussions and questions.
The use of this platform seems very 'lumpy' at the moment, but will doubtless get smoother as we become more familiar with the technology. In order to iron out any basic sound or technology issues, we have scheduled an introductory session for all participants to try out the web platform before our first full session.
I am very pleased that we maintained the discipline on Programme 1 of writing scripts for the four web tutorials. Although we will make changes to these, we can go back to a basic structure that has run smoothly. I see that the Elluminate platform has a Planner feature which enables you to set up your session including your script, slides and choreographed actions on the web platform. I plan to begin simply with mainly script, slides and audio discussions, but to experiment with the whiteboard and breakout rooms in later sessions, assuming all goes to plan;-)
Lots to think about, but it is most exciting to have the chance to go again with the benefit of H808 in the forefront of my thinking.
Monday, 3 May 2010
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