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Why planning and preparing for L&D innovation should be your top priority
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Why planning and preparing for L&D innovation should be your top priority

If revamping learning processes is high on your radar, be inspired by these real-life case studies that help deliver high-impact programmes for the workforce.

This article is brought to you by Institute for Adult Learning (IAL).

Learning is a matter of national priority in Singapore, where more than eight in 10 (81%) employees wish their employers placed higher importance on job-related learning and upskilling. Indeed, helping employees learn better is a noble mission-driven by business objectives and people leaders — all the way from picking apart the pain points to learning, to reconstructing the courseware and rethinking the mode of delivery.

  • How can learning retention be increased?
  • How can I get my operations team to also take ownership of the learning solution?
  • Most importantly, how can I measure learning outcomes to show impact?

Such questions are top-of-mind for employers, learning leaders, as well as business unit heads. Let's take this opportunity to identify some undiscovered L&D best practices that are well worth your time.

The innovPlus learning innovation challenge, managed by IAL Innovation Centre (inlab), is one such unique opportunity. The twice-a-year competition sees L&D stakeholders in an organisation identifying their #1 learning challenge, and then partnering with a technology vendor to create a prototype/blueprint of the solution. The winning organisations from this competitive learning innovation challenge are awarded a coveted prototyping grant of up to S$200,000 to develop an innovative, feasible, and scalable solution that advances learning outcomes.

To inspire you to think above and beyond, we’ve handpicked three real-life case studies of employers that have raised their hands to innovate learning. Read on to be inspired and spark the change!

L&D challenge 1: Time-intensive personalised learning & feedback

At business technology provider Citrix Systems, supervisors were held back by time-consuming tasks such as providing feedback on sales proposals, which could take up to an hour per plan. In fact, supervisors and salespersons were spending up to two weeks per quarter just getting plans finalised – a task that was as critical to the job as it was time-consuming and tedious.

Partnering with Noodle Factory, Citrix System launched a prototype that enabled personalised learning and feedback for Citrix partner account managers using artificial intelligence (AI). In a game-changing development, AI-enabled the automatic evaluation of plans and delivery of feedback. Not only repetitive, educational processes were automated, but even mentoring for standard processes benefitted from technology.

Time saved is money earned – thus the higher-quality account management plans drove incremental revenue. The purpose of using the AI tool firmly remained on enhancing existing roles so that ‘humans’ can move away from repetitive tasks, and focus on more value-added activities.

L&D challenge 2: Low learning retention in high-risk industries

Education provider Global Training Services has a noble mission – to ensure the safety & welfare of all workers in Singapore’s construction, marine, and manufacturing industries. So, when the team realised that learning retention was low on critical issues such as workplace health and safety practices, it took prompt action. After all, for workers in these sectors, it was a matter of life and death.

The solution lay in developing a scenario-driven, game-based learning solution on mobile, that allows migrant workers to virtually experience their job scope. Developed in partnership with Playware Studios, this working prototype also assesses their aptitude and decision-making skills. What this does is enable the trainer to customise the courseware according to the needs of each group of trainees. More interestingly, the prototype goes beyond the technical into the emotional realm.

Family members of migrant workers are encouraged to participate in the game, thus driving home the point on the gravity of the dangers at work. Needless to say, the target learners (i.e., migrant workers) are constantly reminded of their family members while undergoing training – a thoughtful yet hard-hitting way to drive up learning retention.

L&D challenge 3: Inability to track learners’ progress

A lack of a seamless dashboard to track the progression of learners meant the team at Lithan Academy had to put in immense manual effort to track learners’ progress. Through a tie-up with Sambaash, a seamless and automated mentor system was built. This prototype helps to track learners’ progress and provides timely prompts to learners, while equipping faculty/facilitators, programme administrators, and instructional designers with learning & learner analytics.

How does this work? Well, the prototype, which has since been scaled commercially, is a virtual mentor that leverages on AI to interpret data from Lithan’s learning management systems. This helps to consolidate learner progress, and make calculated projections of the learner’s probability of completing or performing beyond benchmarks. The automation frees up faculty time to provide value-added support and guidance to the learners. Additionally, the virtual mentor has the capability to pair learners who need more support with real-life mentors.

Key takeaways

One of the biggest myths about innovation in learning is that it’s all about technology – when, in fact, learning innovation is not about tech. It's about helping people learn better. If revamping learning processes is high on your radar, then do bookmark learning innovation as a complement to your talent strategy. Sign yourself and your team up for the innovPlus Challenge to experience the thrill of limitless learning in a competitive environment. May the next success story be yours!


About innovPlus Challenge

Real innovation starts when we identify current performance limitations and co-create solutions. The innovPlus Challenge is a nationally-coveted, risk subsidised competition for your team to innovate learning and upskill professionally, all without the budget constraints of typical organisational strategies. If you're ready to tackle your learning pain-points, sign yourself and your team up for the 2022 edition of innovPlus Challenge. Download the information kit, write to IAL for further details, or simply attend the prospectus briefing on 28 June 2022 (2-4pm).

About IAL

IAL is an autonomous institute of the Singapore University of Social Sciences. IAL works closely with and supports adult education professionals, businesses, human resource developers, and policy makers through its comprehensive suite of programmes and services on raising capabilities and catalysing innovations in continuing education and training (CET). IAL also champions research in sustaining economic performance through skills, shaping employment as well as CET decisions, and develops innovations through learning technology and pedagogy to heighten adult learning. Find out more about IAL.


Image / Shutterstock

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