Learner’s bot – Learning Launch

Challenge

I am a member of a Startup organization’s Learning & Development department. We are an  organization who provides Educational technology solutions and consulting services in the Indian  Market. I happened to witness the Learning & Development Leadership Summit recently , with guest  of speakers and delegates from medium to large cap companies and of course the consultants who  were sponsors. It was a great mix of industries to know about the challenges faced by different  companies in the world when it comes to Learning & Development and to learn the best practices as  take away. The key (challenges faced) questions asked by most of the delegates of different  industries and companies were:

1.  How one ensures the sustenance of learning?

2.  How one ensures the retention of learning?

3.  How one ensures the implementation of learning on the job?

The event triggered a thought out of our experience that since the current resources used in this  process is time consuming and also high on budget that companies do not want to invest resources  on it, we as an organization decided to find out more about it by reaching out to people outside the  summit room if this can be solved digitally.

What is: A survey to connect and interview people in 20 different organization

Questions asked were:

•  What concerns you face most after a behavioural/functional program is delivered?

•  How do you want to see the change after a behavioural/functional program is delivered?

•  How do you currently address this concern?

•  What or who do you think could conrm a behavior or knowledge change after the  workshop?

•  Do you feel that manager’s when asked to follow a process or tool to conrm the change in  behavior of the learner(subordinates), it becomes a check mark activity?

•  If you have hire a consultant to  measure the effectiveness of a training, what would you like  him to ask/observe the learner and keep a record of?

•  How frequently do you think, the learner needs to be in touch with the

•  How frequently do you think, the learner needs to be in touch with the lessons learned , to  put it into implementation?

•  Where do you think technology can help you to record the change in behavior of a learner?  (You can write anything that you have practiced, experienced, thought or imagined)?

•  If a robot can interact with the learner for any intervention as a neutral interface,Where do  you think it can add value to your organization?

•  Would you like to explore one such robot for your learning interventions?

What if: (Using Brainstorming & Mind map) A bot can interact with the learner for any learning  intervention as a neutral interface. Right from identifying the learning need to help him implement  the learning on the job.

The project scope includes all HR fraternity across the industry who are Sr. manager and above in  their roles. The project should not exceed 45 business days and the solution.

Selection

Our team has already gone through several design thinking activities/tools, so we were ready to try  the learning launch tool. We did this by inviting organizations who took our survey and had shown  interest in experimenting on the digital tool

Application

For our first learning launch, we focused on the organizations who took our survey and were willing  to experiment with the POC in their organizations. Also, we launched an offer for thee organizations  for a 1 year free technical support and 5 free learning intervention in 2 years time . In particular, we  wanted to see how agile our model is and how easy it will be for users to create a personalised  learning map for an individual. After a lot of struggle, we found an organization who were ready to  invest and we run this pilot there to see the response of the HR and employees for 1 program on  influencing skills. The bot interacted through an app with the learner and created a framework,  fright from identifying the training need to help trainers conceptualizing a program and then help  learners through multiple push and pull engagement systems through different roles in the  hierarchy, to implement the learning on the job, challenge the peers, ask questions form their  managers. This not only ensured the right intervention to be designed but also enhances the recall  ability of people over a period of 1 month for the sample size of 25-30 participants.

Insight

By applying the learning launch tool, our team identified our assumptions and captured the feedback  of HR managers and Learners to make it more friendly from UI perspective and the backend data  analytics, though it did not affect the overall core purpose of the model. After this experiment , we  incorporated these feedback and then our team decided to launch it for small enterprises and slowly  moving towards the large cap companies by expanding our team size. As a next stage ,it may also  have an attention of the investors to give a new shape to the development of the bot with AI based  recommendations capabilities, where learners can even challenge the learners, peers etc  involved  and also using machine learning algorithms for bot to slowly become more intelligent over a period  of time .This tested our assumption of whether HR fraternity would or would not like the idea of  having a digital tool to enhance the sustenance of learning of the individuals in an organization.

Approach

Given that our team has already gone through several design thinking activities/tools and are at this  stage in the timeline, the learning launch is the appropriate tool. As previously mentioned, our team  needs to review the insight gained from 2nd small enterprises launches and incorporate this insight  into future launch designs and make it a practice because all industries and different and hence the

learning journey of all different roles in different organizations are also different. This is very critical  for the long-term success application of the tool when we are focussing in an open market  irrespective of which industry. Over the period of time, it may become a specific model for specific  industry depending on what we come across with each launch and make it pass the criteria of  success.


Learner ’s bot – Learning Launch Challenge I am a member of a Startup organization ’s Learning & Development department . We are an organization who provides Educational technology solutions and consulting services in the Indian Market . I happened to witness the Learning & Development Leadership Summit recently , with guest of speakers and delegates from medium to large cap companies and of course the consultants who were sponsors . It was a great mix of industries to know about the challenges faced by different companies in the world when it comes to Learning & Development and to learn the best practices as take away . The key ( challenges faced ) questions asked by most of the delegates of different industries and companies were : 1 . How one ensures the sustenance of learning ? 2 . How one ensures the retention of learning ? 3 . How one ensures the implementation of learning on the job ? The event triggered a thought out of our experience that since the current resources used in this process is time consuming and also high on budget that companies do not want to invest resources on it , we as an organization decided to find out more about it by reaching out to people outside the summit room if this can be solved digitally . What is : A survey to connect and interview people in 20 different organization Questions asked were : • What concerns you face most after a behavioural / functional program is delivered ? • How do you want to see the change after a behavioural / functional program is delivered ? • How do you currently address this concern ? • What or who do you think could conrm a behavior or knowledge change after the workshop ? • Do you feel that manager ’s when asked to follow a process or tool to conrm the change in behavior of the learner(subordinates ) , it becomes a check mark activity ? • If you have hire a consultant to measure the effectiveness of a training , what would you like him to ask / observe the learner and keep a record of ? • How frequently do you think , the learner needs to be in touch with the • How frequently do you think , the learner needs to be in touch with the lessons learned , to put it into implementation ? • Where do you think technology can help you to record the change in behavior of a learner ? ( You can write anything that you have practiced , experienced , thought or imagined ) ? • If a robot can interact with the learner for any intervention as a neutral interface , Where do you think it can add value to your organization ? • Would you like to explore one such robot for your learning interventions ? What if : ( Using Brainstorming & Mind map ) A bot can interact with the learner for any learning intervention as a neutral interface . Right from identifying the learning need to help him implement the learning on the job . The project scope includes all HR fraternity across the industry who are Sr . manager and above in their roles . The project should not exceed 45 business days and the solution . Selection Our team has already gone through several design thinking activities / tools , so we were ready to try the learning launch tool . We did this by inviting organizations who took our survey and had shown interest in experimenting on the digital tool Application For our first learning launch , we focused on the organizations who took our survey and were willing to experiment with the POC in their organizations . Also , we launched an offer for thee organizations for a 1 year free technical support and 5 free learning intervention in 2 years time . In particular , we wanted to see how agile our model is and how easy it will be for users to create a personalised learning map for an individual . After a lot of struggle , we found an organization who were ready to invest and we run this pilot there to see the response of the HR and employees for 1 program on influencing skills . The bot interacted through an app with the learner and created a framework , fright from identifying the training need to help trainers conceptualizing a program and then help learners through multiple push and pull engagement systems through different roles in the hierarchy , to implement the learning on the job , challenge the peers , ask questions form their managers . This not only ensured the right intervention to be designed but also enhances the recall ability of people over a period of 1 month for the sample size of 25 - 30 participants . Insight By applying the learning launch tool , our team identified our assumptions and captured the feedback of HR managers and Learners to make it more friendly from UI perspective and the backend data analytics , though it did not affect the overall core purpose of the model . After this experiment , we incorporated these feedback and then our team decided to launch it for small enterprises and slowly moving towards the large cap companies by expanding our team size . As a next stage , it may also have an attention of the investors to give a new shape to the development of the bot with AI based recommendations capabilities , where learners can even challenge the learners , peers etc involved and also using machine learning algorithms for bot to slowly become more intelligent over a period of time .This tested our assumption of whether HR fraternity would or would not like the idea of having a digital tool to enhance the sustenance of learning of the individuals in an organization . Approach Given that our team has already gone through several design thinking activities / tools and are at this stage in the timeline , the learning launch is the appropriate tool . As previously mentioned , our team needs to review the insight gained from 2nd small enterprises launches and incorporate this insight into future launch designs and make it a practice because all industries and different and hence the learning journey of all different roles in different organizations are also different . This is very critical for the long - term success application of the tool when we are focussing in an open market irrespective of which industry . Over the period of time , it may become a specific model for specific industry depending on what we come across with each launch and make it pass the criteria of success .