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=** Learning Scenario **= ====Bill Frankenberger is the training supervisor for a large department store chain. He is presently involved in preparing lessons for salespeople to help them deal with complaining clients. He hopes that not only will salespeople learn a process to use in speaking with clients but will also choose to use this process when they, too, feel angry. Mr. Frankenberger has a large training budget and can afford to develop custom-made instructional materials" - adapted from Smith & Ragan (1993). Instructional Design.====


 * Your task ** : to come up with a blended learning solution to Mr. Frankenberger’s problem. Specify the blends (media) and how each medium will be used.

**Learning Design Issues**
====The client is the training supervisor for a large department store chain. Sales personnel need to complete customer service and dealing with difficult clients training. This training will also include company policy and legal compliance with federal and state trading laws. It is not clear how Mr. Frankenberger has been offering the `lessons' to sales people in the past from the brief. The large training budget means that there are are more choices with the type of multimedia training solutions which can be implemented, but also will cover the extensive course redesign. A hybrid or blended training program has the capacity to merge the best features of workshops with the best features of online learning to promote active, self-directed learning opportunities with added flexibility (Vaughan, 2007, pg.82) for the business and for the learners. In the long run, the money invested in the new learning strategy will also reduce instructional resource costs for the programme (Vaughan, 2007, pg.89).====

====The training solution has to be blended according to the business culture and objectives, so it must meet the requirement of both the individual learner and the business (Trasler, 2002). The geographic scope of the business - a large department store chain -as well as the difficulties in staffing service points if sales staff are off the floor attending face to face training, make it necessary for some of the training to be web based for practical reason for the business as well as for optimal learning conditions for the salespeople. In addition staff are shift workers, working evenings and weekends which also must be factored into the learning design. As Trasler (2002, pg. 192) states, the learning designers need to assess what parts of the current lessons can be taken out of a classroom situation, and be set up as self paced training, which learners can dip into and out of, reflect on and and apply to work situations.====

Learning Design Solutions
====The learning design solution is a blend of web based dynamic information being accessed via a company training portal, and traditional face to face workshop training. ‍‍As with the holistic model that Stone (2008) suggests, ‍‍a universal interface makes it easier for learners to navigate around training modules, additional materials, case studies, announcements, FAQs, discussion boards / forums / wikis, podcasts, clips etc. No matter how effective digital instruction could be, if it is hard to access the users will become frustrated and the potential educational benefits it had to offer would be inexistent (Stone, 2008). The best advantage of using this holistic model for this department store chain is the fact that it has a universal interface (Stone, 2008).====

====The web based modules will be offered to the learners via the company training portal in a self paced format. There will be short quizzes at the end of each section, and staff must gain at least 80% correct or they must complete the module again. The areas that learners require competencies in include:====


 * Legal compliance with State and Federal law, Fair Trading etc.
 * Internal company policies and procedures
 * Customer service principles
 * Sales techniques
 * Dealing with difficult customers

Learners will also be involved in discussion boards via web 2.0 applications- the reason this is benefical is it allows them to reflect and learn more on the job (Trasler, 2002).
====Due to the nature of the business, the program can not rely just on online learning as employees will find it difficult to complete learning situations at their desk. They find it easier to attend courses (Trasler, 2002), particularly with modules on dealing with difficult clients, which relies on role playing and interpreting facial expressions and body language. However, some of the online learning modules will need to be completed prior to the workshop training, with follow up group / collaborative activities to ensure deeper learning occurs.====