Technology Application Flashcards
4 things TD professionals should focus on when selecting and implementing learning technology
- What the organization needs
- The user experience they wish to create
- The mix of modalities that will be the greatest value to the intended audience; they’re all part of the ecosystem and must complement one another
- how technology relates to the learning and support needs of their user audience
Establish assessment criteria based on the proven needs of the organization.
Learning Technology Requirements (6)
- User technology experience: how existing tools may be used (legacy tools and content modalities); identified gaps in the experience; the larger tech ecosystem; tech capabilities of org as a whole
- Workplace context: the day-to-day context of the end user;
- Stakeholder management: Include detailed interviews with them to understand the goals of the organization, beyond the basics of learning and development
- Accessibility requirements
- Reporting: Validate compliance and whether a potential development tool can capture and export the required data before implementation
- IT regulations: Align with established IT regulations and processes; partner with IT to develop an understanding of how they operate before requesting project support
What is the decision that TD professional must make about legacy tools?
Whether to retire them or ensure the new technology is compatible
Reporting considerations when choosing learning technology (4)
- tools must be able to capture and export information required to meet data strategy and record-keeping requirements (e.g., training record retention)
- Consider technology reporting capabilities, such as data visualization, dashboards, and exports
- Reporting must meet internal and external regulatory requirements
- Ease of use to stakeholders
What is the first step to selecting the right learning technology?
The enabling objective: determine if the objective is to gain knowledge, acquire a skill, or influence an attitude
This ensures that the technology is selected and implemented with a clear purpose.
What are other important considerations when selecting the right learning technology? (2)
- how the tool helps assess if the objective has been achieved
- constraints that dictate what can and cannot be done
5 constraints when selecting learning technology
- organizational: employees are on different shifts or heavy travel schedules
- individual: variation in technology skills or language variations
- managerial: lack of support or limited communication channels
- technological: limited equipment or home office employees using personal computers
- resource-specific: limited budget for technology or understaffed workforce
When should a TD professional determine how the technology will be administered and maintained over the life of the platform?
After it’s acquired but before it’s fully implemented
How should a TD professional determine the necessary functionality for learning tech?
Through an in-depth organizational needs assessment
What does an in-depth organizational needs assessment include?
- the intended user audience’s working experience
- other existing components of the organization’s technology ecosystem
What should technology requirement documentation include? (5)
- the problem they are trying to solve with technology
- the desired end user experience
- features and capabilities that will be required to execute the desired end user experience
- stakeholders and partners who will play a role in the selection process
- the full process and timeline for technology identification, selection and implementation
What does documenting technology requirements enable TD professional to do?
- Evaluate existing learning technology
- Supplier selection
What are some best practices in supplier relationship management?
- regular touchpoints between vendor contact and TD POC managing the relationship or platform
- clear guidelines should also be established for technology training, troubleshooting, downtime administration, and disaster recovery
Maintaining regular contact with a supplier may also help acquire preferential terms for future contracts and participation in planning/roadmaps.
Many ecosystems are composed of tools that are a blend of ________
internal development and external acquisition
TD professionals can leverage IT expertise to make sure technology is secure and functional, but what should they not do?
defer responsibility or decision making
TD professionals are responsible for delivering a right-fit learning and support experience to end users.
Dynamics of IT/TD partnership
- be knowledgeable of and align with established IT regulations and processes
- forge a partnership with IT
- understand how they operate
- clarify which functions should own the tasks associated with the learning platforms BEFORE requesting support
What parts of implementing learning technology should be aligned with and take advantage of IT guidelines?
the tech review, acquisition, implementation, and support processes
What is the gold standard for how users should be able to report tech challenges?
Technology users should have a simple way to report technology challenges, such as a contact email, phone number, or online submission form
What is the value of an SLA with a technology vendor?
Service level agreements (SLAs) should be established for each platform based on how critical the technology is to the working experience so users understand how quickly specific problems will be resolved.
What is the value of an escalation process with a technology vendor?
They determine when different internal and external partners should be involved in troubleshooting to avoid unnecessary expense, effort, or duplication of work
What is included with technology supplier contracts that ensures consistency and platform reliability?
SLAs that establish how critical the tech is to the working experience of users so users understand how quickly problems will be resolved
Escalation process when diff internal and external partners should be involved in troubleshooting
How do TD professionals develop their understanding of the technology they are applying?
- learned within the context of the intended audience, org, and how tool will be used
- supplemented by technical documentation, provided by the supplier
- formal training during the implementation process
What are the regular maintenance and upgrade processes for hardware, software, and cloud?
For hardware, this would include the expected device life cycle and replacement plans
For software, they need to consider the supplier’s regular update schedule
With cloud, upgrades tend to take place more frequently and require less effort from administrators
What to consider during a major platform change?
- Prepare for testing
- change management plan (e.g., communication, training, risk mitigation) to ensure seamless transition
Guidelines for content testing and uploading
- content testing and revision processes should fit the needs of the organization
- involve a variety of participants, such as TD professionals, subject matter experts, stakeholders, and end users
- processes should not be overly administrative or burdensome
- content life cycle will vary based on topic and use, but make sure to consider org changes, regulatory requirements, and technology updates
What are 2 initial integration opportunities for learning technology, such as LMS or LXP, to support simple user and admin experience?
- single sign-on
- user provisioning
What are LATER integration opportunities for learning technology, such as LMS or LXP, to support simple user and admin experience?
- content delivery and aggregation
- data record keeping
- user interface and experience elements
Important factor to consider for all integration opportunities
required long-term technical support to maintain the integration
What are 4 examples of content and data standards?
- SCORM (shareable content object reference model) 1.2 or 2004
- AICC (aviation industry computer-based training committee)
- xAPI (experience application programming interface)
- cmi5 (computer managed instruction, fifth attempt)
Learning tech selection and content and data standards (3)
- apply only the formats that provide the desired user experience and avoid unnecessary technical complexities and conflicts
- make sure all implemented technology supports the necessary content and data formats
- maintain awareness of technical developments within the industry that may lead to the wide-scale adoption or decommissioning of a particular standard, such as Adobe Flash
Coding formats for video-based content
MP4, AVI, and MOV
What should you do before selecting a reporting tool?
- Develop a reporting strategy based on the needs of the org and their overall learning and support approach
- partner with internal experts to understand how the organization uses data
- look for opportunities to integrate people analytics (e.g., training completion, compliance, behavior change metrics) with existing org KPIs
3 examples of TD reporting strategy outcomes
1) demonstrate the impact of TD programs on org results
2) mitigate risk through compliance requirements
3) measure user engagement and feedback after learning activities
A reporting strategy should provide ______ data and _____________ to the __________ stakeholders at ____________________________
a reporting strategy that provides actionable data and recommendations to the right stakeholders at the right time
Report consumption
- can be integrated with existing dashboards or
- presented as stand-alone tools
- showcase data visualization through spreadsheets, presentations, or documents
Section 508
Part of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which guarantees employees “comparable access to and use of information and data as (do these groups) without disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency”
How to apply technology in a way that is accessible?
- partner with accessibility expert
- develop guidelines for identifying, developing, applying, and maintaining high-quality technology experiences
Considerations for the content life cycle
content life cycle will vary based on topic and use, but make sure to consider organizational changes, regulatory requirements, and technology updates
4 components of technology troubleshooting and downtime administration
- User reporting technical issues
- Service-level agreements (SLAs)
- Escalation processes
- Reporting to stakeholders - regularly report to stakeholders and vendor partners any downtime or functionality issues negatively affecting end user experience
General process steps for technology selection and implementation, in order (9)
Process steps:
- Needs analysis
- Document technology requirements
- Determine data reporting strategy
- Determine enabling objective
- Select tool based on needs of org
- Determine how it will be administered and maintained
- Determine with supplier what troubleshooting, downtime, and support will look like
- Content testing and uploading
- Implementation
- Content and system maintenance
