LEARNNOVATORS SWEEPS LEARNX IMPACT AWARDS 2018
We, at Learnnovators, have always believed in doing the right things. Meaningful engagement that leads naturally to effective learning. Empathy for learners and their struggles. An unwavering eye on business needs. Generous sharing with the learning community.
So imagine our delight when some of our work got recognized, and that too by one of the industry’s highest awards. That’s exactly what happened at the LearnX Impact Awards 2018, where two of our stellar projects got awarded in four categories… in fact, in all four categories that we participated in!The details of the projects, and the categories, are provided below:
PROJECT 1: ENCORE EMPIRE
Awards Won:
1. GOLD (Best Game Design)
2. SILVER (Best Interactive Scenario Design)
3. SILVER (Best eLearning on a Budget)
Encore Empire is a gamified solution that Learnnovators designed and developed for Encore Capital Group, to train their call center employees to speak to consumers. The solution comprises 15 branching scenarios, each involving a consumer conversation. The scenarios are wrapped in a story-based game whose narrative is set in medieval India and contains elements of mystique and fantasy. The story is that of a young prince, on a quest to regain his lost kingdom. He needs the support of five ministers of a neighbouring state, each representing three consumer scenarios.
The learning goal and the game goal were closely interlinked to make sure that learners were intrinsically motivated to spend as much time in the game as possible.
The game elements that were incorporated in the game include:
– Story: A strong narrative, the story of the prince and his quest, runs through the game.
– Aesthetics: A visual theme that’s in line with the story engages learners.
– Competition: A leaderboard promotes competition.
– Rewards: These comprise the gains and badges.
– Strategy: Within the scenario, learners should overcome objections and move consumers towards a payment plan.
The solution was part of a blended program, wherein learners would ‘play’ the game after completing classroom training on the topic. Once a batch (of about 25 learners) completes the training, they play the game together in a typical ‘war-room’ setup. A live scoreboard projected on a big screen in the war-room indicates the extent to which each learner has progressed and how they are faring.
On the technical side too, accomplishing what we set to achieve was quite a feat. While the humble Articulate Storyline was selected as the tool for development, what we had in mind was anything but humble. Points, a plethora of badges, a live leaderboard, and an in-game store were all part of the game. We leveraged Tin Can API to extend the power of Storyline and to establish communication with the LMS. The LMS was customized as well, to develop a host of reports based on the game.
Here is a 4.5-minute demo video covering the look and feel, and functioning, of the game:PROJECT 2: WORKPLACE OF THE FUTURE
Award Won:
1. PLATINUM (Best Free eLearning Resource)
‘Workplace of the Future’ is an eLearning course that was jointly developed by Learnnovators and Clark Quinn of Quinnovation, with the sole purpose of sharing it with the learning community free of charge. In addition, the entire design and development process was narrated, and captured in a series of four blog posts, also shared with the community. The idea of the project (comprising the course and the blog posts) was to demonstrate that it is possible to design good eLearning that follows best principles, even in the face of practical, real-world constraints. The project was a tribute to the late Jay Cross, a recognized leader in informal learning and a champion of the future of work.
The best principles incorporated in the design and development of the course include the following:
– The course is activity-based (experiential learning)
– Content is kept minimal on purpose, and is available as a reference to be pulled by learners if and when needed
– It models decision-making within a real-world context
– It allows learners to make mistakes, providing intrinsic feedback to show the consequences of their choices
– The course uses no audio, both as a good principle as well as to support accessing at work and in other public locations
– It offers open navigation; that is, learners are free to explore and learn without any restriction
– It uses a comic book visual style to enhance graphic appeal
– It was beta tested with a closed user group, feedback from whom was considered and incorporated
The input for the content was provided by Harold Jarche, Charles Jennings, and Jane Hart, in addition to Clark Quinn, who each served as a subject matter expert for a topic in the course. All four are members of Internet Time Alliance (ITA), a think tank pulled together by Jay Cross.
Here are the links corresponding to the project:
– Access to the course:
– The blog posts:
- Deeper Design: Working Out Loud
- Deeper Design: Beyond Traditional Instructional Design
- Deeper Design: Tweaking the Media
- Deeper Design: Putting It All Together
– Short video demonstration of the course by Clark Quinn:
