If Learning and Development is to deliver on the agenda of the C-Suite, it needs to ensure that it is supporting the development of new behaviours and new capabilities. But 20 years on from the coining of the phrase eLearning, do digital tools have a role to play in this?
HPC’s Kevin Hannigan and Fergal O’Connor explore the part digital tools can play in a participant’s learning journey, ahead of their IITD breakfast event “Using Digital Tools as Enablers of Learning”
Through partnering with Irish, UK and Global clients, hpc have been leveraging digital tools to enhance the development experience for learners and deliver real impact for their organisations.
As an HPC facilitator, Fergal has witnessed the power of integrating digital tools into client learning journeys and has observed that “digital has shifted from being a distribution or curation tool to becoming a pivotal part of the learning experience. Used correctly, it can enhance knowledge transfer and behavioural change because of the multiple touchpoints it provides.”
“Through the appropriate use of digital tools, everything that happens in the learning journey – pre, during or post the face to face sessions – is aligned to ensure that the solution results in demonstrable and sustainable performance improvement”, he adds.
From a design and evaluation perspective, Kevin Hannigan says:
“At HPC, we start with the results that the client is looking to achieve. We begin by understanding the business rationale for any solution and work from there to identify the key behaviours that will deliver on our clients’ goals. We have always worked this way, but it is complex to deliver a truly integrated and blended solution in an analogue world. Using digital tools enables us to provide a seamless experience for learners and to provide meaningful data to our clients. Along with our distinct approach to evaluation, it provides clients with a clear view on how participants are shifting their behaviour and delivering results in their day to day work.”
Fergal recognises that “there is a human factor attached to the way we introduce digital into our solutions; it fosters a real sense of engagement among the participants. As well as giving them personal ownership of activity and learning; the sharing, networking and challenging aspect of using a digital platform is real and inspiring.”
Through the use of digital tools, HPC’s clients have experienced the major role they have in enabling the learning journey; and welcome how digital can address the learning transfer challenges that they regularly face as L&D professionals.
Kevin Hannigan is Head of Talent Consulting and Fergal O’Connor is a Facilitator and Executive Coach at HPC.