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The issues that are faced within Guide Dogs Academy include a gap of knowledge and understanding with the use of technology and digital learning and how it impacts the learner's interactions and overall journey. Previously, training was delivered and completed practically, and our learners have limited experience with our new approach to learning. I've explored this in greater detail in the learning personas seen below.

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Course: This is the combination of all the modules together that create a complete learner journey.

Module: A group of learning experiences that help to deliver a specific learning outcome.

Learning Experience: Specific learning activities such as multimedia eLearning, podcasts, videos, webinars, forums, etc.

Topics: Areas of information that cover topics that add further structure and detail to the learning experience.

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The importance of this project is to create a clear vision for the learners of what is expected of them while in Academy. Learners will understand how to utilise the LXP and the technology we have provided them for success so that they feel confident with a blended learning approach.

Putting this training into place aims to boost success rates and give users more confidence in their training. Providing valuable training and meaningful experiences that can be used to reflect on and share with others.

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“Blended learning, also known as hybrid learning, is an approach to education that combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with traditional place-based classroom methods.”

Primarily our users receive a large portion of their journey through blended learning, and this would be the approach I am implementing in my project. It's a beneficial approach as we know there is value in each category of practical, social, and digital learning while offering flexibility to our teams with their working environments.

Reference: Lawless, C. (2019). Blended Learning - What is it and how is it used? [online] LearnUpon. Available at: https://www.learnupon.com/blog/what-is-blended-learning/.

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There are several areas where there are potential gaps, some of the issues stem from:

1. Some manager's previous training experiences were more practical and hands-on, so they don't consider the new ways of working. This can create issues with learners becoming disconnected or unengaged.

2. General lack of understanding or confidence with new technology and systems, meaning they can be apprehensive to try, which in turn can slow their development.

3. Staff don't see the benefit of online learning and find it frustrating.

4. Time management issues, such as staff feeling like other tasks take priority over digital learning, but it is there to support their current learning topic and further educate them in the flow of work.

5. A lack of social communication, talking to peers and sharing best practices.

6. Learners can feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they have to learn.

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I've considered Bloom's Taxonomy while creating my project. Most of these modules only cover the earlier stages of the framework (Remember, Understand, Apply). Due to this project of modules being more entry-level, they will be exposed to the later stages as they continue through the learner journey and gain more confidence and experience.

The manager's content will reach the Create level of Bloom Taxonomy within the final module.

I will also consider Bloom's Taxonomy on a deeper level per learning experience. (See Module Analysis document).

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The modular framework for my project follows a Linear learning approach, where learners and managers follow a structured process. This course will be provided to all new learners joining the Academy team and it will deliver all of the fundamental training elements to set them up for success.

The next visual document, module analysis, will explain all of the modules shown here and how they are broken down into their separate learning experiences.

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Each learning experience is balanced and should take between 25-30 minutes, to ensure learner focus. Practice and practical activities would take additional time based on the learner's needs. The content for this project has been designed with chunking in mind; within each module, they have been broken down into learning experiences to provide more manageable learning to stop the feeling of being overworked or becoming disengaged. Each module is estimated to be completed within one week, so in total, the course will take around eight weeks to complete.

The manager learning experiences require a slightly longer time frame due to the more complex and detailed nature of the content. It's estimated to be 45 to 60 minutes per learning experience. As managers have additional tasks to undertake, more time flexibility has been provided for each module, giving them six weeks to complete all three modules.

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Attached is a visualisation of the complete course and all of the modules. Within each module, I have displayed the key learning experiences that deliver a blended design. There will be a mix of digital content, e-learning, videos, quizzes, forums, virtual live sessions, and more, all of which are detailed in the learning format document.

These learning experiences themselves will each contain a variety of topics, which I will look at in more depth in part 2, this has been designed as a bird's-eye view of all the modules within my project.

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Welcome to Guide Dogs, a charity organisation that specialises in assisting everyone affected by sight loss. Helping over 500,000 people annually to feel confident in their day-to-day lives while living with a disability.

To help achieve our goals, Guide Dogs Academy was created at the end of 2021. This is a structured 2-year pathway that splits learning into Practical, Social and Digital elements, to be then signed off as a certified Guide Dog Trainer or Guide Dog Mobility Specialist. It aims to increase impact, reduce training times and provide learners with a more rounded experience compared to previous training methods (face-to-face and practical) that aren't as viable due to the changing needs of our learners and identified needs to develop post-pandemic.

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Within Guide Dogs Academy, we have learners with a variety of backgrounds, skills and knowledge. We want all our staff to feel comfortable and confident and be set up for success. For this to be achieved, we need to support them, ensuring they have everything they need to succeed in a blended learning environment.

To ensure this can happen, I will create my project around guidance, support and upskilling users on the systems skills and technology they will utilise throughout their training.

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This section cemented the learning formats into the flow of my modules. I found real value in mapping out the learning formats from the 'What' section in more detail. This flow helped with considering what areas and activities needed to be added to improve user engagement and help achieve the learning outcomes with a visual representation.

Some of the titles of the learning formats were a bit linear on reflection; I'd find going forward, using learning formats, I'd make them specific and more detailed, which will offer the SME a better grasp of the content needed. I know it's still Macrostructure at this stage, but additional detail helps me know what type of activity is best in sequence.

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This stage defined how the project flow would be mapped out, creating a high-level overview of the modules and the learning experiences to be covered while ensuring learning objectives are constructed clearly for users to identify. It offered some reassurance for part two of the project as I have a clearer image of what needs to be covered, going into depth around the topic areas of each learning experience.

I’ve also added the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy framework here, directly reflecting on each learning experience within my modules and relating this to relevant areas of the framework. Implementing this helped create distinctive steps, showing the learning formats that will be used and setting clear goals for users to achieve.

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Digital Learning Persona 1 - Learner (GDT) 

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We want our users to achieve several outcomes while undergoing this project that could significantly increase success and confidence in their roles by using digital technology effectively and give them the skill to enhance their learning experiences.

By the end of this training, you will be able to;

1. Navigate through all areas of the LXP confidently and be able to complete all tasks relevant to the role at the time of completion of the module. (UNDERSTAND)

2. Actively communicate and share thoughts and findings with others on the LXP, contributing to at least two networks on the LXP with the aim of adding ongoing contributions. (APPLY)

3. Create a personal development plan by the end of the training, which incorporates practical, theoretical and social experiences to ensure continued professional development. (APPLY)

4. Understand the "My Competencies" process and how to correctly contribute and interact to be signed off effectively at the end of each stage of your learner journey. (APPLY)

5. Achieve a blended working experience and understand how the 70/20/10 split is calculated and designed efficiently and integrated into the flow of work, creating at least one blended learning plan and being confident in its usage by the end of the course. (APPLY)

6. Utilise the LXP and digital resources throughout the training to provide critical learning to reinforce your knowledge, allowing you to access learning on the go and upload relevant notes and experiences for your own future reference. (APPLY)

(Managers only)

By the end of this training, you will be able to;

1. Manage and support learners consistently throughout their 2-year training journey to ensure success and sign-off for qualification, consolidating learning and creating a unique plan for each learner's future development. (CREATE)

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Learning Persona 2: The Manager (Technical Learning Specialist) (TLS)

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Learning Persona 2: The Manager (Technical Learning Specialist) (TLS)

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Digital Learning Persona 2 - Manager (TLS)

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Learning Persona 3: The Regional Academy Manager (RAM)

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Learning Persona 3: The Regional Academy Manager (RAM)

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Digital Learning Persona 3 - Regional (RAM)

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Applying Learning Personas in a project isn't something I've had much experience with. Still, it's been helpful to step back and change hats rather than diving into looking at creating the content or the design side of the project and analysing the gaps. Making the three personas has also been helpful as it's got me to think about many aspects of the team which will inform my approach to content development, including;

1. Differences in ages, some of our staff have been with the organisation for many years and are generally less engaged and not open to newer ways of working due to their previous training experiences and so, I'm considering ways for them to be more open and involved in the shift in learning.

2. Understanding that each persona within the Academy has different experiences, understanding and confidence levels of using technology and the learning environment we provide may need to differ.

3. Creating personas bringing together multiple strengths and weaknesses you know are present within the team will help make more attentive and accurate learning outcomes.

4. If a user has had a previous training experience that affected them negatively, it could taint their perception of future learning and influence or affect others around them. So, setting clear goals and pathways while offering support to create a positive working environment as early as possible is critical.

Considering these elements in the Design and Development stage will profoundly help to impact the result and help to create the learning objectives while understanding further barriers that may arise.

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Additionally to the learning personas provided, I will always ensure the learner's accessibility requirements are met within the content created and delivered.

I will take into consideration the accessibility needs of our users who have disabilities or are neurodiverse. At Guide Dogs we are always conscious of what we deliver and offer complete support, being aware of the additional barriers to learning, and this is critical for what our organisation stands for.

We provide guidance for anyone who needs additional training on the use of technology, hardware essential for user success, and additional software needed.

We also create our training with accessibility in mind, using software such as Synthesia, Vyond and Articulate Rise. These provide accessibility features such as open captions, alt text, and the read-aloud to ensure our users are entirely supported, specifically with dyslexia, which sees a growing rate with our newer learners.

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As well as considering accessibility needs and learning persona preferences for ways of working, I also want to create content that continues to adapt to leading trends within the learning industry moving forward.

With this in mind, I would include AI-presented video content, as this assists those with disabilities and neurodiversity.

www.synthesia.io. (n.d.). 10 Reasons Why AI Video is the Perfect Fit for L&D in 2024. [online] Available at: https://www.synthesia.io/post/ai-video-for-learning [Accessed 3 Jan. 2024].

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This section of the project helped scope a variety of learning outcomes that assist in bridging the learner gaps affecting the organisation.

It clarified the end goals we desire our users to accomplish and why they are essential. My project follows a Bottom-up approach as the content is delivered in stages of growing complexity, starting with introductory concepts and building up to greater understanding and implementation.

Some of the main takeaways while reflecting on The Why of Learning are;

1. Keeping the outcomes to top-line detail and not over-analysing and going into too much detail. I found this insightful as it allowed me to boil all the information down while still covering the essential aspects.

2. When creating the learning outcomes, I tried to create these in a way that supported the minimum requirement but allowed scope for proactive learners to continue to upskill and develop themselves to a higher level within these fields.

3. Utilising the information gained from creating the learning personas allowed me to recognise apparent gaps that could affect users. Using these details, I designed and matched the learning outcomes accurately to help counteract these issues.

4. Learning outcomes have been created with SMART theory in mind.

For example - Learning outcome 4 'Understand the "My Competencies" process and how to correctly contribute and interact to be signed off effectively at the end of each stage of your learner journey'.

SPECIFIC

Learners must understand the 'My Competencies' process.

MEASURABLE

Learners will be tested on their ability to contribute and interact through knowledge checks and coach observations correctly.

ACHIEVABLE

Learners will be given support and opportunities to practice throughout the first stage.

RELEVANT
Learners must complete their competencies throughout their learner journey to understand and demonstrate their progress.

TIME-BASED
Learners will complete the 'My Competencies' process at the end of each stage of their learner journey.

5. Acknowledging learners and managers alike won't have the same encounters and experiences, so we must provide support and cover critical aspects of what is expected for each role.

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ADDIE Model - Analysis and LX Design Stage

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ADDIE Model - Analysis and LX Design Stage

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The first part of the project covers the analysis and learning experience design stages of the ADDIE process in detail.

The Who is where the learning personas and preferences are analysed and created based on the user's needs.

The Why outlines the business needs for the training and the Learning outcomes that should be delivered by the training, which are created using Bloom's Taxonomy and the SMART theory in measuring the Learning outcomes.

The What provides a top-level visual of the modular framework and analysis for the module delivery and topics included.

The How offers a deeper look into what learning formats will be used in the course and how the learning will flow throughout their training.