Back to the Roots: Do you need a tech, tools, or training solution?

Audience Level: 
Intermediate
Institutional Level: 
N/A
Special Session: 
Blended
Leadership
Abstract: 

You hear about challenges and issues and know there’s a gap. There is tangible evidence: data is late or missing altogether, comprehension scores are low, engagement is down, help desk tickets are rising. You have a library of solutions to pull from. You can employ further training, enable new tools, or fix a tech-related issue.  Which direction do you go? How do you effectively problem solve if you don’t know where the root of the problem lives?

Extended Abstract: 

The first step is asking the questions, lots of questions and digging down deep to uncover the root of the issue: is it rooted in technology, tools, or training? Let’s take an example: A course shows that average grades are in the 60% range. The program manager reaches out because she’s concerned… something must be wrong with the LMS. Hmm? You take a deeper dive and notice that many assignments are incomplete or ungraded. What may seem like an LMS issue may actually be solved through hands-on training with instructors or creating an LMS introduction for students to better understand the platform. There’s always a solution but it might just require some digging first. I’ll take you on my journey as the Online Learning Lead and one of two global LMS admins for a global education non-profit serving 20,000 learners each year in 17 countries. I’ll share our journey of developing concrete solutions to real-world L&D challenges. It’s time to get a bit messy, let’s get back to the roots!

In this session, you will learn:

  • How to a identify a problem, issue, room for innovation/improvement

  • How to dig deeper to decipher whether the root exists in tech, training, or tools and use data and inquiry in your quest for a solution

  • How to build a team who can propose and launch concrete and pointed solutions that get to the root cause

  • How to get others aligned with and invested in solving for the root cause 

  • How to follow-up and evaluate the impact of your solutions

Conference Track: 
Research, Evaluation, and Learning Analytics
Session Type: 
Education Session
Intended Audience: 
Administrators
Design Thinkers
Faculty
Instructional Support
Training Professionals
Technologists
All Attendees