Over the past few weeks I have been posting about the Learning Burst method. In today’s post I share the first 2 steps I use to create Learning Bursts. Additional steps to follow in the next few weeks.

Step1: Determine if content is appropriate for a Learning Burst. Consider what skills you are training, and how you want your employees to use those skills in their jobs. Answer the questions below and decide if you have a candidate for Learning Bursts.

• How many employees need to be trained? How quickly? Learning Burst work well with larger number of employees so that he savings are realized. However, I have done sessions with 5-10 people and it works well.
• What is the geographic distribution of the participants? Learning Bursts work well when the participants are spread over many geographic areas.
• Can Learning Bursts be used in conjunction with the face-to-face training you currently use? This method works very well to provide participants with foundational knowledge of concepts – this reduces face-to-face time or allows more time for application practice.
• Is the culture ready to make Learning Bursts a success? If your culture already is or is ready to use alternate forms of training then Learning Bursts have a chance of success. If not, you may not want to use Learning Bursts.
• Can the content be broken in small independent pieces? Each Learning Burst has a target length of 20 minutes (listening to the audio and completing the workbook). This lends itself to each burst being a single topic or concept. If your training content can be broken down into small, single topic segments, then it is a good Learning Burst course.

Step 2: Conduct Learning Burst Needs Assessment. Learning Burst needs assessment is similar to the ones we have all done. I view needs assessment as a data-driven process. The data you collect, analyze, and interpret provides you with the idea of the performance needed from trained employees. Data can come from interviews, surveys, observations, focus groups, product samples, and a wealth of other sources. In general, it’s a good idea to have data from multiple sources, making “triangulation” possible and avoiding sampling errors.

In my needs assessment, I want to know the following:

• What business problems or challenges exist for which Learning Burst is a potential solution?
• What functional areas within the organization does each issue impact?
• What value would be realized if the issue was eliminated?
• Is the management/executive team of your organization aware of and recognize each issue?
• Has a timeframe been established for addressing each issue?
• Which issues are “high priority” versus “medium” or “low?” Why?
• What is the current employee performance associated with the issue? What should it be? Is the gap due to knowledge or skill?
• How is a Learning Burst solution tied/aligned with the company strategy/annual operating plan?
• What classroom solutions that currently exist that Learning Bursts could replace?
• Who are the decision makers in terms of selecting, approving a Learning Burst solution?
• Who will be involved in implementing any proposed solutions?
• How will the success of the Learning Burst initiative be measured?

Step 3: Develop the design document for a Learning Burst course. The instructional design document provides detailed instructions on how to build the Learning Burst course, but it doesn't contain any actual course content; it's similar to an architect's blueprint or a software engineer's design document. The instructional design document will perform the following tasks:

1. Describe the overall learning approach (in this case using Learning Bursts)
2. Identify instructional media choices (in this case audio segments with a corresponding workbook component)
3. Cluster and sequence of the learning bursts.
4. Describe learning burst exercises, activities, case studies/simulations, and assessments

The elements that I usually include in a Learning Burst design document are:

• Target audience
• Business case
• Storyboard the content into bursts – I use a Mind Mapping technique. For each learning burst in the storyboard I include:
  • Title
  • Topic/content
  • Stories
  • Application examples
• Course Objectives
• Course Description
• Delivery via Learning Bursts: Audio segments (mp3), Workbook (pdf), Simulation - optional (java), Case study - optional (pdf)

The benefits of using an instructional design document with a learning burst course are:

• Ensures that the design concepts are cohesive and complete
• Present the proposed training solution to the client
• Invite feedback about the design
• Provide instructions to other training specialists who may work on the development phase of the learning burst project

Step 4: Create audio segments. The audio segments are 8-10 minute two-way conversation between and host (moderator) and the subject matter expert (SME). They are single topic where the host asks questions and play the role of the learner. The SME teaches the topic via story telling and conversation with the host. Listen to a sample of an audio from a Learning Burst course.

The design (flow) of the audio segments is:

• Welcome by SME
• Welcome and introduce topic by host
• Dialogue about what will be covered in the audio and its benefits (tell them what are going to learn and why it is important)
• Conversation that teaches the topic – use story telling as often as possible. Include many "How to" tips.
• Review what was covered in the audio and the key learning points
• Close

Here are the specifications/notes I use when recording audio segments:

• Script – Use outline not a script. This is a conversational between the host and SME. You want the conversation as natural as possible
• Can record 6-8 audio segments in a 5 hour session
• Equipment – very simple: 2 high quality headsets, PC (I use a Mac Book Pro, audio recording software (I use Sony Sound Forge or WavePad)
• You will need a quiet room but it is not necessary to be in a sound studio)
• Record the audio segment twice and then you can edit and splice the best from both into the final piece. It usually takes me about 45-60 minutes to edit one audio.

I then edit the audio and add introduction music and ending music. I purchase royalty free music to use.

Step 5: Create the workbook. A Learning Burst is made up of 2 components: the audio cast the accompanying workbook. The workbook completes the learning burst content an adds to the topics taught in the audio segment.

Each workbook chapter is divided into small sections called “Key Learning Points” (KLP). A KLP is one topic or concept being taught – the main point here is to keep the copy (text) short and right to the point (maintaining the concept of burst learning). In the example that follows, 2 KLPs are shown.

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Whenever possible, use charts graphs, and pictures to aid teaching of the KLP. Here is an example of using this concept in a Learning Burst course.

One of the unique things about a Learning Burst workbook is its interaction points. This is where the learner (reader) stops reading and interacts with the workbook by completing an exercise tied to the KLP. The answer is supplied so that the learner can check their work. The idea behind this design element is to have the learner stop for a moment and apply what they have learned. An example of an interaction point is:

Here is a complete KLP with a chart and an interaction point. Notice the short length of the KLP.

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So a Learning Burst chapter is made up of 5-8 KLPs which provide additional content to the associated audio cast. Each chapter also has a 3-question multiple choice quiz for the learner to complete. This is just another way to build the content for the learner.

The answers to the quiz are provided in the workbook appendix – here we show why answers are right and why they are incorrect.

Finally to aid the learner in action planning we show them an example of how what they have learned in the Learning Burst can be applied to the workplace; then we ask them to complete their own action plan.

Workbooks are an integral part of the Learning Burst method to training.