?

Client> Do you have a self-paced online training course we could use to introduce team leaders to AOM as part of our leadership excellence programme?

AOMi> We don’t, but it’s something we’d love to add to our range of products.

Client> Great! We want learners to build and apply practical skills while developing new behaviours and attitudes that they can take back and use in the workplace.

AOMi> No problem. To cover the basics of AOM, users will need to complete approximately 20 hours of study, but we’ll make sure that it’s really engaging, making them want to log on and continue learning.

Client> Sounds perfect! But it needs to be ready for deployment in 3 months’ time...

Active Operations Management International (AOMi) are world leaders in the provision of methodology, tools and coaching to drive performance improvement in back-office and contact centre environments. We have long used eLearning courses to provide convenient, cost-effective and enjoyable learning as part of a blended training programme that introduces the Active Operations Management (AOM™) approach to our clients. Face-to-face business simulation games have also been a popular part of our training offering for many years, allowing team leaders to learn and apply ‘active’ management methods and skills in a challenging but low-risk environment.

But it wasn’t until 2013, when one of our key clients put in an exciting request, that we decided it was time for the two to meet...

To design an innovative solution that would meet the needs of our broad client base, we adopted a ‘Design Thinking’ approach (Figure 1). This iterative development cycle placed users at the centre of the design process, and the concept of ‘ideating’ (rapidly brainstorming varied solutions) encouraged us to think creatively about our brief.

Figure 1. The Design Thinking Process (Institute of Design at Stanford, 2013) (https://dschool.stanford.edu/groups/k12/wiki/6c04c/)

Empathy

• Currentandaspiringteamleaders

• SomeusersnewtoAOM,somewithpreviousknowledge

• Usersgeographicallydispersedacrosscountries,speakingarangeoflanguages

Define

• Learningshouldbetransferabletouser’sownworkenvironment

• Contentshouldbecomprehensive,butwithvariousroutesthroughit

• Usersshouldfeelpartofacommunityoflearners

Ideate

• Gameorsimulatedenvironmenttoallowuserstobuildandpractiseskills

• Rangeofdifferentmedia—video,audio,rapideLearning—tocoverthebreadthofcontent

• Sociallearningenvironmenttoenableuserstoengagewitheachotheranddiscussideas

Given the requirement for an engaging and interactive course and the need for users to develop behaviours that they could transfer to their own workplace, we proposed the idea of a game-based learning environment. However, a mixture of rapid eLearning units, video and audio seemed more suitable for covering the required amount of content and appealing to different learning styles, while social engagement between users would help them to feel part of a community of learners, despite their geographic dispersal.

What we wanted, therefore, was a solution that integrated all of these ideas, and it came in the form of The AOM Experience...

The AOM Experience is set in the world of Foundations Loans and Mortgages (FLM), a fictional company aiming to improve its falling customer service and quality standards through the use of AOM. The experience starts when users apply for the role of Team Leader at the company. Once hired, they meet their new team and are guided through the practices and principles of AOM using presentations, interactive eLearning modules and other online learning materials.

There are eight levels to The AOM Experience, each requiring a higher level of skill than the previous. To progress through the levels and unlock new challenges, users must explore the different locations in the virtual office and interact with a cast of characters, each with their own personality. Discussion forums allow users to interact with each other and, with the support of the course mentors, learn how to apply AOM in their own workplace.

F LM

FOUNDATIONS LOANS AND MORTGAGES

To make The AOM Experience as immersive as possible, we designed a brand for the fictional company, FLM, including a logo, a company history, and fake newspaper articles.

The AOM Experience takes place in a 3D-animated virtual office that users are free to explore while interacting with a cast of employees with individual personalities.

Users are able to navigate around the office using an interactive bird’s-eye view map.

Each area of the office provides different materials and information at each level in the game:

1. Mentor’s Office: where users meet their mentor at FLM, Chiba, who guides them through the experience.

2. Library: this contains fact sheets on the topics covered.

3. Training Room: where users access AOM eLearning modules.

4. Meeting Room: where users view presentations delivered by the AOM Coach, Johansen.

5. Break Out Area: where users talk to other users and AOM mentors through discussion forums.

6. Your Desk: where users meet and interact with their virtual team and attend meetings.

7. Collections Team: where users observe and learn from other team leaders.

8. Manager’s Office: where users attend their interview and find out about their team.

Learning content is spread throughout the different areas of the office. New content appears as users complete challenges or speak to certain characters, but it is ultimately up to the user in what order the materials are completed. The content is delivered through presentations (with audio commentary or subtitles), interactive eLearning modules, fact sheets, video scenarios and discussion forums.

Presentations

eLearning modules

Video scenarios

Fact sheets

The content is grouped into eight levels, each covering a key AOM topic and building on the knowledge and skills gained in the previous levels.

An assignment at the end of each level assesses whether the user has gained the knowledge and skills required to progress to the next level.

LEV

EL 6

LEVEL 8 LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

LEVEL 4LEVEL 5LE

VEL

7

Final test

of AOM

knowledge

and skills

Introduction

Forecasting

Calculations

Managing

Oper

atio

nsVa

rianc

e

to operations

and data inindividual

and planningservice and

cont

rol

analy

sis

Managing

management

AOM

differences

work andquality

and AOM

resource

Discussion forums

Video scenarios

Users can gain points for correctly completing the eLearning quizzes, viewing presentations, and contributing insightful posts on the discussion forums. The points are divided into those for knowledge, skills and experience gained. The three top-scoring users in the cohort are displayed on score boards throughout the game, increasing the motivation of users and encouraging social interaction.

Upon successful completion of the game, users receive the AOM Awareness Certificate—the first step in AOMi’s set of certification and accreditation programmes—which provides recognition of the knowledge, skills and experience gained.

I genuinely enjoyed taking the course…The

format of the training is an inspired break

from the norm. The amount of material

communicated whilst remaining engaging is

excellent, and the game-like nature makes you

want to strive to take as much as possible from

the course. The emails from various members

of FLM, the presentations from Johansen, and

Campbell’s omnipresence in the corner of

the office create a sense that it may be a real

company and you are genuinely being tested

on your skills.

Conor Evans, Research and Development

I strongly believe this is a very effective way to teach

team leaders the AOM approach...I particularly

liked the fact that you managed a team made up

of different personalities, plus your fellow team

leaders had very different approaches. This not

only helped identify good or poor practice, but

also raised the realism of the course. The output

of any service organisation is heavily influenced

by the behaviour of staff, and this was addressed

in the course, which is unusual in eLearning as, in

my experience, they tend to focus on a process,

theory or facts.Dafydd Hobbs, MBA student

I love the whole idea of the course being like a game where you progress through levels, and liked how it suited different learning styles by combining reading material with voiced presentations and tests. I also liked how you could take charge of your own learning, so it was up to you whether you read the material in the library before taking the assignments, for example. I really liked all the interactive elements, especially meeting the characters and completing quizzes within the units. I liked gaining ‘Knowledge’, ‘Skills’ and ‘Experience’ points and seeing these improve as I progressed.Zoe Bentley, Commercial Manager

Prior to its release for client use, we asked three external ‘expert’ reviewers to assess the game and its effectiveness as a learning tool.

The game was released to clients in April 2013 and is now being used by 590 users from four different organisations across the UK and India. Weekly visitor statistics and user testimonials indicate high levels of engagement and transfer of learning.

Google Analytics data for 14–20 July 2013

“”

It has been a great experience doing the AOM simulation as it gives a detailed explanation of each of the topics, what needs to be done, and how it is to be done, step by step. These modules helped us in not only understanding their importance, but how they will help us in various situations. Looking forward to applying these concepts in my work and improving from here on in.

Management Trainee

“”

The AOM Experience and the approaches that are demonstrated here are just awesome. This is incredible training and will definitely bring changes in our personalities as team leaders…Learnings about managing different people, variance analysis, forecasting, planning, control and review are really fantastic.

Team Leader

User testimonials from our first client

At the end of the game, users are invited to complete an anonymous feedback questionnaire. The questions (which include both Likert scale and free-text-response questions) are designed to assess whether the course has achieved its aims regarding both user enjoyment and learning. So far, 42 users from our initial client have completed the questionnaire.

Statement

Response to statement (no. of respondents)

Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat

AgreeSomewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly

Disagree

My operations management skills and knowledge have improved as a result of the course 13 28 1 0 0 0

I can apply the concepts I have learnt during the course in my own environment 16 25 1 0 0 0

The concepts I have learnt during the course have had an impact on my actions at work 12 25 5 0 0 0

I found the course experience interesting and engaging 22 17 3 0 0 0

I enjoyed the experience of taking the course 23 18 1 0 0 0

I would recommend the course to other operations managers 27 15 0 0 0 0

A word cloud formed from user feedback comments Word size correlates to frequency of use

Collated user responses from Likert scale questions

AMOUNT OF TIME

3 M O N T H S

IN DEVELOPMENT

NUMBER OF FTE WORKING ON DEVELOPMENT

NUMBER OF MONTHS

SINCE LAUNCH

CURR

ENTLY IN USE BY

4CLIENTS

IN COUNTRIES

NU

MBE

R O

FLE

ARN

ING

HO

URS

FORUMPOSTS

1004

NUMBEROF

NUMBER OF ENROLLED USERS

FASTEST TIME TO COMPLETE

7 DAYS

HIGHEST ‘SKILLS’ SCORE

USERS ACHIEVEDFULL MARKS INTHE FINAL TEST

100%

PROPORTION OF USERS WHO WOULD RECOMMEND

THE COURSE TO OTHERS

AND COUNTING...+

x %7 9

5+

27