While the emergence of agile methods (Scrum, Lean Startup, Safe,...) first emerged as part of IT projects, many companies have since initiated a profound change in their organizational culture. Vocational training actors are no exception to this paradigmatic transformation, especially since the post-covid era, with its impact on work organization, has revealed the urgent need to accelerate the metamorphosis of training processes and tools.
How do these agile methodologies apply to the very design of training courses? How can the learning function, trainers, training managers or instructional designers make it a new alternative for agile project management and efficient training production? This article offers concrete ways to integrate the agile framework into your training projects and reap the benefits of agile methods in your organization.
Driving by value
A recurring error observed in the field consists in developing an agile training project by assuming its usefulness. When a company arbitrarily anticipates training needs, it is exposed to the risk that these initiatives will prove, in the long run, significantly less relevant than expected.
Identifying critical competencies that truly align with operational imperatives remains a significant challenge. Faced with uncertainty about the usefulness of training, it becomes strategic to innovate in the methodology to capture the priority needs of learners - whether they are project managers, product owners or development teams.
The authoring tool Didask facilitates this cognitive empathy exercise with the learner, by orienting the instructional designer's thinking towards identification of the most frequent mistakes in a professional situation and their tangible consequences. Before responding to unexpressed needs, it is essential to map the gaps that certification or vocational training could fill.
The systematic collection of critical errors makes it possible to prioritize the essential of the accessory and to prioritize the knowledge that generates added value! This approach may require an immersion in the learner's ecosystem to question all stakeholders (experts, managers, employees) about the obstacles encountered, the behaviors to be transformed, and the changes expected post-training.
Effective support for employees in their skills development is thus based on the methodical identification of the problems to be solved and real needs, not simple wishes. This AgilePM approach reflects the essence of the agile manifesto applied to the field of training.
Create educational content in short cycles
Once skills have been identified, the organization of training production becomes crucial. A tenacious belief persists among those involved in training: one that combines educational quality and long production cycles - often extended over several months, or even a whole year.
Instead of engaging in the comprehensive development of a skills development plan or a comprehensive catalog, agility encourages the rapid implementation of educational prototypes, making training more responsive to changing needs. A functional prototype is neither a definitive version nor a draft, but an operational iteration to assess the learning experience and to materialize the chosen pedagogical orientation.
By involving the learner at regular intervals in the creation process, adjustments become fluid and the content is optimized with each sprint. This approach, inspired by the scrum master and the scaled agile framework, radically transforms design dynamics.
To succeed in this transformation, the instructional design method must be refined, efficient and scalable through a clearly defined process. The short formats generated by the Didask authoring tool (modules of 10-15 minutes) facilitate the extraction and deployment of learning units from the first cycles of an agile training project.
It should be noted that adopting an agile posture does not necessarily mean accelerating, although this is often a natural consequence, but rather transforming the approach to continuously deliver value to the learner.
Agility in training also involves the systematic evaluation of results and the assurance that learners have the resources they need for continued progress. To deepen this evaluative dimension, consult The article on measuring pedagogical effectiveness which details recommended indicators and relevant metrics.
Co-building with the learner ecosystem
The creation of quality training requires specific teaching skills, which are rare on the market. This is why this production generally remains centralized within the learning function, responsible for extracting internal or external expertise to develop the necessary content. Production deadlines are then constrained by the resources available in the organization.
Les agile methodologies particularly value collaboration and autonomy, which are essential conditions for success. Thanks to adapted and “field-oriented” educational tools, the company can now develop a decentralized creation approach, mobilizing a wider spectrum of actors. This transformation is perfectly in line with a more global change management approach.
Didask technology supports business experts in the transformation of their knowledge through a structured and repeatable methodology. It automates effective teaching techniques via integrated design templates. Transmitting expertise effectively in e-learning mode is becoming accessible, even without prior training in educational engineering!
This approach makes it much easier for communities of practice to work with, which can quickly create upgrade modules and share them instantly with all the collaborators concerned. Thus, the agile company simultaneously strengthens its capacity to produce content and its flexibility in adapting development paths.
Committing seriously to this path will lead the learning function to disseminate a culture of self-training based on greater autonomy and knowledge sharing between teams. Because integrating more actors into educational design transforms the development of skills into a strategic challenge, where learners become fully actors in their professional progress.
Betting on change...
Although there is no magic solution, these few ideas give guidance to training actors who would like to further develop their agile spirit, and gradually instill an alternative model of thinking and doing training in their organization.
By adopting design tools like Didask, their role could gradually evolve into that of a “guide”, which helps the field and gives teams the means to develop their learning culture with more and more autonomy. And to succeed in this transformation, it is of course important that these new ways of working do not constrain training teams but, on the contrary, inspire them to find the most suitable form for each culture and operational reality.
While it may be uncomfortable at first, applying agile values to training gradually reveals new opportunities for trainers and learners, and develops the organization's ability to create and manage knowledge and skills. What if agreeing to change the way you do training was already embodying agile values?
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