Sticky Knowledge

Positioning the Learner in the Driver's Seat

Cambridge (Massachusetts, USA), November 2006 - The Monitor Group recently created an innovative online corporate-growth solution based on the notion that the learner is the best subject-matter expert (SME) because the real 'subject-matter' in the corporate world is 'what I need to know now'. An entirely new design concept uses a 'non-academic, corporate-friendly' design that leverages the knowledge and intelligence of the knowledge worker by positioning the learner in the driver's seat for both knowledge and decision support", say Jonathon Levy, Senior Learning Strategist.




According to Levy, pathways favoring left-brain or right-brain learning are blended by the user as desired. Existing knowledge and preferred learning styles are highly leveraged, creating significant efficiency and shorter time to task. The program is called World-Class Marketing Strategies (WCMS). Levy: "Initial research in the use of WCMS in the corporate market suggests that empowering the user to control all learning pathways through innovative design, in conjunction with learning chunks that are coherent but short enough to fit into a busy executive's schedule (3-5 minutes), provides more compelling and 'sticky' knowledge."

The design allows users to fully integrate learning with doing in their own individual ways, with all control and content sequencing decisions made by the user. "There is no line between 'learning' and 'performance'," says Levy, "and the user easily and seamlessly navigates between performance tools and knowledge modules as required."

The first program of its kind, WCMS is agile enough to serve several purposes, including orientation, training, corporate alignment, performance support, and decision support. Hands-on futurist and corporate learning expert Jonathon Levy will present a workshop on 29 November from 10:00 - 13:00 titled: "It's not about learning; It's about doing!" that describes these elements and shows others how to create them. He is also presenting a shorter demo on 30 November at 11:45 titled: "Changing the Game: Why the Next Generation of Online Learning Resets Everything to Zero."


The presentations will demonstrate many of the innovative design elements, including recursive simulations in place of branching cases; multiple uses (stand-alone, blended, and collaborative); and several personalized approaches to learning that are all built in to a single integrated online solution.