Success Factors for Blended Learning in Companies

Success factors for Blended Learning in companies -Report from the practice from EADS Learning Shared Services

Kristy ANAMOUTOU

Success factors for blended learning in companies - Kristy AnamoutouPage | 2

Table of Content

1 Our company

2 Our organization

3 Success factors for blended learning

4 An illustration of success

5 Conclusion


Our company

ABOUT US

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services.

In 2009, EADS generated revenues of € 41.7 billion and employed a workforce of about 118,000.

The Group includes Airbus as the leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft, with Airbus Military covering tanker, transport and mission aircraft, Eurocopter as the world's largest helicopter supplier and EADS Astrium, the European leader in space programmes from Ariane to Galileo. Its Defence & Security Division is a provider of comprehensive systems solutions and makes EADS the major partner in the Eurofighterconsortium as well as a stakeholder in the missile systems provider MBDA.

Defence & Security

Astrium

Eurocopter

Military Transport Aircraft Headquarters - Innovation Works - Others

Airbus


Our organization

Our mission is to deliver customer focused, best practice,

best priced services in learning for EADS.

Learning

TransactionsLearning

DeliveryLearning Expertise

Project management, solution design and specific domain

consultancy to meet new training needs and adapt

learning programs.

Logistical support to perform training sessions.

Administration services to implement and manage the training activities.


Success factors for Blended Learning

� The knowledge of our organization


Success factors for blended learning –Knowledge of our company

THE WAYS OF LEARNING

As a leader in aerospace and defence, our core expertises requires specific and high levels of training.

To cover the requirements of the business, we sustain a close relationship with the projects and the various experts.

Most of the units developed their own tools to sustain their knowledge, but they also try to organize the transfer of it internally.

To ensure right balance between the formal and informal learning periods, ELS informs itself constantly of the initiatives and projects linked directly or indirectly to learning.

Eurocopter, NH90 Tiger module

EADS Innovation Works, APOSDLE “learning @ work” platform


THE LEGACY SYSTEMS FOR LEARNING

Prior to the development of ELS, different structures managed the learning deliveries in each division.

The blended learning offer was different from a division to another one. It was mainly based on the support dedicated locally to the e-learning*.

Despite the various LMS running in the group, few of them supported web-based training or the organization of virtual classroom. Moreover, only few initiativeswith a limited scope developed those ways of learning.

During this period, the business requirements about Blended Learning were attached to a simple level – providing the opportunity to the learners to experience “online learning”.

Airbus - Structure Academy,MOS Chorus

Airbus - ICT Academy, Moodle

EADS DS – MAS, SumTotal Airbus France, SAP

Astrium France, E-léo



THE FIRST PRACTICES IN BLENDED LEARNING

Most of the blended learning offer was built with external providers in the frame of training programs dedicated to a specific target population.

The blended learning happened in various ways, it could concern the delivery methods in used (classroom, conferences, seminars, web-based training, coaching…) or the full cycle of training engineering (i.e. DS Germany developed a process from the training needs analysis to the evaluation phase).

Concerning the e-learning, we can notice that we benefit from the experience of the “customer services” offer. We developed a range of e-learning modules for our external customers which covered our products and services.


EADS HQ, Corporate Business Academy

Eurocopter,

Vital

EADS HQ, Change management e-learning

EADS DS FRANCE, Isle of security


“From the knowledge to the expertise”

In July 2007, ELS was established, after the EADS Executive Committee decision, with theresponsibility:

•to organize and deliver training services; •to provide transparency in the HR Organization;•to promote the integration of the EADS group and; •to bring coherence with the EADS group strategy and HR activities.

It is the objective of ELS to constantly reduce the cost of learning – until the most efficient cost/benefit ratio is reached – while meeting the divisional training needs with high quality.

ELS’ vision

By providing one catalog, one process and one tool, ELS will ensure customer focused, best practice, always available and from everywhere accessible learning.

ELS’ strategy

The strategy ensures that ELS will achieve its vision by:•Concentrating on EADS’ business needs;•Challenging its own competitiveness compared to market and baseline;

•Staying informed of legal, process, and technical innovation in learning.


The expertise in learning

THE DEPLOYMENT OF STANDARDS

The development of the new group LMS gives us the opportunity to set standards regarding learning, specially new ways of learning (i.e. web-based training materials).

Behind those standards, the business objectives are to establish a technical basis of communication between the LMS and the future digital training materials. Also, to guarantee that we will benefit the most from the future training materials.

The guiding principles of those standards are:

– Accessibility

– Adaptability

– Durability

– Interoperability

– Reusability



THE DEVELOPMENT OF PILOTS

In order to demonstrate the added value of the blended learning, we need to support it by projects that have specific characteristics:

– a wide scope (quantity is important to ensure a cost-competitive solution with regards to the traditional training);

– a target population which is representative of the future End-Users of the blended learning;

– a strategic axis for the company (to benefit from the support of the management).

From the business side, we take the opportunity to diversify the ways of training, we support projects that have an impact on the mid-term and the long-term on the ways of working.

EADS, Engagement Survey e-learning (tailor-made solution)

EADS, Project Management e-learning (on the shelves solution)



THE PROCESS TO BLEND THE LEARNING

The pilots supported us to build a process where we ensure to blend different learning methods to find the best mix for the project needs.

In each phase, we identify the actors and the deliverables needed to build a tailored project which fit with the target audience, project’s budget and business objectives.

Analysis Design Production Deployment Follow -up

ELS Learning ExpertELS Learning Expert

Project team

ELS Transaction

Project team

ELS Learning Expert

Training strategy

Business case�Course outlines & curricula

Storyboard�Training materials

Pilot�

ELS Learning Expert

Training modules� Updates & Maintenance�

Analysis Design Production Deployment Follow -upAnalysis Design Production Deployment Follow -up

Project team ELS Learning Expert

Training strategy

Business case�Course outlines & curricula

Storyboard�Course outlines & curricula

Storyboard�Training materials

Pilot�

Project team

Training modules� Updates & Maintenance�


“From the expertise to the networking”

The learning expertise services resides in ELS and the subject matter expertise in the divisions .

In general and very simply speaking, subject matter expertise is what is taught and learning expertise is how it is taught. In other words, a subject matter expert is a person who has profound knowledge in a specific topic; a learning expert has the ability to put together an effective learning program from a pedagogical perspective using exactly that knowledge of those topic experts.

The learning expert The subject-matter expert


The networking for Blended Learning

THE BLENDED LEARNING NETWORK

The blended learning network gathers the variety of experts, managers and persons that have projects related to the practice of blended learning in EADS. It’s an international and transdivisional group that share lessons learned

We have the opportunity to get an understanding of the frame of actions of each participants, but also of the possible challenges that the projects could have.

This is the opportunity to “take the picture of blended learning for EADS” reveals that we delivered a wide scope of services to different partners, such as: public institutions, aircraft manufacturers, national military forces…



THE CUSTOMER ORIENTATION APPROACH

ELS intends to simplify the actions around the training project. We have a dedicated focal point for Blended Learning topic.

Also, we operate from 21 locations in Europe to be close to our customers.

Learning Design

Training Provider

Finance & Controlling

Learning Transactions

You Your ELS focal point

1 focal point

for learning

Procure-ment

With ELS:



THE CONTRIBUTION TO OTHER AREAS

The blended learning projects concern a large scope of training domains, moreover they require a partnership with other areas in the company (IT, Security, Communication…). Theses partnerships are mandatory to ensure a smooth deployment of the future projects.

Otherwise, the opportunity to bring new ways of learning could be the results of the best practices or tools made by other departments. To benefit the most of internal initiatives, we contribute to different working groups organized by another HR department (Knowledge management, Internal communication) or a business unit (Airbus learning committee).

The state of blended learning practice in a company is the reflection of the activities running in the company.

ASTRIUM – Knowledge management tool, video platform to share experience

Airbus – collaboration tool, Wiki


“From networking to knowledge “

Prior to the networks existing around blended learning practices, EADS has founded a larger network of employees working in the Learning & Competences areas.Once a year, this network meets to exchange about the important actions and trends in their respective fields. This network facilitates the communication around blended learning and provide us an original support to attract new projects.


An illustration of the road to success


Conclusion

The road to success is a common journey between ELS and its customers, we base our actions on the existing experience of the company and the added value that our learning expertise could bring to the business.

Given the variety and complexity of the topics that we manage, we can’t limit our scope of actions to the learning department. Thus, our networking activities support us.

Documents

Success Factors for Blended Learning in Companies