Policies and Procedures - Need Jazzing
Nov 26, 2013
I am creating a policies and procedures module (within our New Employee Orientation eLearning), and find it to be too bland!
Here's what I currently have:
-"Ask a Lawyer"
-The end user goes to a "Library" chooses a policy to look into, a "book," and goes from there.
-The end user then sees a screen with 3-4 questions that you can "Ask the Lawyer"
-After clicking on a question, the "Lawyer" avatar walks the end user through the answer (just an avatar in front of a white board)
-Occasionally a policy warrants a scenario, but not always. If it does, the end user is taken into a scenario with multiple choice to solidify learning.
-The user then gets taken back to the question slide - when the user is finished, they can go back to the library slide.
Please help - getting desperate! How can this be more engaging, or more fun? Not all policies can have a scenario (some are dry), so a story approach has already been attempted, but not successful.
Thanks!
7 Replies
start with the learning points (the behaviours) that you want to develop within the course and work backwards from there...for instance I developed a course on data security where the learner played the part of a detective and had to investigate an office (various items that had been examined by forensics, interviews with 'witnesses/suspects' etc) where a report of a data security breach had taken place. We wanted learners to be able to identify (and think about) actual data security risks they may experience in an office environment rather than the specific legislation covering data security which is already in a policy that forms part of the contract of employment (i.e. should be read!) By focusing on a more practical outcome using a semi-realistic scenario (the office I used was very similar to a typical office in the organisation I work for) I believe the course works better. Much of the information is text-based and not particularly 'flashy', it's the packaging that creates the engagement but also bear in mind that at the end of the day there are only 3 possible interactions with a mouse:
Click
Hover
Drag
So perhaps focus less on the interactivity to start with and concentrate on the story you want to tell that will drive the behaviours you want to develop. I would say that your course sounds pretty interactive in any case and perhaps you're worrying unduly?
If you'll permit me to play devil's advocate, what's better? Your course, or providing new starters with a tick box checklist that they have to sign and send back to HR saying they understand the policies and what is expected of them in the work place?
Hi Jennifer,
I've found the story approach to New Hire/Onboarding orientation to be successful. You are right though that this type material is often bland. A necessity and compliance-driven, but still not that exciting for a new employee to wade through.
Here's a few tips I've discovered over time:
TIP: Think through the *experience* first. Interview existing new hires and ask their input on what they liked/disliked about the current onboaring orientation when it applies to learning about policies. Design that experience first and the rest will fall into place. Staring in Storyline will bog you down and potentially trap you into a corner. Design first. Then Develop.
Hope that sparks some ideas.
Others I'm sure will have even better ideas.
Kevin's response is so much more eloquent than mine but I think the messages are largely consistent...!!
Hi Jennifer! Looks like you are getting some great assistance here
So in taking your advice, I tried to put together a scenario that tries to encompass A LOT (I have two total). Here's one:
Employee A was excited about hernew side job where she can sell appliances from her own home through the HappyHome Goods catalogue. She eagerly downloads the Happy Home Goods software ontoher computer at work and enthusiastically wears her Happy Home Goods apparel atwork. As the holidays are quicklyapproaching, Employee A decides to print flyers and order forms through thework copier during lunch and leaves them near the work room microwaves.Employee A also chose to send out a notice of newly available products on her worklistserv (mass email list) and is eagerly waiting for responses. A few dayslater, someone on the listserv sends an angry email with derogatory language towardswomen. Employee A is stunned and reports the email to her supervisor.
Topics covered:
Software
Personal Tech use
District resources
Dress code
Harassment
Conflict of interest
What you need to know for this situation:
The final question would be what should the employee do (whether the EE is going to role play as a lawyer, hr rep, whatever).
A few questions:
- Is this sufficient?
- How do I go about laying out this scenario? Do I need to try to actually draw out the scenario? (Something to note: My staff work in a school, not in an office building - They have classrooms, not office normally).
Hi Jennifer,
That's a great start to a good scenario where it covers all the topics so to answer your first question, yes it is sufficient.
Reading through your scenario you refer to "Employee A" as to suggest there is an "Employee B" or "C." Kinda lost there.
Laying it out depends on how you want the experience to unfold. One way is to present the scenario in its entirety first. At a high level structure:
This presents the information in context up front. Whether the learner sees/reads something obviously incorrect or not this is an opportunity to get them thinking about proper behavior when it comes to do's and don't's of policies.
Replay the scenario, but this time pause at points in the story where actions are against policy and present the learner with a question. If they get it right offer feedback to reinforce their choice. If they get it wrong, offer feedback that points to the policy and/or consequences.
Step away from the details of how you would develop it and concentrate more on how you would design it. Design the experience. Think through it as if you were the new hire. If possible, attain some un-biased neutral input from existing employees that may only be on the job for less than year. Their insight could prove invaluable.
Hope this helps more.
Thanks Kevin
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