margobedford inte6750 going digital final

From Printed Participant Guide to Digital Delivery By Margo Bedford

Change Proposal: Assignment 1 for INTE6750

The Problem

I am a Senior Instructional Designer at Cherwell Software, an ITSM software

development company. Our flagship product is Cherwell Service Management

(CSM). I am one of two instructors who teach customers the basics of how to use

CSM. The development and maintenance of the training manual for the CSM

class is my responsibility. It is a 750-page document that is also used as source

content for many other smaller courses.

Until December of 2014, we were shipping manuals to every training

engagement. There were a lot of issues with this; here is a list of the main

problems:

We could not guarantee on-time delivery.

We could not control the printing quality, and the occasional error with order placement.

The cost fluctuated between $65.00 and $100.00 per manual not including shipping. Although the cost was not the biggest issue, it was a

pain-point for those we subcontracted with to perform our training.

I can think of many stories that tell the pain we were in with the manual in

printed format, Ill share about one such situation in the fall of 2014. We had a

large class, about 20 students signed up and we didnt have enough manuals in

stock so we placed an order for manuals for each student in the class.

As the instructor, I wanted to check the training room the day before class start

to make sure everything was set up. I walked in the room and saw the huge, 10-

inch thick 3-ring binders on each students desk. I was in shock; I could not

believe we had to actually use these single-side printed manuals that weighed

about 10 pounds each. Due to an ordering error we were stuck with these for the

week. As the instructor I had to put a positive spin on it for the students, so I

offered a PDF of the manual to each student, which made everyone happy.

01/23/15 Change Proposal Going Digital 2

Although I could never figure out exactly why, and almost every student

requested it, we were always discouraged from providing PDFs to students. But

at the conclusion of this class with the monster manuals, only 3 out of 20 of

the students took their manual with them- the rest were left in our training room

for us to figure out what to do with.

After this situation, I did some research and found out that our competitors

stopped printing their courseware for classes around 2013. In light of that, and

the issues we had with printing, my manager decided to take a hard look at

providing our manual in digital format. The benefits included guaranteeing on-

time delivery, no need to control print quality and no more errors with print

orders and finally, the cost was the technology involved to provide a download

and someone to manage that.

Subsequently, in December of 2014 we began providing each student with a PDF

of the participant guide. Because we did not have a plan in place to address this,

we left it up to the student to figure out how they would view the PDF guide

during class, whether on a tablet, laptop or to split the screen on the monitor

they were provided with during class.

There were some unanticipated results to digital delivery. The first was that

students had difficulty obtaining the manual. Because the file was too big to e-

mail we used an FTP site, which was not secure. Some students would change

the password on the FTP site, making it impossible for anyone else to download

the manual. Another unexpected result was issue was that students had a hard

time figuring out the best way to work with the digital manual in the instructor-

led course. This was mainly because they had three key visuals to pay attention

to:

The class demonstrations projected by the instructor, onto a large screen in the front of the room.

The software on each student computer as the lab environment.

A digital PDF of the 750 page participant guide.

The instructors also had the issue of juggling multiple PDF and PowerPoint

documents at the same time. The instructors had asked for some improvements

to the PDF such as adjusting the page numbers so they match the page numbers

in Adobe and also make the table of contents link to the content so when you

click on Lesson 13, you will go to Lesson 13 in the PDF.


The idea for this change project was to improve processes and minimize the

complaints we have had regarding our PDF.

The purpose of this change project is to introduce an alternative option for

customers to use to download the digital manual, and collect usage data.

Improve our digital training manual with technology that would improve the

learner experience with the manual in all of our classes, regardless of mode of

delivery. This change plan will accomplish the following:

1. Find the best download medium for controlled access, easy access, tracking, and analysis and the single location for document download.

2. Find the best format that accommodates the way our students and instructors interact with the participant guide in our ILT, VILT and self-

paced classes. We know our students want links to content from the table

of contents, they want to annotate, bookmark, highlight and take notes

in the document. They also use the document as a reference post-class.

Our instructors want to combine three digital documents into one, if

possible.

3. Determine if there are accommodations we can make for viewing the digital manual in our ILT class.

Planned Intervention

Our decision to move away from printed manuals was driven by customer

requests and logistics issues to move away from uncontrollable printing and

delivery issues and costs. Our digital delivery effort began in December 2014

with a PDF accessed via a non-secured FTP site.

The intervention will result in delivering the following:

- A more secured, central location to download the manual.

- Instructions and any necessary information for downloading.

- A communication to existing learners to inform them how to download the latest version of the manual.


- A person to administer and maintain the download.

- A person to reformat the PDF into the desired format. This will take at least two weeks of effort.

- A person to collect survey data and turn it into meaningful information and deliver to those who need it.

I will use a framework to discover possible options and technologies to use for

the download and to improve the manual. The framework I will use provides a

lens for viewing technology integration in the classroom. The Substitution,

Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition (SAMR) model (Schrock).

I chose this framework because it focuses on exploring technology to achieve a

goal.

I also like Jonathan Brubakers example of the SAMR model (shown below) as a

simplistic approach to what a cup of coffee could be. His illustration compares

the drinks a person could order from Starbucks and the coffee he or she could

make at home.


The first two levels in the SAMR model focus on enhancing the task or printed

manual.

The first level, Substitution takes the same task (printed manual) and replaces it

with new technology, a digital manual. The result is to use digital technology as

a direct tool substitute with no extended options beyond what the student could

do with a printed manual such as being able to easily access it, highlight text,

and add simple notes in the margin.

The second level, Augmentation takes the same task (printed manual) and

increases the functionality. Some possibilities of augmentation could be the

ability to keep the participant guide updated and anyone who has access to it

digitally receives notification to download the latest version. Another

augmentation could be to perform searches for words, and phrases, to annotate,

and add extensive notes in their own version of the digital document.

The next two levels in the SAMR model are focused on transforming student

learning.

The Modification level redesigns parts of the task (printed manual) in order to

transform the students learning experience. An example of this might be to

digitize the manual in such a way that the students interact with it. For example,

a student clicks play on a demonstration video in the manual to view one-minute

demonstration and then performs the same task in the lab environment. Or, a

student must make a selection on a page in the manual; he or she has three

options. The options are levels of depth of instruction: beginner, intermediate,

and/or advanced. The student explores each one and learns how an object is

created in each level of expertise. This helps when a class has a mixed audience

of beginners and advanced students.

The Redefinition level creates and designs new tasks that were once

unimaginable. An example of this might be to allow multi-students interactions

where the starting point is a lab accessible through the manual that opens an

exercise that assigned students participate together to solve a software riddle or

puzzle. It enhances the learning experience as students learn from each other

and explore different solutions together. An example of this technology is online

gaming.

For this change proposal, these options were explored as viable possibilities

using interactive eBook technology, integrated with a learning management

system. It was determined that this would take advanced talent and resources,


but it was acknowledged that all of these options were doable. The graphic

below depicts the explanations for each of the phases in the SAMR model

explained above.

S A M R

Take the printed

manual and

replace it with

new technology,

i.e., a digital

manual such as a

PDF.

Take the printed

manual and

increase the

functionality to

searching,

hyperlinks,

annotate, adding

extensive notes,

and students

always have

access to the

latest version.

Take the printed

manual and

redesign it to be

interactive. For

example, a

student clicks play

on a button in the

PDF and a

demonstration

video opens to a

one-minute

demonstration.

The student then

performs the

same task in the

lab environment.

Take the printed

manual and

redefine it as an

eBook and create

interactions where

the starting point

is a lab accessible

through the

manual. It

connects to the

LMS through an

API. It groups

participants online

together to solve

a software riddle

or puzzle not

unlike online

gaming. It

enhances the

learning

experience as

students learn

from each other

and explore

different solutions

together.

After research and exploring the possibilities using the SAMR model our team

began to accomplish each of the goals. My role in this intervention was to assist

with testing and implementing the new options, and to keep the FTP site (which


was a patch) working until the solution was in place. It was also my job to

collect data and keep leadership apprised of progress and issues.

The timeline for the first phase is provided below:

February 1, 2015 Evaluate technology to replace the FTP site download.

February 5, 2016 Begin to investigate alternative document format options

for format (besides PDF).

February 20, 2015 Secure resources to implement the technology that

replaces the FTP site download.

March 10, 2015 Implement the replacement for the FTP site download.

March 10 2015 Begin to evaluate the PDF site replacement.

March 15, 2015 Select the replacement for the PDF format.

April 1 2015 Implement the PDF format replacement.

April 10, 2015 Evaluate the replacement for the FTP format.

April 10, 2015 Continual improvement to the digital format of the

Manual. A planned cutover to eBook is being planned!

Evaluation Plan

The success of this project can be determined through the following:

1. Collect in-person updates. Once the new download technology and process are implemented check in every couple of days with the


coordinators on our team to determine whether there are any issues

downloading the manual.

2. Modify the class survey. Once the PDF replacement is in place I added a question to our student survey to determine the overall satisfaction with

the PDF manual, and capture student thoughts on improvement.

3. Once the change project has been implemented I provided survey results to my leadership.

Expected Findings

I expected that this Change Project would be successful but continue to evolve

as we continually discovered new technology to make our manual more

interactive for students and continue to make it more accessible and easy to

download.

Potential Issues

An issue I envisioned early on was that we would find a better technological

solution part way into implementing the selected solution. This is a common

progress in the high-tech industry. Ultimately we let leadership make the call as

to whether to stop what we are doing and test the new solution, or to keep going

and test the new option when the open window presents itself.

Implementation

We determined the FTP site solution and proceeded to implement it. The original

goal was:

1. Find the best download medium for controlled access, easy access, tracking, and keeping the document current.


One of our instructors took on the task to test out a theory he had. He pitched

his idea to us and we tested it and it worked. Our team (the Learning Services

Team) decided to use our current learning management system (LMS) as the

vehicle to deliver the digital manual. Existing students already had accounts and

could easily access the current release. New students would be added eventually

anyway, but with this new process they would be added sooner. This provided a

way to control access to the manual through account management, and to track

who actually downloaded it. This technology and process provided a single place

that everyone goes to in order to access the most current, up-to-date version of

the manual. As long as someone attended one of our classes, they could access

the manual on the LMS.

The PDF replacement was discussed at length and we decided to stick with PDF

in the short-term. The original goal for the PDF replacement was:

2. Find the best format that accommodates the way our students and instructors interact with the participant guide in our ILT, VILT and self-

paced classes. We know our students want to annotate, bookmark,

highlight and take notes in the document. They also use the document as

a reference post-class.

In the short-term we stayed with the PDF format of the manual. This allowed

students to highlight, add comments and perform searches in the manual. Also,

the LMS provided a single place to obtain the most current version of the

manual, allowing students to access the latest version post-class. The actual

change we made was to add instructions during the download process that

explained how to add comments and search within a PDF document.

Finally, in the long-term we planned to develop the manual into an eBook that

incorporated HTML5 and Flash for interactivity. This would enable a more

interactive manual for VILT and self-paced students.

The last goal involved a better viewing experience for students in our live

instructor-led classes. The only reason we needed to augment the monitors we

already had in the classroom was because of the new need to view the

participant guide on a monitor. The original goal for better viewing was:

3. Determine if there are accommodations we can make for viewing the digital manual in our ILT class.


To achieve this goal we installed dual monitors as a normal configuration for

each students lab environment in our live instructor-led classroom. We are

communicating to VILT and self-paced students they will need to have two

monitors for an optimal experience with the course.

Findings

The findings of this Change Project were as expected. The LMS download option

worked so well for our customers to obtain their copy of the manual that we will

not be actively looking for an alternative.

When the participant accesses the LMS to download the manual- they are

presented with instructions to interaction with the manual. It explains how to

add comments, search the manual and highlight text. It also explains the access

to download the latest participant guide is persistent as long as their account is

in good standing with our company.

The following new question was added to the course survey for all delivery

modes: Rate your satisfaction with the process for obtaining the course

materials. All ratings ranged from Satisfied to Very Satisfied. Considering this

was a pain point prior to this Change Project, this was highly successful.

The following question was added to the course survey concerning the digital or

PDF manual forma: Rate your satisfaction with the manual in PDF format. The

scores for February and March were all Satisfied and Very Satisfied. We attribute

this to the successful delivery process for the download and the instructions for

efficiently using the manual during class.

Conclusion

Using this process from Change Proposal to Change Report was very helpful for

making sure we didnt miss anything. Brainstorming with the SAMR is now our

teams favorite way to explore technical possibilities. The replacement for the

FTP site download was a success. Using the LMS meant we could track who


downloaded the manual and when. Additionally, this helped our processes by

getting students into the LMS earlier in our processes, which really proved to be

successful. Students were exploring the free offerings in the LMS improving their

preparation and readiness for class.

The PDF manual is still not ideal. After a lot of research and brainstorming, our

team came together and decided than an interactive eBook was the best possible

outcome for our manual. The reason for this is because the demand for our self-

paced and virtual offerings are increasing, thus the need for a more interactive

manual that augments the limited teacher and peer interactivity. For example,

we envision creating a puzzle of one of our software screens that is solved when

each student solves the problem to reveal their piece of the puzzle. Each student

must solve his or her own puzzle piece.

The data we are capturing as a result of these two key changes (download from

LMS and more communication re how to use the PDF) is very positive. After only

one real month of data and feedback (March) we are determine this was the right

plan and path.

Robinson (2009) asserts there are five qualities that determine the success of an

innovation and make them spread more quickly than others:

1. Relative advantage

Our project emerged with great success. It afforded our customers with

advantages such as customers getting being provided with an LMS account for

Cherwell University right when they sign up for a class. This immediate access to

our LMS is new. Previously they did not get an account unless they purchased

online training- many customers have not purchased that but they did pay for an

instructor-led CSM class. Now they get the account right when they sign up for

the CSM class and this access provides them with additional learning options

that they previously didnt have access to.

With this great success, we will be using our LMS to deliver other larger training

materials.

2. Compatibility with existing values and practices

The new LMS download and instructions that accompany the download are

consistent with our customer-centric approach. This accommodates a need,

making it easier for customers to obtain a copy of the CSM manual. Although


this document format is not one we all entirely love, we are working on an eBook

that will continue to improve and enhance our customers learning experience.

3. Simplicity and ease of use

This was probably the easiest quality to explain. This solution was so much

easier for our customers than download from FTP site. This ease of use plus the

additional training customers now have access to makes this solution a success.

This is also evidenced with very few questions about the download, and how to

use the PDF of the manual

4. Trial ability

We were able to test both options extremely quickly and determined these

options would work will for our customers and work well within our own teams

processes.

5. Observable results

The fact that we receive 90% fewer questions (or complaints) about the

download, and the manual from the day we launched is amazing. We would have

an average of one question or complaint per day. Now it is less than one per

week. This truly is a success indicator.

Ultimately our team is pleased with our results, but determined to make it even

better.


Resources

Les Robinson, (2009). A Summary of Diffusion of Innovation, Enabling Change.

Retrieved from

http://www.enablingchange.com.au/Summary_Diffusion_Theory.pdf

Jonathan Brubaker, (2013). SAMR Model Metaphor. Retrieved from

http://techtipsedu.blogspot.com/2013/11/samr-model-metaphor-mistakes.html

Kathy Schrock, (2015). Resources to support the SAMR model. Retrieved from

www.schrockguide.net/samr.html).

margobedford inte6750 going digital final

Documents

training manual

csm class

digital delivery

printed manuals

large class

training room

time delivery

digital format