In designing this social media community website for the BBC we have created an interactive mapping application which traces forty years of the regions rich musical heritage. With amazing stories of rock legends playing small village pubs, sound bites pictures and video. User generated content is key and users are invited to share their stories and memories on the website. If you saw the Beatles play the Riverside Dancing Club in Tenbury Wells, The Rolling Stones at the Gaumont in Worcester or went to school with Kidderminster’s Robert Plant go to our website and add your stories.

Due to the nature of the business there is a regular turnaround of staff. Staff induction to the business together with health and safety training is of vital importance but offers huge logistics issues.  Persuaders task was to create e- learning induction programmes that engages and motivates new employees to the business.

Insight

Almost all employees in this business are customer touch points and it’s critical that each employee represents the values of the business.  Understanding workplace health and safety issues, food and personal hygiene standards together with an insight into how to enhance a guests experience are of great importance.

Additionally further awareness into methods of generating additional sales is desirable.  New employees can span the spectrum in terms of age experience, education and social background.

Compliance is also critical issue and a facility was needed that may be called upon to prove that an employee has received the correct training

Solution
A series of dynamic rich media e- learning modules were created using Flash, together with a centralised learning management system that is capable of personalising the learning, tracking learner progress through each of the modules and printing out course completion certificates.

A bespoke modular script and learning journey was developed including voiceover,animation and interactivity.  A personal video from the managing director was also filmed to increase the emotional attachment of the new employee to the business and convey his vision for their role within the business.

Results
Since being deployed throughout the business thousands of staff have used the programme leading to greater time efficiency and fulfilling compliance procedures.  Staff are motivated and understand the aspirations of the business better.  They are  ultimately better trained in procedures and more knowledgeable and confident.

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The Task
Create resources targeting the area of Personal Social Development, for entry level foundation learners on the subject of Parenting Skills.  Create resources that can be used on and offline in a variety of environments for disengaged learners.  The target audience is equally balanced between males and females and is within the age range 16 – 65. Many of whom will be reluctant to learn.

Insight
There are an estimated 17.8 million people in the UK with literacy and numeracy skills below Level 2, equivalent to a A*-C grade at GCSE. The impact on people’s everyday lives of a literacy, numeracy or language difficulty can be enormous. Many of these people need to improve their skills to manage everyday tasks.

Resources need to be highly engaging and capable of grabbing the attention of reluctant and disengaged learners by personalising the learning experience for them.

Creative Challenge

We established that the foundation learning target audience would respond well to learning material that was informal in its nature as they are likely to find it easier to connect with styles that they recognise from everyday life. We are also recognised potential to both alienate and potentially patronise users with large amounts of life experience but who lack basic formal foundations

Solution

Audio is our most natural learning method, after all we have been telling stories and listening to others for a very long time, stories are our oldest way of learning. Thus our solution focused on creating a series of learning products that mimic a talk radio station that informally and effortlessly teaches and challenges the learner via guest experts, stories and callers to the show.  Using this format enabled us to cover topics in a lively, non prescriptive and supportive way through ‘other peoples’ experiences

We created a series of six 30 minute shows that were fully scripted with our content expert Pat Spungin an acclaimed child psychologist and founder of the site rainingkids.co.uk.  Each show focuses on parental issues from pregancy right though to children leaving home and covers issues as diverse as  illness in babies, how to deal with challenging behavioural issues, what to expect from schools, through to eating disorders, drink, drugs and sex.

Each show is anchored by seasoned radio presenter Les Gunn.  He is joined in the studio by a series of scripted guest experts who discuss the shows topic before opening up the phone lines for callers to the show.  These calls provide the framework for discussion and guide the learner around a wide range of topics.

In addition to the audio learners are invited to interact with the station by selecting the callers to the show, they can even change video feeds on the stations webcam.  Following the main body of the show the user is taked with answering multiple choice questions that enforce learning objectives.  There is a high level of accessibility, with access keys, sound and playback controls. There are also subtitles and transcripts available.

Results
The result is a show that learners find friendly approachable and eminently listenable. A talk show format with a touch of humour and irony offering:

• Inspiration and provoking thought
• Direct open and honest
• Supportive and inclusive

In terms of personal learning and thinking skills the radio show format highlights parenting issues with a positive and supportive can do attitude thus boosting confidence and self esteem with our listeners.  Listeners will be helped to make choices within their own personal situation and a guided to take responsibility for those actions.

The programmes are available through the Learndirect learning management system, and via audio only podcast.

‘’A believable experience that addresses common concerns of parents or adults involved with children up to the age of leaving home in an approachable and listenable way.’’

On these BBC sites we have created an interactive quiz application in association with the counselling service Relate.  Based upon a series of animals that we designed and illustrated, the visitor answers a series of profiling questions to learn how they relate to others.

Click here to view the embedded video.