Dedicated to the development and operation of strategically driven training programs for corporate organizations and expertise-based businesses, Learning Path Inc., is taking huge strides in helping businesses hone in on their expertise and produce more quantifiable results.
We were delighted to interview Stephanie Ackley Crowe, founder and Chief Learning Officer of Learning Path Inc., on how Learning Path’s electronic learning programs can leverage business success.
Below is the interview:
1. Explain in a few sentences exactly what e-learning is.
E-learning stands for Electronic Learning. In general, this can be any learning that is electronically enabled. This ranges from webinars done over the Internet, to computer-based learning done on a personal computer from a physical CD, to online learning—which is essentially computer-based learning done over the Internet.
2. Why is it important for a company’s success?
In today’s market, all your clients want more of you—more interaction, more access to your expertise, more value, and more results for their money. E-learning allows you to give lots of interaction, high-value material, and access to and experience with your unique expertise, but in a leveraged way. Instead of one-on-one exchanges, you can convert the high interaction value of a one-on-one experience into a product, which can be shared with a virtually unlimited number of clients.
3. Can you give us some examples of e-learning products that you build and the purpose behind these products?
We have built a web workshop series for coaches, so they can reach a large audience without having to assemble their clients all in one place. We have built online, interactive self-assessment modules that help clients self-select into the right program offerings. We have built process-driven e-learning modules—similar to a self-study type of program—that teach the proprietary methodology of consultants or coaches. We have built interactive case study simulations that teach soft skills and complex thinking.
All of these products have multimedia, narration, exercises, and some have quizzes, music, and even YouTube videos. What all these have in common is the need to reach a large audience, the desire to provide highly valuable and effective transfer of knowledge, and the ability to leverage technology to make it happen.
4. Is e-learning right for every company?
E-learning fits best for companies with unique knowledge, capabilities, or processes that their clients are eager to have. One of my favorite games to play is to take the challenge of someone asking, “but what would I build an e-learning about?” I was recently discussing this with a colleague who runs a sales and marketing company, who didn’t see the value in e-learning for his company. Knowing a little about his business, I identified the unique thing they know that others do not—how to outsource sales—pretty interesting stuff, actually. He was delighted, and a little disappointed he hadn’t thought of it!
5. In your article, “How Do YOU Learn?”, you talk about different learning styles. How do you decide which one of these learning styles is the most effective when you’re building an e-module for a client?
The best learning style to focus on in a given e-learning module is a combination of the audience and the subject. Learning style tends to be similar across job roles, so the first questions to ask are, what is the learning style of people in a specific profession, and what is (or are) the profession(s) of the audience? Demographics can also imply learning styles, such as more mature generations being more likely to read, and younger generations being more likely to be hands-on.
Then, you must consider the subject matter. For example, identifying safety hazards requires using your eyes, so you want the learning to be visual. If you are teaching a process that needs to be implemented, you would need a lot of hands-on exercises. The caveat is this: you actually want to include as many learning styles as you can, without overwhelming the learner. If you cover them all, then you have appealed to every style of learner, and provided value in the learning experience. Therefore, learners are more likely to retain what they have learned.
6. How effective is it for clients to find their exact learning style? Can discovering their unique learning style help in other areas of their life, aside from work?
It’s interesting you ask that question. I use my clients’ learning styles to teach them balance in their instructional methods, since their learners’ styles will not always match their own. But knowing your learning style can also help you discover why certain subjects—or teachers—have frustrated you in the past. Some children do not pursue subjects they are innately talented in, because the teacher had a style mismatch with them. What a tragedy! If you can select learning solutions that match your style, you will learn faster, retain more, and get more out of it. So if you are paying for any kind of coaching or learning for your business, make sure you are getting the most out of your investment, and ask them to teach you the way you learn best!
About Stephanie Ackley Crowe:
Stephanie Ackley Crowe is founder and Chief Learning Officer of Learning Path Inc., (www.learningpathonline.com), an Atlanta-based firm dedicated to the development and operation of high-quality, strategically driven training programs for corporate organizations and expertise-based businesses. Her forte is coaching and leading both corporate and private clients to convert their unique knowledge and expertise into profits.
Ms. Crowe has launched and led multiple corporate and organizational universities, nationwide
and global in scope. Her teams have won American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) Best and Training Top 100 recognition, as well as industry accolades. She has achieved $42 million in revenue through channel-training efforts in her first year, leading the learning function for a global technology firm. She also led a process change team whose efforts resulted in $59.1 million in returns for the company within two years. She has spearheaded groundbreaking training solutions in interactive and blended simulation for soft skills to the academic and corporate markets. Curricula she has designed and developed range from interactive blended learning team simulations to high-technology product e-learning to instructor-led process training.
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