Change, Cultural Difference And Competitiveness:Innovative diversity e-learning in the Finnish customer service sector

Dr Alan BruceUniversal Learning Systems, Ireland

Teemu Patala,Ari KetolaContext Learning Finland

EDEN, Gdansk: June 2009

Contexts of Change

• Globalized realities

• Demographics and free movement of labour

• Intercultural dynamics

• Gender, disability, ageing

• Rights, recognition and equality

• Workplace challenges and customer change

• Towards managing diversity

Practicing diversity management

• Learning, creativity, communications and change

• Skills, knowledge and attitudes

• Prejudice and conflict

• Legislative compliance and corporate image

• Pro-active response to a changing world

• Getting benefit from difference

Developing the learning

• Innovative partnership: ULS and CLF

• Thinking globally - acting locally

• Identified topics: ergonomics, universal design, equality, management

• Aims

Develop awareness of difference and diversity as it affects the modern workplace

Familiarize staff with the themes and principles of diversity

Develop comfort in dealing with difference

Course design

•The primary objective is to impact the user’s attitudes and this way improve their learning in the course topics

•Advanced elements of pedagogical multimedia are used as building blocks

•Realistic photo animations are used - the course looks and feels familiar

•Real-life stories and case examples to bring the learning experience close to everyday working life

Further design

• The courses support many interactions which make learning an engaged experience for the user

• Being able to experiment with the course and learn through trial and error improves the quality of learning

• Courses can be edited and updated without special technological know-how (basically anyone can do this)

Course management and delivery

•Courses can be used for self-study purposes or in combination with classroom training

•Network delivery and a highly advanced content management technology makes it possible to update the course content very easily

•A test can be included in the course to check what the user has learned, test and scores can be tracked for records

•Tracked user data can be used for student follow-up or transferred to training management or HR systems

•Various tracking modes can be used based on need

•Courses can be used through company intranets or via the www.changelearning.eu service.

Developing learner buy-in

• Establishing relevance

• Structuring individual responsibility

• Engaging materials

• Real life frameworks

• Avoiding blame or judgment

• Focus on potential benefit (individual and corporate)

Diversity as competence

• Not a ‘soft’ issue

• Competence can be quantified

• Focus on customer service

• Dealing with rapid change

• Skills and knowledge

• The challenge of attitude

Positive responses

• Corporate interest intense

• Best practice contexts

• Cost reduction and improved performance

• Business case relevance

• Targeting innovation

• Thinking outside the traditional box - from assimilation to accommodation

Developing new creativities

•Innovative and dynamic partnership: ULS/CLF

•European framework

•Technological adaptability and ease of access

•Facilitated learning and learner support

•Finnish contexts - Irish challenges

•Customer needs

•Application in different contexts

Strategic directions

• Excellence in customer service

• Ergonomics and design

• Access and inclusion

• Security

• Mentoring

• Policing

• Conflict transformation

Key focus

• Innovation

• Responsiveness to change

• Staff competence and empowerment

• Engaging with excellence

• Doing the unexpected - better!

• Content validity and academic rigor

• Customer delight

KiitosslÁinte

thank you

• Dr Alan Bruce

• DUBLIN

• Teemu Patala

• Ari Ketola

• HELSINKI

• www.changelearning.eu