Project “Mint”EdTech 503 – Final ProjectHeidi WalterEdTech 503December 6, 2015

Table of ContentsPart 1- Goal Statement....................................................................................................1

Part 1- Audience Description.............................................................................................1

Part 2- Analysis Report-Survey and Questions....................................................................3

Part 2- Analysis Report-Results.........................................................................................4

Part 2- Analysis Report-Overall Data Interpretation (including Learner needs)..........................8

Part 2- Analysis Report-Learning Context Description.........................................................10

Part 2- Analysis Report-Learning Context Analysis.............................................................11

Part 2- Analysis Report-Task Analysis..............................................................................15

Part 3- Planning - Rationale............................................................................................17

Part 3- Learning Objectives.............................................................................................18

Part 3- Learning Objectives.............................................................................................20

Part 3- ARCS Table.......................................................................................................22

Part 3- Instructor Guide..................................................................................................24

Part 3- Learner Content..................................................................................................26

Part 3- Learner Content-WBT..........................................................................................27

Part 3- Assessment Materials..........................................................................................31

Part 3- Learner Content-Assessment Examples.................................................................32

Part 3- Technology Tools...............................................................................................35

Part 4- Evaluation Plan..................................................................................................36

Part 4- SME Review......................................................................................................40

Part 4- SME Results and Responses................................................................................40

Part 5- Project Synthesis................................................................................................42

Part 1- Goal Statement**Product Mint is a code name for a new Consumer Credit Card launching at

IniTech. **

After completing an asynchronous WBT and synchronous Instructor-led

product overview and practice session, Learners will use product knowledge and

sales skills with Card Members to:

Promote Card product usage and spend* by communicating the value of the Card product’s reward value to Mint in-bound Card Members

Increase Card Membership by communicating the value of adding Additional Card Members to the Basic Card Member’s account* on all eligible Mint in-bound calls

*The business has not determined Level 4 metrics.

Part 1- Audience DescriptionThere are 3700 Learners who will receive the Product Mint training. The

average CCP has been with IniTech for over 2 years and has a college degree.

The average age and gender is not captured in this report because of Human

Resource constraints.

All Learners are Customer Care Professionals (CCPs) located in the

United States who currently service United States Card Members. The CCPs

take a variety of in-bound calls for United States Consumers who have an

IniTech Credit Card. The CCPs handle calls related to servicing aspects (billing

questions, payments, lost or stolen cards, account maintenance, etc.) as well as

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performing sales offers such as: adding an Additional Card Member to an

account, cross-selling additional products, and product upgrades. In addition to

offers, CCPs also extend relevant messages to Card Members (value of the

product’s reward value, how recurring billing using the card will result in a lot of

reward points, etc.) A business decision has been made to only train United

States-based employees because of the sales component of the training and not

all international locations are equipped from a servicing standpoint or

technological standpoint to complete sales offers. Of the 3700 US-based

employees who require the training, approximately 40% work in a brick and

mortar office location in either Salt Lake City, Utah, or Fort Lauderdale, Florida

and 60% work in a virtual home office location across a variety of different US

locations. The Learners work a variety of different shifts and the Project

Management Office will be scheduling Learners for the training and have already

been notified of the upcoming training and are preparing accordingly.

All CCPs who will be trained on Product Mint will have completed the 12-

week New Hire Onboarding training and will have the necessary background

knowledge and skills needed for Product Mint. However, as uncovered during the

analysis survey, most CCPs are not currently performing sales offers and

therefore have very low will and low skill concerning offering relevant Card

Member offers.

Currently, Learners do not have performance goals related to sales offers.

It’s a business expectations that Learners perform offers, but expectations have

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not been reinforced by Team Leaders nor is the overall ‘culture’ in operations

supportive of sales. Also, the Customer Care Professionals are not motivated

(extrinsically or intrinsically) to communicate the value of a product or perform a

sales offer. This poses a significant risk to the success of the training project and

has been clearly communicated to the business via a Risk Memo. There is a

need for separate up-skilling on all products and sales offers and that will be

handled outside the scope of Product Mint. CCPs will receive classroom training

on sales offers but the training will be very limited in scope because of budget

and time constraints.

Part 2- Analysis Report-Survey and QuestionsPlease find the survey questions here: PRODUCT MINT CCP SURVEY

QUESTIONS.

I surveyed 15 Customer Care Professionals and asked 16 different

questions regarding the following topics: Demographics, Product Knowledge and

Sales Skills, Customer Sales Skills, Post-Training Support, and IniTech Learning

Experiences. The CCPs were surveyed using the Company’s internal on-line

data collection tool: ODCT. The CCPs who were given the survey link were

selected by the Project Management Office and US-based employees were

randomly selected. Note-I was not initially aware that only US-based employees

would be given the survey. The initial assumption was that all CCPs who

serviced US Card Members would be given the survey. It was brought to my

attention after I inquired while reading the survey results that only US- based

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CCPs would be trained on the new product launch because of the sales

component of the training.

Part 2- Analysis Report-Results

All results were captured in an Excel spreadsheet. The results can be

found here: Analysis Results.

Below summarizes the Learner analysis data captured and visuals in the form of

pie charts.

Learner Demographics

The survey asked Learners about basic demographic information. (Privacy

and other HR rules forbid specific demographic/gender/socioeconomic/religious

questions.) Of those surveyed, 67% have been employed at IniTech longer than

6 months and 67% of those surveyed work in a virtual home-office. All Learners

surveyed are US-based employees. Stakeholders confirmed that the product

launch does not impact other country locations who service US Card Members.

Calls will only be routed to CCPs located in the United States.

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67 %

33%

Employment History at IniTech

>6 months <6 months

Product Knowledge and Sales Skills

CCPs were asked about their current product knowledge and sales skills.

87% of those surveyed responded that they lack the needed product knowledge

for the job. Of the two that responded that they were knowledgeable about

IniTech’s products, one indicated that they were personally interested in the

products offered and the other CCP responded that the Company’s Electronic

Performance Support System (EPSS) provides excellent information for them.

90% of the CCPs stated that the Company’s Card products have so many

different benefits that it’s too overwhelming for them to keep things organized.

100% of Learners stated that they do not utilize Card Member spending profile

information when speaking with them during in-bound calls and therefore, are not

able to clearly communicate the value of a given Card product and how the Card

Member can maximize the reward value of their Card product. This is a

significant finding and will be managed as part of a separate Card product

initiative.

5

86%

14% 0.2

Product Knowledge

KnowledgeableNot Knowledgeable

Customer Sales Skills

The survey asked CCPs about how often they communicate relevant product

offers (cross-sell, upgrades, etc.) to Card Members. 100% of Learners

responded that they rarely make offers. As to the reasons why the CCPs rarely

make product offers, the results can be broken down into three key reasons:

1. 53% responded that they were not hired to be ‘sales people.’2. 20% responded that there wasn’t an incentive to sell.3. 13% responded that they did have the needed support to sell.

100% of CCPs indicated that the most difficult offer is a product upgrade and the

easiest is offering an Additional Card Member.

All of the CCPs responded that their Team Leader (TL) does not provide

support through team meetings or calibration sessions. 100% of CCPs indicated

that they would benefit from additional classroom, and TL coaching around

products and sales skills.

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100%

Do you make offers?

Always Sometimes Rarely

Post-Training Support

The survey asked CCPs about post-training support. The majority of those

surveyed want support for at least three months post launch and that the support

should come from Team Leaders, Mentors and the Electronic Performance

Support System tool.

66%

33%

Post-Launch Support

TL, Mentor, EPSS TL

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IniTech Learning Experiences

The survey asked CCPs about different learning experiences, outside of

the Onboarding experience, they have had that has improved their offer

performance. The CCPs all responded that they have had no additional training

experiences outside of Onboarding that has improved their performance results.

The survey asked CPCs about learning experiences that demotivated them and

the most cited demotivating experience is reading EPSS pages.

99%

0.06

Demotivating Learning Expe-riences

Reading thru EPSS Huddles Other

Part 2- Analysis Report-Overall Data Interpretation (including Learner needs)

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The survey results uncovered some key learnings that have been or will

be discussed and addressed with the Stakeholders under separate initiatives.

IniTech has a very experienced and “seasoned” staff, however, training and

attention is not being given to product sales. CCPs are not receiving additional

training after their initial Onboarding experience that is helping them be

successful on-the-job. CCPs at IniTech lack product knowledge and sales skills

needed to be able to communicate relevant offers to IniTech’s Consumer Card

Members. CCPs state that they would benefit from additional training. Motivation

is a key issue that needs to be addressed by the business Stakeholders. CCPs

do not feel that it is their job to be ‘sales people’ nor do they have the support

needed to be successful. Also, CCPs have stated that they should receive

incentives in the form of money for any type of sales work they perform. CCPs

state that they would benefit from additional classroom training around products

and sales concepts. The current approach of having CCPs read through the

Electronic Performance System Support tool is very ineffective and very

demotivating. Another contributing factor to low sales offer motivation is the fact

that CCPs do not have performance metrics associated with offers.

The business needs have evolved, especially over the past 2+ years, and

there is more of a need for sales training than ever before. Product Mint Training

will not be able to close out all of the knowledge and skill gaps that currently exist

and will only focus on one particular product. There are time, budget and funding

constraints that will need to be granted by a separate project funding source. The

business has stated that performance goals and metrics will be communicated

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Q1, 2016, during the training launch and will be communicated by Leadership.

Also, a new incentive program will launch when the Mint product training

launches. The incentive program will evolve throughout Q1 as different products

and offers are added to the monetary incentive structure.

Product Mint training will address product and sales offer needs by

including product training and also sales training. Please note: the sales training

will only be specific to Product Mint as additional product/sales training will be

part of a separate initiative. There will be post-launch support that will include

Training Department resources as well as Team Leader and Mentor support.

This support will continue for three-months post-launch. CCPs will also receive

incentives that will be communicated by Stakeholders prior to Product Mint

training.

Part 2- Analysis Report-Learning Context Description

The Learning events will take place in two separate phases. The first

phase will be a 15-minute self-paced Web-Based Training (WBT) and the second

phase will be a 30-minute question and answer session with the product

Marketing department followed by 2 hours of call demonstrations and role-play

practice scenarios. Learners will be supported by Team Leaders, Instructors and

Mentors who are considered experts in sales offers. Learners will be required to

pass-off on a final role-play in order to become certified in Product Mint. CCPs

will not receive monetary incentives unless they have become certified in Product

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Mint. Learners who do not pass the role-play assessment during their scheduled

pass-off time will follow a remediation plan to become certified and will have 30-

days post-training to become certified or they will not be able to receive their

incentives. (The remediation plan will be supported by the business and not the

Training Department.)

Part 2- Analysis Report-Learning Context Analysis

Performance Context

The training as described in this project will be designed so that it can be

accessed in a brick and mortar location as well as virtually. The WBT will be

available on IniTech’s Learning Content Management System and Learners will

be scheduled for time off the phone to take the WBT. Learners will be scheduled

for 15 minutes and that time allows them to read thru the launch announcement,

log into the content management system and take the WBT. The Performance

Support System will have some product information, but not a lot of details since

the product doesn’t go live until mid-Q1, 2016. (There are privacy concerns with

releases product construct details prior to the live launch. CCPs will have basic

information as deemed necessary by the legal department during training.) The

WBT will be available for Learner remediation at any time. The classroom portion

will be scheduled no sooner than 3 weeks prior to the product launch. Time off

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the phone will be managed and organized by IniTech’s Project Management

Office. All of the physical classroom locations will have a laptop and projector.

Virtual employees will log into Adobe Connect and have a specific conference

line to dial into. All virtual learning specialists are certified to deliver virtual

classroom instruction.

Learning Context

The scope of the instruction is product training that will be delivered in two

separate events. First, Learners will all be required to complete a WBT that

covers the basics of the new Card product including: product type, rewards and

benefits. This training will be taken asynchronously and launched using the

Learning Management Content system. Following the WBT, all Learners will be

required to attend a 2-hour session to have any outstanding questions answered

and to practice applying their knowledge and sales skills in a safe environment

via role-plays.

The knowledge and skills used will be on the phones with in-bound US

Consumer Card Members who are existing Card or new Card Members who

have the new Card product. The Customer Care Professionals have an

Electronic Performance Support System that will have the basic Card product

information included at the moment of need for any type of product related

questions. Also, Team Leaders will be trained and are available to offer their

CCPs support via in-person or instant messaging. After the product launches,

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the call volume is expected to be quite high for the new product and Learners will

be made aware of that fact. Marketing has stated that there will be a new ad

campaign that will be running around key holiday shows. Marketing will also been

travelling around to the different service center sites communicating the new

Card to all of IniTech’s employees. This product awareness campaign by the

Marketing department will be very beneficial to the CCPs. According to Situated

Learning Theorists-“the most successful learning takes place in the same context

in which it is applied.” Location 1805, Lockee and Larson, Kindle Version. “The

degree of similarity or alignment between the context of learning and the context

of use (performance) will impact how easily the Learner will be able to transfer

and apply the knowledge and skills learned.” Location 1805, Lockee and Larson,

Kindle Version.

The training will be designed using the following Andragogical

approaches: Learner Controlled and Constructivist. The CCPs will have support

through the Company’s Electronic Performance Support System and also Mentor

and Team Leader support throughout the launch.

The WBT will be created for the CCPs and they will take the WBT at their

own desks. Some Learners will take the WBT via their home-office and some will

take the WBT at the brick and mortar location. The Instructor-led portion will be

delivered virtually via Adobe Connect or via in-person at a brick and mortar

location. There are two primary in-person delivery locations: Fort Lauderdale and

Salt Lake City. All locations have training delivery rooms equipped with

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computers, and telephones. All of the delivery locations have technology

equipped to handle visuals, call recordings, and other delivery mediums needed.

The WBT will include call type scenarios for the CCPs so they can hear a mock

conversation between a Card Member and a CCP for two of the top call types

that are expected. The classroom portion of the training will include other top call

types as identified by the business so the CCPs have hands-on practice. The

instructor-led role-plays are designed for small groups-consisting of no more than

three learners per group. One learner will play the role of the Card Member, one

person will play the role of the CCP and one person will evaluate the call using

the pre-defined call calibration worksheet.

There will be a final role-play assessment. The assessment will be pass or

fail. All Learners will be evaluated by a Mentor or Learning Specialist. If a Learner

does not pass the role-play, there will be a remediation plan that will be

conducted by Operations.

Cultural Context

All Learners are familiar with the delivery methods that will be used for this

training. WBTs are commonly used for new product launches and role-plays are

also commonly used because there is not a simulated system for our Learners.

Theoretical Context

I reviewed the Learner Analysis results with the business and raised the

risk involved with this training initiative. The number one risk facing this project is

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that Learners will not incorporate their knowledge and skills to the job because

they are not motivated to do so. They are not compensated for their efforts nor

do they have goals/performance metrics around sales offers. The Stakeholders

have agreed to take these concerns back and solve for them prior to launch.

Part 2- Analysis Report-Task Analysis

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Learners will log into

MyLearning and register for Product

Mint training

Learners will complete the

10-minute training

Learners will complete a 10-

point assessment with 100% accuracy

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Learners will participate in a

30-minute Marketing

Product Mint Q&A session

Learners will participate in a 1.5 hour role-play practice with a Team

Leader, Mentor and Instructors

supporting

Learners will practice the

following role-plays:

1. Promoting the product's value

2. Offering Additional Cards

3. Promoting the value & Additional

Card offers

Learners will pass-off on a final role-play assessment 1-week following the role-play

practice session

Part 3- Planning - Rationale

Mint product training will be implemented in two separate events. The first

event is will be a WBT launch that will provide Learners with the Mint Card

product fundamentals including: rewards, benefits, fee and application

procedures. This Learner-to-Content interaction was chosen because the content

is simple in nature and therefore, Learners will consume this knowledge on their

own in the most cost-effective manner. The strategy used for the WBT is

Supplantive (100%) in nature. The content organized will follow the Cognitive

Load Theory of Multimedia combined with the Simplicity Theory. The WBT will

incorporate images, audio and some text in order to convey the messages. The

content included will only contain what Learners need to know, and not include

any extraneous details. The total time to complete the WBT is approximately 15-

minutes.

The second event will be Mint Offers overview, demonstration and role-

play practice during classroom instruction. During this learning event, two

interaction types will be incorporated: Learner-to-Instructor/Facilitator and

Learner-to Learner. These were chosen because it was revealed during the

Analysis phase, Learners are not prepared to extend Offers to the Card Members

and require additional practice. Learners were introduced to Offers training

during their New Hire Onboarding but those skills have not been reinforced,

therefore, additional upskill training is required. This learning event will be

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Supplantive (10-15%) and Generative (85-90%). Both learning events will contain

engagement strategies in order to encourage Learners to engage with content

and with each other. Also, scaffolding strategies will be incorporated that model

behaviors using call demonstrations and SMEs. Learners will then take

responsibility for modeling the desired knowledge, skills and abilities. This

scaffolding strategy will facilitate transfer of learning. The total time to complete

this learning event is 2 hours.

Part 3- Learning Objectives

1. Given a Mint Card Product Overview Web-Based Training and Electronic

Systems Support Tool, Learners will:

1.1 Remember/Retrieve the Mint Credit Card annual fee and other

important card product construct information with 100%

accuracy

2. After participating in a Marketing Department Mint Card Product Overview

Session and Discussion Forum, Learners will:

2.1 Listen with respect and actively participate in a discussion with

other Learners

2.2 Demonstrate commitment to extending Offers and Messages to

Card Members after the Mint Product launch

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3. After participating in an Instructor-Led Offer and Message Session,

Learners will:

3.1 Understand what Messages and Offers they will extend to Mint

Credit Card Members

3.2Recall/retrieve session expectations so they know what

certification expectations are

4. After listening to several mock-calls and watching two-different role-play

scenarios by SMEs, Learners will:

4.1 Deconstruct the different parts of the call flow and critique the

CCP performance using the CCP Performance Evaluation Plan

rubric

5. After receiving four different Message and Offer scenarios from the

Instructor, Learners will:

5.1 Role-play with 90% accuracy, communicating the value of the

Mint Credit Card product to an early tenure Card Member

5.2 Role-play with 90% accuracy communicating an Additional

Card Product offer to an existing Card Member with no

Additional Card Members

5.3 Role-play with 90% accuracy the value of adding recurring bill

pay to an early tenure Card Member

6. After receiving the final role-play assessment, Learners will:

6.1 Certify with 95% accuracy using the CCP Performance

Evaluation Plan rubric

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Part 3- Learning Objectives

Objective Numbers

Blooms Taxonomy

ClassificationScaffolding

Strategy Type of

Assessment

1 Cognitive Domains: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating

Supplantive Performance Assessment/Multiple choice that includes: retrieve and recognize, compare/contrast, applies, analyzes, interprets

1.1 Cognitive Domains: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating

Supplantive Performance Assessment/Multiple choice that includes: retrieve and recognize, compare/contrast, applies, analyzes, interprets

2 Affective Domains:Receiving Phenomena, Responds to Phenomena, Valuing

Supplantive Self-Assessment

2.1 Affective Domains:Receiving Phenomena, Responds to Phenomena, Valuing

Supplantive Self-Assessment

2.2 Affective Domains:

Supplantive Self-Assessment

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Receiving Phenomena, Responds to Phenomena, Valuing

3 Cognitive Domain: Understanding

Supplantive Self-Assessment

3.1 Cognitive Domain: Understanding

Supplantive Self-Assessment

3.2 Cognitive Domain: Understanding

Supplantive Self-Assessment

4 Cognitive Domains: Analyzing & EvaluatingAffective Domain: Valuing

Supplantive (the demonstration is considered the Supplantive portion) and Generative

Self-Assessment

4.1 Cognitive Domains: Analyzing & EvaluatingAffective Domain: Valuing

Supplantive (the demonstration is considered the Supplantive portion) and Generative

Self-Assessment

5 Psychomotor Domains: Create & Evaluate

Generative Performance task via practice role-play assessment with rubric

5.1 Psychomotor Domains: Create & Evaluate

Generative Performance task via practice role-play assessment with rubric

5.2 Psychomotor Domains: Create & Evaluate

Generative Performance task via practice role-play assessment with rubric

5.3 Psychomotor Domains: Create & Evaluate

Generative Performance task via practice role-play assessment with rubric

6 Psychomotor Domains: Create

Generative Performance task via final role-play assessment with formal rubric

6.1 Psychomotor Generative Performance task

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Domains: Create via final role-play assessment with formal rubric

Part 3- ARCS Table

ARCS Table

ATTENTION

A.1 Perceptual ArousalWBT: Introduce Learners to interesting facts regarding Cash Back Card productsInstructor-Led: The Instructor will capture Learner interest by introducing the session with the agenda topics. Two ‘surprises’ include: the Marketing Department appearance and the new incentive pay structure. The Marketing Department appearance is a surprise to Learners. Also, the new pay structure will be revealed at the end of the session by the Leadership department.A.2 Inquiry ArousalWBT: Introduce Learners to interesting facts regarding Cash Back Card productsInstructor-Led: Several members of the Marketing Department will introduce the session about the launch plans. Marketing will have door prizes, mugs, key-chains, and other tchotchkes.A.3 VariabilityWBT: Learners will understand that they must pass the WBT assessment with a 100% score or else they will need to re-take the WBT and assessment.Instructor-Led: The Instructor-led session topics will build up to the final assessments. Learners will understand that in order to be certified and potentially receive the new Product Offer incentives, they must certify at the end of the session. RELEVANCER.1 Goal OrientationWBT: The content including call demonstrations and assessment questions

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will match the call types that the Learners will receive once the product launches.Instructor-Led: The role-play scenarios will align with the most common call types and offer types that CCPs are expected to extend to Card Members.R.2 Motive MatchingWBT: Team Leaders will explain the importance of the product launch prior to the product launch. Team Leaders will receive the Learning Event Communication that outlines the importance of the training. (The Learning Event Communication will launch as part of the Product Launch Team roles/responsibilities.)Instructor-Led: The Instructor and other Leaders will kick-off the classroom session and explain the Company goals of the initiative. Leadership involvement will help drive Learner attitudes and ‘buy-in.’R.3 FamiliarityWBT: The WBT will be designed using the Product template training strategy. Learners are familiar with the product training strategy. The call demonstrations used in the WBT will match the types of calls that CCPs commonly receive in the ‘live’ performance environment.Instructor-Led: The role-plays will be designed using scenarios that match the CCP ‘live’ environment. The role-play rubric used will be the exact rubric that CCPs are assessed against in the ‘live’ environment.CONFIDENCEC.1 Learning Requirements WBT: The WBT assessment will be designed so that Learners can pause, rewind, and remediate at any time during the Learning process. Also, the assessment will be designed using Quiz Maker and when a Learner answers correctly, it will pop a positive message. If a Learner answers incorrectly, it will pop a message explaining why the answer was incorrect and to try again.Instructor-Led: The classroom experience is being supported by SMEs, Mentors and Instructors. For every three Learners there is one support person available. C.2 Success OpportunitiesWBT: Learners are required to complete the WBT and pass the assessment with 100% accuracy. The Learners will have the opportunity to re-take the assessment questions until they receive a passing score.Instructor-Led: Learners will receive immediate feedback regarding their role-play performance. They will also receive coaching from Mentors, SMEs and Instructors during the role-plays.

C.3 Personal ControlWBT: The WBT is designed for an individual learning experience. Personal control is a built-in component of this delivery medium because it allows

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Learners to complete at their own pace. (Note-the Learning must be completed during the CCP scheduled time off the phone but Learners can always re-take the WBT during their lunch or other breaks)Instructor-Led: During the role-play practice time, Learners will receive feedback and have the opportunity to adjust according to the feedback before they take the final role-play assessment.SATISFACTIONS.1 Natural ConsequenceWBT: Learners will apply their knowledge gained during the WBT to mock-role play scenarios during the Instructor-Led session. Instructor-Led: The Mint product launches one-week following the Instructor-led sessions. Learners will immediately apply their new skills. Call volumes are expected to be high.S.2 Positive Consequences WBT: The WBT quiz will have positive messages pop when a question is answered correctly.Instructor-Led: Instructors, Mentors and SMEs will publically praise Learners during role-plays when they successfully demonstrate the desired knowledge, skills and abilities.S.3 EquityWBT: Successful completion of the WBT will instill a sense of accomplishment within Learners and they will also feel prepared to attend the Instructor-led session.Instructor-Led: Instructors, Mentors and SMEs will inspire and motivate Learners through the role-play process.

Keller, J. M. (1987). The systematic process of motivational design. Performance & Instruction, 26 (9/10), 1-8.

Part 3- Instructor Guide

Prior to the classroom instruction, all Learning Specialists, Subject Matter

Experts and Mentors must complete the WBT and have attended one Train the

Trainer (TTT) session. There will be four different TTTs available that will last 1-

hour. Only one session is required. Ensure your classroom (virtual or brick and

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mortar) is set up properly by testing Adobe Connect or your Smart Board prior to

the class start date.

Introduction (.5 hours)

Welcome Learners as Learners enter the virtual or brick and mortar

classroom and introduce yourself, the Marketing team, Operational

Leaders and other instruction support.

Ask Learners to enter their name for several drawings that will take place

throughout the session.

Generate excitement! Play the Mint television commercials and ask

Learners to share their thoughts about the commercial and how Marketing

is positioning the product to Consumers.

Introduce Operational Leaders and direct them to tell Learners about the

new pay structure/incentive bonus for extending Offers.

Body (1.5 hours)

Activate prior knowledge and ask Learners to recall key features of the

Mint product.

Display and review the session’s learning objectives.

Discuss certification requirements, clarify any questions.

Introduce Mint’s Offers and Messages and review.

Demonstrate how to extend a relevant Offer and Message.

Play mock calls demonstrating desired behaviors.

Ask for volunteers to demonstrate extending a Message and Offer.

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Distribute the CCP Performance Evaluation Plan Rubric to Learners.

Explain that they will now listen to several calls and evaluate the calls

using the Rubric.

Discuss Learner responses.

Divide Learners into groups of three, assign roles and distribute role-play

scenarios.

Ask Learners to spend 45 minutes role-playing the role of a CCP, Card

Member and observer using the role-play scenarios distributed.

Ensure Learners understand roles and responsibilities.

Instruct the Mentors and SMEs to rotate throughout the room and provide

feedback using the Rubric as their guide.

Conclusion (.5 hours)

Ask Learners to discuss their experiences and share any best practices.

Motivate Leaners to keep their skills fresh by posting best practices to the

Wiki Discussion Board and during Team Huddles.

Discuss certification next steps and distribute sign-up sheet.

Answer any questions and conclude session.

Part 3- Learner Content

Learning Material Purpose

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Web-Based Training The purpose of the WBT is to introduce the Mint product construct to Learners. This transfer of knowledge is considered the easiest part of the learning process and therefore, an asynchronous Learning activity was chosen.

Instructor Guide The purpose of the IG is to guide the Instructors through the classroom process. Any Instructor shall be able to pick up the guide and successfully implement the classroom instruction.

Role-Play Scenarios The purpose of the role-play scenarios are to allow Learners to interact with the content and apply their knowledge and skills in a mock and safe environment. All role-play scenarios are actual Card Member scenarios and top call types that Learners will receive while taking in-bound Mint product calls. All role play scenarios will align with the learning outcomes.

CCP Performance Evaluation Rubric The purpose of the CCP Evaluation Rubric is to provide immediate feedback to Learners based upon pre-defined behaviors that the business has set forth to define a successful call. Furthermore, as Lockee and Larson have indicated, an effective Rubric, “Communicate goals, expectations for excellence and results.” Streamline ID: A Practical Guide to Instructional Design. Location 3392, Kindle Version.

Wiki Discussion Board/Best Practices

The purpose of the Wiki is twofold: First, to promote collaboration. Since there is low will and low skill in performing Offers, the Wiki will provide Learners with a place to bounce ideas and will help Learners feel supported and not isolated. This is especially important for the Learners who work in a home-office.

Part 3- Learner Content-WBT

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WBT screen captures.

Note-these screen shots are of the WBT. This WBT was storyboarded using PowerPoint and then it was built using Articulate.

We also had built using audio narration. The graphics were built by Weston Ross. All content is proprietary.

Audio script:

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You might be surprised to know that there are over 20 million US Consumers who haven’t considered an American Express Card product! The reasons? Many people aren’t aware that we offer cash back cards or no annual fee

cards.

American Express is working hard to change these perceptions and…. (The rest is intentionally left blank)

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Script intentionally left blank for proprietary reasons.

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Script intentionally left blank.

Part 3- Assessment MaterialsAssessment Material Purpose

Web-Based Training Multiple Choice Assessment (Summative Assessment)

The purpose of the Web-Based multiple choice quiz is to ensure that Learners can quickly retrieve important product construct details. IniTech does not require Learners to memorize every single Credit Card product construct details, rather, Learners need to be able to retrieve product information.It’s important that the Learners pass this assessment BEFORE they continue

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on to the classroom instruction. Learners will not be scheduled for the classroom instruction by the Project Management Office UNTIL it has been verified that they have completed the WBT and passed the assessment.

Role-Play Scenarios (Formative Assessments)

During the classroom instruction, Learners will actively participate in role-playing the top call types that they will receive. The purpose of the role-playing is to immerse Learners in hands-on practice scenarios but in a very safe environment. Learners will receive feedback from their peers. Peers will evaluate one another using the CCP Evaluation Rubric.

Final Role-Play Certification Scenario (Summative Assessment)

The purpose of the final role-play certification scenario is to certify all CCPs to take Mint Inbound Calls and extend Offers. Learners who do not satisfy the minimum requirements will go thru a remediation plan as supported by the business.

Part 3- Learner Content-Assessment Examples

The role-plays were created in PPT and saved as PDFs.

Weston Ross created the graphics.

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The WBT quiz was created using Quiz Maker. Below is an example of one of the

questions.

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Part 3- Technology Tools

Technology Tool Purpose

Learning Management System The purpose of the LMS is for Learners to be able to access content.

WBT The purpose of the WBT is to train Learners on the new Card product that

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is launching. The training is designed using the Simplicity theory.

Smart Board & Projector The Learning Specialists will use the Smart Board and projector in the classroom to display course goals, and other relevant information.

Adobe Connect The Virtual Learning Specialists will use Adobe Connect for all virtual learning events to display content, etc.

PCs WBT: Learners will need access to a PC to complete the WBT. All Learners have their own PC to complete the training. PCs will be available in classrooms for the Instructors only. PCs are not required for Learners.

Wiki (SharePoint) A Wiki will be built on SharePoint for Learners to collaborate after training, share best practices and to post any questions. This site will be monitored by the Instruction, Design and Operations teams.

Part 4- Evaluation PlanThis project will contain an Evaluation Plan that will be shared with the

business via weekly automated reporting. The Instructional Design Department

at IniTech incorporates Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Evaluation Model. This

Evaluation Plan will be critical because the results will be used to help design

and implement the next Product and Offer training that will be a ‘fast-follower’ to

the Mint Training. Furthermore, the results gathered for this project will be used

to evaluate, and modify the overall design and delivery strategies used for future

Product and Offers training. The Evaluation Plan will contain the following

elements for each training phase:

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PHASE 1: Web-Based Training

Level 1: Learner Reaction Survey

After Learners complete the WBT, an automated Level 1

survey will be emailed to them via the Learning Management

Content System (LMS). The Level 1 questions are business

as usual questions (BAU) that are attached to all WBTs at

IniTech. Business Leaders are already familiar with this

approach and questions and therefore, will not be detailed in

this document.

Note- Phase 1 Training intentionally only includes a Level 1 Assessment.

Other Levels of assessment do not apply to the first phase of the training.

PHASE 2: Product Mint Classroom Instruction Evaluation

Level 1: Learner Reaction Survey

After Learners complete their scheduled classroom instruction, an

automated Level 1 survey will be emailed to them via the Learning Management

Content System (LMS). The Level 1 questions are business as usual questions

(BAU) that all Learners must complete after attending classroom instruction.

Level 2: Learning

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The Level 2 Evaluation will be another survey to the Learners.

Learners will be surveyed after 30-days of taking Mint calls. Example of

questions that will be asked:

1. Do you feel confident to answer basic Mint product questions?

o If you answered no, what additional training do you need in

order to be successful?

2. Do you have the knowledge needed to answer basic product

questions?

o If you answered no, what additional training do you need in

order to be successful?

3. Do you have the knowledge and skills needed to successfully extend a

relevant Message?

o If you answered no, what additional training do you need in

order to be successful?

4. Do you have the knowledge to successfully extend a relevant Offer?

o If you answered no, what additional training do you need in

order to be successful?

5. Has your Offer rate improved as a result of this training?

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Level 3: Behavior

The Level 3 Evaluation results will be gathered via business as usual

Level 3 Evaluation methods as already in practice. (Mint will be added to this

Evaluation process) Learners who take Mint calls will have their call metrics-

Recommend to Friend Scores (RTF) and Voice of the Customer Metrics (VOCM)

and Offer and Accept Rates tracked via the normal BAU process.

Level 3 Behavior Metrics to be collected via the business as usual

methods:

o Recommend to Friend Scores

o Voice of the Customer Metrics

o Mint Offer Rate

o Mint Accept Rate

Level 4: Results

As of November 22, 2015, the business has not communicated the results

of the Offer and Accept rates, therefore, this information cannot be captured in

this report. However, it is known that they will put goals toward the Mint CCP

Offer and Accept rates. Once those have been communicated, the Design Team

will know what to track. Someone from the business will need to partner with the

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Design team to ensure results are communicated for at least 6-months post

launch.

Part 4- SME Review

I was fortunate to have a colleague of mine review my project and answer

a series of questions that I put together to help guide his review. I have worked

with Michael Folland for approximately 3-years. He has recently been promoted

to Senior Instructional Designer and has also been enrolled at Utah State’s

Instructional Design M.ED program so I thought he would be a great fit for this

‘assignment!’ I emailed Michael my content and also the survey of questions for

him to answer. The SME questions and Mike’s responses can be found in the

shared Google drive.

Part 4- SME Results and Responses

Michael conducted a thorough review of my report a series of questions

that I put together to help guide his review. I have worked with Michael Folland

for approximately 3-years. I asked a few questions regarding the scope of the

project and audience analysis. Michael responded that the goal of the project

was clearly stated and the audience and audience analysis conducted was very

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thorough and clear. Mike provided this commentary regarding the overall Learner

Analysis:

“I thought the questions were asked appropriately to get information regarding the learners’ product knowledge and sales skills, and even asked the learners their preference for post-training support which is great because often we focus on the immediate training and forget about the follow up training which is often equally as important.”

The second half of the questions were around the actual content and

really the meat of the project. Mike had positive responses regarding the actual

content-including flow of the WBT and that the actual content matched the

learning objectives. In addition, he felt that the audio included went well with the

visuals. One piece of feedback he did include was that the assessment questions

were too easy.

“The assessment questions were appropriate because they addressed the objectives of the training. However, they were quite easy to answer - my only suggestion would be to find a way to make them more challenging for the learner.”

This is very valid feedback. The WBT has already gone out to a small

number of Learners and so I have to keep the questions as is because the

reporting metrics will be skewed if I change the questions. We are capturing data

such as how long it’s taking Learners to complete the WBT. Also, the link to the

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training has already gone out to thousands of people and if I change any of the

questions, it needs to be re-uploaded to the LMS and a new link will be

generated. It was great feedback for future updates that will be made and

incorporated during Q2, 2016. Here is Mike’s overall feedback:

“I was impressed with the amount of detail included and the depth of analysis that was performed to understand the learners’ backgrounds and their needs prior to designing the training. The variety of learning activities – eLearning, role playing, discussion board etc. - should continuously engage the learner and give them the necessary time to fully digest and then apply the learning content. I think any Instructor would feel confident leading this class with the training materials that have been developed.”

Part 5- Project SynthesisThis has been an incredible semester of learning and ‘ah-ha!’ moments. I

have thoroughly enjoyed the Larson and Lockee book: Streamlined ID: A

Practical Guide to Instructional Design, and will continue to reference this book

during projects and to also help inspire and educate other Instructional Designers

I work with. I have been able to immediately apply the learnings from this course

into my job and have done so since the first week.

In my view, Instructional Design is like building a very nice high-end home

with very involved Buyers (Stakeholders) who have VERY high expectations and

who want only the best for their entire Family (Learners). The role of the

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Instructional Designer is that of an Architect whose role is to build high-quality

training that meets the needs of the entire Family. There can’t be any delays in

the building or else the Buyers are not going to be happy. Also, the Architect

must build a high-quality product because the Buyers do not want cracks and

leaks in their final product because they are paying a lot of money for their home!

In addition, the Buyers are expecting the Architect to advise on critical features of

the home that they don’t have specialized knowledge in. The Architect must have

great communication, collaboration and consultative skills so the Buyer is clear

on plans, timeline, and scope during the initial phase of the project. A great

Architect will have a sense of urgency during the entire project and take great

care to ensure that what was agreed upon during the contractual phase is

actually being carried out and if it’s not, they must get it fixed. A great Architect

understands that building a home is iterative until it’s considered finished by both

the Architect and the Buyer according to all documented timelines. A great

Architect understands that the needs of the family are #1 and they must keep

their eye on the family throughout the entire lifecycle of the project. Finally, both

the Architect and the Buyer recognize that the success of the project must be

measured and those measurements are documented at the beginning of the

project and the data is captured at the end of the project. These results will let

the Buyer and the Architect know whether or not the home build is high-quality or

not.

This metaphor has always popped in my head since I have worked at

American Express. As a result of this course, I was really able to ‘blow-out’ the

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metaphor. It is really fitting in my opinion! This course has expanded my thinking

in so many wonderful ways. I have picked up different things ‘here and there’

over the past decade about Instructional Design but what I have thoroughly

enjoyed about this course is the evidence and theory behind so many important

topics. One critical topic that I ran with immediately is the Learner Analysis and

the high-importance Larson and Lockee place on the Learners. In Chapter 3 of,

Streamlined ID: A Practical Guide to Instructional Design, Larson and Lockee say

that when you, “prioritize the learner, their needs and abilities impact the design

of the instruction in many ways.” (Location 1284, Kindle Version) During the

week that I was reading about needs analysis, and learner needs I happened to

have something come up at work that prompted me to go out to Learners and do

some analysis with them and get their feedback, commentary, etc. This data was

so powerful in persuading Stakeholders to make some important shifts in the

learning deliverables. A second important topic that has inspired me to

incorporate immediately so I can be a more effective Instructional Designer is

related to the different theories of design. Chapter 8 (Selecting Strategies) in

Lockee and Larson’s book is an incredible resource full of excellent learning

strategies. I learned some valuable new things. For example, the Strategy

Framework section of Streamlined ID: A Practical Guide to Instructional Design,

provided excellent information. The Authors write about five different frameworks.

Gagne and Keller’s models resonate with me the most but I am very interested in

diving into the Connectivist Learning Environments approach immediately. In

fact, I have never even heard of this theory until this class and I immediately

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researched some of the key theoretical points and also put together a few slides

for a team meeting to share with my colleagues.

Overall, the implications that this course is having on my current role as a

Senior Instructional Designer are profound. I am able to influence key

Stakeholders and also outside consultants with design strategies that are backed

up by theory. In fact, this upcoming week I have a meeting to change an already

established process that an outside consultant recommended. I know I will face

some resistance, but I am confident because I have the knowledge and skill to

put new strategy recommendations together and to influence the key decision

makers as a result of this course. The simple fact is, not a lot of people know that

Instructional Design is a science and an art form. There is so much I still have to

put into practice as a result of this course. I am excited to keep honing my skills

and becoming the best Architect I can become so all of my Buyers have the best

houses on the block with the most satisfied Families!

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References

Larson, M. B., & Lockee, B.B. (2014). Streamlined ID: A Practical Guide to Instructional Design (Kindle Version). New York, NY: Routledge.

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