I'm Patrick Tansey, Managing Director of SmarterBrain Training. At SBT we are convinced that learning should be interesting, exciting, memorable and effective. In 2004 I went to America and studied Accelerated Learning with Dave Meier - author of the bestseller "The Accelerated Learning Handbook". As a consequence, we have designed our training to:

• improve training results by getting learners actively involved
• bring the joy of learning back into training
• dramatically reduce learning time while covering more material

If every week you spent £100 on household necessities, would you then throw £80 of those purchases straight into the bin? Would you then repeat this activity week after week?

That, in fact, is what you are doing with your training budget if you do not use Blended Learning.

"... the retention rate of the trainees was raised from about 20% using ordinary training room methods to about 75% using Blended Learning."
Millbank, G. The University of British Columbia

Value For Money is what everyone wants when they buy training. If traditional training has a 20% retention level, how do you know how much of that 20% has led to a change of behaviour in order to improve impact on the job?

Using traditional training methods, how do you evaluate the return on investment (ROI) on the cost of training?

Whatever you are paying for traditional training, you are not getting Value For Money.

What is Blended Learning?

• Increases retention level from 20% to 75%
• Reduces training time away from the workplace by 50%
• Uses multiple delivery channels
• Encompasses the 5 modes of learning
• Skills and Competency Development
• Time bound, i.e. 30 or 60 days
• Tracking and Reporting on participants' competency
• Training room exercises and simulations
• Computer based training accessed via intranet or internet

All training can be enhanced by using Blended Learning. Blended Learning is a combination of instructor led training (ILT) and online training.

For example, consider our 2-day Customer Service course. This was initially a training room based programme and has now been transformed into a Blended Learning format of 1 day training room ILT, plus 30 x 15 minute online 'bite size' segments.

No matter what the subject is, people learn a lot from each other, which is why the training room event is so important. This also allows for networking amongst participants and promotes the organisation's culture if the training is being held on-site.

SmarterBrain Training have added another tried and tested format to this blend: we have added Accelerated Learning principles to our Blended Learning format which gives us our unique Blended Accelerated Learning programmes.

Over the years we have realised that memorising new information is the key to mastering any subject. Consequently we have added a short, simple memorising technique to further enhance the learning outcome. We call our learning method Blended Accelerated Learning and Memorising - the BALM system. This is what gives us our 75%+ learning retention rate.

Our Promise

We will ensure that each participant:

1. CAN succeed (skills and knowledge)
2. WILL succeed (desire and determination)

When to Use Instructor Led Training (ILT)

There will always be a place for Instructor Led Training. Blended learning emphasises the need for building a training room community. This creates an environment where learners can learn from each other and also bond with their colleagues.

Memorising

Learn how to Memorise.

Knowing how to learn faster and solve problems more creatively are skills that will benefit everyone in your organisation.

Why should I learn these skills?

• In today's world the only constant is – change!
• The amount of information we need to absorb is estimated to be doubling every four to five years
• The average person will have up to 3 separate careers – not simply jobs but whole new careers – in a working life
• Faster rates of change and an increasingly complex workplace mean that the ability to learn quickly and solve problems are the twin keys to success

We live in a world where your earning power depends on your learning power.
This is why the skills in this programme will benefit you – and your organisation – directly.

Both learning and creative problem solving are like any other activity. They are skills. And like all skills, there are techniques that make them more effective.

The trouble is that we have traditionally only been taught subjects. We have not been taught how to learn, or how to think logically or creatively. This, despite the fact that what you learn soon goes out of date – whereas knowing how to learn and how to solve problems logically, are skills that last a lifetime.

You'll find that our training programmes are based on the latest research on the brain and the fact that each person has a unique preferred learning style.

When you acquire the techniques that match your learning style, learning becomes easier and faster.

Learning how to memorise is a skill that lasts the whole of your life.

Why Did We Decide to Use Blended Learning?

Well, when we delivered our courses using only ILT, we would be informed through the feedback forms:

1. The satisfaction score from each participant (our average is 9 out of 10)
2. The aims and objectives had been met
3. The trainer was 'excellent'
4. The room was too hot/cold
5. More vegetarian options should have been offered for lunch...

What we did not know was:

1. What the participants learned and memorised
2. What change of behaviour had taken place due to the training
3. What was the result to the organisation due to the training
4. What was the Return on Investment (ROI) of the training

According to a study by the National Training Laboratories (NTL) (1998), retention rates vary depending on the type of training method. For instance:

Traditional training room style training usually incorporates lecture, reading, audio-visual, demonstration and discussion group. This style of training, useful though it is, was developed over forty years ago. The only improvement during that time has been the shift from OHT's to PowerPoint.

Blended Learning is 21st century training. We use the tried and tested activity based training room format, blended with today's technology; online interactive sessions that transform a traditional 2-day training event into a 1-day training room plus 30 x 15-minute 'bite size' online lessons.

This is called 'spaced interval' learning, allowing the participants the opportunity to learn at their own pace, be that fast, moderate or slow. It is a timed event that concludes after 30 working days. The participants are tested on their knowledge at the end of each module.

Both the participant and their manager receive a final status report of the participant's knowledge of the subject.

Contact Details

SmarterBrain Training Ltd.
PO Box 369
Worcester
WR5 2XB

Email:

Tel: 01905 764 769

Enquiries

If you have an enquiry: Click here for course enquiries form

Or Email us:

Or Telephone us on: 01905 764 769

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