What is the use of further training if only a few weeks later none of it is implemented in everyday work? In contrast to classic seminars, the Blended Learning method shines here: trainers can intensively support employees over a longer period. In this article, I will show you three practical examples where Blended Learning is being successfully implemented in companies!
Good Content – Lack of Transfer Performance
What does further training look like in your company? In the DACH region, corporate training is an important factor for a company's success. Anyone who trains their employees professionally and sustainably strengthens their company from the inside out. The topics are diverse, and the range of training and coaching is usually very good.
But how long does what has been learned remain in memory? Learning transfer is essential for the success of any training: if what was learned has already "fizzled out" after just a few weeks, the training was a waste of time and money. For the content to actually be applied in daily work, your company needs further training that is implemented as practically as possible.
Blended Learning in Companies
More and more HR departments are recognizing the opportunity of Blended Learning: they combine classic (face-to-face) seminars with online support. The Blended Learning method is particularly strong in securing learning transfer for the following reasons:
High focus on the participant and their needs
Learning independent of time and place allows for frequent practice
Greatly extended training through online support
An increasing number of practical success stories speak for the impact of Blended Learning. Below, I present three example projects that have found a path to high learning transfer using Blended Learning.
Practical Examples: Successful Blended Learning Projects
The following three examples are so meaningful because they are structured very differently yet all rely on the concept of Blended Learning. All three projects have already been successfully implemented in practice.
The HR Performance Campus
Increasing productivity with Peoplebuilding
The Azubi-Camp for the Sparkassentag 2016 by agateno
Find out in the following sections how each individual Blended Learning example works and who it is suitable for.
1. Blended Learning Example: The HR Performance Campus
How it works:
The HR Performance Campus relies on a mix of analysis, communicative exchange, and reflection tasks. For example, if the topic of a training is aimed at improved employee leadership, several managers from a company usually participate in the training.
At the beginning, each manager does a potential analysis for themselves to get to know the methodology. Afterwards, all managers meet in a face-to-face event to exchange experiences and receive new input from the trainer. Finally, the managers apply what they have learned to their own employees – and are supported online by the trainer over several weeks.
The Blended Learning model of the HR Performance Campus illustrated:
Blended Learning model of the HR Performance Campus: Each manager in the training begins with a potential analysis. Afterwards, everyone meets in a face-to-face seminar. After this kick-off, the online phase begins, which runs in parallel with daily work.
What it is suitable for:
The training courses of the HR Performance Campus are suitable for companies that want to train their managers so that they understand their employees better. The potential analysis at the beginning of the Blended Learning aims to develop a feel for people's motivations.
Practical example of the online support of the HR Performance Campus:
Screenshot from a demo course of the HR Performance Campus with the blink.it software: The participant has seen the green units, but not yet the purple ones. Even before the kick-off event, units are already unlocked. After the kick-off units, further online impulses follow (not visible in the screenshot).
2. Blended Learning Example: Peoplebuilding with Zach Davis
How it works:
With Peoplebuilding, trainer Zach Davis offers training courses on topics such as time management and productivity. He always begins with a face-to-face event, which represents the important kick-off for the entire training. The participants' managers and other relevant individuals are also involved by Zach Davis right from the start – after all, they are the ones who can support the employees in the long run. In this way, the trainer ensures from the start that everyone involved is trained in the best possible way.
After the kick-off event, each participant engages with the content individually. This happens a) online and b) in bite-sized portions over several weeks. Each participant can work through the individual units at their own pace. A unit is usually an insight or exercise for everyday work or a subsequent reflection task. Blended Learning at Peoplebuilding is based on the following general model:
The "Heron" Blended Learning model: The training begins with a face-to-face event (e.g., a seminar) and then runs online over a longer period parallel to everyday work.
What it is suitable for:
The Blended Learning training courses from Zach Davis and Peoplebuilding are generally suitable for all goals that aim to bring about a long-term change in employees. Zach Davis's experience shows that due to the long online support, participants have internalized significantly more content after 6 months than in a classic one- or two-day seminar.
Practical example of the online support at Peoplebuilding:
Screenshot from a course by Zach Davis / Peoplebuilding with the blink.it software: Shown is an overview of the first units of a Blended Learning. The participant has seen the units marked in yellow, the gray ones will be unlocked later.
3. Blended Learning Example: The Apprentice Camp from the Sparkassentag 2016
How it works:
The Apprentice Camp in April 2016 was a major event of the Sparkasse, in which the apprentice participants exchanged ideas intensely beforehand and learned together. The goal was to discuss the future of Sparkasse. The motto: Provide room for interaction – online as well as offline. The concept was developed by agateno and implemented using the blink.it software.
The Blended Learning surrounding the Sparkasse Apprentice Camp also started with a kick-off event, here in the form of a webinar. Already at this stage, the apprentices were divided into small groups and assigned mentors. Afterwards, a longer online phase took place, during which the small groups received and also created video impulses. The Apprentice Camp fits the "Sandwich" Blended Learning model: Participants meet live both at the beginning and at the end (first in a webinar, later at the major event). In between lies an online phase with impulses and tasks in small groups:
The "Sandwich" Blended Learning model: The beginning and end take place live, in between the participants work with online impulses.
What it is suitable for:
The Apprentice Camp is a good example of successful Blended Learning measures that, on one hand, target an event and, on the other hand, are suitable for large groups of participants. Thanks to the high online interactivity, the participants were able to discuss things across greater distances, learn from each other, and be brought to a common standard by their mentors.
Practical example of online support:
Screenshot: An excerpt from the online support by agateno for the Apprentice Camp at the Sparkassentag 2016.
Conclusion
Blended Learning unfolds its strength in companies especially when face-to-face and digital learning are combined into a longer learning process that specifically supports application in everyday work.
The three practical examples show that very different concepts can work for this. Leadership training, long-term behavior change, or supporting large groups of apprentices each place different demands on face-to-face phases, online support, and exchange.
Therefore, a specific Blended Learning model is not the decisive factor. The learning objective, target group, and application situation determine how the individual learning phases are sensibly combined with one another.
In this way, further training transforms from a one-off seminar to a supported learning process, increasing the chance that new knowledge actually arrives in everyday work.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
How does Blended Learning work in companies?
Blended Learning combines face-to-face events with digital learning phases. Employees can first work out new knowledge together and then deepen, apply, and reflect on it online over a longer period.
Why does Blended Learning support learning transfer?
Due to the longer support, learning does not end with a single event. Employees can repeat content, try it out in everyday work, and subsequently reflect on their experiences.
How can face-to-face and online phases be combined in Blended Learning?
The combination depends on the respective learning objective. For example, a face-to-face kick-off with subsequent online support is possible, or a sandwich model, where a digital learning phase lies between two live events.
Is Blended Learning also suitable for large groups of participants?
Yes. Digital learning phases make it possible to support even larger groups over a longer period. Small groups, digital impulses, and shared tasks can also encourage exchange among participants.
Which Blended Learning method is suitable for a company?
The appropriate method depends on the target group, learning objective, and desired transfer. The key is that the face-to-face and online phases interlock meaningfully and support the practical application of what has been learned.
