“Financial consulting” sounds dusty and conservative? – Not at Deutsche Vermögensberatung! DVAG-IT and the educational management of DVAG (DAV) rely on modern online learning and two different approaches to blended learning. In this interview, Gabriele Feist (DVAG-IT) and Matthias Spiegel (DAV) explain both approaches – and how the training and further education of financial consultants is supported by the blink.it learning platform.
Gabriele Feist (DVAG-IT) is responsible as department head for, among other things, the conception and implementation of IT training measures. For almost three years now, these have been offered to the approximately 17,000 full-time financial consultants of Deutsche Vermögensberatung in a blended learning format on the blink.it platform.
Matthias Spiegel (DAV) is from the educational management and is responsible there, along with colleagues from media development, for the blink.it platform of the German Academy for Financial Consulting. There, blink.it is used to support and accompany the training and further education of the financial consultants.
Over 25,000 online learning units were completed last month at DVAG and DAV. What kind of learning content do you convey to your financial consultants with blink.it?
M. Spiegel: At DVAG, we even have two blink.it platforms in use: one for our IT systems and one for the actual financial consultant training at the DAV (Deutsche Akademie für Vermögensberatung).
We at DAV are responsible for the professional training and further education of financial consultants, as well as for their leadership training. The whole thing usually starts with starting the business, where the agency directors guide the new financial consultants. We have used blink.it for this, to make learning material available to the directorates. This way, prospective financial consultants can familiarize themselves with the most important topics online. We also provide documents for conducting on-site training and seminars.
G. Feist: On the IT platform, the focus is on the handling of our digital support tools, especially dealing with the apps and tools specifically developed for DVAG. We do standard courses according to the blended learning principle and use them as learning support. Upon request, we build an individual measure for our directorates, consisting of an online course in combination with a webinar and/or an in-person event.
Why did you choose blended learning instead of pure e-learning?
G. Feist: We came to blended learning because we have around 17,000 full-time financial consultants and we cannot train them all in in-person seminars. That is simply not possible from an organizational standpoint. We needed another solution to train our financial consultants in using our software: If we combine webinars with online courses, many more financial consultants can benefit from our training measures.
M. Spiegel: At DAV, we wanted to let the financial consultants choose how they want to consume the learning content. In the past, there were in-person events for everything. Today, there is the possibility to learn every single topic either in person or online. You can even combine both forms.
We see this free choice as an offer and also as a service from us. The age structure of the financial consultants is very heterogeneous and therefore the preferred form of learning is also very different. With in-person and online courses, we can ideally serve all target groups.
Who creates and looks after these flexible learning offers for the two blink.it platforms?
G. Feist: In IT, a learning architect takes over these tasks: a colleague from adult education with a corresponding degree. He is responsible for designing the courses to create suitable blended learning. The media are also created by our own employees.
M. Spiegel: Within the DAV, a team of five people preferably takes care of the blink.it platform. In coordination with the other specialist departments, the content is maintained and expanded.
The Blended Learning Model of DVAG with blink.it
Some of your online courses have several thousand or even ten thousand participants. How do you organize these large courses – and how do you track learning progress with so many participants?
G. Feist: Around 17,000 full-time financial consultants have direct access to the large basic courses explaining our IT systems and digital tools. Here, the financial consultants can organize themselves independently and set their own learning pace.
In the individual courses, our trainers track learning progress. However, there are only 30-60 participants there. But only this way can we ensure that there is a similar level of knowledge on the on-site practical day. We also check whether homework has been done, for example, and point out tasks in advance. This also allows participants to ask questions beforehand, which we can then address in more detail on the practical day. In this case, our trainers act more as learning guides.
Why did you choose blink.it as the platform to implement these very different learning concepts?
G. Feist: The tip to try blink.it came from our external consultant and blink.it supporter Heike Molin. We explicitly looked for something simple and self-explanatory that even PC beginners could handle. We were then convinced by the simplicity of blink.it and that the content can be processed on all mobile devices.
M. Spiegel: An additional point is the possibility of adaptation to our company's corporate design. We recently had an adaptation to our own corporate design implemented at DAV and were amazed at how well the platform integrates visually with us.
Insight into the blink.it learning platform of DVAG: A basic course for all financial consultants with around 17,000 participants. Source: blink.it
Finally, a look at your employees: How are blink.it and your flexible learning concepts received by the financial consultants?
G. Feist: Since we originally had many in-person events in IT, we naturally had to fight acceptance issues at the beginning. There were many who didn't want online courses but preferred to have a person on site. The convincing point for our participants was the short learning content: I can watch the videos on the way to the customer or on the couch in the evening. We also follow up with our financial consultants online after in-person events - with summaries or photos, for example - and receive feedback that this helps them recall the content again.
M. Spiegel: The fact that financial consultants have the choice in training and further education topics to say “I will supplement the in-person events with the online content and recall it again” is also very well received. We receive predominantly very positive feedback!
Thank you very much for these exciting insights into DVAG and DAV, Ms. Feist and Mr. Spiegel!
Conclusion
Successful e-learning is not shown in the technology, but in the effective connection of scaling, flexibility, and learning support.
The example of DVAG and DAV makes it clear: Blended learning is not a compromise between in-person and online, but a strategic model for large organizations with heterogeneous target groups. The combination of freely selectable learning formats, clear structure, and accompanying support makes it possible to train even 17,000 consultants efficiently and individually at the same time.
Anyone who thinks about learning systematically and consciously uses digital possibilities not only creates reach – but sustainable impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does DVAG rely on blended learning?
Blended learning enables DVAG to flexibly train thousands of financial consultants. Digital learning offers are combined with webinars and in-person events.
How does DVAG organize training courses for 17,000 consultants?
Basic courses are available to all consultants and can be completed at their own pace. Smaller blended learning measures are additionally accompanied and supervised by trainers.
What advantages does blended learning offer for large companies?
Companies can reach many employees at the same time, take different learning preferences into account, and specifically support learning transfer through personal accompaniment.
Why did DVAG choose blink.it?
The decisive factors were the easy operation, usage on mobile devices, and the possibility to adapt the learning platform to the company's corporate design.
What role do trainers play in blended learning?
Trainers do not only convey content, but accompany the learning process. They answer questions, track learning progress, and support participants in the practical application of what they have learned.
