Normen Ulbrich is a trainer in personnel development and successfully works with the concept of Blended Learning. In a video interview via webcam, he talks about the initial difficulties he faced when setting up his online academy. He also argues how online impulses make his training so valuable and why everyone involved can only benefit from Blended Learning.
As an expert in high-quality training, Normen Ulbrich has been successfully working with imnu Personalentwicklung for many years. Therefore, we asked him in a short video interview what exactly his recipe for success is. His answer: to not leave the participants to their own devices after the training, but to continue to support them with regular online impulses.
"In the past, I had too concrete ideas about a learning app"
How exactly did Normen come up with the idea of using online impulses as an extension to his main training? About four years ago, he had very concrete ideas about having his own app, Normen explains in the interview. The idea was there, but after some inquiries with app developers, he realized that, on the one hand, the costs would have been very high – and on the other hand, even with immensely large expenditures, the app would still not fulfill all his expectations.
Normen's idea: to be able to quickly and easily activate the participants of his training with short learning impulses between the individual face-to-face events. And to continue to support them after the last event, simply to strengthen the contact.
This fundamental idea is called Blended Learning, which means intertwining two different forms of learning (online and face-to-face) to give the learning process more value and sustainability.
Ultimately, Normen stumbled upon the offer from blink.it by chance and immediately realized that he was not alone with this fundamental idea. "Within two weeks, my idea was then implemented," Normen says about the origin of his learning impulses.
Check out Normen's answer to the question about the origin story of his Blended Learning directly in the video! Just a note at this point: unfortunately, the picture quality is not very high, as the interview was recorded via video phone. However, the content quality is convincing – and that was simply more important to us at this point.
This is why Blended Learning works in personal training
Blended Learning fundamentally only means sensibly intertwining two forms of learning. In practice, this almost always involves classic face-to-face events on one side and e-learning with an online platform on the other side.
In the case of imnu Personalentwicklung, Normen Ulbrich implements Blended Learning in the form of short learning impulses, which he releases automatically and specifically for his training participants at intervals of three to four weeks. Normen summarizes the advantages of this learning method as follows:
Blended Learning convinces me because it gives me the opportunity to continue to engage participants in the topic I've started, regardless of my presence.
Being there without being there – that could also describe the e-learning part of Blended Learning. Normen can offer his students and clients a high level of support without being physically present. This saves him a lot of time in the long run, both for himself and for his participants.
"Participants, clients, and trainers all benefit from Blended Learning"
Normen Ulbrich is convinced: with the concept of Blended Learning, everyone involved wins, and not just in terms of time savings:
"For the participants, it’s easier to stay engaged despite their normal chaos – to which they always return after the training."
"For the clients, it's good because they have little effort – almost none at all."
"For me as a trainer, it's good because I can offer high quality, since I continue to support the participants even though I'm not on-site."
The challenge is simply to take the first step. Be more daring! – so Normen's appeal to his fellow trainers. Blended Learning is an investment just like any other, and you have to dare to take some risks and invest resources in the beginning.
"As a trainer, I have a lot of leeway with Blended Learning"
In the interview, Normen repeatedly describes Blended Learning as a "tool" for him as a trainer. This metaphor works very well because, just like a hammer or scissors, Blended Learning only becomes effective when it is used correctly and consistently.
Once started, Blended Learning, according to Normen's experience, increasingly becomes his personal playground: as soon as a certain portfolio of online content is available, you can play freely as a trainer and, for example, spontaneously shift modules into online support when there is a time crunch in the face-to-face event. So, there are actually only difficulties with Blended Learning at the very beginning of the transition.
Normen remembers his initial measures – it takes time to adjust to a new training concept. The video workshop (“rocketday”) from blink.it helped him a lot, and he still benefits from the tips from that event.
About the blink.it rocketday: This one-day workshop focuses primarily on the use of videos in your own online support. The platform itself is designed by blink.it to be so simple that neither trainers nor course participants need any technical introduction.
You can watch the complete video interview with Normen in this playlist:
Do you have a similar idea as Normen and want to achieve the next level of your training based on Blended Learning? Then check out our guide that we have designed specifically for this purpose. Because one thing is clear: the first step is always the hardest.
That’s why we have compiled our experience with trainers like Normen Ulbrich in the guide for Blended Learning and summarized it in 9 simple steps. When will you take the first step?
