Reimagining Working and Learning

Reimagining Working and Learning

What will the world look like the other side of Covid-19? We can't quite think of that right now, but it seems clear that this crisis demands we change our ways of working, and learning – and that we do it fast.

Technology, artificial intelligence, e-learning, virtual collaboration – almost overnight their role has changed. Emerging technology and ways of working are now mainstream. The future workplace has become the here and now.

In this new world, MKC Training's combined specialisms of education and learning innovation can support organisations and individuals to reimagine how they learn and grow. Did you know that all our trainers hold PGCE qualifications? Did you know we lead the field in e-learning and learning innovation?

As a learning institution that evolved out of Mid Kent College, we are primarily educators rather than trainers. Our experts have subject knowledge and also understand the process of education; how people learn and how they embed that knowledge.

Engaging Learners Online

People learn best when they are involved in the material, when it's meaningful to them and they're clear on how it's serving their personal and career goals. Kevin Pollard, Faculty Manager for Training Transformation at MKC Training explains how inflexible traditional models of training used to be:

The responsibility of the students was to turn up, and then assimilate learning. It was an inflexible system, based on the assumption that students all learn at the same pace and that they will all respond to the same method of delivery."

Taking the learning process online allows students to take control of when and where they study.

We've now transformed all our training, so that what is delivered is much more consistent and yet the student has more flexibility in how it reaches them, giving them more responsibility, control and autonomy over their own learning experience" confirms Kevin.

Using e-learning effectively

Technology now allows a face-to-face experience to take place online. Software allows 2-way video links to deliver person to person interaction, collaboration boards allow virtual drawing, sharing, and use of virtual rooms for syndicate working. Blended learning can now comprise different forms of digital interaction as well as physical. "One of the ways we give our students more control and autonomy," Kevin continues "is to use a blended approach to learning" so learners can absorb the theory in their own time before they come to apply it in specific scenarios.

Using e-learning can mean that time in front of an instructor is more productive and can be better utilised for questions and practice around applying the knowledge. It also means that students have lifetime access to the continually updated e-learning module materials and resources they have studied.

Gamification in Learning

MKC Training is constantly exploring new ways to enhance training materials to the benefit of their learners. An example is the 'Paint Defects Ninja' game, where the learner is parachuted into a badly decorated building and has to navigate their way through different rooms. In each, they're challenged to identify the defect in the paintwork, find the cause and select the most appropriate remedy. They're up against the clock, with coveted Ninja Stars up for grabs!

Peter Cox, MKC Training's Commercial Director comments

With this project, we've shown that gamification can be effectively applied, even in some very unlikely subject areas!"

Gamification can be a real asset where there is a need to engage learners. You can see what's possible yourself by dipping into Paint Defects Ninja right now.

Maintaining the human touch

Video, whether live streamed or recorded, is an effective way to maintain the human touch. Being able to hear the material explained as well as read it, allows new information to be more effectively embedded and be more easily recalled. Video is also invaluable for demonstrating principles and illustrating concepts through real-life applications.

Humans are social animals. We naturally bond with our teams, our class-mates, our communities. This time of 'social distancing' gives us a real opportunity to reimagine the future, learning how technology can complement and enhance rather than reduce human contact. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, gamification – these are valuable elements for advancing education and learning. Technology is becoming more central to the way we interact with other humans. Our profound understanding of how people learn combines with our learning innovation expertise to create training solutions that are sustainable and effective for a reimagined future.