developing a mobile learning strategy from the ground up

Developing an mLearning Strategy from the Ground UpDevLearn 2010 – Session 711

John Feser, Managing Partner Float Mobile Learning

floatlearning.com

Presentation Overview

• What is strategy?• Today’s goal • How the case study fits in• Feedback

About Caterpillar and Cat Safety

• Caterpillar• World’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining

equipment• Fortune 100 Company• Caterpillar stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial

Average

• Caterpillar Customer Safety Services• Caterpillar Customer Safety Services’ mission is to provide

solutions that enable world-wide customers to create a jobsite culture of safety and sustainability

• Launched SAFETY.CAT.COM in June 2007• Recognized as a safety leader in the industries they serve

Ingredients for a Successful Strategy

A well defined process• Common understanding• Relevant information• Thorough analysis • Actionable plan

The Process

Understand Organizational Goals

Strategy doesn’t work in isolation• What is your organization trying to achieve?• What are the challenges?• What are the opportunities?• Are there existing strategies that can be enhanced?

What we did for Cat Safety• Listened and learned• Three major goals

• Maintain Caterpillar’s leadership in the area of safety• Look for additional value added products & services • Generate revenue

Educate

Understanding mobile learning is key• Why?• Who?• When?• How?

What we did for Cat Safety• Explained mobile learning• Compare and contrast mLearning to other forms of training• Mobile statistics• Tied examples to safety, construction

and mining

Investigate

• Examine how things are done today• Talk to people to understand what is currently happening• What would they change if they could?• Where do they see opportunity?

What we did for Cat Safety• Interviewed employees and dealers• Asked about challenges and opportunities• Asked what their customers were saying

Align mLearning Objectives with Organizational Goals

Analyze goals in the context of human performance• Look for gaps• Achieving goals is about changing (filling the gaps)

• Who needs to change?• What needs to change?• How can we encourage them to change?

What we did for Cat Safety• Determined that customers were the target audience• Focus was on customer centered mLearning opportunities• Intentionally did not look internally for

mLearning possibilities

Creating a Plan

Developing a complete implementation plan is critical to the success of any mobile learning strategy• Communication• Definition of Success / Expectations• Roadmap for Execution

Three steps• Identify Opportunities• Prioritize Opportunities• Develop Rationale

Identify Opportunities

• Examine identified gaps and breakdowns that are impeding achieving goals

• Are there missed opportunities?• How can access to information anytime and anywhere

help?• Can the capabilities of mobile devices address some gaps?

What we did for Cat Safety• Cat Safety – heavy focus on information delivery• Look to change behavior through education• Timeliness and context an issue


What we did for Cat Safety (continued)

• Identified 3 major categories• Make existing content available in a mobile format• Produce new mobile content • Develop new mobile services

• 26 different potential mobile learning opportunities found


What we did for Cat Safety (continued)

Examples• Make existing content available in a mobile format

• Make safety.cat.com mobile friendly• Mobile friendly walk around inspections, toolbox talks, safety

videos• Produce new mobile content

• Premium walk around inspections (machine specific)• Premium checklists (machine specific)

• Service Ideas• Mobile version of OSHA/MSHA regulations• Warning label flashcards• SMS safety messages• PIP/PSP notifications• Safety podcasts

Prioritize Opportunities

• Develop a way to rank your ideas• Rankings should include link to organizational goals• Should also include other factors

• Device dependency• Development time• Cost to implement• Audience Size

• Other factors should be based on what is important to your organization and ability to build business case

• Be careful not to over complicate the process


What we did for Cat Safety • Rated each opportunity based on its ability to help achieve

each of the three identified goals• Industry leadership• Value-added service• Revenue producing

• This was translated into a score: “Value to Cat Safety”• Other factors included

• Reach• Ease of Implementation


What we did for Cat Safety (Continued)

Project Goals Ranking

Item DescriptionValue‐added

ServiceRevenue Producing

IndustryLeadership

Valueto Cat Reach

Ease ofimplementation Total

New Mobile Services

SMS Safety Messages A mechanism that would allow safety managers to send important safety bulletins/information to their team via text message. Could also be used to alert others about a recent incident (safety standout).

H M M 4 4 3 11

Safety Podcasts A form of thought leadership from Caterpillar via publication of regular podcasts on various safety topics.

H L H 3 3 4 10

PIP/PSP Notifications Send product inspection notifications and product safety notifications via SMS. Build a mechanism for confirming receipt.

H L M 4 3 2 9

Mobile Version of OSHA/MSHA regulations

An app or mobile website that makes it easy and quick to lookup or find OSHA/MSHA regulations (searchable).

H H H 4 3 2 9

Warning Label Flashcards (Game)

Build a game that tests knowledge of warning labels.

L L H 2 2 3 7

Develop Rationale for Your Recommendations

What we did for Cat Safety• Identified 6 opportunities to be recommended• Wrote a 1 – 2 page summary of each recommendation

highlighting the following elements• Recommendation overview• Application type• Key audience• Magnitude of impact• Device dependency• Effort to develop/cost• Speed to market• Analysis recap

Proof of Concept

A proof of concept provides tangible support • It is more than an idea or “vaporware”• Offers a means for validating your assumptions and estimates• Test feasibility• Quick win

Keys to a successful proof of concept• Keep it manageable • Benefits don’t have to be huge• Exemplify mobile learning• Should be easy to understand

Proof of Concept

What we did for Cat Safety• D5 Track-type Tractor Walk Around Inspection• Convert Flash to WebKit• Limited deployment to iOS, Android and newer WebKit

enabled Blackberries

Proof of Concept

Pulling It All Together

Keys to a successful mobile learning strategy:• Knowledge• Analysis• Planning

Epilogue • Caterpillar Customer Safety Services is moving forward

with a number of our recommendations which they plan to have in place early 2011.

John Feser, Managing Partner

email: [email protected]: @jfeez

@floatlearning

(877) 90-FLOAT (35628)www.floatlearning.com

Contact Information

developing a mobile learning strategy from the ground up

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