Globalization & E-Learning

E-SIG Workshop

Globalization and E-Learning
Dr. Guido Minaya, Minaya & Associates, LLC

©2009 Guido A. Minaya

Welcome and Introductions
Welcome ASTD-Philadelphia Chapter Members to
the June e-SIG session
• Goals
– Understand some of the added complexities when
undertaking global e-learning projects
– Provide added context through global e-Learning
examples
– List resources you may want to investigate


Guido Minaya, MBA, Ed.D.
• Managing Partner, Minaya & Associates, LLC
• Chief Learning Officer, Sumaria Networks, LLC
• Senior Strategy Consultant-Learning Services
– Multi-national companies, training operations
– US based Managed Learning Services companies
international expansion
• Prior roles
– Education Services Director at Fortune 500 firms
with management responsible for
• Latin America Region,
• Asia and Japan Region.
– Global Director for Learning Services, Consulting
Firm.


Agenda
• Added considerations in Global e-Learning
• Real world examples:
– Energy firm based in Europe
– High-Tech firm based in North America
– Financial firm based in Europe
• Successful Global e-Learning Solutions
• Evolving best practices
• Recommended resources


Let’s learn a little about you….
Which of the following best describes your role?
– Instructional Designer
– Content Developer
– Graphics Designer
– Instructor
– Faculty member
– Training Director/Executive
– Other


Have you worked on an Global
e-Learning initiative?

YES

NO


What is your interest in this
workshop?

1. Learn more to support existing clients
2. Learn more to position myself for future
opportunities
3. Take over the world
4. Other


Globalization and E-Learning
Done correctly, a global e-learning initiative can
have a significant impact on a multi-national
corporation’s success in the marketplace
Done incorrectly, a corporation can lose more
than just their e-learning investment.
57% of Globalization efforts fail!

As professionals in the Learning Services field we
should understand some of the pitfalls and best
practices to better guide our clients when called
upon.

The “formula” is in an evolutionary state.


Sources of Financial Loss
(Edmundson, 2009)
• No Translation
– Loss of meaning
• No Localization
– Original cost of creating culturally inappropriate
courses
• No Modularization
– Cost of an off the shelf course that can’t be
adapted to cultural needs
• No Origination
– Lost time spent on an inappropriate course


You are the Project Manager……
• Netherlands based company with operations in
five countries
– Netherlands, UK, US, Australia, China,
• Product focus: Windmill Energy company
• Problem: High number of new employees on
boarding in each country
• Departments: R&D, Sales, Production, Project
Services
• Desired curriculum focus: Value Chain for New
Hires
What do you do differently as you engage in
the project planning process?


Cultural Accessibility
Globalized e-Learning needs to be
culturally accessible, such that all
learners are able to achieve the
same learning outcomes (putting in
the same amount of effort to
acquire relevant knowledge and
skills), regardless of their country
or culture of origin. Andrea Edmundson
Project team needs to be expanded to include
representatives from each country, function.


5 Cultural National Dimensions
(Hofstede 1984, 2001)
• Power Distance —Extent to which less powerful
members of an institution or organization accept
that power is distributed unequally.
• Uncertainty Avoidance —Extent to which people
are threatened by ambiguous situations and have
created beliefs and institutions to try to avoid these.
• Individualism vs. Collectivism —bipolar
continuum, looking after yourself and family only vs.
belonging to in-groups or collectivities which are
suppose to look after you in exchange for loyalty.
• Masculinity vs. Femininity —dominant values are
success, money and things vs. caring for others and
quality of life.
• Long term vs. Short Term —Virtue rather than
truth


You are the ID Lead………
• Industry: Finance
• Investment company based in the UK
• Company has operations in seven countries.
UK, US, Singapore, China, Brazil, Argentina,
France
• 95% of existing training in ILT
• Problem: Due to acquisitions, high number of
new employees on boarding
• Desired curriculum focus: Communication
Skills
What additional steps do you add to
your ADDIE process?


Language challenges obvious
For some multi-nationals, Globalized
English is used.

What is Globalized English?

What about translation of content—
benefits and pitfalls?


Cultural Considerations in ID
(Henderson, 1996)
Approaches to instructional design not only reflect
differing world views but they consist of
values, ideologies and images that act in the
interest of particular cultural, class and gender
groups.
Instructional design and the designer are
inextricably tied to their societal context and
thus infused with the cultural, class and
gendered influence of these factors

How culturally relevant is your instructional
design to the learners you are developing
content for?


You are the Graphics Lead……
• Netherlands based company with operations in
five countries located on four continents
– Netherlands, UK, US, Australia, China,
• Product focus: Windmill Energy company
• Problem: High number of new employees on
boarding in each country
• Departments: R&D, Sales, Production, Project
Services
• Desired curriculum focus: Value Chain for New
Hires
What do you do differently?


Localization
• Symbols
– Chinese do not like to see names in red text.
• Images
– Last week there were reports about Obama sitting
behind his desk in the Oval office with his feet up
showing the soles of his shoes while speaking to
Israeli leaders
– Hand gestures mean different things in different
countries


You are the CLO……
• Industry: High Tech
• US based company has operations in seven
continents
• Problem: ILT Leadership curriculum dated and
training budget cut earlier in the year. Existing
in-house small content development team
stretched and unavailable.
• Departments: R&D, Sales, Production, Channel
Management , Finance, HR
What resourcing decisions do you
need to make?


Staffing and Sourcing
• In-source or Outsource?
• For a Global e-Learning project,
what do you look for in an
outsourced e-Learning provider?


Front-end Analysis
 Industry
 Workforce Composition
 Geographic Concentration
 Relevant Cultural Norms
 Training Curricula Focus
◦ Technical or Soft-Skills
◦ Leadership or Sales
 HQ Home Country
 Languages: Default and others
 Job task analysis
 Number or LMS’s, and their implication to project
 Budget
 Lowest common denominator--technology


Global E-Learning

SOLUTIONS


Finance Company Solution
 Blended Learning Approach
 ILT, VILT, some e-Learning
 Decision on primary language: Global English
 Invest in Analysis of Largest employee
populations
◦ Cultural Analysis
◦ Localization
 Off the shelf content options with some tailoring
 Content Development Team members identified
(US, India, Europe)
 Local instructors used leveraged for ILT, VILT
and facilitated e-Learning (language, culture)


High-Tech Company
Solution
 Outsourced
 Custom e-Learning content development
 Conversion of ILT courseware with revisions
 Global e-Learning courses
 Decision on primary language: Global English
 Analysis of largest employee populations by in-
house Leadership Development Team
◦ Cultural Analysis
◦ Localization
 Outsource: tight ID/content dev process
 Recruit internal review team
 Incorporate vendor provided editors for localization


Windmill Company Solution
• Analyze: 100 plus hours of focus group
interviews with experts in R&D, Sales,
Production, Services. 15 hours of interviews
with 100 employees.
• Designed 5 hours of e-Learning
• Cartoon figures with various ethnicities and
gender represented
• Different color weeble figures
• Global English
• Culturally Sensitive
• Corporate Culture integrated
• Relevant
• Pre-test, Post-test, 90 day test


Global E-Learning

EVOLVING BEST PRACTICES


Global E-Learning

SUMMARY


• Added considerations in Global e-Learning
• Real world Examples:
– Energy firm based in Europe
– High-Tech firm based in North America
– Financial firm based in Europe
• Successful Global e-Learning Initiatives
• Evolving best practices

What we covered today


• Relevant training sessions
– ASTD Virtual Conference
• List books, articles
– T&D Globalization and e-Learning
• Andrea Edmundson, April 2009
– Globalized e-Learning Cultural Challenges
• Andrea Edmundson, 2007
– Exploring Culture
• Gert Jan Hofstede. 2002
– Cultural Adaptation Model
• Andrea Edmundson, 2007
• Global eLearning Communities
– http://www.eworldlearning.com/Membership.asp
More information


Today’s Session helped me better
understand Global e-learning initiatives

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither Agree or Disagree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree


Contact Information
Guido A. Minaya, MBA, Ed.D.
Managing Partner
Minaya & Associates, LLC

707-399-7155 (office)
707-399-6955 (fax)
305-775-0297 (cell)

gminaya1@comcast.net
www.MinayaAssociates.com


Globalization & E-Learning

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Globalization & E-Learning

Similar to Globalization & E-Learning (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Globalization & E-Learning