My current CV can be viewed here.
In order to provide further evidence to substantiate my interest in this role, I have sourced a number of profiles for Learning/Educational technologist related roles and have provided additional evidence against their criteria below.
EXPERIENCE
Experience of developing and managing VLEs and creating e-learning content
I am currently in the process of implementing a VLE within my organization. Owing to the security restrictions around my industry this has not been as speedy a rollout as I would have liked, however in order to speed up the operational effectiveness of the VLE when it is finally launched I have been developing content and trialling it on my personal VLE which sits outside the corporate firewall. I have also been approached by the Nuclear industry wide initiative ‘Nuclear Liaison TV’ to develop a VLE for use by the Dalton Institute/Manchester University, this work is still in its tentative stages however its progress can be observed here.
Experience of training, supporting and motivating others in the use of and creative application of learning technologies
As outlined in a forthcoming response I have identified, trained and supported an internal team of learning facilitators in the use of our rapid elearning platform. However I firmly believe that rapid elearning is only a very small piece of the learning technology solution. In order to further promote a more holistic approach to the use of learning technologies, I am coaching a number of internal stakeholders as to how they can utilise these technologies to enhance and enrich the learner’s experience.
I have also spoken at the Learning Technologies 2011 conference on the subject of ‘Getting started in Learning Technologies’. This led to overwhelmingly positive feedback which has dramatically strengthened my professional network and has led to me providing some charity work with Barnardos.
Excellent customer service skills, with experience of responding efficiently and effectively to phone and email enquiries
Whilst working within my previous role as a Learning and Development Adviser I was responsible for the day-to-day compliance training and personal development of a workforce of approximately 400. Given the nature of my organization we are a 24/7/365 operation. This generates a significant amount of voicemails and emails from our stakeholders not only during traditional office hours, but also during silent hours. The ability to prioritise and respond to those communications was of critical importance not only to provide a service which the stakeholders quite rightly expected but to ensure that compliance critical data and communications were processed in a timely fashion at all times.
Track record of leading learning technology projects from concept to successful completion
From 2009-2010 I was the project owner for the implementation of a rapid eLearning authoring platform within my organization. This project involved:
- Scoping the organization’s requirements.
- Identifying potential vendors and selecting a preferred supplier.
- Engaging with our cohort of internal learning facilitators.
- Close liaison with our security and IT departments.
- Running a PR campaign to promote the platform ahead of, and following its launch.
- Delivery of platform specific training to instructional designers.
- Continual coaching to elearning authors following the systems deployment.
- Provision of training to L&D in relation to the associated Learning Management System.
Experience of embedding organisational change in the use of learning technologies
Prior to our adoption of an internal elearning authoring tool, all of our traditional self-paced elearning offerings were provided by external vendors. The implementation of the system initiated a significant change in the way that employees viewed the use of learning technologies. Whenever possible I try to use the ‘use the tool to sell the tool’ approach to promote the adoption and embedding of any new technologies within my organization. i.e.
- Utilised podcasting techniques to promote the use of podcasts as a tool, which has led to the internal Communications team launching their own weekly podcast service as well as several learning facilitators using Web 2.0 podcasting tools to capture learner’s reflections and action planning points upon completion of a learning event.
- Used footage taken on a Flip camera to promote the adoption of them as a site-wide tool. Follow up coaching has also been provided via recordings taken from the camera.
I have found that this particular approach helps to answer any questions or overcome any fears over the perceived complexity of the tool in question. This has led to a much more rapid uptake and adoption of the tools when compared to a more traditional approach.
Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment
During my military service I frequently worked within a multi-cultural environment, not only within the Army itself but also when working overseas, particularly when involved with training overseas military forces. This required keen research into the various cultures prior to any work, coupled with the ability to adapt quickly to experiences once in-situ. My organisation has as Global presence therefore a keen understanding of the differing cultures within it greatly assists me in ensuring that I can meet my objectives without causing upset or offence to other parties.
Experience of working overseas, preferably in a developing country
Again, my military experience has provided me with the opportunities to work in developing countries as well as those countries whose infrastructure has been destroyed. These countries include
- Rwanda
- Sierra Leone
- Kosovo
- Oman
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
Operating in those areas has provided me with some fantastic opportunities to reflect upon how the lack of what we may consider ‘everyday’ technologies can affect the delivery of learning solution, which then forces some parallel thinking to take place about how the solution can be achieved by alternative means.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Able to keep a reliable record of discussions and meetings, summarise key outcomes and write clear and concise reports
I have demonstrable experience at producing reliable reports as I have been producing reports within my organisation for subjects as wide and as varied as compliance training returns, business cases and Investors in People status reports. Many of my reports have been used by the Head of HR & OD to provide data to his colleagues on the Lead Team (Board of Directors). I also use technology where I possibly can, in order to synchronise notes between multiple devices to enable 24/7 access and I have also started using portable mp3 recorders to record meetings. A practice which has been received well by many parties as it allows a far quicker resource to be produced as well as a 100% record.
Able to interpret policy and regulations and practically apply them
The Nuclear Industry is regulated by no less than 3 regulators. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, the Office of Civil Nuclear Security and the Environment Agency. This amount of regulation results in an understandable but weighty amount of policies and regulations that must be considered and where relevant, adhered to. I have gained a thorough understanding as to the reasons behind many of the restrictions that these place upon my work and have become adept at working with our internal stakeholders to manage the risks associated with working right up to (but not exceeding) the regulations. This has helped to ensure that I am able to meet my objectives, without compromising myself or the organisation. The most recent example of this type of working involved an initiative I had started which centred around the use of Flip video cameras by selected employees on our site. Without extremely close working with our security and IT security departments this would have been prohibited. Instead I was able to negotiate a workflow which met their considerations, whilst still allowing me to add real value back to the business by way of the use of the cameras.
Able to work meticulously and with strong attention to detail, and to critically assess one’s own work to ensure accuracy of output
Due to the high level of regulation that surrounds my industry and in turn my organisation, I constantly strive to produce accurate work and am always willing to seek a renegotiation of allotted timescales should I consider that my output may not be of the quality/accuracy I have offered to my stakeholders.
Able to analyse issues and offer proactive, informed and reliable professional advice and support
A modern approach to Learning and Development is a fairly new concept within my organisation. As part of the culture-change that this development brought I was (and still am) responsible for providing subject matter expertise on Learning and Development around my organisation. In recent times this has centred on the implementation and development of current and emerging Learning Technologies.
Excellent written communication skills with proven experience of using these to convey information in a polite and efficient manner with accurate spelling and good grammar
As mentioned elsewhere in this application, due to a significant percentage of my communications being asynchronous and reliant on email, I have developed my communications to convey accurate, brief and clear information to both internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
Strong interpersonal skills, with ability to communicate and build good working relationships with academic and non-academic colleagues
Due to the wide-ranging customer base within my current and previous role I have been fortunate enough to become involved in all areas of the business and at all levels, from the most recent maintenance technicians to members of the board. The feedback that I have received from these working relationships indicates that I am able to communicate effectively with people at all levels of the organisation.
Excellent IT Skills, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases and use of e-mail and the internet
Both my professional and personal interests revolve around the use of IT applications and online applications, so I have become proficient in all of the day-to-day products as well as some of the more niche resources. I have also gained recognition for my level of IT skills via the British Computer Society by completing the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) programme and several of the ECDL Advanced modules.
Capacity to manage own time effectively and deliver outputs consistent with expected standards in terms of productivity and quality & Able to take initiative and work without detailed supervision
My recent position has provided the opportunity to work from home several days a week as some of my projects are web-based and therefore do not require me to travel. This autonomy has allowed me to demonstrate my ability to be a self-directed worker, manage my own time and still provide the quality of output that is expected of my role without any direct supervision.
Able to work calmly under pressure, and adapt readily to changing circumstances
My military service has provided me with plenty of opportunities to demonstrate my ability to work calmly under pressure. However, more recently I found myself faced with an impending launch of a new eLearning system for our entire organisation and with only a day to go discovered that due to a breakdown in communications between the vendor and our internal IT team we were about to ‘go live’ with a key server folder missing.
I contacted the vendor who provided me with the relevant data which I subsequently passed onto our IT team. Unfortunately, due to a lack of knowledge of the platform IT were not prepared to make the changes without lengthy research, which would have delayed the launch of the system. In order to overcome this challenge I spent many, many hours over the final 24 hours prior to the launch (including in the evening) relaying information, instructions and data between all concerned parties in order to ensure that the system was fully operational when it was launched.
Able to influence colleagues, particularly in the context of the use of learning technologies
I have been instrumental in a change programme within my organisation for the past 3 years which has involved making the change from delivering ‘training’ to facilitating ‘learning’ amongst our employees. The catalyst for this has been a Learning Facilitator programme that approximately 30 internal Subject Matter Experts have been through. This has resulted in them being accredited with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health’s Professional Trainers Certificate. Following that programme I have been working with those facilitators to develop their understanding and application of modern learning technologies. This commenced with a unconference that I facilitated for them to introduce them to and allow them to get hands-on with some of the current and emerging tools, a blog post relating to that unconference can be seen here
Subsequent activities have involved the implementation of QR codes within my organization
The implementation of Interactive White Boards within our Training Centre
Proven teaching ability, ideally in higher education
I have been involved in a teaching role for the past majority of my 16 years military service. That audience ranged from teenage recruits, through senior experienced personnel, to commissioned officers. So my ability to communicate messages in a clear, methodical, engaging manner has I believe, been proven. Within my current role I have chosen to remain involved in the delivery of teaching to others in my organization in subjects as wide as coaching skills, Train-The-Trainer, IT related skills and most recently in the use of learning technologies.
SPECIAL APTITUDES
Appropriate regard for confidentiality and security
My military service has exposed me to various levels of security restricted material which required an extremely high level of sensitivity and confidentiality. As I currently work in the Nuclear Industry I hold current Government level SC security clearance. I am therefore well versed in operating in not only commercially sensitive areas, but in those with much higher considerations and consequences.
Sensitivity to a variety of cultures
As previously mentioned, my military service has provided me with ample exposure to various cultures and has given me the opportunity to become adept at operating in them. My current role also involves working with my European colleagues and a globally dispersed customer base.
