The US Treasury Department's Financial Management Service trains government agencies on federal accounting practices, and Treasury employees on soft skills and job requirements. They wanted to transition from a presenter-centered, face-to-face training group to a learner-centered training organization using both live and online methods. We conducted a detailed assessment of their customers, processes, content, and technology, made high level strategic recommendations, and contributed to the development of their five-year implementation plan.
Game-based Course Design: The Organizing Game
We partnered with two nonprofit organizations to create a game-based course to teach doorknocking skills. It provides a safe environment in which to practice the essential skills of getting in the door, breaking the ice, determining interest, and getting a commitment. It can be used in a face-to-face training, or as a standalone tutorial. It's an open source project, and the art and code are freely adaptable for local organizations. The game has been featured in Time Magazine and on NBC. Play it here.
Online Program Design: US Navy IP Tech Refresh Program
We partnered with the US Navy's Information Professional community to develop a multi-year Tech Refresh program, which features a series of courses on such diverse topics as Satellite Communications, Information Security, and Knowledge Management. Each course is approximately one hour long, and features a mix of didactic presentation, short interactive exercises, and simulations where learners can apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Expert Publishing: Building a High-Tech Business Plan
This course is the first in a series adapted from an on-ground program at San Jose State University, in collaboration with an author and speaker. The dynamic series features individual activities, groupwork, and video contributions from industry experts.
Academic Course Design: Probability and Statistics
The Naval Postgraduate School's Operations Research Dept. wanted to convert this face-to-face class to an online format that could be used completely asynchronously, or in support of videoconferencing-based classes. We worked with faculty to create a highly interactive, scenario-based course that uses military examples and real-world problems to motivate learners. We included Flash animations, streaming narrated class sessions, online statistical models, and (surprise!) a 250 page printed manual for students who didn't want to do all that reading online.
Detailed write-ups of these and other case studies are available by request. Please contact Doug Nelson for more information.