Q&A

What is the Learning Journey?

 The Learning Journey is a method of learning which combines a variety of activities. It doesn’t tell the learner what they should be learning – they decide that for themselves – but how they can go about learning it.

How’s the Learning Journey different from classroom-based or online training?

 Traditional classroom-based training divides the group into two camps – active (the instructor) and passive (the learners) – while online learning is a solitary exercise. The Learning Journey features elements of both, with around 50% of learning taking place in small groups, 30% independently, 10% in a classroom setting and 10% one-to-one. It can be summarised as the ‘space where colleagues can learn with and from each other’.

What’s the Learning Journey method based on?

 Learning in the Learning Journey way is based on taking into account the way people’s memory function. Studies have proven that people absorb new information (which is to say understanding it, storing it in their memory and being able to recall it when needed) more effectively if:

1) the information is relevant to them and has some sort of emotional impact on them (learn not with your head, but your heart!);

2) the learner has to search for additional information themselves, put it into words they understand and create meaning out of it for themselves (a certain amount of uncertainty is a good thing!); and

3) the learner learns in small bites over a longer period of time, such as two-hour activities once a week over eight weeks rather than one two-day course.

Constant reflection’s very important, meaning both self-analysis and feedback on your ideas and experiences. The term ‘space learning’ is used to describe a way of learning that meets all three of the criteria mentioned above. You can read an article about space learning here.

Who’s the Learning Journey designed for?

The Learning Journey’s suited to any groups of employees.

What’s the Learning Journey made up of?

 Learning Journeys can involve a wide range of activities: watching webinars; classroom-based learning; online courses; sharing ideas and experiences in small groups (4-5 people); individual self-analysis tasks; drawing up case studies and reviewing material; obtaining and studying material from different sources; putting together a presentation with colleagues; teaching others; sessions with a mentor/coach; interim summaries with your line manager; and implementing final assignment, which is an actual change in your area of responsibility.

Who’s involved in the Learning Journey besides the students?

 The students’ line managers are normally involved in the process along with mentors and coaches (be they from within or outside of the organisation), plus external trainers. The senior managers of your organisation can be drafted in if you’d like them to get involved as well.

What sort of problems does the Learning Journey solve?

 The Learning Journey solves three main problems:

1) Nothing much changes as a result of classroom-based training because the effect it has is short-term.

2) There’s insufficient sharing of employees’ experience as a learning resource, which amounts to letting it go to waste.

3) It’s unclear what potential employees have.

What kind of organisation is the Learning Journey suited to?

 There are a few boxes that need to be ticked for the Learning Journey to be a success:

1) The senior managers in your organisation have to view the development of their employees not as a one-off [training] thing, but as a constant process that supports their independent learning.

2) The students themselves have to be motivated, because the Learning Journey demands more dedication than an ordinary training course.

3) Your organisation has to be capable of strategically planning and planning ahead when it comes to the development of its employees.

4) The project manager within your organisation who deals with the Learning Journey – whether one of the managers or someone from your personnel department – has to be motivated.

Why should we choose the Learning Journey over other types of training?

 The biggest advantages the Learning Journey boasts are as follows:

FLEXIBILITY – Students mainly learn in a small group independently by deciding the most suitable time for them to meet in real or remotely.

EFFECTIVENESS – Sharing experience as short ‘bites’ during several month create more value for learners than only classroom sessions led by trainer.

ABILITY TO INSPIRE – Learning with others and from each other is emotionally enriching, generates greater trust within a team and encourages people to follow good examples.

VALUE – The know-how you gain can be utilised again and again, which means you save on training costs in the future.

How long does a Learning Journey take?

 The average Learning Journey lasts for 10-15 months, depending on the number of topics covered. Around three months can be deducted from this for Christmas and summer holidays.

 How can we keep the students motivated?

 The students’ main source of motivation should be their own desire to take part. In that sense, participation should be voluntary rather than mandatory. Management should also issue a clear ‘mandate’ in favour of the Learning Journey approach. Experience has shown that management getting involved sets a great example to (and therefore motivates) the rest of the team.

 What’s the ideal group size?

 Normally 12-16 students, although a number of groups can take part in parallel to one another.

Where the teaching materials come from?

 All of teaching materials, including theory work, articles, home tasks and guidelines are designed by Brightminds.

Who do the materials belong to that are created for the Learning Journey?

 The materials belong to the client, but copyright in the methodology and in written and electronic teaching materials belongs to Brightminds OÜ.

Is the Learning Journey paper-free?

 Yes! All of the materials we use are electronic and available on the Brightminds e-learning platform, access to which is via individual accounts we set up for each student.

What sort of tangible results does the Learning Journey produce?

 The Learning Journey inspires real change that the students implement as part of their final assignments. The result is higher turnover, lower costs, more efficient processes, innovation piloting, improved cooperation, a more motivated team and more competent leaders.

Does the Learning Journey entail any risks?

Not all students make it across the finishing line, which is only to be expected, because we all have different levels of ability and motivation. Experience has shown that among those who do make it all the way to the end, some will surprise you.

What’s the first step I need to take if our organisation is interested in the Learning Journey?

Meeting face to face, be it in person or online, is always a good first step. I’ll be happy to hear about the challenges your company’s facing in developing its personnel and to offer you ideas and inspiration on how to overcome those challenges. I can also share my experience about the Learning Journeys I’ve implemented in various organisations so far . To get in touch with me, call +372 5664 2531 or fill in the form below, I will contact you. I look forward to hearing from you!

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REFERENCES

We conducted a Learning Journey in G4S to develop our leaders. This program is suitable for companies that want to take on new challenges and get out of the comfort zone. The program puts participants together to do and think about the development of oneself and the company more generally.

Indrek Sarjas
HR Director

The Learning Journey differs significantly from the usual classroom trainings and is a good opportunity to put people in different positions in the company work together and find solutions to problems. Involving mentors helps to transfer existing knowledge and experience. The share of independent work is high, but the result is so much better.

Juta Käsk
Member of Management Board

Tallink Grupp is a company with many leaders in various fields. We are a large, flexible and changing company that puts customer expectations and needs at the center of its activities. We searched for and found a development program for beginner managers that was flexible enough to fit our shift-based workflow. During the meetings with Brightminds and Leena Kivisild, mutual understanding arose immediately, and during the discussions we quickly came to the realization that the idea of the Learning Journey she proposed fits perfectly into the current stage of development of the Tallink Group. There is a strong emphasis on e-learning and a designed learning activities that provides direction for further independent work. Brightminds’ approach is company-centric, and the specifics of each company are planned in the Learning Journey. Brightminds and Tallink became good partners.

Vahur Ausmees

HR Director

 

The strength of the development program was the use of different learning methods. As one of the goals was to share the company’s culture and existing experience with the new leaders, mentoring and cooperation between the participants in group work played a big role in the LEAP program. Regular meetings with the mentor strongly supported the new leaders and gave them a greater perspective on how to apply what they learned. The group work was based on the completed e-learning part and interactive webinars, the topics of which were discussed in smaller groups. Flexibility and different learning methods were the keywords that made the program work and successful for us. We believe that current and future leaders who have completed the LEAP program are ready to take responsibility and initiative and be good partners for their team members.

Viiu Kotkas

Head of the Training Center

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