Is there a need to adopt Digital Learning Offerings to include interactive components?

Alexander Ziegler

With the current situation we're seeing as everybody significant increase in the need to digital learning offerings. In internal discussions the question came up if we should include into existing non-interactive learning offerings a "ask your instructor" component, or add a "you can use X onsite mentoring days". I'm wondering if anybody else did run into this discussion? And if yes: Do you keep Digital (offline) Learning Offerings separate from instructor/live/onsite offerings? Or is a bundling the new trend?

StevenForth

That is a pretty complicated packaging and pricing question, so rather than give an answer I will share some ideas on how I would get to an answer. This is based on the approach we take at Ibbaka.

1. Set your pricing goals (we use a modified version of Roger Martin's cascading choices framework to do this)
2. Research the economic, emotional and community value drivers (we have a formal research process and rich taxonomies for each type of value driver
3. Investigate the market dynamics (how price elasticity of demand and cross price elasticity interat
4. Segment the potential markets by value driver and adoption process
5. Choose a target (OK targets if you must)
6. Develop the packaging (what functions, data and service should be sold together)
7. Identify the value metrics (the unit of consumption by which a user gets value) and use these to come up with pricing metrics (the unot of consumption by which people pay
8. Design the pricing model for the target segment(s) - there is a lot to say on the design of pricing models, but perhaps not here
9. Set prices, discount policies and terms of trade (these interact as a system)
10. Design the data collection system that will help you to demonstrate value, evolve the pricing model, support renewals and upsells
11. Evolve the pricing model and pricing
12. Test to see if the market dynamics and market segmentation are constant or evolving ...

Sorry to give a long, process answer to a simple question. I find questions about price, when you pick at them, tend to go to deeper concerns.

So, to answer your question (if you read this far) I would package together the things that work together to create value. I would not worry about the type of media.

StevenForth

Hi @Alexander Ziegler I would sell as one package if each of the pieces reinforces the others and the whole is clearly greater than the sum of its parts. I would package the pieces individually if each can be used independently and they can be used as subsittues. Make sense? Steven

Spencer Hancock

HI Alexander, Excellent question! Maria Manning Chapman, VP Education Services Research here at TSIA wrote a blog, "What is the Difference Between Classroom Training, Virtual Instructor Led Training and E-Learning (https://www.tsia.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-classroom-training-virtual-instructor-led-training-and-e-learning) that you may want to review.

StevenForth

Wow, that is a big and rather important question. We manage a lot of the learning and performance content for a large medical technology company. This is what is likely to happen (much of this is still under discussion and is a work in progress).

1. In person instructor led training is not going to come back.
2. Mentoring is more important than ever and needs formal and systems support
3. Understanding skills and competencies is going to be central to (i) enabling mentoring and (ii) identifying skill gaps so that they can be filled
4. Short term more webinars with breakout sessions and interactive workshops (we are doing one today on applications of scenario planning to pricing)
5. Medium term more (i) communities of practice with mentoring and formal learning backed in, including more community driven content and (ii) more asynchronous learning that has rich interactive experiences
6. Long term - more microlearning (delivered in this case through MS Teams but this could easily be Slack or even email) and possibly more simulation and gaming based learning designed for multiple people

We are looking at the most effective ways to blend these modalities, which is different for different people. We are instrumenting the skill profiles, LMS (Learning Management System), LXP (Learning Experience Platform), Resource Management Platform, Project Management system etc.

There is a lot to learn here and to share. I don't think anyone has authoritative answers given how the world is changing. It has certainly renewed my interest in scenario planning, but that should be another thread.

Alexander Ziegler

Thanks @Steven Forth. This is already helping a lot, and probably a small add-on: Have you seen companies creating one fixed Subscription price, that includes interactive solutions (in your list 2. + 4.) with non-interactive (5.+6.) into once bundle? I fully agree to your answer and are wondering if we need to now take 2. - 5. and find a Susbcription solution that includes all? Or better sell individual?