The Effectiveness of Blended Learning - A Case Study

We had a request from a leading consulting company to provide the training needed to enhance the communication skills of their senior management. The potential participants dealt with significant number of overseas customers and their communication skills often interferred with their ability to connect with the customers and close the deal.

"Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." — Oliver Wendell Holmes

We designed blended learning solutions that spanned a six-month period. This contained 4 different methods;

1.      Evaluation: Evaluations are conducted twice – pre-evaluation at the start of the program and post-evaluation at the closure of the program. This is done sitting face-to-face with the participants. This enables the trainer to have a greater connect and also the trainer to pay attention to the smaller details, like body language.

2.      Group Training Sessions: Group training sessions are conducted twice – once at the start of the program and then at the end of the program. After completion of the pre-evaluation, all participants are brought together for a two-day instructor led group training program in which all the important concepts of communication were presented. The agenda of the entire program (six months) is discussed and the expectations are set.

At the end of the entire program and before the post-evaluation, another group session is conducted where the concepts are reiterated, success stories are shared and their on-going development plans are discussed.

3.      Online Coaching Sessions: Every two weeks the participants have online coaching sessions with the coach. These are individual sessions with a duration of one hour per person. This gives the ability for the coach to give feedback that is specific to each person and provide exercises that address the idiosyncratic issues faced by each participant.

4.      Social Learning: All participants from a group on a social media platform where they exchange experiences of applying the learning in real-time situations, thus enabling them to learn from each other and establish a connect beyond the realm of the formal training and coaching sessions.

The results have been profound! We now conduct this format of blended learning for numerous corporates and for various topics. Clearly this result could not have been achieved if we had only used only one of face-to-face or online sessions.  The impact of blended learning can be significant if we use the approach that is conducive for each topic.

MMM Training Solutions conducts communication skills training, corporate training, soft skills training, cross cultural training and leadership training programs for corporates in India and abroad.