I’m sure you already know your learning style. If not (or just for kicks) take the VARK questionnaire. {safe for work and school}. It’s part of a school assignment in my PhD program.

If you’re a blogger, I think it’d be interesting to know if there is some commonality in style (read/write)…if you believe anyone has a single learning style at all.  Humor me. We don’t have to get all metacognitive and think about thinking about it. It’s Friday after all.

Anyway, I know you all take the Cosmo quizzes or other weird quizzes for goodness sakes {neither of which is safe for work}.

Level 1 assessments (frequently called the ‘smiley sheet’) often follow completed learning programs like face-to-face classroom training, self-paced e-learning, and other structured programs. Like me, I suspect you quickly debrief yourself by scanning the responses. You look for trends. If you’ve used a scale, like a  1-5 scale, you look for the “1s” or “2s” as well as the “5s” and hope there were more of the latter. I always felt bad if the predominant number was “3″ – lackluster, not memorable, just another training program. I liked “4s” because I like to think there’s always the possibility of something better. Of course everyone loves “5s.” However, I think the real value in debriefing is in the ‘additional comments‘ – it’s where the beef is.

Isn’t there always the cantankerous individual who has nothing positive to say about anything? And, there’s the individual who says this program was the greatest thing they’ve ever experienced? I discount both and treat them as outliers. Later, when there is some distance from the event, I look at the assessments again.

As a researcher, when I do a survey I go through a similar process the first time I look at responses and then dissect them later. The ‘additional comments’ section is always valuable. It’s the ‘yes, but…’ and the ‘yes, and…’; it’s the beef of the smiley sheet. I want to share the following beefy comments from a blended learning survey Brandon Hall Research did in the first quarter of 2007.

“Limited face-to-face time and perceived need to reduce travel costs drove the need for blended learning as well as the improvements in infrastructure and quality of electronic resources. Also culture of highend network being the backbone for delivery drove what could be done although we top out in our requirements from time to time and have to back down even with the strong network we have.”

“Cost control is usually the driving motivation for our clients, including the development and delivery budget, time for participants away from work, and pass through costs. Generally, when we receive an RFQ, there is no opportunity to suggest blended learning or approaches other than that specified in the RFQ.”

“Blended learning” sounds old-fashioned now. We simply use the best tools available for each objective, and now these include online options as well as classroom and other traditional options.”

“Everything depends on whether which course we’re talking about AND which program area AND whether it’s faculty/staff instruction, or student PhD, grad, or undergrad. We’re a regionally accredited distance learning university, private, nonprofit – est in 1942 – as technology grows our capabilities grow.”

“As buy-in has been difficult with internal clients, blended learning process has been slow. Anxious to begin using some action learning in our blended learning options.”

“Just to say that really in my opinion there are no other better thing in most of the cases than face to face, but the advantage of use blended learning put away the possible disadvanteges that this way can have.”

“Even though blended learning has proved itself – many senior managers still insist that subjects be taught f2f – even when this is the most expensive means of delivery.”

“Initially we experienced some resistance around blended learning solutions, we are now finding our clients are more enthusiastic and receptive to blended solutions and even seeking blended solutions as part of their training delivery outcomes.”

“We feel that blended learning can assist in knowledge transfer/retention as it can help address and balance differing learning styles of the participants. It can also assist in reducing cost when we include e based elements within the programme. However, developing blended learning can take longer then either straight e based or classroom. Also when including a virtual classroom element addtional resources are required to plan and manage this aspect of the programme.”

“Blended learning is the way to go on the long term: have a combination of e-learning/self paced and classroom/on-the-job training. It will be important to also merge existing materials and SME in the blended programs to avoid duplication of efforts.”

“One another factor that has created hurdles for us is the time-factor: i.e. there is always not enough time in classrooms for our students to really benefit from their lessons. Once out of the class, they almost forget what was taught in their computer lesson. Other subjects that they study have no aspect of IT, whatsoever.”

“I think that in future, blended learning will become the de facto mode of training delivery. The reason is simple; face-to-face training are great some content type, while online training are great for a different type. Together, they provide a complete training solution.”

“Our asynchronout online training supports our ILT, but only because the content is similar. The team that creates online training is separate from the team that creates ILT, so the course design is done separately. I would LOVE to create true blended learning, but there are political barriers within the company that prevent this.”

“Blended learning is really in its infancy here despite 3 years of trying to expand it. Our culture is very traditional – stand up training oriented and slow to change.”

“Note that blended learning is only as effective as it is matched the content appropriate to its delivery. When this is done correctly, it will be appreciated by learners and effective in its teaching.”

“We have extremely tight data security. It limits our options for new technologies that our system does not allow.”

“Blended learning like e-learning serves it’s own niche… There are some very specific requirements that blended learning serves… Just like e-learning cannot replace all of learning/training… blended learning too cannot be a one-size-fits all methodology…”

“This has been and continues to be a primary focus.”

“When the first e-learning programs appeared, many enthusiasts proclaimed it as the end of classroom learning. They were wrong of course. Blended learning is great because it doesn’t close out any options: for the learner, learning designer, and the corporation. The individual pieces that make up the “blend” may change, but blended learning is here to stay.”

“Certain types of audience (given certain type of content) would rather have face to face interaction with experts and peers than purely self-paced e-learning. However, quite a few learning programs can be done through a self-paced mode if you add “real interactive elements” such as learning blogs, learning wikis, chats or discussion forums. Add multiplayer simulations and/or games, and you have a truly interactive learning experience that enables long term retention and critical thinking.”

“Its been effective but not supported in last 2 years from senior level mangaement due to culture and imbedded perception and assignment that training is only a supportive function of the business rather than a strategic function of the business.”

“Our results have shown this is the only way to go …”

“As an ID, I look at blended learning as an important tool. However, as an organization, blended learning is currently not an option.”

What do these comments say to you?

Here’s one of my favorites smiley sheets:

Photos: Where’s the beef? 1970s Wendy’s commercial
Really simple smiley sheet: Dr. Molly Lane, Capella University