Tim Neill is founder and Managing Director of Tim Neill Associates Ltd (TNA), developers of bespoke online learning programs for corporate clients including: Nokia, Citibank, Southwest Trains, B&Q, Warner Music, PA Consulting Group and SITA Communications in London and New York.
He is a highly professional and engaging speaker who has made numerous presentations at international technology and training-related conferences.
Tim's talks are a world away from the routine PowerPoint presentations and the blatant sales pitches which are all too apparent at the majority of conferences.
His presentation is intended to inspire the delegates with revolutionary ideas and to challenge the whole approach to interactive training.
One of the temptations when moving traditional content and training course material to on-line delivery is to take the quick route and create an electronic 'book'.
Faced with such an experience, the learner quickly becomes bored with reading text, watching videos and turning pages. If their memory is good, they may well be able to recall facts and score well, even in a poorly designed test of acquired knowledge.
But if the learning objective is to apply a skill or to use judgement, memory alone is not enough. Anyone who makes a car journey as a passenger and is then asked to drive the same route alone the next day will discover just how little they have learned - even though they shared the same experience. The act of taking control helps to cement the learning and acquired skills.
This presentation explores a range of interactive techniques which can prevent learners from becoming passengers, and encourages them to 'play', including:
structuring content to encourage the learner to 'dig for gems'
inviting learners to 'take the wheel' and try tasks for themselves
providing opportunities to alter controls/settings and to witness outcomes
building solutions interactively with a 'Lego set' and receiving feedback
interactive interviews
Each technique will be supported by a live demonstration, based on 10 years experience of developing interactive training programs. All of the demos are available for the delegates to try out for themselves on the TNA stand (J56) in the exhibition hall.
The company's web site carries summaries and screen examples of over 70 completed projects and may be found at www.tnanet.com.
Rebecca Jensen
