I used BE to teach Excel
Once upon a time in the blasting cold AC of a computer lab I completed my first LinkedIn Learning certification. Excel 2016 Essential Training taught me how to appreciate excel as an enabler of great ideas, proving why its still one of the most popular business tools used in the market. On top of that, the certificate I earned was the perfect addition to my (by then inexperienced) professional profile. Why weren't other students completing these certifications?
I set out to find the answer to this problem and give it my best shot at solving it.
Following the principles of Behavioral Economics, I realized that lack of awareness about the platform was only the tip of the iceberg. With some research I found that online courses have a 10% - 20% higher failed retention rate as opposed to traditional classroom environments (Herbert, 2006). With 40% - 80% online students dropping out of online classes (B. Smith, 2010). Students probably knew about the platform, but something was causing them to not finish their courses. Behavioral economics essentially teaches us that our behavior is context-dependent. In other words, set and setting influence our decisions more than we are aware of.
After some observation I found that students thought of online courses as somewhat burdensome - in other words, they perceived it as extra work.
If I was able to effectively promote the use of LinkedIn Learning, I would also have to facilitate a learning environment (context-dependent) that increased retention rates. Ultimately, sticking to a course and receiving a certificate for completion is what marked success for a student looking to improve their professional profile.
After some observation I found that students thought of online courses as somewhat burdensome - in other words, they perceived it as extra work. They didn't like to take home more work than necessary and were probably less likely to choose to work on an online class over more immediate classwork. If I was able to overcome this perception with the creation of a learning environment on campus, when students were already primed to study, I might be able to tackle retention rates. Putting together a draft of what I would need and what the basic structure would look like, I took the next step: gathering support.
The Department of Management at UTM takes the professional development of their students very seriously - networking events, personal branding workshops, mock interviews... you name it. And so, they were the perfect partner for this project. I contacted the Professional Development & Career Strategist of the Department, and with his mentorship and guidance we hit the ground running with the project in record time.
We planned a multi-workshop program to introduce students to LinkedIn Learning through the course Excel 2016 Essential Training. We integrated the project as a part of a more advanced professional skills series on Excel that the department was offering. The connection with the Finance Learning Centre (FLC) at UTM secured the space, technology, and resources needed to establish the envisioned learning environment. With a full house of students in the first session, the project kicked off in late September and went on for a month as planned.
My concept was simple: booking the FLC as a drop-in space, twice a week, during regular day hours, we would create a learning-conducive environment for students to complete online certification courses. It removed the barrier of having to plan online learning ahead of time and took advantage of having students in school-mode. We would provide an overview of LinkedIn and LiLearning at the beginning of each session for newcomers, and assign the second half of the room for regular learners (the layout of the room helped with this).
We were halfway through the project when we heard about LinkedIn Learning Champions. An ambassador program supporting student-led initiatives with the platform all over Ontario colleges and universities. We got on board, got to visit the Toronto office (it was super cool!), and brought the Champions program to UTM where more students joined to create their own projects in coding, statistics and equity training.
Since then more than 40+ UTM students have earned their Excel certifications, adding another skill to their arsenal, and defining themselves as life-long learners. Serendipity, the law of good fortune, says that lady luck favors the one who tries. Go give it your best shot at that old project of yours (and add a little behavioral science too). I am cheering for you.
