He aroha whakatō, he aroha puta mai — If kindness is sown then kindness is received
Tikanga
Airways and Skillpod share the desire to do things right, to do them well, and for the right reasons. It was this desire that aligned us in helping Airways with their quest to provide training for employees on anti-bullying, harassment and discrimination. Airways is New Zealand’s air navigation service provider. Their staff of over 800 deliver air navigation and air traffic management services, consultancy and training services throughout New Zealand and in over 65 countries. Airways is committed to creating the aviation environment of the future, which includes their priority to put their people first, through developing their people and the culture of the organisation.
Airways worked with Skillpod to create a learning programme which aligned with their organisational people policies.
- At Airways safety is their key priority and one of their values – safety in the skies and safety for their people by providing a safe working environment in which all Airways people are treated with dignity and respect.
- We expect all our people to be able to work in an environment where they can be their whole self at work, and free from harm caused by bullying, harassment or discrimination. We do not tolerate bullying, harassment or discrimination under any circumstances.
- This is our commitment to you.
- This is everyone’s responsibility and is core to who we are as a company.
Manaakitanga
An ethic of care underpins the mahi of Skillpod and we strive to embed a people centred approach in our learning programmes. Adults are often intrinsically motivated and can see the value in personal and professional growth and development. The Airways anti-bullying module caters to both personal and professional growth as learners explore how attitudes, behaviours, relationships and habits inform practice. The value of the learning from the modules is emphasised at Airways through their commitment to the holistic development of their team. It is essential that adult learners see the learning as meaningful and understand why they are engaging in the learning.
The module has been developed as a short 10 minute microlearning experience and tailored from Skillpod's template. The microlearning format works well for Airways in terms of learner time to complete and for their geographically dispersed workforce. The modules can be completed on any device and a progress tracker allows learners to monitor their progress and can also inform reports for the organisation to view completion. To encourage learners to take their new knowledge into the workplace they are provided with research informed strategies to use. They can take the learning from the modules and put it into practice, using those aspects of the learning that are most useful to them.
The modules provide regular opportunities for learner self-assessment and reflection to encourage critical thinking and evaluation. It endeavours to encourage learners to use transferable skills that they can replicate in a variety of contexts. Scenarios, informal quizzes, and drag and drop activities provide opportunities for learners to complete formative assessments which provide feedback on their understanding and progress. Feedback mechanisms support learning by providing instant feedback loops. Navigation within the module allows learners to revisit content based on feedback given to formative assessment quizzes and scenarios.
Kotahitanga
Airways worked closely with Skillpod to tailor the content to reflect their organisation. This included images, language, and content that were highly relevant to the organisation. By including images of the organisation and their people, learners are able to see themselves reflected in the modules. Creating this association helps learners to see where and how the content is related to their real world context and therefore why it was of value.
The development followed a defined process in that the objectives of the module were identified first, providing direction for the instructional designer and subject matter experts. The content and activities within the module are aligned with the intended outcomes and have been verified and peer reviewed by subject matter experts. The content has been curated to ensure it is accessible to, and can be tailored for, a range of organisations and learners. The module was tailored to the organisation’s branding, with consistent use of colour, look and feel throughout. Any feedback from the organisation, or employees, is used by Skillpod to improve the product and learning experience.
Effective UX has been achieved through user testing phases during the build, the application of a clear hierarchy of design features being consistent in their design. Different learning needs and preferences are optimised through the following design features:
- Learning is accessible on a variety of devices.
- The use of plain language.
- Providing clear colour contrast between text, background, and images for diverse learners.
- The use of visual and written language.
Kaitiakitanga
Airways and Skillpod are committed to creating an environment which fosters diversity of age, gender, ethnicity, race, expertise, experience and perspectives. To support this the module includes explicit design choices such as:
- Images representing the diverse population.
- The language level is accessible to a broad range of learners. This approach is underpinned by theory, in particular research completed by Clark & Mayer (2011) which highlights increased engagement when a conversational tone is used.
- Language is inclusive; we avoid language that is exclusive and where technical terms are used we ensure these are explained.
- Learners can engage in the course at their own pace with the flexibility to navigate forwards and backwards. Each module can be completed individually allowing flexibility in delivery.
- Learning is personalised in that there are opportunities for individual reflection and engagement based on an individuals experiences, knowledge, and skills.
- Modules include a mixture of written text and oral narration to provide a variety of learning experiences.
- Embedded activities to encourage reflection on diversity within the organisation.
Summary
Airways is committed to their people, continuous improvement and a positive organisational culture. They utilise the module as part of their capability development available for all employees to complete, and forms part of the induction requirement for all new starters who join their organisation. The modules not only provide knowledge to the learner but also activities and strategies to put their learning into practice. The modules meet the needs of Airways as they allow flexibility of delivery, are realistic in size and scope, and make a significant contribution to organisational culture. Airways wants to ensure an environment where people are treated with dignity and respect and the anti-bullying module contributes to achieving this goal.
Learn more about our Induction package
Welcome your new team member with everything they need to get up and running with microlearning for
Welcome to our team | Emergency evacuation procedures | Anti-bullying workplace | Workstation setup | Introduction to the NZ Privacy Act | Beyond good customer service
Tailor the content the content to make it your own for your specific organisational challenges.