Syntrio’s Instructional Design Process: VALUE for You

V = Validated Content

As technologies and businesses rapidly evolve, employees need new skills to thrive. Research by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company indicates that as many as 14% of workers globally may have to change roles in the next decade to meet their organization’s needs.

Syntrio works with industry experts, legal counsel, and a customer advisory group to identify critical training topics, research them, and validate that the information is accurate and comprehensive.

ADDIE & SAM = Engaging Connections

We use instructional design methods called ADDIE (analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate) and SAM (successive approximation model) to refine and perfect our courseware and communication tool content. We repeatedly evaluate and polish the instructional material so that the result is comprehensive, concise, meaningful, and engaging.

A = Advancement of Key Skills

Automation is redefining many jobs. Tasks now often require new skills, frequently digital or social. Many emerging jobs require competencies and credentials from two or more previously distinct occupations. According to professional services company PwC, 39% of employees say they need more skills training from their employer.

According to World Economic Forum (WEF) research, half of all employees globally need to upskill or reskill by 2025 to embrace new automation and technologies. WEF predicts a drastic transformation of 1.1 billion jobs due to technology in the next ten years.

Rapid workplace change can cause anxiety and dampened job satisfaction. Psychologist Abraham Maslow long ago identified that humans need to feel safe and secure, including at work. Ongoing, high-quality training helps fill that need. It increases employee satisfaction and retention, improves productivity, and elevates morale.

A study by Harvard University finds that employees are cognizant of the urgent need for ongoing training and are intensely interested in expanding their skills, including emotional intelligence. According to a Pew Research survey, 87% of US adults feel it’s very important that people actively seek to learn new things about their jobs.

Employees need and want ongoing training. But it must be effective training tailored to their needs. Syntrio partners with industry leaders to identify and address critical, rapidly evolving needs.

L = Learner-Centric Methodology

Consistently envisioning the learner throughout the courseware creation process is a foundational element in Syntrio’s instructional design approach. What does the learner need to know? What do they want to know? What is their likely background and skill set? What are their workplace challenges, frustrations, and questions?

Our learner-centric approach keeps each step in the courseware development process focused on the end users and what they need.

• We consider their likely perspectives, backgrounds, and potential knowledge gaps.
• We offer training for US, Canadian, and global audiences (as well as customized courses by client request). Our training is carefully prepared for each unique audience.
• Global courseware undergoes review by global subject matter experts for cultural sensitivity.
• Our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging subject matter expert provides ongoing oversight and input on inclusive language and images.
• Syntrio’s ability to translate courseware into more than 100 languages ensures welcoming and easily understood content.
• We offer learners narrated or text-only options and accessibility features to accommodate those with disabilities.
• Syntrio uses everyday, conversational language.
• We employ a series of readability checks to ensure ease of comprehension.
• We avoid colloquial speech as it may confuse non-native speakers. About one in ten people in the US speak a language other than English at home. The global population is increasingly mobile, and organizations often have work locations in multiple countries, so it is common for workforces to include many bilingual people.
• Our customers appreciate the option of tailoring courses to their industry and incorporating their welcome message, logo, and policies to meet their organization’s unique needs.
• Learners can access Syntrio courses on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, making it easily accessible for employees who travel.

According to eLearning Industry magazine, “If your course design is not learner-centric, you may find your learners disengage with the content, feel anxious or overwhelmed by it, and stop working.” all these factors help your employees get the highest possible outcomes from their training. After all, if your employees see little value in training, they are unlikely to give it their full attention.

U = Uplifting, Real-Life Scenarios

People who believe an online course will benefit them learn better. They give their best effort because they are fully engaged in the course. Syntrio’s training is positive and affirmative in engaging and attracting your employees. Our recurring themes of promoting and maintaining a healthy workplace culture help advance your organization’s goals.

Employees complete online training to build skills and competencies, including soft skills. That’s why our courses frequently feature people who encounter workplace difficulties and learn how to resolve them. The characters’ stories unfold as the course progresses. Learners are invited to consider what the characters should do and what they would do in similar situations.

This frequent use of appealing characters provides dramatic appeal to our courses. Stories are more exciting and engaging than dry facts, so we use storytelling to heighten learners’ curiosity and satisfaction. The narrative often continues through some of the exercises.

Syntrio incorporates various instructional and exercise screens to prevent learner fatigue and increase engagement. An intentional mix of static and interactive screens provides additional variation. The moderate use of sound effects adds energy and excitement to the courses. We vary the narrators, and we use live narrators rather than AI.

Since no two people learn in the same way or at the same pace, learners can control their course progress (unless a state-specific time is required) and may repeat information as needed. This is just one of the many advantages online learning provides over in-person instruction; there is no replay button for in-person instruction.

Let’s consider additional advantages provided by the instructional design of Syntrio’s online courseware.

E = Effective Reinforcement/Retention of Concepts and Skills

The results of a Facts and Factors report make additional compelling cases for an effective online training program:

• Online learning raises retention rates by 25-60%.
• Learners can complete online courses nearly 60% faster than in-person lessons, resulting in greater labor-hour productivity.
• Online courses permit employees to absorb nearly five times more material (compared with classroom training) without increasing the time spent in training.
• Every penny spent on online training leads to a $30 increase in output.

These statistics are impressive. However, Syntrio’s courseware instructional design process aims to help you obtain even more significant gains by using the following principles:

• Our content is concise to keep the focus on critical concepts.
• The purpose and content of each course are clearly stated upfront to avoid learner confusion.
• Carefully curated videos and images reinforce and strengthen learning messages. They are chosen to resonate with your employees to help them identify with and relate to the situations presented in the courses.
• Key definitions, terminology, and concepts are carefully explained, with examples as needed.
• We include engaging interactive exercises featuring everyday workplace situations. These exercises immediately follow the corresponding instructions. Requiring the use of new knowledge right away cements the information in the learners’ minds.
• Exercises typically start with more elementary concepts to build essential knowledge and confidence and then gradually proceed to more advanced, nuanced challenges.
• Repetition of key concepts is essential for retention, but we ensure that the repetition isn’t dull. For example, we may first introduce an idea through a video scenario. Next, we provide basic terminology and an overview of the concept. After that, we may use a brief, basic knowledge check. We then explore the topics in more detail, following up with exercises of increasing difficulty that provide additional instruction. We typically include a review exercise at the end of courses, followed by quiz questions.

Intentional, Research-Supported Quality

Syntrio consistently studies advancements in adult learning theory, instructional design, and technology to provide your organization with the best possible learning and development outcomes. We engage leading subject matter experts and follow a rigorous, multistep courseware development process to ensure our courses and communication tools provide the best return on your investment. We appreciate that your employees’ time is money, so we make every second in our courses count to provide VALUE to you. 

The Syntrio culture includes the pursuit of excellence, evident in our instructional design approaches. Our commitment to teamwork and respect for all are central themes in our learning modules. Since 2005, employees have relied on us to help them advance their careers while furthering their organization’s goals. We are honored and humbled by this trust.