This was the first time in Pearson’s 150-year-old history that a simultaneous, common Global Management Programme had been attempted. With delegates from 33 countries in every continent and with wide cultural differences, the programme format needed to be simple, uncluttered and dynamic. It was vital to choose a theme to which all managers could relate, whatever their location or experience.
Video was selected as the primary delivery media, supported by a blend of e-learning and online assessment. Tia Finn, Manager Development Design Specialist, explains why the team adopted a digital approach, “Our objective was to reach a truly global audience, so an instructor-led programme was simply not practicable on this scale. However, with 87% of the target audience having little exposure to technology-enabled learning, it made sense to test the methodology by running a pilot. We weren’t sure if video-based learning would be acceptable, or what problems might arise with the local technology infrastructure.”
Initially, 550 participants, representing a significant sample of the eventual global audience, were engaged in the pilot, but as Tia notes: “While we carefully targeted our initial audience, word quickly got around and the response was so enthusiastic that almost 1,200 learners joined the pilot.”
