Weejee Learning is a global provider of custom, interactive, and fun e-learning solutions for corporations, non-governmental organizations, associations, and nonprofits. It builds unforgettable learning experiences by combining the latest technologies and techniques with a high degree of creativity, while also keeping the client’s specific needs at the forefront of every project. Weejee’s team of instructional designers, developers, graphic and animation artists, social media specialists, and technology architects base their work on research showing that learning in a positive emotional state stimulates the brain to learn more and that fun makes intimidating, perplexing information engaging and easier to comprehend. Weejee’s goal is to be the antithesis of the traditional e-learning company and to inspire learning through “funification.” It’s not fun for fun’s sake. It’s fun for learning’s sake.
Case Study: DaVita
In 2011, Weejee was approached by DaVita, the nation’s largest independent provider of dialysis services, to help create an e-learning program that would revamp DaVita’s compliance training. DaVita requires compliance training upon hiring new teammates and annual compliance training updates for current teammates. This currently totals approximately 45,000 teammates.
The compliance program is essential to ensure ethical business practices. The courses need to provide all of the compliance program information and ensure teammates are consistently receiving the most up to date guidance for their work. All teammates complete a general compliance course:
- Newly hired teammates must complete a compliance course within 30 days of starting their position.
- Tenured teammates must take a refresher course annually.
- Some specialized teammates also have to complete additional courses.
DaVita’s compliance department first developed e-learning solutions for these compliance courses in 2005 with the simple goal of efficiently delivering a large amount of compliance information to all. This online training accomplished the goal with a 100 percent completion rate, but featured large amounts of scrolling text, limited animation, and limited to no use of external resources such as job aids. DaVita knew there was more opportunity on the table and wanted to not only make this process more enjoyable for teammates, but more effective and efficient.
In 2011, DaVita took the initiative to re-evaluate the online compliance training with a new goal. In addition to 100 percent completion, DaVita wanted this new program to increase learner engagement, reduce time needed for teammates to complete the program, and increase content retention.
Weejee Learning took the challenges of increased engagement, less seat time, and more content retention and developed a solution that would keep all DaVita teammates engaged in a new way. Weejee proposed an approach based on its founding principles—research showing that learning in a positive emotional state stimulates the brain to learn more and that fun makes intimidating, perplexing information engaging and easier to comprehend.
The Solution: NedQuest
This “funification” would be different than the 2005 program. Weejee would employ game mechanics and a virtual world and make once-dry content come to life in a game teammates could not only “play” in order to learn, but also interact with to solve problems that would take their personal learning to a whole new level. The design would not only be visually appealing and interactive but as a result of strategically planned in-game challenges, also increase motivation and build a sense of accomplishment as the user moves through the game.
Weejee led the custom content development on behalf of DaVita, including curriculum analyses and instructional design and development. Called “NedQuest: A Quest for Compliance Knowledge,” the courses’ game was led by Ned, a talking parrot positioned as DaVita’s compliance expert.
Following a type of “Where’s Waldo” approach, the game has users find Ned and various other tools and solutions in situations leveraging course content. As teammates complete sections of the course, they earn tools and gadgets that help them find hidden objects in five cities. This instructional design strategy divided the required information into small chunks for optimal learning. The user interacts with content in an area, then takes a brief (two- to four-question) knowledge check. If the learner performs well in the assessment, he or she earns “gadgets” that can be used to find Ned. Key resources, such as 3-D glasses, sonar, radar, Ned noise, and more, also were made available in Ned’s backpack, as well as throughout the course. Additionally, by referring learners directly to the job aids and posters, they also became conditioned to seek the information just as they would when faced with real-world situations in the future.
Upon teammate completion of the final compliance training program in 2012, DaVita asked each person to take a survey offering feedback on their experience. Survey results clearly showed that DaVita teammates found the new NedQuest program to be effective and that it made the course material easy to understand. Results included:
- 91.7 percent said NedQuest gave them a clear understanding of the course material.
- 86.7 percent responded that they were able to navigate through NedQuest easily.
- 85.8 percent felt the training was an effective way to teach the material.
- 92 percent thought the content met the objectives of the course.
By turning compliance training into a game, DaVita and Weejee achieved their goals of engaging teammates and consequentially enabling them to learn the material quicker and retain it longer. Based on the success of compliance training in 2012, DaVita plans to continue using NedQuest for years to come and also is looking for ways to incorporate similar gamification and funification into future training projects.
Tracy Bissette, M.Ed., co-founded WeejeeLearning, LLC, and as president has formed partnerships with organizations worldwide to determine training needs and gaps. She has created enterprise-wide learning solutions for Fortune 500 companies, including DaVita, Cisco, and Abbott Labs. She was selected by Raleigh’s Triangle Business Journal as one of RTP’s 2012 Top 40 under 40, and her work has been recognized in Training magazine’s Training Top 125.
Ian Huckabee is co-founder and CEO of WeejeeLearning. He has more than 20 years of financial and operations management experience within technology-driven industries. Huckabee is a digital strategist and technologist specializing in social strategy and training and has formed partnerships with leading technology companies in the learning and social media spaces. For more information, visit: www.weejeelearning.com.
