The eLearning Network® recently participated in an online demonstration of BrainX, which is a web-based and mobile-friendly way to steadily deliver training over a period of time. Essentially the technology allows trainers and subject matter experts to upload training content (like videos) and then support this content with daily quiz questions or knowledge chunks that require learners to answer a question or perform some task. The theory is that steadily dripping bits of content on learners over time builds strong retention and mastery than delivering a lot of content all in one shot.
What initially caught my attention was that JD Power and Associates recently performed a study looking for a system that is the most efficient and achieving learner content retention, and BrainX evidently won out over its competition. I figured that if JD Power & Associates already performed the heavy lifting to identify BrainX, then they were worth a look. Following is a high level overview of some of the features/functions that look most promising:
- Steady Content Drip: Learners can receive a daily email with following training, questions, and other activities to keep the content fresh and before them
- Adaptive Response: Questions can be weighted so that they become harder or easier depending upon learner performance
- Customization: You have a fair amount of customization you can do to the system to match your branding
- Build By Instructional Designers: Rather than provide standard multiple choice questions, the system favors building fill-in-the-blank activities so that you are not presenting the learner with tricky and confusing false answers that could actually end up reinforcing what you don’t want your learners to do
- Audio Recording/Manager Oversight: Learners can be asked to record (using a headset) answers to questions, sales call role-playing, etc. Managers can then listen to the response at their leisure and provide coaching to the learner by recording their feedback as well.
The eLearning Network staff will be diving a little deeper in to the technology and report additional findings. At this time we believe BrainX is worth a look. If you do evaluate the system or already have it in place, we would like to hear your thoughts.