for W3c validation

Ripple Effect (formerly Headshift Asia Pacific) was approached by the Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership – an Australian based private provider of education in the field of leadership development and executive coaching – in 2009 with view of extending trainees’ engagement at pre- and post-work stages of IEC’s coach training programs.

As a result, Ripple Effect worked with IECL to create a series of customised social learning community platforms based on Elgg, an open-source social networking product, that provides each course with a secure online learning environment.

Ripple Effect also assisted in the redesign of the existing paper-based content of IECL, developing online activities that were released sequentially over allocated online periods and based on an architecture of participation with other learners.

Results were exceptional, with Ripple Effect and IECL winning LearnX Asia Pacific 2010 eLearning and Training Awards in the category of Best Use of Social Learning Tools.

Benefits of the communities included:

• quality online interactions between trainees resulting from increased visibility
• sense of rapport created during the pre-training period – enabling the group to work together more effectively during the face-to-face sessions, as well as to continue collaborating on post-training tasks
• increased task completion rates, attributed to greater transparency, accountability and personal support through created relationships

Selecting and developing the most appropriate platform was not the only factor that influenced the success of the online strategy. Ripple Effect worked with the IECL subject matter experts and learning designers to re-configure and design online activities that supported the intended outcomes. Additionally, we provided training and support to the facilitators and moderators to enable their upskilling and adjustment to the new learning structure.

The continued success of the communities has been reinforced by the launch of an alumni community of practice in 2010, where graduates from all levels actively participate in further professional development and self-organised events.