Consideration of learners and learning styles is at the core of the Pervasive Learning Solutions philosophy in education and training. Our programs provide kinesthetic, auditory, and visual methods of stimulation to achieve the highest levels of cognition. Through simulation, scenario-based testing, assessment, challenge/reward, action-based/problem based, and even rote memorization. Pervasive Learning Solutions creates applications that are designed to achieve results and lower the costs of improving workforce performance.

The Internet itself is an enabling tool for education and training. The great power of the Internet allows us to extend our reach and provide unprecedented economies of scale. As a tool, the Internet allows us to create communities of learning. Our learning communities provide members with great opportunities to interact with different cultures and encounter both new and common methods of learning. It allows each participant to share information while gaining, enhancing, and/or confirming their skills. It specifically allows corporations to harness the great power of best practices in learning and quickly implement them across a culturally, geographically, and politically dispersed workforce in a uniform and consistent manner to achieve company objectives while increasing value. This is the great power of the Internet!

Interactivity, Instruction, including feedback and resources

Our interactions are based on learning objectives and the instructional design elements that most effectively achieve knowledge transfer. We do not create interactions simply for the sake of interaction. Many of our learning objects are carefully designed based on the difficulty level of the content inherent in the learning process.

Our instructional designers consider learner modalities and instincts when creating Learning Objects/LO's. Feedback and resources are critical to the learning process. Our feedback approach is based on positive reinforcement and support through out the learning process. We provide learners with substantial resource pools that surround the learning engagement from beginning to end. Learners can access resources by clicking on that designation at any time in the learning stage (except during actual testing and assessment).

We take great care in designing the resource pool for each E-learning module we create. We consider this area a major option for many learners who prefer to engage content in a more direct and tacit manner. Therefore our resource pools are sometimes incubated lessons themselves with built-in cross-referencing and interactions as well, e.g., hot-linked glossaries and exercises.

Feedback is another critical component to our design process. We provide three levels of feedback (interaction). The first is direct (canned) feedback which is strategically dispersed throughout the learning engagement. The second is peer-to-peer feedback via interaction-chats and threaded discussions. The third is "ask the expert" where participants can also either chat, thread, or email subject matter experts with questions/ideas/suggestions. This functionally can be internal or external to a company. We have found that in certain cases companies are best served by using internal experts as a resource for this function.

Assessment Techniques

Pervasive Learning Solutions employs assessments for maximum efficiency and value in its training products. To do this our assessments focus on the three audiences affected by training: the learner, the trainer, and the organization. We use pre-, post-, and intra-learning exercises to achieve three objectives:
(1) measure student understanding and performance, both before and after training
(2) engage students and stimulate learning
(3) reinforce key learning objectives and enhance knowledge retention

Our process begins with instructional design that incorporates the Systems Approach to Training (SAT) and analyzes the key learning objectives to identify the tasks, conditions, and standards necessary to achieve the desired objectives. Assessment modalities are then designed to best measure and reinforce learning. We typically combine a mix of activities such as multiple-choice, true-false, drag and drop, fill-in the blank, and performance-based simulations, each chosen for their ability to best assess the students' skills, knowledge, and abilities. We then program performance thresholds into the activity to reinforce learning and ensure that the measurement meets the prescribed standard. Feedback, remediation, and scoring may be collectively or individually built in to the activity in order to best achieve the desired training outcome.

Pervasive Learning Solutions employs the unique approach of "Adaptive Learning" as part of its training program design and SCORM technical architecture. Our Adaptive Learning model is implemented at the SCO level and leverages our systematic approach to instructional design. Assessment "pools" are designed to support individual "modules" or lessons within a course, each measuring the students' ability to demonstrate skills and knowledge associated with the lesson. By measuring the students' performance on the pre-assessment, we programmatically prescribe a "Recommended Learner Path" for the course. This enables shorter time to competence, provides a more satisfying learner experience, and enhances knowledge retention. The results for the organization are real savings in time spent training and a better trained workforce, as well as the added benefit of owning a training tool that is effective for both initial and refresher training.