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Q. Who Credentials the Credentialers? Answer: ICE

by Sean Stowers
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

The Roman poet Juvenal famously asked, “Who watches the watchmen?” For millions of learners now pursuing non-degree certification, the question might be rephrased: “Who credentials the credentialers?” Who makes sure certificate programs really meet the high quality standards they promise?

The answer is ICE: the Institute for Credentialing Excellence – an organization that our Pearson VUE division proudly participates in as a Sustaining Member.

ICE may be best known for its ICE-1100 national standard for non-degree certificate programs that require candidates to demonstrate performance, proficiency, or a passing grade. ICE-1100 aligns with all five elements of the classic ADDIE model for training and instructional design, from analyzing needs through evaluating performance, including QA and continuous improvement.

Building on ICE-1100, ICE is now developing its own accreditation program for non-degree, assessment-based certificate programs. ICE has been piloting this new program in recent months, and soon expects to roll it out more widely. We’re looking forward to hearing more about that – and plenty of candidates and employers should be, too.

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Build a Compelling, “21st Century” Certification Experience

by Sean Stowers
Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Like most folks, certification candidates are busier and more stressed than ever. Many fall by the wayside, unable to balance “paying work” with the demands of a certification process that can seem abstract, old-fashioned, and inefficient. That’s bad for both candidates and credentialing organizations.

How can credentialers create an experience that excites candidates, serves their needs, keeps them moving forward? Pearson Learning Solutions’ Sean Stowers and Laura Smith Dunaief specialize in solving this problem. At the recent Institute for Credentialing Excellence Conference in Atlanta, they shared some expert tips.

First: today’s learners revel in their iPads, smartphones, Kindles. What do these devices have in common? #1: Learners can consume content anytime, anywhere – and, increasingly, that’s what they want. #2: They usually promote a preference for smaller, more impactful content segments.

Next: take the phrase “social network” very seriously. Today, candidates want to learn in collaborative communities, not in isolation.

Engineering a “21st century” candidate experience requires skills you may not have in house. Fortunately, we do – and we regularly put them to work for leading certification organizations (e.g., IMCA and APBM). If you want to engage your learners more deeply – and transform them into “evangelists” for your program – we’re at your service.

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Distance Learning: Incredible Opportunities, Complex Challenges

by Sean Stowers
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

Last summer, leading distance learning innovators came together at the 2010 Distance Teaching and Learning Conference in Madison, Wisconsin. They predicted a decade of massive transformation. eLearning expert Jon Aleckson recently documented their predictions, and added some valuable insights of his own.

Top takeaways: global interconnectedness, new technologies, and ubiquitous bandwidth will promote learners’ understanding that “education is an ongoing, lifelong continuous process.” Meanwhile, “formal and informal learning experiences will merge and the differences blurred.”

This means great new opportunities for everyone from learners and trainers to administrators and developers. Of course, for each opportunity, there’s a challenge.

For instance, as learners bridge informal and formal education sources, what assessment standards will apply? As learners increasingly network and learn from each other, how will they overcome physical and psychological distance?

Advanced tools will simplify collaboration and interaction, provide richer experiences, and reduce dependence on textbooks. But how will we manage “growing tension between standard core content and differentiation of content”? Where will content come from? How will learner-generated content be used? What about copyright?

Aleckson has neatly organized a table of Opportunities and Challenges for just about every stakeholder. If you’re interested in distance learning, there’s plenty here to think about.

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e-Learning: Transforming Corporate Training (partly)

by Sean Stowers
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Well worth your time: the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks’ recent special issue on corporate e-learning. JALN’s top-level conclusion won’t stun you: thanks to “overwhelming economic advantage,” web-based e-learning has transformed corporate training. True enough, but only the beginning of JALN’s story.

SDSU researchers Allison Rossett and James Marshall find corporate learning pros far more comfortable adopting e-learning for well-defined topics such as product information or compliance. “Murkier” issues, such as team building, or cross-cultural understanding? Not so much.

Issue editor Robert Ubell writes that corporate e-learning is “highly mediated by technology, with trainers [replaced] by instructional design elements… By contrast, in online courses at universities—often equally media rich—instructors and students take virtual seats online, interacting continuously… Online, workers are on their own, while college students and faculty learn together.”

We suspect Ubell’s findings link to Rossett’s and Marshall’s. If you’re totally on your own, it’s tougher to master complex skills that are often deeply interpersonal.

That’s why we’re building online learning communities where peers, instructors, and managers support each other. It’s why we’re increasingly focused on higher-level competencies, such as critical thinking. Ultimately, we think that’s where the most value will be found – for you, and your learners.

Furthermore, Pearson is also developing programs through which corporations can upskill their learning and development professionals to deliver types of online learning experiences that have become the hallmark of the academic world.

If you would like to know more about our approach to online learning, or to developing your team to deliver more robust online programs, Just Ask.

Sean Stowers is the Director of Learning Services for Pearson Learning Solutions. He works with corporate and association clients to design and develop engaging solutions for their employees, candidates or members. Prior to joining Pearson Learning Solutions, Sean was a business development manager with Pearson’s FT Knowledge business, which was a leading provider of training solutions to the financial services industry. He also spent 4 years at IBM in their Learning Services Division. If you have questions or comments regarding this post, you can email Sean at sean.stowers@pearson.com.

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Study Alone, Work Together: PLS and Business Management Certification

by Sean Stowers
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

Pearson Learning Solutions partnered with the Association of Professionals in Business Management (APBM) to deliver a self-study program for multiple levels of management certification.

Historically, candidates for this exam had  prepared using volumes of study guides. As the landscape of learning changed, The APBM recognized the need to also change to accommodate new types of learners who benefit most from flexible, accessible programs that emphasize multiple learning styles.

To build a successful, effective program of this magnitude, PLS had to ask important questions:

  • How do existing exam candidates study?
  • How can learners be more efficient?
  • What methods to learners frequently employ to improve their studying?
  • What types of media are most effective for this type of exam preparation?
  • How can learners make the most of their self-study?


The final product is a compelling online program, powered by the MyPearson Ebook platform. All self-study review materials are accessible online, allowing users to bookmark, highlight, annotate, and search all content. Podcasts, videos, and animations offer learners an innovative approach to certification content. Flashcards, comprehensive tests, and unlimited quizzes for each learning module ensure that self-study students will be adequately prepared for the exam.

Increased access to information, resources, and content in a self-study environment makes the best use of a learner’s time; with learners this well prepared on their own, we can only imagine how much a group of these learners can achieve together.

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myPearsoneBook: Not Your Mother’s eBook

by Sean Stowers
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

“Keeping up with the Joneses” of online learning means making learning more flexible and more effective.  With so many learning options (e-learning, m-learning, and blended learning), the challenge is no longer to reach learners beyond the traditional classroom, but to ensure that these learners are, well, learning.  Instructors cannot assume that a learner is engaged with a .pdf of a textbook; however, they can trust learners are engaging myPearsoneBook, an exciting technology that offers far more than a screen of text.

  • Searchable: Learners can toggle between myPearsoneBook content and search results.
  • Workable: Learners can color-code, add bookmarks, and take and share notes.
  • Visual: Incorporates audio, video, assessments, and simulations to engage learners beyond static images.
  • Flexible: Delivered through web portals, course management systems, CDs, DVDs, and USB sticks.
  • Customizable: Integrates content from other titles, original material, and third-party sources.

The ultimate purpose of myPearsoneBook is not to be the “next big thing.”  Its purpose is to make learners more successful.  It achieves this in two major ways:

Convenience – learners can access myPearsoneBook through an Internet connection, physical media, or both. For professionals who want to learn while they’re traveling or commuting, accessing an myPearsoneBook is far more convenient than carrying heavy books.

Interaction – learners are no longer isolated while studying coursework.  Sharing notes and communicating through eBook helps learners build relationships with colleagues.

The more they interact, the more they learn – and the more they learn, the more they succeed.

Read about a successful myPearsoneBook in action or view a demo of myPearsoneBook features by selecting ‘online learning system’.

Sean Stowers is the Director of Learning Services for Pearson Learning Solutions. He works with corporate and association clients to design and develop engaging solutions for their employees, candidates or members. Prior to joining Pearson Learning Solutions, Sean was a business development manager with Pearson’s FT Knowledge business, which was a leading provider of training solutions to the financial services industry. He also spent 4 years at IBM in their Learning Services Division. If you have questions or comments regarding this post, you can email Sean at sean.stowers@pearson.com.

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Re-Think, Re-Skill, Re-Deliver: Pearson Professional Online Educator Program

by Sean Stowers
Monday, November 22nd, 2010

Fresh off our summer sales meeting, where I had a chance to hear about all of the great things happening across Pearson Learning Solutions, I noticed that a LinkedIn connection posted a status update.  He was interested in connecting with individuals who were leveraging Web 2.0 technologies in training and learning programs; this is only one example of how professionals are continually reaching out to use learning technologies in innovative ways.

As organizations continue to expand their interest in bringing compelling, robust, and meaningful online learning programs to their employees, the need to leverage Web 2.0 technologies will also increase. This begs the question of what organizations can and should be doing to re-skill their resources (L&D Professionals, SMEs, and even vendors) to ensure they are adequately skilled to deliver a powerful learning experience in online or hybrid modalities.

One such approach is the Pearson Professional Online Educator Program (POE). POE is born from Pearson Learning Solutions’ experience as one of the largest providers of online curricula and services for the academic marketplace.

The POE program will provide a flexible solution to organizations that want to provide a great baseline of skills to the resources responsible for developing and delivering online or hybrid learning programs.

How is your organization setting quality standards for the delivery of online learning experiences? How can you re-skill your resources to create and deliver an effective and innovative learning experience?

If you are interested in learning more about the Pearson Professional Online Educator Program, discussing how it could be used in your organization, or finding out more about Pearson’s leadership in online learning, just ask!

Sean Stowers is the Director of Learning Services for Pearson Learning Solutions. He works with corporate and association clients to design and develop engaging solutions for their employees, candidates or members. Prior to joining Pearson Learning Solutions, Sean was a business development manager with Pearson’s FT Knowledge business, which was a leading provider of training solutions to the financial services industry. He also spent 4 years at IBM in their Learning Services Division.

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The Six Million Dollar Man and Building the Management Pipeline

by Sean Stowers
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

As a kid I was a fan of the Six Million Dollar Man. Each show began with the same statement: “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world’s first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man; better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.”  And they did.

You may be wondering what this has to do with building the management pipeline in your organization. In an August 2, 2010 article entitled, “Leadership Training Gains Urgency Amid Stronger Economy,” The Wall Street Journal explored the increased need of leadership training for organizations. Specifically, the article noted that employers are once again turning their attention to the ranks of baby boomers who may now consider retiring as the markets continue to pick up and retirement account balances increase.

As this happens, and as we have seen through our research, organizations are noticing the lack of a qualified pipeline of management candidates.

When they set out to build the Six Million Dollar Man, they improved upon what they had. They chose to build versus buy. Organizations face the same dilemma when it comes to replenishing the management pipeline. While new blood is good for organizations, there is always the risk of making an expensive acquisition of talent that is not a good cultural fit.

Further, there is increasingly a new definition of what it means to provide leadership training. That definition, while recognizing the importance of the interpersonal skills of the leader, is now evolving to embrace and focus on the importance of critical thinking and business acumen. This expanded definition begins the “technology” of the bionic man equation.

The capability is in the hands of L&D professionals to combine research and new definitions and apply them to the organization. There is a variety of approaches to take to making this new paradigm of leadership and manager development, some of which we have discussed in our blogs and presentations, and would be happy to share again, just ask us.

As you look at your organizations management pipeline, are you on the right path? Or do you need to be your organization’s Oscar Goldman and lead the charge of building better manager? Better. Stronger. Faster.

Author: Sean Stowers is the Director of Learning Services for Pearson Learning Solutions. He works with corporate and association clients to design and develop engaging solutions for their employees, candidates or members. Prior to joining Pearson Learning Solutions, Sean was a business development manager with Pearson’s FT Knowledge business, which was a leading provider of training solutions to the financial services industry. He also spent 4 years at IBM in their Learning Services Division. If you have questions or comments regarding this post, you can email Sean at sean.stowers@pearson.com.

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Posted in Executive Development | 1 Comment »

Business Acumen and Restoring Street Cred to the Learning Function

by Sean Stowers
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

The other day I dove into the latest issue of Chief Learning Officer, one of the publications that I read on a regular basis, and was pleasantly surprised to see an article on the need for business acumen training in organizations: “Building Better Business Acumen,” by Ted Prince. As you may know from following our blog, the need for business acumen and critical thinking in organizations is something we have been focused on and continue to discuss with our clients.

As I read the article, I found myself nodding my head as the author framed the issue: as a result of coming through our latest economic cycle, having business acumen is a key competency for effective leaders.

I began to nod even more, and smile a bit, as the author rightly pointed out that if we were to look back two or three years ago when companies were doing well, we would not have heard of business acumen as a need in organizations – and leadership development programs focused on interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and to some extent decision making. All in all I was in agreement.

The article then framed the desired outcome for a business acumen program, and to my disappointment, each of the desired outcomes was tied to finance and financial outcomes. True, finance is an extremely important aspect of the organization. Profits are what fuel growth and opportunities in the organization, however true business acumen involves having an understanding of all aspects of the enterprise.

How can a manager or employee who has gone through a business acumen program focused almost exclusively on finance have appreciation for human resources, marketing, operations, or IT? (All important parts of the ecosystem of the enterprise, no?)

I agree wholeheartedly that there is a need for business acumen training in organizations. And I believe that a solid understanding and grounding in finance is a component of that,  but until organizations focus on providing programs and interventions that cover the total enterprise, a true cross functional understanding will not emerge.

It is easy for L&D professionals to gravitate to a solution that only teaches finance and financial impacts, and you will gain some street cred……but true street cred will come from addressing the holistic enterprise of which finance and financial results are one part of the ecosystem.

How are you addressing this in your organizations? I would love to hear from you. If you would like to know more about our thoughts, just ask.

Author: Sean Stowers is the Director of Learning Services for Pearson Learning Solutions. He works with corporate and association clients to design and develop engaging solutions for their employees, candidates or members. Prior to joining Pearson Learning Solutions, Sean was a business development manager with Pearson’s FT Knowledge business, which was a leading provider of training solutions to the financial services industry. He also spent 4 years at IBM in their Learning Services Division. If you have questions or comments regarding this post, you can email Sean at sean.stowers@pearson.com.

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Sometimes Simplicity is the Best Answer

by Sean Stowers
Thursday, August 5th, 2010

OPTM is a new acronym that, if it hasn’t already, will likely become part of your vocabulary in the coming year.

OPTM, or One Page Talent Management, is an approach to taking complexity out of the talent management processes – from talent planning, to performance appraisals, to succession planning, to learning and development.  It is also the title of a recently published book by Marc Efron and Miriam Ort.

OPTM presents a compelling argument for professionals in all parts of the talent management process to strip out all of the extraneous, unnecessary complexity of every process and program they design – and in doing so, it presents a pathway for increased partnership and credibility with the business.

So how can Learning Professionals begin to apply the OPTM principle to some of the most pressing needs that organizations will face in the coming years, such as building a qualified pool of talented business managers ready to take on new roles in the business?

The Association of Professionals in Business Management (APBM) and their CABM and CBM Credentials provide a perfect one-page talent management solution for this challenge:

  • The APBM Credentials are based on pre-MBA and MBA Level Curricula;
  • Each Credential provides a true measure of knowledge gain through formalized testing;
  • The Credentials have been recognized by leading business schools for providing  differentiation in their applicants

Above all else, the APBM Credentials eliminate the need for organizations to reinvent the wheel when teaching core business concepts, freeing up resources for more high-value, high impact activities, like the application of these topics within the enterprise.

If you are a fan of OPTM and would like to discuss how this solution could be applied in your organization, are curious about the concept of a business management certification, or have a topic or theme you would like to see us discuss in a future blog, just ask.

Author: Sean Stowers is the Director of Learning Services for Pearson Learning Solutions. He works with corporate and association clients to design and develop engaging solutions for their employees, candidates or members. Prior to joining Pearson Learning Solutions, Sean was a business development manager with Pearson’s FT Knowledge business, which was a leading provider of training solutions to the financial services industry. He also spent 4 years at IBM in their Learning Services Division. If you have questions or comments regarding this post, you can email Sean at sean.stowers@pearson.com.

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