Learning Through Experience: A Cakewalk with WalkMe™

Note from InfoPro Learning: We are excited to have recently entered a partnership with WalkMe^TM and love to share our experience with them; our designers love the tool, and so do our customers! We did not receive any compensation for this article. Our team uses various L&D technologies and we encourage open and honest reviews to provide better insight to our customers, colleagues, and peers in the industry.

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn. – Benjamin Franklin

Modern advancements in technology have empowered us with remarkable tools to increase learner involvement and reduce their overall learning curve. One such tool that I am using in my current assignment is WalkMe^TM.

For a long time, we as learning and development professionals have been using the same conventional methods for systems training. We create a series of screen captures in various modes (Show Me, Guide Me and Let Me Try) and try to lead our learners through the process – one still frame after another. All this was my world before I started on my current assignment using Walkme^TM.

I was first introduced to Walkme^TM about ten months ago when one of our customers was exploring the idea of using WalkMe^TM to create a training intervention that transitions frontline staff (with around ten lines of business) from an existing system to a new one. WalkMe^TM is a fairly new tool but it is a complete game-changer when it comes to online user experience and training. I still remember the happy dance that I did in my head when I was introduced to the features of this tool.

First, What Is WalkMe?

WalkMe^TM is a cloud-based platform that seamlessly integrates with an online application/website and helps create step-by-step guidance (Walk-Thrus – as WalkMe^TM calls these) for users/learners. It includes three components:

1. WalkMe^TM Editor: An add-on that runs within the Firefox browser and helps create, edit and manage WalkMe interventions
2. WalkMe^TM Player Menu: A one-click access tab that allows users to immediately view and access a list of available Walk-Thrus
3. WalkMe^TM Analytics: A comprehensive utility that provides analytics data for Walk-Thrus

Organizations can use WalkMe^TM to create orientation and on boarding programs, as an Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS), and for promotions.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) involves “spatial memory”, how we remember the location of various objects/items/elements. For successful Systems Training it is important to develop and enhance the spatial skills of learners with respect to the software application. This is where WalkMe^TM really excels!

Second, Why Our Instructional Designers Love WalkMe^TM?

In my current assignment, I am using InfoPro Learning’s iPerform model for blended learning based upon the 70/20/10 framework. WalkMe^TM turned out to be the perfect tool to address the 70 percent piece of learning (learning on-the-job). With WalkMe^TM, we are able to create engaging interactivities and experiences.

Our Instructional Designers are awed by the advantages that the WalkMe^TM tool offers, such as:

Provides Easy to Use, Intuitive Interface with Numerous Features
WalkMe^TM includes the WalkMe Editor, which is an add-on that runs within the Mozilla Firefox browser. All I have to do is click the widget/add-on and the Editor will appear as a sidebar. The sidebar then grants access to various WalkMe features that allow me to:

• Provide step-by-step guidance to learners/users via a series of steps shown in interactive balloons
• Grab attention through important messages or announcements
• Conduct surveys to gather learner reaction feedback
• Solve common interface/navigational challenges by placing clickable items on the software application
• Provide additional reference material that learners can go through without leaving the current interface
• Create task lists for learners to complete as a part of their training

The super-easy navigation with one-click access to features allows even non-technical users to confidently work with the tool. All you do is launch the Editor, select the screen element with which the step is associated, type the step instruction in the balloon and Viola! It’s done!

Helps Reduce Rework
Once an instruction balloon is attached to an element/field on the software application, WalkMe^TM ensures that the instruction remains attached with the selected element/field, even if the element/field is repositioned in the actual online application. WalkMe^TM includes a patented algorithm that ensures that the Walk-Thrus always appear and function exactly the way specified. This is not so easy with the traditional method where screenshots need to be recaptured and reprocessed.

Provides Segmentation Capability
WalkMe^TM helps create role-based trainings through its Segmentation feature. By using this feature, I can easily assign tasks to specific learners/users based on their area of responsibilities.

Provides Multiple Publishing Options
The Publishing feature in WalkMe^TM helps select, organize, and publish items created in the Editor. It provides the flexibility of publishing items in a test/staging environment or a production environment.

Helps Test Drive the Interactions
WalkMe^TM also helps review or quality-check the Walk-Thrus and other interactions before publishing. With this functionality, I am able to identify any broken links and fix them to provide a smooth experience to learners without trail and error.

Reduces Dependency on other Departments
With WalkMe^TM, Instructional Designers can build the entire experience on their own. No support is required from the media or programming team.

Provides a Safe Environment to Make Mistakes
WalkMe^TM works as a guide and helps learners/users play around with the actual software in a controlled environment – not just a fake simulation.

Reduces the Learning Curve
WalkMe^TM eliminates the need for a learner to read tedious manuals or help guides – all guidance is provided through one interface. No matter how complex the application is, WalkMe^TM makes it easy for the learners.

Third, Why Our Customers Love WalkMe^TM?

Along with all the other benefits of WalkMe^TM, our customers are particularly happy about the administrative benefits that it offers, including:

Help Recording Analytics

WalkMe^TM helps capture analytics and generate reports at the learner, session, team and enterprise level. It provides detailed information on Walk-Thru utilization, which helps analyze and fine-tune the Walk-Thrus to match learners’ requirements. The Analytics feature also helps the organizations view and dissect exact statistics on Walk-Thru playback, including:

• How many times a Walk-Thru was viewed
• The number of steps followed by each learner
• Drop-off rates
• Success rate of processes

Help Managing Change

With WalkMe^TM, you do not need to build elaborate trainings or context-setting information. You can attach the reference material/resources/videos that you already have for context setting and get the learners started on exploring the software application.

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn.

You can now add…Let me practice with WalkMe and I will perform.

Want to take your systems trainings to the next level with WalkMe^TM interventions?

Our team of WalkMe-certified instructional designers and experts are waiting to help!