ITIL Whitepaper

ITpreneurs’ Instructional Design Approach
to ITIL v3 Foundation E-Learning

Development: A whitepaper by Anuradha Madhusudhanan
Abstract
As part of its commitment to developing ―learning content‖ rather than ―instructional

content,‖ ITpreneurs adopted a unique development program for its ITIL® v3
Foundation course. The learning path chosen was a mix of scenario-based learning,
real-life connects, core ITIL content, and game-based exercises, all aimed at
satisfying the differing requirements of multiple types of learners. While addressing
the variances in learning styles, ITpreneurs opted for innovation, even though it
drew deeply from established principles of instructional design, such as Bloom’s
Levels and rapid prototyping. This white paper is an attempt to summarize
ITpreneurs’ translation of vision into practicality.
www.ITpreneurs.com
www.ITpreneurs.com ITpreneurs Nederland BV • Weena 200, 324-326 • 3012 NJ ROTTERDAM • NETHERLANDS I Tel. +31 (10) 71 10260 I info@ITpreneurs.com
“Tell me, and I will forget…
Show me, and I may remember…
Involve me, and I will understand.”
Chinese proverb - Confucius (450 B.C.)
One of the key objectives of instructional design is to ensure that the learner retains what’s
learned, and indeed, is able to apply the learning.
And so, what did ITpreneurs set out to do when we started designing our ITIL® version 3
Foundation course? Well, we started with laying down some key principles on which the course
would be based. These included:
The understanding of concepts improves when the learner can see the ―relevance‖ of
what’s taught, and when the learner can relate what’s taught to real-life examples.
Retention of learning occurs best when there is an opportunity to either make or identify a
mistake.
ITIL is rich with opportunities to implement these principles. In real life, Single Points of Failure
(SPOFs) serve as, well, single points of learning.
“Scenario-based instruction is grounded in the Situated Learning Theory” (Brown & Druid,
1989)
“This learning theory focuses on the importance of contextualizing activity and learning
into real-life scenarios and contexts. It promotes the acquisition of meaningful learning in
authentic contexts. ” (Scenario Based Learning by Melina Akins and Dr. Susan Crichton.)
Academic Leanings – Practical Learning
Design needs to place the learner at the Knowles' theory can be stated as four simple
helm. ITpreneurs makes a point of qualifying postulates:
its content as ―learning content‖ as against
the conventional ―teaching or instructional 1. Adults need to be involved in the planning and
content.‖ Lessons from pedagogy (from the evaluation of their instruction (Self-concept and
Greek words for "child-leading") and Motivation to learn).
andragogy (from the Greek words for "adult- 2. Real-life incidents, including mistakes, provide
leading") have influenced our approach to the basis for learning activities (Experience).
designing our learning content. 3. Adults are most interested in learning subjects
that have immediate relevance to their job or
Malcolm Knowles, acclaimed as the father of personal life (Readiness to learn).
andragogy, held that andragogy should be 4. Adult learning is problem-centered rather than
distinguished from the more commonly used content-oriented (Orientation to learning).
pedagogy.
“The first principle of true teaching is that nothing can be taught. The teacher is not an
instructor or taskmaster; he is a helper and a guide. His business is to suggest and not to
impose.” (One of the leading thinkers of the 20thcentury, Aurobindo said )
All a teacher can and, indeed, should do is to show the light. It

is up to the learner to learn. Each student picks up what is
relevant to her or him at that point in time.
This takes us, interestingly, to the feeding habits of babies –

modern child nutritionists and psychologists emphasize the
need to present the child with various foods, and allow the
child to pick what she wants to. The child will end up picking
the food with the nutritional component she is deficient in at
that time. This principle applies, we believe, to learning.
How does this translate when we are constructing learning,

though? For one, we design content into easily digestible chunks Effective learning material
that learners can pick from, and two, offer multiple paths of presents the learner with the
assimilation to choose from, including real-life connects, games, right levels and types of
content, and exercises… Most importantly, we design a problem- components to choose from,
based learning program rather than a content-based learning based on where he is in his
program. This is to celebrate the fact that every learner is and will learning cycle.
Learners are really at different points of knowledge, skill, and ability.
be different!
Add learner types to this, and the mix gets complex. Each of us has our own unique learning style.
Some of us prefer to be taught while others would rather learn at their own pace. Some love the
discipline of academics while others are just reading up to pass an exam. Some need to understand and
contextualize clearly while others will simply rather remember by rote.
Effective learning material presents the learner with the right levels and types of components to choose
from, based on where he is in his learning cycle. That is, components of content, or the core ITIL
content in this case, and components of learning aids, or the learning tools that help connect the core
content for the learner.
ITpreneurs has solved for variances in learning styles using
multiple learning tools. Each module, topic, and subtopic provides
several tools or paths for learning and opportunities to learn,
revise, understand, and self-evaluate. The academic learner, for
example, may skip the real-life connects, scenarios, and
exercises, and go directly from content piece to content piece;
likewise for the learner who would rather memorize by rote. The
learner who seeks to understand and contextualize the content
has at her disposal, the scenarios (we used the hotel as a motif
for the scenarios), the SPOFs and incidents situated within those
scenarios, and problem-solving for the same, connecting all this to the content at hand.
A Philosophical Debate
Do adults and children learn the same way? As we have seen
earlier, Knowles believes not. What motivates adults to learn?
Unlike children, who are naturally curious, adults do not enter
training programs with a natural desire to learn. They are
motivated more by success and personal gain – by the ―what’s
in it for me‖— rather than by wanting to find out more.
Research reports that most training programs fail because the

learners are just not interested. This information formed a key
input to our design toolkit.
By now, it is a fairly well-established fact that most adults take

a corporate training program not because they want to, but
because they are obliged to… by a corporate mandate,
because it is tied in to a promotion, or because it earns them
credit points. In short, the focus is more on ―passing the exam and getting that certificate‖ than on
learning.
The challenge for most training departments lies in walking The challenge for most training
the fine line between stimulating the learner to take a departments lies in walking the
training, which is often a slow process, and clocking the fine line between stimulating the
mandated number of training hours. This does not take learner to take a training, which
away from the real need, which is, the training needs to is often a slow process, and
stick. The hard truth is, ―passing the exam‖ is not the same clocking the mandated number of
as ―knowing the principle concepts‖ or being able to ―recall, training hours.
and eventually, apply the concepts.‖
Unfortunately, in the race to achieve targets, most training organizations lose out on the quality of
training… jeopardizing their future efficiency and success.
So, ITpreneurs’ design team came back to its agreed strategy of presenting learners with scenario-
based learning that would grab their attention. Retaining attention, however, needed the designers to
find tools to involve the learners and get them to take active part in the training process.
Now, what’s the required educational level – or the Bloom’s Level (See Appendix 1 at the end of this
whitepaper) — for ITIL Foundation? The ITIL syllabus prescribes Blooms Levels 1 and 2 for Foundation,
which means ―recall.‖ The student is expected to recall what she has learned, not ―apply‖ what she has
learned to a context or problem at hand. This means that learner involvement needs to be in the realm
of recalling what’s learned.
Limited attention spans, reluctant learners, and Blooms Levels 1 and 2…. Conventionally, scenario-
based learning lends itself best to decision-based learning, which means the learner picks a path,
makes a decision, solves a problem… all Blooms Level 3 and above tasks! And that is out of our scope
at the Foundation level!
ITpreneurs used the montage technique to overcome this apparent challenge. Originating in film,
montage allows the designer to place together overtly unconnected stories, or content, to create new
meaning. This technique led to weaving the core content into the narrative and graphic-rich hotel
scenarios, allowing us to take great strides in ensuring the retention of learning.
Practical Mantra
Grab their attention! Then, retain it!!
Easier said than done… we had to crack this. We decided to combine Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction
(See Appendix 2 at the end of this whitepaper) with Keller's ARCS Model (See Appendix 3 at the end of
this whitepaper). The strategy worked with the hotel context… providing enough opportunities to grab
the learner’s attention and stimulate his interest, reeling him into the course... topic, after topic, after
topic.
How? A juxtaposition of scenario or problem establishment, followed by systematically presented

content at the appropriate depth of knowledge, interwoven with scenario connects and cross-
referenced content for additional reading, and a game-based approach to self-evaluation, supplemented
by formal, rigorous evaluation…
Evaluation
“The evaluation of scenario-based inquiry is focused on the learner and usually takes the form
of performance-based assessment. The process during the inquiry is interactive, allowing the
instructor to provide feedback to students on a continual basis. ” (Scenario Based Learning by
Melina Akins and Dr. Susan Crichton)
ITpreneurs’ Foundation course is designed to evaluate students at two levels. The first, and perhaps
most important to the retention of learning, is self-evaluation. The second is the opportunity to ―take
the exam.‖
Self-evaluation has been designed at three levels. First, a scenario-based game or exercise, with
feedback where relevant, helps the student apply the concepts she has learned, within the appropriate
Bloom’s Level. Next, the student has an opportunity to check his understanding of the concepts learned,
by attempting a set of questions based on the topics covered. The third level is the formal, graded
assessment at the end of each module.
The opportunity to take the exam is provided by the EPG, or Exam Preparation Guide, which includes
time-bound exams, simulated after the final certification exams.
ITpreneurs’ Quality Ambition
ITpreneurs’ commitment to quality is evident in our many products. Quality and innovation are not just
―good words‖ in ITpreneurs’ dictionary; we view them as business imperatives.
Our freedom to play with new media and technologies has been the guiding force behind several of our
cutting-edge courses, including highly interactive, multilevel, game-based, and simulations-based
courses. Continued investments in and experiments with newer technologies help us consistently raise
our quality bar.
The Development Process

ITpreneurs employs the high-powered ADDIE, standing for Analysis, Design,
Development, Implementation, and Evaluation, in its development process.
However, good old ADDIE can sometimes become tardy and rigid, so we take
help from the rapid prototyping model (a method to get quick proof-of-
concept without building and expending all components). Agility and
efficiency have been key to ITpreneurs’ growth. ITpreneurs also uses the Click the image to see
modified ADDIE, which combines the core concepts of ADDIE with those of Appendix 4
rapid prototyping, allowing us to very quickly build-test-improve, until we
arrive at the appropriate instructional and interactive design mix. Feedback
from our learners and instructors are input to improvement.
In the End…
… is the Beginning.
“Design will quickly progress from an essentially reactive to a gradually more proactive stage.
New technologies should become the object of design, rather than being the source of design.
Design will find more rewarding fields in exploring patterns of interfacing than in the
production of objects.” (Derrick de Kerckhove, The Skin of Culture: Investigating The New Electronic
Reality)
Appendix 1
Bloom’s Levels
Following the 1948 Convention of the American Psychological Association, B.S. Bloom took a lead in
formulating a classification of "the goals of the educational process". Three "domains" of educational
activities were identified. The first of these, named the Cognitive Domain, involves knowledge and the
development of intellectual attitudes and skills. The other domains are the Affective Domain and the
Psychomotor Domain, which are usually not addressed by goals specified in a corrosion course.
Eventually, Bloom and his co-workers established a hierarchy of educational objectives, which is
generally referred to as Bloom's Taxonomy, and which divides cognitive objectives ranging from the
simplest behavior to the most complex.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Source: http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Training/Bloom.htm
Caption: Terminology changes

"The graphic is a representation of the NEW verbage associated with the long familiar Bloom's
Taxonomy. Note the change from Nouns to Verbs [e.g., Application to Applying] to describe the
different levels of the taxonomy. Note that the top two levels are essentially exchanged from the Old to
the New version." (Schultz, 2005) (Evaluation moved from the top to Evaluating in the second from the
top, Synthesis moved from second on top to the top as Creating.)
Source: http://www.odu.edu/educ/llschult/blooms_taxonomy.htm
Appendix 2
Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction
Gagne’s ―Nine Events,‖ as they are commonly known, describes a set of nine factors or conditions that
influence learning. These include internal as well as external conditions that contribute to shaping the
learning processes for adults.
GAGNE’S NINE EVENTS OF INSTRUCTION
Instructional Event Internal Mental Process

1. Gain attention. Stimuli activate receptors
2. Inform learners of objectives. Creation of levels of expectation for learning
3. Stimulate recall of prior learning Retrieval and activation of short-term memory
4. Present the content. Selective perception of content
5. Provide "learning guidance" Semantic encoding for storing long-term
memory
6. Elicit performance (practice). Response to questions to enhance encoding
and verification
7. Provide feedback. Reinforcement and assessment of correct
performance
8. Assess performance. Retrieval and reinforcement of content as final
evaluation
9. Enhance retention and transfer to the job. Retrieval and generalization of learned skill to
new situation
Appendix 3
John Keller’s ARCS Model
The ARCS model is a problem solving approach to designing the motivational aspects of learning
environments to stimulate and sustain students’ motivation to learn (Keller, 1983, 1984, 1987). ARCS
stand for Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction. This model is not intended to stand apart
as a separate system for instructional design, but can be incorporated within Gagne's events of
instruction.
ARCS Model of Motivational Design (John M. Keller (1979, 1983)
Attention
Perceptual Arousal Strategies for arousing
Inquiry Arousal and sustaining curiosity and interest
Variability
Relevance
Goal Orientation Strategies that link to learners’ needs ,
Motive Matching interests, and motives
Familiarity
Confidence
Performance Requirements Strategies that help
Success Opportunities students develop positive expectation for
Personal Control successful achievement
Satisfaction
Natural Consequences Strategies that provide extrinsic and intrinsic
Positive Consequences reinforcement for effort
Equity
The ARCS Model of Motivational Design originally developed by John M. Keller (1979, 1983)
Adapted by Steven J. McGriff (1999)
Appendix 4
ADDIE
The ADDIE instructional design model provides a step-by-step process that helps training specialists
plan and create training programs. The ADDIE design model revolves around the five components of
Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.
It is a systematic approach for creating instructional material and activities. ADDIE is based on the
learner-centered approach to instruction, which is different from the traditional teacher-centric
approach.
In the Analysis phase, the learner develops a clear understanding of the ―gaps‖ between the desired
outcomes or behaviors from the training, and the audience’s existing knowledge and skills. The Design
phase documents specific learning objectives, content, assessments, and exercises. The actual creation
of learning materials is completed in the Development phase. During Implementation, these materials
are delivered or distributed to the learners or the end-users. After delivery, the effectiveness of the
training is Evaluated.

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ITpreneurs’ Instructional Design Approach

to ITIL v3 Foundation E-Learning

As part of its commitment to developing ―learning content‖ rather than ―instructional

All a teacher can and, indeed, should do is to show the light. It

This takes us, interestingly, to the feeding habits of babies –

How does this translate when we are constructing learning,

Research reports that most training programs fail because the

By now, it is a fairly well-established fact that most adults take

How? A juxtaposition of scenario or problem establishment, followed by systematically presented

The Development Process

Caption: Terminology changes

GAGNE’S NINE EVENTS OF INSTRUCTION

Instructional Event Internal Mental Process

ARCS Model of Motivational Design (John M. Keller (1979, 1983)

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