There has been a lot of talk – essentially loose talk – about how Online TV is that great new harbinger of hope and change for all of mankind. Hope from the Online Video entrepreneurs perspective mainly. But that is not true any more – just as I sneakily suspected. Manish Bhatia (Nielsen) has this to say – “Just looking at the increase in TV usage in the last year tells a big story. Bhatia notes that the average TV viewer increased usage five minutes over a year ago. The contrast to online usage is glaring, he says. Just the TV usage increase alone beats how consumers consume video on the Internet.

“The average person spends two minutes watching a video online,” notes Bhatia. “If I were to fast-forward, we will probably be spending more — not less — time with TV.” In particular, he notes, the future means using TV more as an interactive medium.”

So it is finally that verdict n that I believe will be the truth in the next few years – not a replacement/substitution role at all, but more that of a complimentary role for Online Video.

Sandeep Arora has been a kind soul in this hunt for accommodation. Call him a broker, a real estate agent – whatever. To me he was a saviour. Thanks Sandeep. If you folks want Sandeep’s number let me know. (PS: Over 3 Saturdays and Sundays I saw 45+ ‘residences’ and chose the 45th!; sandeep took me to about 7.)

There are some real gems in this office – Sanjeev, Dip, Abhishek, Justin, Lakshmi – a few of the folks who helped me settle in quickly and find my moorings. Thanks guys! May your tribe increase. Work is terrific. The chase for filling in the blank numbers is on. Good heady stuff. Interacting with WW HQ of clients and the other teams in real time is great thanks to technology. There is some cutting edge work coming out from here – stuff that is simple and yet awesome. Stuff that will make one wonder – well I should have thought of that before! I will let you in on it in due course.

In the meantime – keep chirping, singing, dancing, kickboxing, whatever, to keep the spirits up! (A wee dram of Laphroaig also helps – the winter chill has started!)

Best
Achuthan

I am going to be based in Gurgaon with the Neo @ Ogilvy part of Ogilvy. I have found the warmth and camaraderie to be exceptional, jut by going through the various mails that I have received and read. Somewhat of a homecoming in truth as I used to be with OBM – as it was then known (1986).

Will keep the posts coming from now on.

Regards
Achuthan

I quote – ‘Rather than hoping users will return to a destination, you can retarget them once they’ve shown an interest in the content.
Rather than require new users to grab content from one place, distributed content can be shared right from the players they’re being distributed in.
Rather than rely on search alone and click action to bring the audience to the mount, the mount is brought to the audience.
I’m not saying anyone should exclude having an anchor site for their content, only that content itself is a powerful and deliverable tool, and should be dispersed to as many places as possible where the target audiences visits.‘

Now this is exactly the model that nautanki.tv has followed thus far – BRILLIANT! This approach, of distributing content across a plethora of sites ensures that content is being viewed without the need for a destination site. But to me that is a job that is at best half done. Now comes the tough part – how does the content distributor/platform provider – in this case Nautanki.tv ensure continuous targeting and re-targeting of content viewers is made possible and that in the final analysis, the advertising message is viewed by the right people, at the right time, in the right places. That is what Nautanki.tv needs to fix. And if they fix it, they can hope to blow the Rs. 600 million cap (that I had put on Online Video Advertising in India) sky high!

Best
Achuthan

An excerpt – “The myth that India does not watch Online Videos is now diminishing with Nautanki.tv having the largest viewership of entertainment content in South Asia with more than 30 million views per day and over 12,000 videos to choose from 22 channels. Stating the 30 million daily viewership figure is usually met with raised eyebrows or just plain disbelief which is what brings us to what we like to call our “Secret Sauce” – the destination versus network phenomenon. Nautanki.tv is not a destination site, rather it is a network. Our main website generates only a small percentage of the total views; it’s our network in the form of publishers, mainly bloggers and website owners, who generate the majority of the viewership for us.”

All of that is fine – but nautanki.tv also needs advertising. While it is true that they have partnered with a large number of TV Channels, offering a platform for re-purposed content and the content owners have taken on the responsibility of sales, there are some basic issues that still remain. The basic issue is that there isn’t enough monetization of the viewership that is happening. And this is certainly true for all the other online TV/video channels. The money coming in is still a small fraction of what is required. After all the best estimates talk of just about Rs. 600 million as the upper limit of spends on Online Video. I seriously doubt that figure, though.

Even if that figure were true and one channel alone were to garner a 50% share (you can see I am building a case!) then that means a topline of Rs. 300 million. Takeaway 70% of that money for the content owner and you are left with Rs. 90 million. Half of that is what is shared with folks who distribute the content. That means overall numbers at this optimistic level are down to Rs. 45 million. Annually. Savvy? The best case is not good enough – at least not just yet.

Why am I writing this post? Well I received two other mails from Video Insider and that set me thinking. One of them was the piece written by Benjamin Wayne on March 23rd, 2009 titled – Why is Online Video Advertising Dying? I quote – ‘Sites will never be able to completely escape the high costs of content delivery, so publishers are looking for new methods of monetization. Foremost among these is video advertising: the delivery of either pre-roll, post roll or overlay ads that appear during video playback.

Early showings have been a disappointment, and with CPMs heading through the floor, this is a dynamic that is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. There are many reasons for the failure of video advertising, but some of the foremost issues include: the dearth of monetizeable content, the high production costs of video ad creation, audience rejection of the format, and the resultant poor performance of video ads compared to other forms of advertising.’

What is critical here is that audiences have rejected the current formats of Online Video Advertising. That has lead to this somewhat dichotomous situation of a medium with high viewership but zilch in terms of advertising. Sounds crazy but it is true. Mr. Wayne goes on to describe the current status of Online Video channels as nothing short of precarious – ‘As a rule of thumb, assuming typical file sizes, CDN pricing, and completion rates, it costs about a dollar for every thousand videos delivered. In order to offset these costs of distribution, research shows video viewership needs to generate a $1 CPM. In the case of in-video advertising, whose dominant forms include pre-roll, post-roll, and overlay, that $1 is hard to come by. Because of completion rates, post-roll is a mostly ineffective form of advertising, and very few sites have the kind of content that makes possible persistent pre-roll without massive audience defection.

This leaves overlay, typically a form of PPC advertising delivered in a small pop-up within the video frame. Due to inventory constraints, typically no more than 50%, and often less than 25%, of all videos will display an advertisement, meaning that the true CPM must be between $2 and $4, a price point which is, practically speaking, impossible to secure in today’s market.’

If we extrapolate that to the Indian context – then the Rs. 600 million topline figure seems completely out of whack!

Mr. Wayne goes on to point a rudimentary way out of this morass – ‘In-page advertising may offer a more viable option for publishers, as the $1 CPM hurdle may be easier to overcome with traditional banner advertisement and sponsorships. This is well-trodden ground, however, with a decade of experimentation in online advertising providing lackluster results for all but a handful of sites.’ I would add here that the white space surrounding the Video Player is perhaps the space that needs to be tweaked effectively. There is another tactic that can be adopted by Online Video Channels – but I leave that for the next post.

Best
Achuthan

They substitute one for the other – most often it is tactics for strategy in my observation. Micheal Porter, states that many ‘leaders’ are misinformed about how to develop long-term competitive strategic plans for their companies. They often confuse strategy with some type of action (read tactics from my own earlier observation), such as merging, internationalizing or outsourcing. Other flawed concepts that substitute for strategy are aspiration goals such as becoming the “tech leader” or to “grow”. Others substitute the organization’s mission/vision statement as strategy. “Companies spend days arguing over which six words go in the sentence. It’s a concept. Don’t confuse it with strategy,” said Porter.

A simple, yet accurate way to test whether your organization is on the right strategic track is to see if your entire management team would be able to independently articulate the same thing. If they can’t, Porter said, you don’t have a true strategy.

There are five tests of a good strategy, Porter outlined:
* A unique value proposition. “If you don’t have one, you’re competing on operational excellence but unlikely to achieve superiority.”
* A different, tailored value chain. “If not, you are competing on operational excellence — who can do the same thing better?”
* Clear tradeoffs, and choosing what not to do. “If you choose what to do, you have to also choose what not to do because they are incompatible. It’s very hard because tradeoffs limit opportunity.”
* Activities that fit together and reinforce each other. Porter said to harness the synergies across the value chain instead of discrete advantages.
* Strategic continuity with continual improvement in realization. “Strategy takes about three years to kick in. If you shift strategy every year, year and a half, you’ll never get there.”

I find that these five steps hold true for individuals as well in terms of their own personal growth and development. After all we have a working career of approximately 35 years and unless we have objectives, strategy and tactics to enable us in making a framework for our lives, we will not be able to achieve very much. In mapping out our lives and our careers, there are many people who we could use as resources or turn to for advice, in helping us plan the path that appeals to us most. The same is true of corporations, big and small.

As an individual, one is not competing merely on operational excellence. There are several other skill sets to be considered as well. Knowledge is a key domain. The ability to communicate with and motivate a team is yet another. Similarity Number One.

After spending some time in junior and middle level management roles, that experience should assist in helping the person develop a clear cut understanding of what he would like to like to specialize in. To grow further in that role, he needs to concentrate on putting together a list of activities that create synergistic advantages, reinforcing the key subsets of the individual’s specialization. You can shift jobs easily, it is rather difficult to shift careers. Similarity Number Two

We all need to gather some moss – the Rolling Stones might be a great band – however at work, it is very rare for people who tend to shift every year or 18 months into a new job to gain insights of significance. Recruiters look for people who are stable – length of service in a single organization is a definite and key parameter. Similarity Number Three.

One last parting word of advice -
“If there is no crisis or you are not in one, then assume you are in one.”

Best
Achuthan

Where Recruiters See the Greatest Growth in Exec Hiring in Next Six Months

Business development 17.3%
Sales 15.0%
Engineering 10.4%
Operations management 8.7%
(incl. supply chain, logistics, quality)
Marketing 8.7%
Consulting 8.2%
Finance 7.9%
Research and Development 7.7%

But then, like all good things, Execunet also has a huge Achilles heel, from a business perspective. The site is focussed on the US mostly and virtually ignores the rest of the world. Trouble is, the US economy is in trouble and it is in the other geographies that there is still an abundance of opportunity for the right people.

Which brings me back to a question that has been at the back of my mind, since the past couple of years! Can executive search be a truly global phenomenon? I worked with Monster (as their agency) several years ago in India and launched the site in India. They were the closest to global at least back then, with operations in several countries. For me global in this context at least does not only mean having a web presence. That is a part (a very small one) of being truly global. One does not need brick and mortar presence in every geo either. What one needs is people who can identify closely with on ground realities in every single geo that the operation is planned.

Best Achuthan

Job Portals have to learn to treat aspirants much like customers and have to necessarily engage with people in that fashion. Without the aspirants, I do not see a completion of the portals’ business model. And if that is true, then would it not be good thing to have happy customers, rather than unhappy and irate customers.

[The only thing that portals chase you down for are - for getting your resume redone and for using their 'broadcast' option - all for a fee of course! I get four mails and SMS (text) queries to my mobile a week and at least one call a week. I have never ever responded positively to any of these and yet get bombarded! The voice calls are the worst - in the midst of something important (invariably) I get a call which goes somewhat like this - "Good afternoon Sir, Mr. Achuthan, thank you for registering with us. Are you looking for a change in your career?" !!!! Wow if I were not - you goose - would I come to your portal and go through your five (+) page registration procedure, fill all those details and register? And I fail to understand the logic of the broadcast option as well. Someone, somewhere deep down told me that you need to tailor make your covering letter and your CV virtually for every new/different position that you are applying to. That makes a lot of sense but broadcast? I really do not know and I really do not care!]

If blaming the client for putting positions on hold is a euphemism for ‘sorry, you are not selected’ then I hate euphemisms! I am one of those and I am sure there are countless others too, who would prefer to take the news, good or bad on the chin, full and straight. And if I am not selected, do me a favour and tell me why? So that the next time around, I do not have to be repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

The key word for recruiters is ‘Engage’. Engage your aspirant base like your life depended on it. Treat them well. They are not dogs hanging on to you for scraps. They want to change their own lives, for the better. And in so doing they could change yours too. Imagine a person who after he is gainfully placed, making out a case of recommendation of your name, or that of your organization to his own. That then becomes an avenue of humongous business. People do not forget easily in a hurry. They do not forget both the good and the bad either. Keep that in mind.

Over the past three weeks I have been engaged with www.ijobu.com for pretty much the same purpose. I find the folks there refreshingly different, candid and cohesive. They are completely frank with me. It is so different from what I have experienced. Someday, somewhere I shall make a case study out of this and hopefully will teach it in class or use it as an example of how business is to be done. That is a promise – Stefan, Gregory and Mathias. Once again, Keep up the good work!

Best
Achuthan

I am sure that this site will do well in the next couple of years!!! Best of luck Stefan, Gregory and Mathias!!!

Best

Achuthan

Best Achuthan

PS: Yes I shifted from blogger to wordpress!

Evolving Patterns of Learning and Assessments

SQL Star International Ltd.

Hyderabad

October 2007

Introduction

The huge growth of business worldwide has led to several challenges in terms of providing adequately trained resources, at various levels and across a cross section of domains. Even at the very entry level the need for trained manpower is being felt. It is our colleges and universities in the public and private domains, which have traditionally provided for the bulk of the work force at the entry level and through continuing education programs, for trained and re-skilled workers at various points of experience.

The issue is that there is currently a huge gap between the demand and supply of such resources – Nasscom estimates show that there could be as much of a gap of 500,000 people at the entry level itself in the IT and ITES sectors over the next three to five years. In the Insurance sector the gap could be of the order of around another 500,000. It is not possible for the country as a whole to either increase the number of educational institutions to bridge the gap, nor is it possible for the existing educational institutions to intensify their courses of study to cater to an increased number of candidates. Compounding the issue is the availability of quality teachers who can provide quality education. Hence in an Instructor Led scenario the campuses will find it almost impossible to create the scale that is required to cater to the demand in the first instance.

The way out of this seemingly large morass is to engage fully with delivery systems and processes that are not limited by physical scale, availability and such and to adopt technology based learning systems and methodologies that will culminate in technology based assessments as well.

Driven and delivered by broadband, with cheaper end prices for PCs, technology based education and assessment systems have inherent advantages. However both industry and academia have approached it with caution – early stage adaptors are few and far between.

The seemingly apparent advantages of a classroom based and instructor led training/teaching system are what perhaps are keeping investors into this market at a slower pace than warranted.

However what we forget – even if we hark back to our own school days is that it is our teachers who made the class room interesting and they did so, because of their knowledge, their ability to make an otherwise dull lesson come alive in an interesting way, and their ability to relate to issues of abstraction from an everyday perspective.

Thus homogeneity among teachers in terms of their ability to teach or instruct cannot be taken for granted, neither can there be uniformity in the students’ ability to absorb what is being taught. Much of what is being taught is often forgotten because the process of teaching is cognitive by nature. Students relate to subjects from their own sphere of experiences; in order that the effect of such experiences is set aside and the student imbibes what is meant to be imbibed, there is often recourse to practicals and demonstration. There is truth in the habit of practice. It gives the practitioner the ability to learn from experience – which itself could take several forms – homework, experiments, and demonstration.

This is what can be termed as Actionable Learning. These two words are chosen deliberately to highlight what can be described as a holistic approach to learning and one that is tied to action. The framework of actionable learning links three domains of learning: emotion, thought and behavior, and underpins each with a growing capacity to learn how to learn. Specific learning capabilities are central to the capacity to learn within each domain.

While actionable learning can impinge upon each of these domains and sub domains it is the Learning to Think domain that SQL Star as an organization is most interested in – it is here that the equivalent of Instructor Led classroom sessions delivered using technology as a base and impacting the maximum number of students will have the most profound impact.

Learning to Think
The capacity to reason through analytic, systemic and creative problem-solving and decision making processes

Learning to Observe
The capacity to acquire, order, and seek patterns in empirical evidence of various forms

Learning to Assess
The capacity to analyze information and draw defensible conclusions within various conceptual frameworks

Learning to Reflect
The capacity to make and derive meaning from events, situations, myths, symbols and interactions

Learning to Create
The capacity to explore and invent through open mind alternative possibilities and patterns

In an Actionable Learning simulation, let us assume that the students are asked to draw a series of diagrams explaining the functioning of a four stroke internal combustion engine. To this end they need to have access to the raw materials – in this case paper, coloured pencils, a ruler and a compass.

Assuming that they have created a series of four drawings explaining the functioning and the firing sequence of the engine, the quality and extent of the examiners feedback is critical to the students’ ability to know whether what they have represented is correct or further study in the subject is required. It is critical that the examiner provides this element of feedback to each and every student who has participated in the exercise for proper learning to be imparted to each and every student. In today’s classroom scenario, very often teams are created – while the intent is right – that of active participation in smaller self study groups, etc. very often it is left to one or two interested students, who are named as the group leaders to deliver the ultimate result, which impacts the whole group.
Thus the entire actionable learning scenario does not really exist in today’s ILT and classrooms.

Which leaves us with the question – does technology led learning have the ability to respond to each student impartially and with the same degree of detail? The answer is YES.

It is possible to provide routes for compelling and engaging actionable learning syllabi. Such courses/syllabi can specify at an individual level the specific task(s) to be performed by the learner. It also creates the environment for the learning to take place – as in providing the tools required for drawing the internal combustion engine in the earlier case. Using sophisticated algorithms a comprehensive evaluation of each task is undertaken. Algorithms being tool based and devoid of human interference make these evaluations scalable and yet, uniform. Actionable learning will then ‘kick in’ providing feedback on the all the tasks – including those performed correctly, the ones done incorrectly, and also those actions not performed at all. This feedback mechanism then offers to each student, the opportunity to know where he/she is making an error and also provides the student the opportunity to know where to revise the subject matter from.

Technology led learning on an actionable learning framework provides scalability in terms of the number of students who can access the same courseware at the same time – delimiting itself from the physical boundaries of Instructor Led classrooms that can seat only ‘X’ number of students, can spread itself across diverse geographies, across heterogeneous groups where both the facile and challenged learners can learn the same subject but at a varied pace, and at the same time have the ability to interact and share thoughts and ideas.

Actionable Learning Environment at SQL Star

At SQL Star students first imbibe the skills and knowledge using multimedia content – this would be made available to them using any of the standard toolsets that are available.

What sets the courseware at SQL Star apart is the Actionable Learning discipline that kicks in as part of the course instruction methodology. At a fundamental level the AL module will check for the amount – quality and quantity – of learning that has taken place on the part of the student and will provide a basis for evaluation of the student and will also determine if the student has imbibed enough knowledge to move to the next topic. Feedback to the student will be comprehensive an in the cases of those students who fail to make the grade the module will also guide them to topics/chapters that have to be re done/re learnt.

Example:

Consider the example of a learner undertaking a learning module on the fundamentals of economics, where one of the most basic topics covered is that of determining equilibrium price (where supply curve intersects the demand curve when plotted graphically). Notwithstanding the learner’s inherent ability to plot this figure graphically and to then correctly determine equilibrium price, a correct outcome will only be a result of the practice the learner has had in performing this task, the scrutiny in evaluation of the task performed and the granularity in feedback provided to the learner in his application. Therefore, an Actionable Learning module will provide the learner with a variety of choice in exercises (i.e. according to multiple difficulty levels) on the basis of which the learner can practice and thereby enhance the natural progression of learning.

The learner can then make a choice in the areas of the subject in question s/he would like to practice, and in that regard will choose an exercise from the available choices (represented till n in the figures). Let us take this instance of determining equilibrium price at the intersection between the supply and demand curves. Once this choice in exercise has been made by the learner, the necessary applications supporting the execution of this practice exercise are to be made available (in this case, a table containing numeric quantities and an application that will permit graphical representation of these numeric quantities).

The numeric data to test the learner is contained in the table to provide to him/her and then the learner is prepared to execute a solution to this “problem”. The assigned application capable of allowing the user to create graphs will then be used to plot the numeric data of price; quantity etc. on the said graph and the learner then determines the equilibrium price. Upon completion of the exercise, the learner can seek a detailed evaluation of his/her performance along with a score.

The feedback as represented in the above figure will be detailed in that the learner’s execution of the solution will be evaluated. Now taking into consideration that there may be more than one method of correctly determining the equilibrium prices, the learner may expect one commonly accepted method of determining this price. The Actionable Learning module provides ONE solution that the learner can refer to time and again. The advantage in doing so lies with the fact that the learner can evaluate the feedback from his solution and compare it closely with the one solution the module provides thereby allowing for a comparison between the two. It also helps in providing the learner with clarity with regards to fundamentals and a comparison to his/her personal evaluation in task. The learner may choose to perform the task as many times are deemed necessary and can practice over again till satisfied with the outcome.

Task/Test Design

Tasks can be defined as “an activity that involves individuals in using a methodology or a body of knowledge in a particular manner for the purpose of achieving a particular goal or objective in a particular situation” This definition is a very broad one as it as it encompasses tasks specifically designed for instruction and consequent assessment as well as real-world activities.
As with all tests, teachers or test developers must start with a clear purpose of the test. In other words, they must state what it is that they want to find out based on the test scores. It could be the level of mastery of a particular candidate or student or it could be to find out who can advance to the next level or who should repeat the same level. The purpose of the particular testing occasion will decide the subsequent steps in test development. In addition, the purpose of utilizing tasks needs to be clearly specified in advance. There are currently two approaches. One is to use tasks as a means of eliciting knowledge and skills of interest, and the other is to view them as the ultimate goal of testing. This distinction corresponds to construct-based and task-centered approaches to test design. The reason why this is a critical issue in task-based assessment is because of its direct bearing on the type of inferences that is possible from the test scores. In the construct-based approach, the principal inference is about test-takers’ ability elicited through the task, whereas in the task-centered approach, it is the degree of success in completing a particular task using the skills learnt.
Regardless of which approach is to be taken, appropriate tasks for the assessment need to be carefully selected and their characteristics thoroughly described. Authenticity of the tasks is a critical quality in task-based assessment. By its nature, task-based assessment involves a lot more variables affecting test scores and, subsequently, the interpretation of those test scores.

Key Differentiators in SQL Star’s methodology

Akin to what is taught in the semester system of ILT in colleges, the SQL Star Actionable learning methodology will have;

1.Surprise quizzes – at the end of a chapter that will ask students to respond briefly to some variation on the following two questions: “What was the most important thing you learned during this class?” and “What important question remains unanswered?” Students give in their responses through either drop down sets or multiple choice formats. The correctness of the answer determines the response – if the answer given is wrong, the student will be directed to that part of the courseware, where the correct answer or its interpretation is displayed/discussed.
2.Tests at the end of a set of chapters – these will determine whether the student is capable of progressing to the next set of chapters. Students who do not achieve the desired/required level of answers will be asked to refer back and subject themselves to a re test. Any number of re tests will be possible.
3.Final “end of course” test – a comprehensive and detailed test that will test the fundamental knowledge of the person as well as the skills he/she has gained in applying the knowledge gained.

Key Principles to be followed in the development of an Actionable Learning Syllabus to be delivered over the Internet

1. Visualisation
By augmenting simulation engines, symbolic calculators and other software with graphical output it becomes possible to support learner visualisation of highly abstract processes and procedures. Technology based methodologies allow us to provide graphical representations of problems through concept mapping. Flowcharting and process mapping can also be part of the teaching method.
2. Diagnosis
By tracking learners’ work on related tasks, it becomes possible to distinguish ‘accidental’ errors from those which provide statistical evidence for failure to understand key concepts or to master crucial skills. Key problem solving and decision making skills for example can be assessed though programs using sophisticated algorithms and the performance of individuals and groups can be compared.
3. Remediation
By systematically giving learners greater access to relevant information or rehearsing them on weak skills it becomes possible to focus remediation on areas that the learner or software has diagnosed as requiring attention. Courseware can be designed with built in remediation and mini learning exercises that can be accessed on demand. For example, when mathematical operations are required, failure in performance can be remediated with computer based tutorials.
4. Reflection
By giving the learners access to records of their past working, the response of the
peers, tutors and system they were working with, and by providing them with tools with which to annotate and file such work, it becomes possible to support systematic reflection on what they have learnt and on their own learning processes. The learning components can be designed in which there is recurring attention to the development of various skills and charting the ongoing development of these skills can be made integral to the learning process. The learners can have a record of their accomplishment and the gaps in theory
capacities. This provides a way for participants to examine the development of their own thinking and learning processes.
5. Memory Prostheses
By giving learners comprehensive access to their past computer mediated work and by providing them with appropriate search engines it becomes possible for them to have the self confidence to be very selective and focused about what they choose to attempt to memorise at any point in time, thus supporting much greater cognitive economy on the part of the learner. The computer provides a memory storehouse in which learners can deposit their thoughts and analyses.
6. Pacing
By providing a ‘clock’ based on the planned work of a cohort of learners or on an
appropriate instructional design it becomes possible for learners to increase their motivation when engaged in sequences of learning activity over longer time periods. Computers allow study material to be wrapped around the working and life schedule of learners, rather than forcing these to fit within the demands of the case. The benefits in learner motivation are substantial.
7. Redundancy
By encoding the same learning material using different media elements, it becomes possible for heterogeneous groups of learners with different learning style and media preferences, to study the same curriculum content. The capacity of the computer to represent the same information in different forms, from print to interactive visual graphics, means that learners are not denied access to the case because of a modal learning style. Moreover, software programs exist through which such things as concept
8. Knowledge Integration
By taking a chronological view when designing instructional software, by deliberately incorporating appropriate elements of media redundancy and by planning for student use of memory prosthetics it becomes possible for the learner to integrate diverse knowledge acquired at different times. This application is particularly useful in integrating knowledge gained by moving through a series of courseware.
9. Access
By incorporating access methodologies in learner interfaces and by designing for learner autonomy and pacing, it becomes possible to extend access to learners who cannot take advantage of conventional modes of classroom delivery because of their special social or physical circumstances. The power of the computer, when linked to the Internet, opens up access anytime, anywhere and with anyone.
10. Mass Customization and Accuracy
Messages can be mass customised. It is possible to give everyone the same message, and within this framework, to customise messages for particular groups. Content is timely and dependable. Because it is web enabled, the content can be updated quickly and in a timely fashion. Accuracy of information can also be enhanced, since the variable of simultaneous interpretation by a vast array of instructors can be minimised.

In Conclusion

Actionable Learning can be seen as an extension of the basic economic theory of learning by doing – the capability of workers to improve their productivity by regularly repeating the same type of action. The increased productivity is achieved through practice, self-perfection and minor innovations.

In their seminal work, Yang and Borland (1991) have shown learning-by-doing plays a role in the evolution of countries to greater specialisation in production.

Nasscom in India believes that the software export story can grow by 100% from 39 Billion USD currently to over 80 billion USD in the next five years. To make that possible, we need Actionable Learning intervention that will ensure a steady stream of qualified, ready to be employed graduates who can join the work force and also provide a continuous skill up gradation to those already in the work force.