Duke Corporate Education draws on a broad range of innovative learning methods. Methods tend to fall within 3 categories.

Curriculum

The traditional form of education is a classroom-based curriculum model. With a curriculum approach, participants receive a ‘teach’ on a set of topics over a set period of time. The benefits of the curriculum model are its efficiency, focus and consistency. Relatively large numbers of participants can develop a consistent conceptual understanding of critical content in a relatively short period of time.

Our classroom approaches are centered on dialogue between faculty and participants and among participants. Participants have much to contribute to the learning process, and such education is not a one-way transfer of knowledge from instructor to participant. Rather it is a collaborative dialogue among a group of people and an instructor.

Often psychometrics, e.g., 360-degree feedback, as well as games or exercises are used to open up new insights in a tight timeframe. Compelling stimuli in the form of images, or stories can be used to immerse the participants in the themes of a program and provoke a broader range of thinking, e.g., a theatrical reenactment of typical behaviors within the client organization. These make the business classroom an energizing and enriching place.

Experiential

With experiential learning the participant takes part in an activity or situation and then reflect on what happened. Insights are generated by the participant rather than conveyed by an instructor. As well as developing new knowledge and skills, experiential methods are particularly useful for changing participants attitudes and expectations.

Duke CE's Metaphoric Experience™ learning method creates immersive storylines in which the activity becomes an metaphor for day-to-day work. The participants are taken out of their comfort zone and placed in a new, often surprising, environment where it is harder to draw on everyday tactics. At the same time they can see the analogy between the experience and their day-to-day work. For example, having members of a professional services firm enact the role of a physician diagnosing a patient’s disease and giving that patient bad news is analogous to those professionals assessing a problem with their client’s operation and the difficult task of giving their client the bad news.

Behavioral learning labs have elements in common with the Metaphoric Experience™ learning method, but tend to focus more fully on individual, team, and collaborative behaviors, and not on the underlying systemic issues. We often use behavioral learning labs to put lenses on participants’ interpersonal styles, how they influence and create alignment, how they can unpack what they know, and how they see various situations. A common example is a team exercise that demonstrates the necessity of teamwork, e.g., participants rapidly changing the tires of a race car as part of a pit crew.

Content learning labs are heavily weighted with content or processes. A well known example is the case study. Other examples would be a computer-based business simulation or a live actor-based business simulation.

Another type of experiential learning is the robust dialogue. Robust dialogues engage participants with one another in an intense exchange around a controversial issue. The goal is to get participants to unpack and share what they know, and obtain a sense of greater alignment. For example, a panel discussion with the panel being the participant's senior leadership. Other examples are dialogues and debates among participants or a mock court in which an element of the participant’s organization is put on trial.

Embedded-in-Work

Embedded-in-work methods blur the line between education and work. The education takes place in the context of real-world work.

We have deep experience in designing and delivering programs based on an action learning format. An internal team of managers works collaboratively on a solution to a specific business problem or opportunity. They reflect on what has occurred and learn from the process. Our Business Challenge approach differs from typical action learning in two ways. First, participants receive relevant education and coaching along the way to their solution. Second, the program occurs partially in face-to-face sessions and partially virtually.

Business Challenge and other approaches can employ just-in-time coaching. One-on-one coaching can be either “trusted advisor” or “behavioral.” As a trusted advisor the coach provides expertise on the business issues the coachee faces. A behavioral coach is not expert in business issues; rather provides advice on how to better get things done, e.g., aspects of communication, managing, or leading. Coaching can occur at any time, but the impact is greatest when it is applied just when needed in the workplace.

Learning can be linked to a business process. Most organizations have existing sequential business processes that they execute on a regular basis. For example, an annual marketing planning process where one step in the process must be completed before the individual or team can move on to the next step. Relevant education can be delivered to participants just-in-time for real-world use at each step. A more elaborate variation on this model is the introduction of a new process. In that case change management is also addressed.

Another method focuses on a supported application of new concepts in the workplace through the use of ‘tools’. The tools serve two purposes: 1) diagnosis of some aspect of the work environment and 2) prescription of some appropriate responsive action. The diagnosis identifies gaps between the current situation and some desired state. The prescription and action process is aimed at closing the gap. For example, tools can focus on motivation, team dynamics, leadership competencies. The hallmark of this method is that it follows the participants back to work. Participants are exposed to a conceptual framework in the classroom, e.g., motivating others. They are also introduced to a diagnostic tool that embeds the same conceptual framework. The tool is then used by participants with their work teams back on the job with support from instructors and other participants.

Putting it all Together

Any given program is a mix of methods rather than one or another of the examples listed above. Selection of the appropriate mix of methods for a program is a function of the client’s business needs; the level of the participants (e.g., senior executives vs. mid-level mangers); the depth of learning desired; the organization’s culture (some non-traditional methods are seen as “risky” in certain environments) and budget (some cost more than others).

A program’s mix of methods is integrated to create a high-impact coherent whole. For example experiential methods are often paired with a curriculum approach---teach people something, then give them an opportunity to use what they just learned. Embedded-in-work approaches are often a mix of just-in-time teaches, orchestrated experiences and real-world experiences.

The logistical elements of the program (room, materials, support services) contribute to the total event and are also integrated into the overall design, resulting in an immersive and seamless end-to-end experience.