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Learn Four Techniques to Help You Prepare for the Unexpected

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Learn Four Techniques to Help You Prepare for the Unexpected

By Jane McGonigal, PhD, Director of Game Research and Development at the Institute for the Future and lead instructor of the Futures Thinking Specialization

If the year 2020 has shown us anything so far, it’s that we all need to get better at expecting the unexpected. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, learn, and live in ways that seemed unthinkable and unimaginable until they actually happened. All of these changes happened faster, and at a more global scale, than nearly anyone thought possible. 

But what if you’d started imagining how you would adapt to a pandemic earlier? What if you’d had three months, six months, or even a year to prepare for the reality we’re all living through now? 

What would you have done with that extra time to prepare for the future? Whom could you have helped sooner?

These aren’t hypothetical questions. The first 10,000 students in the Institute for the Future’s new Futures Thinking Specialization (a collection of skills-building courses I teach on Coursera) were given exactly this kind of “get prepared early” opportunity. Last summer, months before anyone had diagnosed the first case of the new coronavirus, the Institute for the Future launched the course Simulation Skills: This is Your Brain on the Future. In Simulation Skills, students learn why the brain has a hard time accurately predicting the future, and they practice habits that increase their ability to anticipate and prepare for surprising events. As part of the course, students tackled this assignment: 

“Imagine that we are facing a global respiratory pandemic. What changes would you make in your daily behavior? And how could you use your unique skills and talents to help others?” 

At the time we launched Simulation Skills, no one knew we would be living this possible “future” so soon. Pandemics are just one of the urgent futures—alongside climate change, mass migration, automation of work, and deepfake technologies – that the Institute for the Future has been researching for years and helping learners prepare for. It just so happens this one particular future actually happened almost exactly as we forecasted it would. 

This is why, months before the global lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, Coursera students were pre-thinking how their lives would change during a pandemic. By starting to practice futures thinking, they were preparing to take action. So when the reality of COVID-19 caught up to our “possible future,” our students were faster to adapt and less prone to getting stuck in old ways of doing things. Since early January, I’ve been receiving messages from Coursera students who participated in the pandemic simulation. They’ve said things like, “I’m not freaking out, because I already worked through the panic and anxiety when we imagined it in the class,” and “I’m starting to prepare for this now, I remember what it was like when we simulated it.” 

The basic skills of futures thinking can help you prepare for whatever comes after COVID-19. It’s not just this pandemic—it’s all the rapid technological, social and climate changes that are coming faster than we realize. 

Here are four simple futures thinking techniques anyone can practice. I teach all of these skills, and more, in the Simulation Skills course that is part of the five-course Futures Thinking Specialization available on Coursera.

1. Look for the decisive moments in the past that changed the course of the future. How would your reality be different if you had made a different choice in the past? This is called counterfactual thinking. You can learn about three counterfactual thinking techniques in this video: The Future is Dark, and That’s a Good Thing.

2. Practice hard empathy. It’s a cognitive skill that allows us to imagine what it would feel like to experience something we have no firsthand experience with. Here’s how it works: Find a news story about what is happening with COVID-19, protests, or climate change, somewhere else in the world that is further along the curve than your region. What if YOU were experiencing that reality, where you live today? Try to imagine it as vividly as possible. I explain more about this technique in this quick article: How to Think Like a Futurist.

3. Get comfortable with the idea that anything can be different in the future—and by the future, we mean next month, next week, or even tomorrow. I created a game that will challenge your assumptions about what can and can’t be different, and show you 100 ways life-as-you-know-it could be transformed sooner than you think. You can get the rules and tips for playing in this PDF: 100 Ways Anything Can Be Different in the Future.

4. Pre-feel the future. You can learn a scientifically validated cognitive intervention called “Specificity Training” that is designed to help you vividly imagine the “unimaginable” as if it were already a memory you could look back on. This will help make your brain believe that “unthinkable” change can, in fact, be real. Learn the technique and its history here: Fill in the Blanks, and Train Your Brain to See Clearly What Isn’t There (Yet).If you start practicing these skills now, they can help you prepare for whatever else comes—the pandemics, social upheavals, climate change consequences, or other “unthinkable” possibilities that may unfold over the next decade and beyond.

 

Emergency Preparedness: How Much Food & Water Per Person

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Emergency Preparedness: How Much Food & Water Per Person

Dr. Michael Beach is an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, who teaches and practices disaster preparation and response.

He’s a member of disaster medical assistance teams and has helped respond to Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti—and most recently, those on cruise ships during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Below, listen to the conversation or read the transcript, and hear Dr. Micheal Beach’s thoughts on:

  • How to stay calm in emergency situations (3:04)
  • The biggest lesson he’s learned from his years of emergency preparedness (4:15)
  • His number one tip to keep in mind when preparing for shelter-in-place (5:34)
  • How much food to buy for an emergency (6:35)
  • What food to buy for an emergency (7:55)
  • Emergency supplies list for pandemic and coronavirus (9:24)
  • How much of an emergency water supply you need per person (10:15)
  • What medications to have in your emergency kit (12:00)
  • The importance of social distancing and handwashing (14:58)
  • If you can touch your face if you’ve been sheltering-in-place (15:52)

Want to hear more from Dr. Michael Beach?

___________________________________________________________________________

Transcript

Coursera: From Coursera, this is Emma Fitzpatrick, and today I’m talking to Dr. Michael Beach, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. 

Dr. Beach teaches and practices in emergency medicine and disaster preparation and response. He’s a member of disaster medical assistance teams and has helped respond to Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. He’s also been involved with volunteer search and rescue for over 30 years. 

Today, we’re talking with Dr. Beach about his number one piece of advice as you prepare for quarantine or shelter in place, how much food and water to have on hand, and what you should keep in your disaster preparedness kit.

Let’s go ahead and get started.

[00:00:45] I’m curious, how have you personally been preparing or reacting to the recent COVID-19 outbreak?

[00:00:53] Dr. Michael Beach: I teach at the University of Pittsburgh. I have the opportunity to work from home, so yesterday I spent the day gathering supplies at work, making sure I have all my files. 

I think my wife and I are regularly well-prepared as far as food, water, and other things that we may need. So, it’s really a matter of sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the good that is all around us.

[00:01:20] Coursera: That is definitely a different take, but your background is in preparing for these exact kinds of situations. 

So, how do you maintain your personal sense of calm as you read the news, and things are clearly ramping up? 

[00:01:35] Dr. Michael Beach: The news is pretty anxious. I understand that. My philosophy is to control what I can control and not worry about controlling what I am not able to control. I simply do my best. 

I’m part of a disaster preparedness team, and during a recent deployment, I worked with people who were quarantined off of one of the cruise ships. And I took all of the proper precautions and did everything that I was supposed to do.

[00:02:05] One thing that I teach my students is that there are levels of awareness if you will, and you can use this to prepare for bad things to happen to you. So, if you’re very aware, then you become aware of things that aren’t normal, and you can decide, yep, that’s not normal. That’s a bad thing. I have to react to it. 

But more often than not, it’s a matter of being aware, being prepared, and by doing that, you can enjoy—while, like today, it’s a wonderful sunny day outside. It’s going to rain later, but I’m going to enjoy the day while I can. 

[00:02:46] Coursera: Yeah, and I’m also curious. I know you mentioned that you worked with people who are on a cruise ship during this. 

Either through that experience or some of the other disaster preparedness and response work that you’ve done, how do you keep people calm when you’re the one kind of leading or helping in those situations?

[00:03:04] Dr. Michael Beach: By staying calm yourself. That is the biggest thing. And gosh, I talk about this so much, but it really is absolutely true. There is never a reason to panic and rarely a reason to be extremely anxious.

We spend a lot of time just talking to folks, interacting with them—sometimes face-to-face while we were dressed in full personal protective equipment. We talk about what’s going on, commiserate with people who didn’t get their luggage in time—just spending time with people and being human.

[00:03:43]And that’s really what it comes down to. Ask a person how they’re doing. Ask them if they need anything. Talk about your kids. Talk about their kids. Talk about just a normal conversation. 

[00:03:57] Coursera: I really like that. And especially in the coming weeks, we’re all going to find how much we need that sense of human connection. 

Are there any other lessons that you’ve learned along the way from working and helping people in situations like this before?

[00:04:15] Dr. Michael Beach: Preparing for a disaster or a pandemic or everything in between it’s not done at the last minute. You take the time to prepare. 

You take the time to gather the materials. Think about what you’re going to do. Speculate on what’s going to happen and how you’re going to respond to it. Figure out how you’re going to communicate with family, how you’re going to recharge your phone if the electricity goes off, what kind of food and water you should have, and whatever else. That’s all done long before the disaster.

[00:04:50] If you wait until they say, “Well, tomorrow we’re going to hunker down, and nobody’s supposed to go outside, ” that is the worst time in the world to go out and buy the stuff that you need or even think about how you’re going to react to this.

Lack of information and misinformation is rampant in situations like this. And if you’re prepared, if you have the stuff that you need, if you’ve thought about how you’re going to react, well then it’s going to be a whole lot easier, to survive, to be comfortable, and to not be anxious when the time comes. 

[00:05:24] Coursera: On that front, what’s your number one piece of advice for someone who is preparing to either go into quarantine or go into a lock-in? 

[00:05:34] Dr. Michael Beach: The number one piece of advice is stop hoarding. I really don’t understand why people are buying two years’ worth of toilet paper to prepare for this disaster. It just makes no sense to me whatsoever—and toilet paper, really?

Sure. Toilet paper might be a little difficult to find right now. Hand sanitizer, in particular, Clorox, Lysol, cleaners—all difficult to find—but I think the reality is that they’re going to be restocked.

We are not talking about the walking dead and a zombie apocalypse, where there will be no more grocery stores. 

[00:06:14]So again, I’ve said this over and over. Don’t panic. Buy what you need and what you feel that you can use. Don’t overbuy. Don’t hoard stuff. There is no reason for that. 

[00:06:28] Coursera: And on that front, when you talk about buying what you need, what do you recommend as kind of a good baseline—in regards to food? 

[00:06:35] Dr. Michael Beach: Sure. So, food is a little tricky. If we’re talking about a true preparedness kit, then we’re talking about food, water, and whatever else for probably around a week to two weeks at the most.

In a situation like this, I really don’t see a reason why the tap water that comes into your kitchen is going to be shut off. So, I think we have an adequate supply of water.

[00:07:02] Food—yeah. You should probably pick up some food and probably pick up food for two or three weeks—really to try to avoid going to the grocery store or at least spending too much time at the grocery store. 

So, it doesn’t mean that we can’t go there. Go grab some fresh fruits and vegetables, grab some milk, and head home. Make it a very short trip. 

Have some staples in your pantry, have some meats, and whatever else—frozen and in the refrigerator. Use those things up and then go to the store and add to it.

But again, relax. Use the basics that you have. Two weeks, three weeks is probably longer than what you’ll need at this point. It just minimizes your trips to the grocery store, and that’s a good thing. 

[00:07:55] Coursera: When people say, “Have two to three weeks of food,” in this specific situation that we’re in, does that mean it should all be dry, pantry goods?

Or like you said, as long as it’s in the fridge or the freezer, there’s no reason to assume that those would stop working, that you should have that backup of pantry dry goods as well. Is that right? 

[00:08:16] Dr. Michael Beach: So, that is correct. There’s no reason to believe that, at this point, that the refrigerator is going to stop working, that your freezer is going to stop and everything’s going to turn to liquid. That stuff—it’s going to be there. Use that stuff. 

You should have a nice supply of pantry goods as long as you’re financially able to purchase all of that. Have a nice supply of those things. 

[00:08:40] But there’s no reason to believe at this point that we’re not going to be able to make a quick run to the grocery store to resupply our fruits and vegetables, meats, and whatever else—those perishable items.

[00:08:55] Coursera: That makes sense. And I know you also mentioned a disaster preparedness kit, which is a little bit different. 

Could you go into a little bit more detail about what exactly that disaster preparedness kit is, and what should be in there?

[00:09:07] Dr. Michael Beach: Sure. So, a disaster preparedness kit is probably a bit more complicated than we can do in this interview. I guess now would be a really good shameless opportunity to promote , and for that matter, my book on disaster preparedness. 

[00:09:24] But, here are the basics. I believe that everybody should have some degree of a disaster preparedness kit.

And that means that they should be able to take care of themselves and their family and their pets and whatever else in their little life group for anywhere from—we used to say three days—now we say, five to seven days. Really, two weeks is probably more than enough. 

And in this kit, you should be able to survive with the stuff that’s in the kit without any outside help. 

So, it’s going to include nonperishable foods and foods that are easy to prepare—for instance, canned foods—two weeks’ worth. Comfort food is something that I find important, so chocolate, chips, cereals, anything that you might find comforting.

[00:10:15] Water—at least a gallon a day for every person in the household unit. 

So, if you have a camping water filter, one that is designed to take water right out of a stream or a lake or a spring and filter that water and make it potable—and what I mean by potable is drinking water, able to be drank—then that filter is perfect. You can use that, as I said, in any of those sources. Or, if all of a sudden there’s a boil order for the water coming into your house, you can use that filter to filter that water and make it, again, drinkable.

What is not usable are filters that generally attach right to the faucet. They do not make non-potable water potable. Another quick comment: rainwater should be filtered before you drink it. Or if it’s a choice between dehydration and drinking rainwater, goodness, drink the rainwater. That choice is not the same for drinking out of our rivers and streams. 

Games to play, so you don’t get too bored. Tools for general jobs around the house as things get messed up. A first-aid kit with all of your medications. 

That’s probably a brief description of this. You can go online and look under the Red Cross, the CDC, Homeland Security—all of those have good lists.

But along with that, you should have communication tools and protocols to get information —good information from outside—to you and be able to communicate with your family and friends and emergency services.

[00:12:00] Coursera: Those are some ways that people can prepare for disasters in general. With this specific crisis that we’re preparing for—staying at home quarantine, lock in for COVID-19—we talked about the food that people should have on hand. 

Could you talk a little bit more about what kind of medicine or medical supplies people should make sure that they have at home?

[00:12:23] Dr. Michael Beach: Sure. So everybody should have a good, simple first-aid kit—bandages, triple antibiotic ointment, Band-Aids, ACE wraps for twisted ankles, maybe even a splint, like a SAM splint. 

So, basic first-aid supplies, I think are very, very important.

[00:12:43] I do have to say that the majority of what you’re going to use over time, from that first-aid kit—Band-Aids. I have first-aid kits that I’ve used nothing out of except for bandaids. That seems to be the thing. 

As far as medications go, if you are prescribed any medications, you should have as much of a supply as possible of those meds. Now, this is really difficult because insurance dictates when we can get things renewed and refilled and so on. 

[00:13:16] Beyond medications that are prescribed to you, something for pain, Tylenol, and Motrin or ibuprofen—always good things to have on hand. 

Because we’re not going to be eating as we usually eat—or may not be—we may have some, a little bit of GI upset. GI medications can be very, very helpful. Tums, Pepto-Bismol, anything like that to relieve bloating, upset, stomach, diarrhea, things of those natures. 

And the last thing I would add as far as medications are allergy medications, something like Benadryl, Claritin, for allergic reactions.

[00:13:54] Coursera: And a lot of the coronavirus symptoms are similar to the flu. So, should people also consider having medication on hand to help with flu-like symptoms? 

[00:14:05] Dr. Michael Beach: I would add those as well. So, some sort of cough and cold medication, something to help you sleep at night. 

So, these medications obviously make you feel better, but just because you feel better, that does not mean that you’re over the flu or, for that matter, over COVID-19. You need to self-quarantine or be quarantined for at least 14 days.

[00:14:30] Coursera: And as people are preparing to either quarantine, any other materials that they should have on hand that we haven’t already covered?

[00:14:38] Dr. Michael Beach: I think we’ve covered most things. Truly, this is a time to spend time with your family, with loved ones. Play games if you like playing games. Read a book that you’ve always wanted to read. Read to your kids. Cook a good meal. Spend time together. That would be my recommendation for people.

[00:14:58] If you do go outside, I don’t think there’s a reason why you shouldn’t go for a walk, particularly a walk in the woods or a walk through your neighborhood. The key is social distancing. If you stay about six, seven feet away from, people that you encounter, you can even stop and have a chat with them.

[00:15:17] Wash your hands a lot. Hand sanitizer, if you can get it, but good old soap and water—15 to 20 seconds—that’s perfectly fine. 

Don’t touch your face. I can’t emphasize that enough. If you get a virus on your hands, it’s not going to affect you unless you take your hands and touch your face. Don’t touch your face. 

[00:15:39] Coursera: I was wondering if people are staying at home more for days and weeks on end, can they ease up on touching their face—if they aren’t going out and being exposed to other people, places? Or should they still refrain?

[00:15:52] Dr. Michael Beach: So, that’s a great question, and really after you wash your hands, there is no reason not to touch your face. 

And if you’re in your house and you have had no visitors for a couple of days, most viruses die on surfaces after 24-to-48 hours. So, if it’s been that long, and I don’t know what the current science is on the coronavirus—how long it can last on a surface. But if you’re beyond that point, and you’re in your house, yeah, there’s no reason not to touch your face—except this one. 

If Americans and the world would get to the point of not touching our face, sickness, the flu, COVID-19, all of the things that we’re exposed to would not affect us.

So, you can, after somewhere between five and ten days, sure, you can touch your face. But, that’s just going to put you back in the habit of touching your face. And you’re going to walk outside, touch your face after you touch a doorknob or your car or whatever, and then you’re going to catch the flu.

So, just don’t touch your face.

I’m Michael Beach. I am an acute care nurse practitioner and a pediatric nurse practitioner. I have a doctoral degree in nursing, and I teach at the University of Pittsburgh in the school of nursing. 

[00:17:19] I have . Preparation is not something you can learn in a short interview or reading one article.

It is something that you learn far before a disaster occurs and put in the time to prepare what you need to survive and to survive comfortably in a disaster. 

My course on Coursera goes relatively deeply in what you need to prepare, as I said, not just for this COVID crisis, but disasters in general.

It talks about personal preparedness. It talks about what you can expect from the medical system when you present during a disaster and a bit about weapons of mass destruction.

I believe everyone should be personally responsible for themselves and their families as much as they are able. We all need to be prepared and take care of ourselves to the extent that we’re able to do that. I believe that’s a responsibility we each have to live up to.

So, take my course, have fun with it. I hope you enjoy it.

[00:18:27] Coursera: To learn more from Dr. Michael Beach, .

And as always, thanks for listening and happy learning. 

 

Alison’s Alison: Meet our Coronavirus Course Coordinator, Alison Emery

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Alison’s Alison: Meet our Coronavirus Course Coordinator, Alison Emery

Experts from all over the world apply to publish courses with Alison. In order to meet this high level of demand, Alison employs Contract Publishers who transform expertise and knowledge into high quality courses. Last year, Alison invited 100 Graduates worldwide to train to become Contract Publishers. Moshood is one of our Alison Graduates who went on to become an Alison Contractor.

Alison, tell us a bit about your background before Alison.

My background is in education. I taught in a private school for many years, working both in the classroom and on the management team. I decided I needed to take a break from teaching in the classroom as it can get all-consuming. I still enjoyed teaching, so I continued with some private tutoring and tried my hand in a few other avenues.

How did you discover Alison, and what was your experience as a learner?

I came across Alison a few years ago and completed a couple of courses. I am passionate about learning, especially free and equal learning for all. I thoroughly enjoyed those courses and found them well structured.

Why did you pursue the chance to become an Alison Contractor?

Towards the end of the year, I received an email that Alison was looking for publishers. I loved the idea of designing information and putting it on the platform, so I applied.

How did you find the remote Contractor training?

The contractor training was straightforward and next thing I knew, I was completing my first course which was a Diploma in Fashion Design. It was great learning both the content and how to structure it in a user-friendly manner.

 

Tell us about your work coordinating the translations of Alison’s coronavirus course.

Towards the middle of February, I was approached by Mike Feerick [Alison’s CEO] to help coordinate a project on the coronavirus. Alison was one of the first platforms to get information on the coronavirus to the public. Mike had a vision to translate the course into many languages so people could learn about the virus in their own vernacular. It was rewarding seeing the keen interest of our volunteers to contribute, as well as seeing the various courses come to live on the platform.

What’s the best part of working as an Alison Contractor?

I have thoroughly enjoyed working for Alison and I do not see myself returning to the classroom any time soon. During the pandemic, being able to work from home has been ideal. It kept me occupied and gave me a purpose. It is also mobile. Once the economies around the world open, and there is an internet connection, I can work anywhere in the world.

If you could publish course that would teach the world, or yourself, anything, what would it be?

Everybody is unique and we all like learning about different things. If I could publish a course, I would love to teach people to believe that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.

Meet Maaz Rashid, our Urdu translator!

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Meet Maaz Rashid, our Urdu translator!

To help the world combat the Covid-19 pandemic, Alison launched the course Coronavirus – What you need to know. In order to make sure that no one was excluded from accessing possibly life-saving information, Alison committed to translating the course into as many languages as possible. To achieve this ambitious goal, Alison reached out to its community of Learners, seeking volunteers willing to use their language skills to help translate the course and spread important information on coronavirus. Maaz Rashid translated the course into Urdu and played his part in spreading free learning that has helped save lives.

 

 

Maaz, tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

My name is Maaz Rashid. I am 33 years old and I live in Peshawar, Pakistan. I am qualified in Management Science and having eight years experience in the social and public sectors. I am also an entrepreneur and a social activist. Recently, I have been working with my organization Active Citizen Org, focusing on skill development and empowerment. I successfully trained about 200 candidates in these areas. I’m currently seeking a job.

How did you learn that Alison was looking for translators for its coronavirus course?

I received an email regarding the coronavirus course. I successfully completed the course and  afterwards I got the opportunity to volunteer to translate it into my native language.

What was your experience of Alison before volunteering to translate? Had you studied with Alison before?

I have been following Alison for many years. I successfully expanded my qualifications and skills by learning with their courses.

Why did you offer to translate our coronavirus course?

I feeling proud to be a part of this prestigious platform. It’s a pleasure to work for the best education network.

Why is it important that everyone has access to important information on coronavirus?

Alison was the first online learning platform that offered courses regarding coronavirus awareness as per WHO guidelines. It’s very important for every individual to be well informed and aware about day to day changes in the situation. Authentic sources of information are always helpful in these conditions.

 

Tell us a little about your method when translating.

Before starting the translation, Alison provided a format and method for translating. Alison’s team mentioned Google Translate but mostly, Google Translate confuses the exact meaning of a sentence. I personally know enough English to be able to translate into my native language. 

Why is free learning so important and why is it important to translate it into many languages?

Nowadays education is very expensive and it can also be difficult to learn due to weak education systems. Free courses are helpful for aspiring individuals. Most countries consume media in their native language so it’s very important to translate this important courses for them.

Have you been learning through Alison during the pandemic? How has the lockdown been for you?

I have learned courses online from different platforms but, comparatively, Alison’s system is very good in all areas. It’s very difficult for people to face lockdown.

What would you say to people who might be interested in translating for Alison? 

I am always encouraging peoples to participate in social services. I personally mentioned in my MPhil class about Alison’s education system and philanthropic approach.

If you’d like to play your part in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic by helping Alison give people access to the information necessary to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, please get in touch.

GUEST POST: Instructional Design on Lockdown

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GUEST POST: Instructional Design on Lockdown

would look like

Video1 + Quiz1

Video2 + Quiz2

Video3 + Quiz3

or, perhaps

Video1a + Video1b + Video1c + Quiz1

Video2a + Video2b + Video2c + Quiz2

Video3a + Video3b + Video3c + Quiz3

Coupling each video with a quiz helps, your learners to take an active role towards their learning, and you have a clearer picture of both their engagement and understanding.

Quizzes tend to enhance learners’ focus on the videos. Researchers have found that when videos were interspersed with designated review quizzes, tested students reported fewer instances of mind wandering (19%) than those who did not have tests (41%) and those who used the time for restudy (39%) and showed improved learning on a test of the final section of the lecture (89% vs 65% for restudy and 70% for non-tested), indicating a learned habit of increased focus on the videos (5).

Quizzes likewise tend to be viewed positively by students and have a high engagement rate. In a case study from an Abnormal Psychology module, Jennifer Hillman found students to have a positive view of pre-class test questions giving a 4.4 to the question “How helpful do you think the online quizzes were…to your learning of material in the course?” and a 4.7 to the question “If you used the online quizzes to study for exams, how helpful were they?” (6). At Cass Business School, our videos coupled with quizzes have the highest completion rate of all our non-required activities. This correlates with what experts in online behaviour have observed about online behaviour – that users tend to commit their time and energy based on immediate cost/benefit analyses. Jakob Nielsen calls this ‘interaction elasticity’ (after price elasticity) usage increases as difficulty decreases and vice versa. Quizzes tend to not be difficult as they require little effort (often the click of a radio button) as well as little risk (they are not marked and not seen by other students) yet offer something immediate in return (feedback and completion).  For automated questions, the feedback is usually unambiguous – as is the sense of completion.

An immediate quiz this way, does not bring the student a tremendously ‘desirable difficulty’ as Robert Bjork would call it: it is not difficult for a student to remember and therefore does not do as much to reinforce long-term learning as one that might appear a day or two later (7).

What a coupled or adjacent quiz like this does do, however, is more fundamental in that it checks students understood the content. Here, the quiz provides an ideal level of clarity, as it can provide questions allow for more precise diagnosis later. Also, with the results showing in a table in most VLEs, the teacher can easily scan the results for patterns.

I recommend here a quiz where the answers can be automatically graded and given feedback and therefor avoiding short essay questions with model answers. Automated questions can be, for example, true/false, multiple choice, quantitative, fill-in-the-blank, and hotspot questions.

You can use automated questions for simple, factual learning, but it can also be used for deeper learning. It can be used for procedural learning such as in formulas. You can ask scenario-based questions, which can have a stronger correspondence with real-life situations. You can also use multiple choice to ask elaborative questions (e.g. why, how).

Here I would couple a quiz with each video. For example, if you break your lesson into four videos, you have also four accompanying quizzes. The way I do this in a VLE is I build the quiz and embed this video in the introductory body of the quiz activity. I also turn on activity completion in the VLE so that when the student completes the quiz, the activity is marked as complete. This gives allows for that ‘accountability loop’ Lemov mentions, and in a more meaningful way than if just a video had been uploaded.

Forum discussion

A forum allows you to do a more open-ended, elaborative activity where students can connect the lesson with their prior knowledge and compare their ideas with other students.

I should say that I am suggesting you use a discussion forum with some strong concerns. I have seen that too often engagement is not a good as it should be. Many students find discussion forums difficult and spend a surprising amount of time preparing their responses, many more do not post at all, feeling intimidated or saying that they don’t see the point. And academics new to online learning, may actually not notice limited participation as the forum is populated with interesting posts from the brighter students. They fail to notice that other students are not participating and thereby benefitting from elaborating their learning in their own words.

Likewise, many academics struggle to write questions that are open-ended enough to sustain a group discussion, but offer enough structure enough to be engaging and productive. Instead, they ask the equivalent of an essay question. The strong students, who usually post first anyway, exhaust the question in the first three posts. The weaker students, who usually post later, are left paraphrasing what has been said or simply “I agree with what she said”.

It should not be surprising, therefore that, in their literature review of online discussions, Laura Schindler and Gary Burkholder find that “recent research suggests that levels of critical thinking in discussions remain low.” (8) Too many teachers seem to treat discussion forums like a social constructivist Field of Dreams: build it and they will come. Sadly, the only activity that field will see will be students pressing the back button so they can find something more interesting to do.

That said, a well-designed forum activity can still do a lot. It can allow students to compare responses, to voice concerns, to see that other students and their teachers are out there, to articulate their learning in their own words and thereby integrate the lesson with their existing knowledge, to navigate meanings and interpretations.

Schindler and Burkholder recommend keeping discussion prompts structured. That is “clear, detailed, [and] specify instructions for participation and time parameters”. They also recommend providing “initial and response posts exemplars”.

What can be effective is asking students to provide a concrete example of something (give an example of foreshadowing, give an example of a disappointing IPO). Here students can tie concepts to their own experience and benefit from others examples. Even better, you can ask students elaborative “why” and “how” questions to get them to connect the content to prior learning.

One way to overcome the “she already said it” problem is to set the discussion (if you can) so that students cannot see others’ posts until they have posted. This way, their answer will not be influence by other posts they see and they do not need to worry about their post being original. In this case, a good prompt might be an elaborative question, for example, “why would Shakespeare have Macbeth say that he thought he heard a voice cry out ‘Sleep no more!’?” You can also ask students to diagram what they are learning on paper and upload images of their work, for example, “draw a fishbone diagram mapping the causes for Kodak’s downfall as a business”.

Lastly, you can use a forum to allow students to ask you questions. What do they feel they do not understand? What do they want to know more about?

Follow-up email

A follow-up email gives you the chance to give students some responsive teaching. You can review students’ participation and performance in the quiz and discussion and try to correct gaps and misunderstandings. Sending a follow up email also provides a recognition for students that you are there with them, supporting them. It also gives them a prompt to keep up with the lessons.

I recommend doing this through the VLE, if possible, through an announcement forum. This way, they are pointed back to the VLE and students have a record of your message in the online course your message is associated with.

Non-automated quiz

This is where you can ask question in short essay form. Studies have shown that students learn more from essay questions that essay questions and these will have a stronger correlation to any later essay writing work they might have to do for their summative assessments.

On the other hand, essay questions can be riskier in the sense that they only work when students have a higher level of understanding. Students have a more difficult time using the feedback from model answers. Likewise, there is a risk that they give empty or circular answers. This is why it is advisable to have the automated CFU questions in place first. 

That said, again, essay questions do benefit students more as students have to express the answers in their own words and thereby integrate the lesson better with their prior knowledge.

Likewise, there is more of a chance here to dig deeper: to ask fuller elaborative questions about where and how and open further questions for students that you can discuss in a webinar.

Webinar

Finally, we finally add the webinar. The webinar is a great tool, but as we have seen, it is not as good for giving learners control over content, breaking into parts, or accessibility.

However, used well, the webinar can be incredibly powerful as it can uniquely incorporate all six of the Learning Scientists strategies for effective learning and, with our other activities in place, it can use these capabilities to tie the lesson together to keep students on track and deliver rich, multi-layered, responsive teaching.

How can webinars use all six of the Learning Scientists’ strategies?

·       Dual coding: use multimedia – using slides with visuals and worked examples with narration.

·       Concrete examples: include examples in your webinar, as well as in discussion and questions.

·       Retrieval practice: webinar software like Zoom and Adobe Connect provide survey and/or quiz tools; which also help increase student engagement.

·       Interleaving: questions can and should be interleaved.

·       Spaced practice: by interleaving and testing students in a regular webinar, you are allowing students space between practice.

·       Elaboration: in the webinar, you can elaborate on questions that students asked during the week and you can build on activity within the webinar. After a quiz or survey question, you can ask students to answer elaborative questions for example “those who answered b: why did you choose that?” This also helps you to build engagement and keep the conversation on track.

This is all the more powerful because, in this sequence, you have seen how students have handled the activities and can do some real responsive teaching. That is, your webinar is, as so many students complain of, just a lecture transferred to online, rather it is given in response to all the work so far. It is feedback. But it is not just feedback, but rather interactive feedback. As Dylan William has said in interview “as a general principle, don’t ever give feedback to students unless you make the time… for them to respond to the feedback” (9). The webinar here gives a perfect opportunity for this.

Lastly, the webinar takes these capabilities and adds a sense of timing and urgency to your lesson. Unlike the other, asynchronous, activities, the limited availability, the scarcity, of the webinar is one of its greatest strengths. It is a great strength because its scarcity increases the students’ sense of urgency to participate – and to meaningfully participate in the webinar, the need to complete the week’s activities. In social psychology, this influencing power is called the ‘scarcity principle’. (10) But, in so doing, the webinar doesn’t just motivate students to participate in the webinar, but all the activities, since the webinar gives feedback on them.

This kind of shepherding is critical online. With the flexibility that online learning offers, it can be easy for students to imagine that timing doesn’t matter and they can just do the activities in any order and at the last minute. Students are not always the best judges of how to sequence and time their learning. Keeping at least one activity pinned down in time can help keep them on track (11).

Conclusion

In conclusion, what I have shown is a design, so there are a lot of trade-offs involved. There are also a lot of ways – not all of them being equal – that it can be done. Perhaps you might want to add a collaborative assignment, or you have some VR simulation and your students all have headsets. But if, perhaps, you are a teacher who is contemplating how to move beyond emergency teaching online, this could be a good place to start.

VR is it on Life Support for L&D?

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VR is it on Life Support for L&D?

Raise your hand if you were one of the folks who bought into the whole VR will achieve great success in L&D and Training.   Raise your hand if you attended a seminar at a trade show and walked away, excited about this new technology and how it can be utilized for L&D/Training.

Raise your hand if you put on a VR headset at a trade show or seminar.  Raise your hand if you recall that it was sanitized before you put it on, and if not, be thrilled you did not become patient zero for pink eye.

I will readily admit I drank the Kool-Aid (on a side note, the phrase was coined after Jonestown in 78, but I digress). I attended a VR show in London in 2016, and walked away seeing the potential for L&D/Training. 

I remember presenting a seminar at ATD, I think it was 2017 on immersive learning tied around AR, VR and MR.  Then in 2018 the floodgates opened at ATD started to have quite a few sessions on VR.  eLearning Guild ended their mobile learning show and jumped over to one on immersive learning (with many sessions on VR). 

A huge buzz with articles in ATD magazine, other articles in L&D, Training, HR around VR.  It seemed it was going to blast off.

On the consumer side, smartphones using VR headsets was being heavily pushed. Google Cardboard, Samsung Galaxy VR and so on.   The numbers indicated great success, but if you looked deeply, you would see that the #1 seller was the $10 Google Cardboard.

Soon, those ads started to disappear, the smartphone VR market went right into the tank.

Don’t worry, though VR headsets were the new rage.  Oh, should have noted, that to assure you didn’t get motion sickness, you needed to have it tethered to your computer to achieve the 90fps. 

No matter, self-contained headsets were coming.   Oculus arrive on the scene.  Not at 90fps, but it was new and exciting.  Not a lot of buys though.  Playstation had one (still does).  Gamers excited, L&D? Ehh not really.   Oculus Quest rumbled – I bought one (my experience down below).  And so on.

Wal-Mart and Other Behemoths

Big fans of VR.  Achieving great success with VR – with their L&D/Training.  Numerous publications cited these companies with VR for learning.   Yeah, Woo-hoo.  Oh, one small issue.

Cost.   These entities could afford to pay for custom VR content.   Which was not (and still not) cheap.  One company I know who creates VR custom content, charges over 60,000 pounds  (around 80K US) for a low tier version. 

Actually another issue. Headsets.  They are not free.  You have to buy one to view that VR content as VR, and not just 360 panoramic. If you want the latter, you can see it on YouTube and plenty of other sites, using your mobile device and that $10 Google Cardboard thing.

VR – Immersive Learning with Other Tools

Authoring Tools with VR

A few exist, the biggest one – name wise was Lectora CenarioVR – now under the eLearning Brothers moniker.   The problem with CenarioVR is that it isn’t 100% true VR.  It is more on the 360 experience. Fine for some folks, but not something I would go out and buy.

Some of the other “authoring tool” companies that were designed 100% VR were a mixed bag.  And not gaining mass traction (and I’d argue still are not).

And other authoring tools in the market – including the big names? Zero capabilities to design VR content.

Overall results to date – Below Average in terms of sales –  the masses have yet to come.

VR LMSs

Yee-Haw, they exist.  Less than 10 in the industry, but they are out there.  If you do not have a VR headset, don’t worry, you can still view and use them with your mobile device (ideally a tablet), they just appear as 3D.  User experience as a whole, a work in progress.  This is due, uh, you know, to having that custom content, which uh, has zero course standards.  So, yeah, use your headset, see the content, look at a couple some metrics, then decide maybe an FTP is a better route.

LMSs in General

Want to view your custom VR content on your current LMS?  You may or may not be able to.  Some accept it, others do not.  Even if they do, think of the hassle, because the LMS is not VR.  Thus if your employee puts on their  self-contained headset then uses their webVR browser they get to the site, and it is not VR.  Take off headset.  Access via whatever device you are using – mobile, laptop, desktop, etc.  Pick the content.  Put on headset. See the content, use the content.

Try to not use it for more than 30 minutes in one sitting to reduce the chance of motion sickness.   Want to totally eliminate that issue? Tether your VR headset to your laptop/desktop, just make sure it will work with that laptop/desktop.   Oh, and don’t expect to go far.

Impediments to VR Adoption

As a whole, including the consumer market, VR headsets have not achieved mass adoption.  There are a couple of reasons for this:

  1.  Cost of Self-Contained headset.  It is by no means cheap.  Oculus Quest will set you back about $400 USD for the 64GB, and around 500 for the 128GB – which trust me, you will want this version.  HTC-Vive which is the best standalone headset out there, ranges from $550 to $900 dollars (before tax) – and that is for the consumer grade.  Their Pro version can easily push into 1,200 USD.    Oh, and that isn’t including some of the accessories you might need.  Going back to Quest, you will want to buy Quest specific headphones, because the sound out of Quest itself is mind-numbing.  A travel case is also needed.  Total cost with 128GB,  close to $600 before tax.

Think about that.  You want VR at your company for L&D.  Probably need at least two, maybe three.  One won’t cut it, for the entire company, when you train.  Let’s just say, you get three, ignore the headphones, but buy the case.  That will set you back around $1,600 USD. 

But what about the content?  Right now it is custom or VR authoring tool.  Wait there’s more.

Perhaps, you decide to just use some of the content that is available on Quest or Vive for your training/L&D.  For Quest there exists sort of “seminar” type of experience that you can do – it is hard to explain, but it is free. Easily could do a workshop of sorts.  Oh, and if you want to buy content, Quest is per item, Vive charges you around $108 a year for total access.

I have my Self-Contained VR headset(s) for L&D/Training – Ready. Set. uh Go?

2. One topic most of those seminars (okay, every one I have ever attended) fail to mention using the headset in a location, in other words, what you will need to do to ensure that your employees are not running into walls, or a conference table or classroom seats.

If you are used to providing training/learning in a conference room, you need to remove the furniture.  Classroom setting?  Take away all the desks.  Out of the floor somewhere, make sure, there isn’t anything there that is sharp or someone can walk into when their headset is on.  

Be sure, that you are not in a place with low ceilings. – I can tell you first hand, that I once broke a finger, jumping up while playing a game.  And yes, despite the pain, I had to finish. 

Why you may ask, why do I need to remove the furniture, and have the space barren of everything including the trash can?  Well, when someone has on a headset, they are not paying attention to where they are walking. 

Secondly, with Quest, it explicitly tells you that you need to set up the room, by mapping the space, in other words, “your playspace”, which allows you to set up boundaries. Vive follows a similar premise.

But what about the content?

I’m getting there. Did I mention it has to be custom for L&D or Training? If you want 100% True VR with high quality -i.e. 4K and interactivity/engagement.

Fun Facts you need to know when you use a Self-Contained VR headset

  • Right now, none of them are at 90FPS.  Quest 2, rumored to be coming out this Fall, will be 90FPS.  Cost is unknown.
  • You must have a WiFi connection.  Accessing content isn’t doable without it. And now with folks working from home, the WiFi speed will play a big role.  If your VR content is intense with capabilities,  and your WiFi speed is 20mbs, you are going to have a miserable experience.  I have 1GB, but the majority of people don’t.
  • Glasses.  If you wear them, you will likely need to use an eyeglass spacer – Quest comes with one.  I should add that at least for Quest – your glasses can be no more than 142mm or less for width, and for height 50mm or less.  Otherwise, you are out of luck.

VR may not be my cup of tea. What about AR?

Definitely a better route to go, overall.  The majority of people today have a smartphone, and downloading an app to use with AR is simple.  No need to worry on a variety of things, but, uh, oh wait…

  • For L&D or Training – you will need this thing called content – learning wise.  None of the apps for AR that I found, are for leadership skills or safety or personal development per-se.
  • Many companies are now recommending that you have 5G on your smartphone for the ideal experience.  How many of you have that now?  As now, not that many. 

Okay, forget that, I want MR – Mixed Reality.

Probably not. Still not ready for prime-time. A couple exist, but better to go back to AR at least.

Combination VR/AR Self-Contained Headset

This is the future.  This is where the market is heading and this is for now the best of both worlds.  By having the combination, you are creating a “use one, achieve all” angle.  Eventually they will have A.I. in them (a key capability) and other features, such as 5G that take VR and AR to a whole new level. And perhaps an alternative to MR. 

Lenovo was the first ones to enter this market, with the Think Reality platform, which is device agnostic. Simply add your AR device, VR device to the platform and you are off to go.  A headset is still needed though. 

Which again leads back to the problem of mass adoption – headset and cost. 

Back to L&D and Training – How to gain wide-spread adoption

  1. Cost has to drop dramatically.  Folks in L&D and Training have enough problems budget wise to land a learning system.  Talking to get buy-in for a VR self-contained headset that costs $500 dollars and you need six, is a difficult task, especially with the cost of custom content.
  2. Off-The-Shelf content has to be developed by at least one off-the-shelf content provider in the market.  The first topic is likely safety or compliance.  Other topics would be sales related, leadership skills, working with a group or similar communications with employees and some type of professional development.  The cost has to be low. 

This means the content provider is going to have to eat the cost for development because they can’t charge what it costs them to build it.  We are likely talking no more than $50 a seat (with a minimum number to buy).   I doubt someone will drop $100 for 100 seat licenses for example.  

Oh, and the off-the shelf should have some type of course standard, ideally xAPI.  You will want to capture metrics here, and not just who viewed type of thing.

Combo the Deal to Gain Adoption

An ideal approach is include at least one self-contained headset with the off-the shelf content.  Then the content provider can offer a special discount for the client (i.e. buyer) to purchase more headsets (the way to achieve this is to strike a partnership deal with one of the self-contained headset providers). 

The combo is the best way to grow adoption, the off-the-shelf with some type of a course standard at a low price point per seat is a game-changer for L&D and Training, because content is really the elephant here.  

Bottom Line

Don’t buy into the hype that VR with L&D is rocking and rolling.  Don’t buy into the hype that due to COVID, VR is going to take off, because that cost issue for consumers, is a key factor in why adoption is poor. 

Ignore the hype that with COVID, L&D will embrace VR because well, it is fantastic for training or learning. 

The only embrace that will exist for now,

Is one that doesn’t include VR.

Not without low cost off-the-shelf content.

And an affordable self-contained headset

At 90FPS.

E-Learning 24/7

For those wondering – ZTE and China Mobile successfully tested 8K VR, with 100% FOV (Field of Vision). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winners of Our Third Annual Podcast Contest

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Winners of Our Third Annual Podcast Contest

“The Dangers of the Internet for Two Teenage Girls” by Sanaz Zaman, 13, and Hong Yeju, 13, UCSI International School, Selangor, Malaysia

“The Fear of Missing Out, That’s Me” by Aram Kim, 13, Surbiton High School, Surrey, England

“Pets the New Cool” by Ananyaa Sultania, 12, and Shaurya Sultania, 10, Eager Readers, Hyderabad, India

“Should Children Be Separated in School Based on Ability?” by Maddie Yates, 13, Greely Middle School, Cumberland, Maine

“Social Isolation Versus Middle School: The Pitfalls and the Benefits”

“What You Didn’t Know About the South” by Evan Ratliff, 14, Lakeside School, Seattle, Wash.

From The New York Times: Annie Brown, Elaine Chen, Kelly Prime and Jack Wheeler.

From The Learning Network: Nicole Daniels, Shannon Doyne, Jeremy Engle, Ross Flatt, Michael Gonchar, Rachel Manley, John Otis and Natalie Proulx.

Educators, journalists and podcast producers from schools and organizations around the country: Erica Ayisi, Theresa Walsh Giarrusso, Nadia Murray Goodman, Caroline Gilpin, Morgan Givens, Megan Leder, Victoria Marin, Rose Ricci Mullen, Melissa Slater, Joshua Smith and Laura Winnick.

The hybrid jobs economy

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Over the last few months, we’ve all had to make changes to our daily routines. The pandemic has impacted our lives in ways many of us could never have imagined. As well as the tragic loss of life, livelihoods have been lost and whole industries have been devastated. Yet people are resilient and resourceful, meaning we’ve seen new ways of working and new skills developed.   

It’s these new skills that could be incredibly useful in the future. We are seeing a developing trend of what is known as ‘hybrid jobs’, and the pandemic could well have accelerated the need for those with hybrid skills. We explore these terms in more detail and look at how you can develop your abilities to future-proof your career.

What are hybrid jobs?

Let’s start off with some definitions and explanations. The term ‘hybrid’ is a fairly common word these days. We use it in economics, electronics, transportation, science and other industries. Essentially, it means that something is a mixture of separate things. For example, a hybrid car uses multiple power sources such as electric power and internal combustion. 

When it comes to hybrid jobs, the trend was first identified back in 2015 by Burning Glass Technologies. The analytics software company focuses its attention primarily on the labour market. In a report for the General Assembly (the training company, not the UN branch), they noticed that more and more jobs were combining skill sets that never used to fall under the same role. 

The research paper explores how new technologies have helped change the landscape of certain jobs. They use the fields of programming and data analysis as examples. Previously, professionals in these roles required a fair amount of technical expertise and training. However, developments in technology and new tools mean that a range of business and marketing roles can now perform some of these functions. 

Two examples they outline in their original paper are Ruby on Rails, a web development tool, and Google Analytics, a web analytics program. Both of these software suits make previously specialised tasks far more accessible to other professionals. 

The research carried out by Burning Glass Technologies is comprehensive. They have a database spanning more than 1 billion current and historical job postings. According to their figures, ‘one in eight job postings is now highly hybridized.’

What’s more, it appears that this trend is speeding up. They estimate that these hybrid jobs will grow by around 21% over the next ten years. 

Why are jobs changing?

So, hybrid jobs are those that combine elements and skills of other, previously separate, roles. But why are they changing?

If we look at the last ten years, you’ll be surprised how much new technology has emerged. Things like iPads, Snapchat, Instagram, 4G networks, and cryptocurrency didn’t exist ten years ago. Yet many of these are now part of our everyday lives. 

The same advances have been seen in other fields too. In areas such as marketing, computer science, and data analytics, we’ve seen more automation, new technologies, and new business requirements. 

What’s more, as consumer and customer behaviours change, so too must the job roles that exist to meet those demands. For example, a marketing manager would previously rely on their creative know-how and understanding of customer habits to market their product. In more recent times, they also have to use their analytical skills to analyse and interpret the vast amounts of data we now have access to. 

This trend is fairly consistent across hybrid job roles. Professions which once relied solely on hard skills (such as coding, programming, data analysis) now also need soft skills (such as creative thinking and design). 

Technology is changing our lives, and the rate of progress seems to be increasing. As a result, hybrid jobs emerge, as companies react to new developments and changes in behaviours. And it’s not just the technology driving this change, but also the need for professionals to have hard and soft skills. 

What challenges does this bring?

Of course, with this shift towards hybrid jobs, there are some challenges to be faced. Perhaps the biggest is that the more specialised, sophisticated, and broad the job requirements are, the harder it will be for people to get them. 

Those without the necessary skills and experience may find it difficult to find entry-level jobs. Similarly, for educators, the challenge is how to prepare students that will be entering the hybrid job economy. Which skills do you prioritise? And how do you know whether these skills are future-proof? 

Thankfully, the forces of change also offer potential solutions. The rise in new tech like e-learning and remote education offers opportunities for people to continue learning. As job skills and requirements change, it’s easier to upskill and keep up to date with the latest developments in many industries.  

What’s clear is that personal development and lifelong learning are becoming more important than ever before. Those who fail to keep up with the change in skill requirements in their careers are at risk of being left behind.

What roles are changing?

As you might expect, there are certain industries and roles that are changing at a faster rate than others. As such, we’re seeing hybrid jobs spring up at a greater pace in several industries. In the Burning Glass report, they outline five key skill areas where we’re seeing the most growth: 

Big data and analytics

This is a topic we’ve covered in several posts recently. On the whole, businesses are collecting more data than ever before. Big data analytics focuses on these huge data sets and, and how they can be used to inform all kinds of decisions. 

Data analytics, in general, is a field that’s continued to grow over the last decade or so. We all produce data about so many aspects of our lives, and it can be harnessed in a host of different ways. As such, those working in the field now need to account for all kinds of factors aside from the data itself. 

Skills such as creative thinking, risk management, and marketing are increasingly required. Similarly, knowledge of AI and machine learning are highly sought-after across many data-driven industries.  

Design and development

Mobile apps are one of the factors that have really driven the rise of hybrid jobs in this sector. Ten years ago, apps were relatively new things. After all, Apple’s App Store only launched in 2008. Now, they’re a ubiquitous part of life for many of us.

For developers of all kinds, this means that design skills are increasingly important. Not only do they have to create something functional, but it also has to look good to the end-user. Whether it’s for web developers or game designers, the way we interact with our technology has changed drastically in recent years. 

Sales and customer service

These two roles used to be entirely separate entities. You’d have a dedicated sales team working alongside a customer service department. Yet the rise of online shopping and constant connectivity has seen an overlap in these positions. 

The idea of customer engagement has become far more relevant. Salespeople now try to build stronger relationships with customers, relying on things like social selling to reach new leads. And social media has become the new frontier of customer service, where problems are solved, and questions are answered.  

Emerging digital technologies

Of course, it’s not just established jobs that are experiencing a rise in hybrid jobs. Roles related to emerging technologies also require a breadth and depth of knowledge to connect ideas and spot opportunities. It’s not enough to have just a deeply technical understanding; you also have to have the soft skills to back it up. 

Fields such as machine learning and artificial intelligence are just as creative as they are technical these days. As these sectors continue to develop, so too will the need for a workforce of multi-skilled employees. 

Compliance and regulation

With the rapid development of new and existing technologies, the need for new regulations becomes evident. As such, industry regulators and compliance experts will need to understand how these technologies work. 

Whether it’s getting to grips with laws such as GDPR or understanding trends in the MedTech sector, those working in compliance will need a detailed and varied knowledge base. 

What skills do you need for hybrid jobs?

We’ve highlighted some of the areas where hybrid jobs are becoming more prevalent. But what skills are particularly in demand? In reality, it’s a range of expertise that employers are looking for. Here are some of the top ones, as outlined in research by LinkedIn: 

Hard skills

Hard skills are those that are measurable and easily taught. Essentially, they’re the specifics needed for technical jobs. Here are some of the most in-demand for hybrid skills:  

Coding

The ability to understand and write computer code has become highly sought-after. In the future, it’s going to become essential. Coding and programming will be relevant to so many jobs, now and in years to come.  

Blockchain 

Blockchain and cryptocurrency are some of the cutting edge technologies of the moment. Those with expertise in these areas will find many opportunities going forward, particularly those with the soft skills to complement them.  

Data analytics 

We’ve already mentioned data analytics. It’s evidently one of the areas that have contributed to the rise in hybrid jobs. It’s a field that’s relevant to so many other areas of business, and more job roles require an understanding of it. 

Soft skills 

Soft skills are those abilities that are slightly more intangible. They’re the traits that make you a good employee, and companies are looking more and more to hire people who have soft as well as hard skills. 

Leadership 

The ability to successfully lead other people is a trait that’s hard to find. Hybrid jobs need individuals with strong leadership and management skills. Those who can act decisively, spot opportunities, and bring out the best in others will never struggle to find work. 

Creativity 

Although a skill that’s difficult to pin down, those with a creative spark in addition to technical knowledge are some of the most in-demand employees in the hybrid job economy. The ability to solve problems and spot opportunities are worth their weight in gold.  

Collaboration 

No matter what kind of team you or organisation you work in, the ability to work with others will always be valuable. Collaboration skills help with building relationships, achieving targets, and fostering success within a team. 

How can you future-proof your career?

So, with the move towards hybrid jobs, how can you ensure that you’ll continue to find work in the future? There are several ways that you can future-proof your career, both in the short- and long-term. Here are some of the things you should consider: 

Continue learning

Perhaps the most essential part of keeping up in the hybrid job economy is to continue learning. No longer can you gain a qualification or develop a skill set and rest on your laurels. Lifelong education has never been more important. 

Thankfully, it’s never been easier to continue your learning journey. Online and modular education can help you build hybrid skill sets. Not only can you continue developing your existing knowledge, but you can also explore other areas to augment your main skills. 

Develop soft and hard skills

As part of your lifelong learning, you’ll want to focus your efforts on a range of areas. In addition to expanding your knowledge of new technologies, systems, and ways of working, you should also focus on the skills that all employers look for. 

As we’ve mentioned, things like leadership, management, collaboration, communication, and creativity are needed in just about every workspace. 

Build your network

As your career progresses, you’ll meet all kinds of other professionals. Some will work in your field, while others will work in new or adjacent areas. Building a network around these people is always a good idea. As well as getting insight into other areas, you’ll also have support to draw on when you’re looking to advance your career. 

Try new things

No matter what field you work in, there will always be opportunities to try out something new. Whether it’s a formal secondment to another role or learning the basics from another department, this inter-professional knowledge can really help. Not only does it show your commitment to the cause, but it also gives you experience with several different jobs. 

Online learning opportunities with FutureLearn

It’s evident that a key part of the world of hybrid jobs is continued learning. With FutureLearn, you have a variety of options to work on your personal and professional development. 

No matter the scale or scope of your ambitions, you can find learning opportunities to meet your needs, across a diverse range of topics. This includes:  

Courses

A short online course can be the ideal primer or foundation for your knowledge. If you’re looking to expand your hard or soft skills, an online course is often the ideal place to start. We even have a course on the essential skills for your career development. 

These courses usually only take a few weeks to complete, with just a few hours’ of study needed each week. 

Programs

For a more detailed look at a particular subject, a program might be more suited to your needs. These are collections of courses that explore a topic in greater detail. A good example is our Start Programming with Python program. It consists of three courses that teach the fundamentals of this programming language. 

Microcredentials

A popular way of upskilling is to take a microcredential. These professionally accredited credentials are developed specifically to develop skills in growing industries. At a time where flexible learning is essential, microcredentials are the perfect solution. This one on data science looks at some of the emerging technologies used in data analysis. 

Degrees

If you’re seeking a longer-term learning experience, then an online degree is always a good choice. For those looking to keep on top of the hybrid job economy, a degree can give you an entirely new skill set in a new field. 

Category Career Development, Job Market

The best-paying jobs in Canada

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The best-paying jobs in Canada

Canada is a country with a wide range of high-paying industries. Along with the usual suspects such as healthcare, IT, and finance, industries such as construction, oil and gas, and mining are all thriving. With this in mind, we take a look at some of the best-paying jobs in Canada. 

Of course, a job’s pay isn’t the only factor worth considering when looking at potential careers. Equally important is that you have a passion for the field, as well as a good work-life balance and a positive work environment.

 Nurse Practitioner

What is a nurse practitioner?

Nurse practitioners are healthcare professionals that are trained in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of patients. It’s a job that requires detailed knowledge of medical care, and it’s a career that’s in high demand across much of North America. Given the skills needed and the shortage of nurse practitioners, it’s little surprise that it’s one of the best-paying jobs in Canada at the moment. 

How do you become a nurse practitioner?

It’s often quite a long road to becoming a nurse practitioner. Usually, you’ll need at least a master’s degree in nursing, but if you want to specialise in a certain field, you may need additional qualifications. Depending on the province you work in, you might have to register with a professional body before you can work. 

How much do nurse practitioners make?

The median salary for nurse practitioners in Canada is $104,000.

Explore our nursing courses

Nursing is a broad field with many areas of specialisation. Check out our range of online nursing courses to start your learning journey today. 

 

Utilities Manager 

What is a utilities manager?

Utilities are things like electrical power, water and natural gas. A utilities manager is responsible for the various distribution systems, plants and facilities that deal with these resources. They work in both the public and private sector, often overseeing large teams of specialists. It’s a job that requires a wide and varied knowledge base. 

How do you become a utilities manager? 

There are several routes you can take to become a utilities manager. A good place to start is with a degree in a related field, such as electrical engineering. From here, you’ll need to gain experience working in the industry, working your way up the chain to supervisor and then manager. 

How much do utilities managers make? 

The median salary for a utilities manager in Canada is $114,000.

Discover our ‘Energy Systems Integration’ course

With this course, you’ll explore some of the innovative solutions in the field of sustainable energy, and how they may impact the energy market. 

 

Physician/doctor

What is a physician?

Canada has a shortage of locally trained medical staff at the moment, meaning there is a huge demand for physicians (also known as general practitioners or doctors) in the country. Physicians are responsible for diagnosing and treating a range of physical and mental ailments, seeing patients from the community and prescribing medication. Given their importance and scarcity, this is one of the best-paying jobs in Canada right now. 

How do you become a physician? 

To become a qualified doctor, you must complete a medical degree, such as a Doctor of Medicine degree. You will also need certification from either the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). Additionally, you’ll need to register with the medical regulatory body in the province or territory you wish to work in. 

How much do physicians make?

The median salary for a physician in Canada is $150,000.

Explore healthcare courses

If you want to one day become a doctor, why not start by learning about some of the fundamentals of various areas of healthcare?

 

Dentist

What is a dentist? 

Dentists are trained medical professionals who keep your teeth and mouth healthy. They’re responsible for a wide range of practices and procedures, such as oral health check-ups, minor operations, and dental surgery. You’ll often find that dentists specialise in one area of dentistry. 

How do you become a dentist? 

To start with, you’ll need to have at least a year of pre-dentistry study at university, although this could span up to four years. Once you’ve completed this, you’ll need a degree from a recognised dental program. Much like doctors, you’ll also have to register with the regulatory body in the province or territory you’re working in. 

How much do dentists make?

The median salary for a physician in Canada is $93,600.

Discover our dentistry course

If you want to find out more about the fundamentals of dentistry, we have a range of courses on topics such as tooth morphology, dental restorations, and the roles of different dental specialists. 

 

Mining Supervisor

What is a mining supervisor? 

The extraction of natural resources is big business in the country, which is why this is one of the best-paying jobs in Canada. Mining supervisors are professionals who oversee this process of extraction, whether it’s coal, minerals or ore. As well as taking responsibility for workers’ safety, they may also have to operate complex heavy machinery and take on administrative tasks to support the process. 

How do you become a mining supervisor? 

Depending on the route you take, there can be little in the way of formal education required to get into this industry. However, some roles require you to have a degree in a subject such as engineering. You’ll definitely need some experience though, and will have to work your way up the ranks over several years. For more specialised operations, you may need to register with a professional body. 

How much do mining supervisors make? 

The median salary for a mining supervisor in Canada is $82,200.

Discover our ‘Working Lives in the Coal Mines’ course

If you’re hoping to get into the mining industry, a course on the history of mining can be a great place to start. 

 

Engineer

What is an engineer? 

You’ll find engineering roles in many different industries. They are always in high demand, thanks to their ability to use science, maths, and technology to solve problems. Engineers get involved with everything from the planning to building stages of all kinds of projects, and there are several different engineering fields you can specialise in. Given their skillset, this is consistently one of the best-paying roles in Canada.  

How to become an engineer?

The journey to becoming a professional engineer in Canada is a fairly long one. Usually, you’ll need to start with a four-year bachelor’s program in a subject related to engineering, science, or technology. To gain your registration to work in a province or territory, you’ll also need four years’ of work experience in an engineering field. 

How much do engineers make? 

The median salary for an engineering manager in Canada is $106,000.

Explore engineering courses

Discover some of the engineering fields you can specialise in with one of our online courses. They can be the perfect first step to an engineering career. 

 

Statistician or Actuary

What is a statistician or actuary? 

Statisticians (sometimes known as data scientists) work to gather and interpret data for their clients. An actuary is essentially a statistician working specifically within the insurance industry. Both use mathematical and statistical models to work out probabilities of future occurrences.  

How to become a statistician or actuary? 

Due to the highly mathematical nature of these professions, you’ll usually need a degree in mathematics, statistics or a closely related field. Some companies will look for candidates with a master’s degree. If you want to go into a specific industry, you’ll need the relevant qualifications. For an actuary job, you’ll need to get professional accreditation from the Canadian Institute of Actuaries. 

How much do statisticians or actuaries make?

The median salary for a statistician or actuary in Canada is $87,000.

Explore maths courses

If you’re hoping to one day work as a statistician, an online maths course can help you master some of the fundamentals you’ll need. 

 

Construction Manager

What is a construction manager? 

Last on our list of the best-paying jobs in Canada is that of construction manager. This role, as you might expect, involves overseeing construction projects. It’s a varied job that requires organisation, budget knowledge, and industry experience. 

How do you become a construction manager? 

In most instances, you’ll need a relevant degree, such as construction technology or civil engineering. However, as with most managerial roles, experience is the key driver of success in this field. 

How much do construction managers make? 

The median salary for a construction manager in Canada is $83,000.

Discover our ‘Research for Construction Management’ course

With this course, you’ll look at some of the research methods involved in construction management, as well as how project costs are managed.  

Category Job Market, FutureLearn Canada

The best-paying jobs in Pakistan

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The best-paying jobs in Pakistan

If you’re looking to find the best-paying jobs in Pakistan, you’ve come to the right place. In our list, we’ve picked out some of the top roles in terms of salary across a variety of different industries. We’ve also highlighted some relevant online courses that you might want to check out if you’re interested in learning more. 

Although your salary is important, it’s worth highlighting that it’s not the only factor that matters in a job. Workplace environment, company culture, and your overall happiness and enjoyment should also be factored in.

 Accountant

What is an accountant?

Accountants are professionals who are responsible for keeping and understanding financial records. Usually, they’re employed by either individuals or businesses to monitor and interpret their finances. For individuals, they help with a wide range of tasks related to money. For businesses, they help balance the books, reduce costs and maximise profit. Accountants can work in a variety of fields, such as taxation, auditing, and debt recovery. As such, it’s one of the best-paying jobs in Pakistan. 

How do you become an accountant?

If you want to become a chartered accountant, someone who’s registered with a professional body, you must be a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP). To do so, you’ll need to pass a Chartered Accountancy degree (CA), passing a set of 21 papers across four levels of study. You’ll then need to get experience in an institute that’s authorised by the ICAP. 

How much do accountants make?

The average salary for a chartered accountant in Pakistan is Rs 1,900,000.

Explore our finance and accounting courses

Learn about some of the essential skills you’ll need to become an accountant with one of our online finance and accounting courses. 

 

Architect

What is an architect?

The role of an architect is often varied and diverse. Essentially, they’re professionals who plan, design and oversee the construction of buildings. They’ll usually work with a client to create a design for their desired structure, providing in-depth technical drawings and accurate specifications. From here, they’ll also have to visit construction sites to make sure those designs are being followed. 

How do you become an architect?

Due to the highly technical nature of the role of architects, you’ll need to complete at least five years of study. In Pakistan, you can either complete a five-year degree programme after completing your intermediate or take a two-year diploma after matriculation exams. 

How much do architects make? 

The average salary for an architect in Pakistan is Rs 575,000.

Discover our ‘Modern Building Design’ course 

Explore some of the trends influencing modern building design in our online course. It can be the perfect foundation for learning about architecture.

 

Neurosurgeon

What is a neurosurgeon?

Surgeons are some of the most specialised medical doctors around. They’re the leaders of surgical teams during operations, planning and carrying out medical procedures. Neurosurgeons specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting the brain, spine, and nervous system.  They’re also responsible for pre-surgery and post-surgery care, as well as various other duties. Give how specialised their knowledge is, this is one of the best-paying jobs in Pakistan. 

How do you become a neurosurgeon? 

The route to becoming a neurosurgeon is long. Firstly, you’ll have to complete a medical degree and then medical school, after around seven to eight years of study. From there, you’ll gain experience in general surgery, after which you spend several more years in a neurosurgery residency. 

How much do neurosurgeons make?

The average salary for a neurosurgeon in Pakistan is Rs 2,200,000.

Explore healthcare courses

If you want to one day become a neurosurgeon, you can start by learning about some of the essential areas related to the healthcare industry. 

 

Financial Analyst

What is a financial analyst? 

Financial analysts are experts in two of the most sought-after areas, finance and analysis. In this role, professionals work to gather, process, and interpret large data sets to help businesses make money. They help companies of all sizes identify opportunities for growth and investment, making them valuable assets across many different industries.  

How do you become a financial analyst? 

You’ll find that the requirements to become a financial analyst aren’t as strict as some of the other high-paying jobs on our list. Often, you’ll need a degree in a related field, such as finance, statistics, or economics.  Many companies also look for MBA graduates with some hands-on experience. 

How much do financial analysts make?

The average salary for a financial analyst in Pakistan is Rs 614,451.

Discover our ‘Financial Analysis’ microcredential

With this microcredential, you’ll gain some professional training in financial analysis. Learners can discover some of the fundamentals of financial accounting, as well as some techniques to improve analytical skills. 

 

Lawyer

What is a lawyer? 

Lawyers, also known as advocates in Pakistan, work to serve the legal needs of their clients. This could mean giving them advice or representing them in court. It’s a profession that requires detailed knowledge of the law, as well as the ability to plan and take appropriate legal measures. 

How do you become a lawyer? 

The road to becoming a lawyer is a long one, which is why it’s one of the best-paying jobs in Pakistan. First, you’ll need to pass the HEC Law Admission Test. From there, you’ll have to take an LLB degree from a recognised university. After further experience, you’ll be eligible to take the HEC Law Graduate Assessment Test, after which you’ll be able to get a licence to practice from Pakistan’s Bar Council. 

How much do lawyers make? 

The average salary for an attorney/lawyer in Pakistan is Rs 600,000.

Explore law courses

The journey to becoming a lawyer is a long one, but an online course can be the perfect way to start building your knowledge. 

 

Electrical Engineer

What is an electrical engineer? 

Electrical engineering is a branch of engineering that’s utilised in the vast majority of industries. Professionals in this field are responsible for planning, designing, and implementing components and devices that use electricity. They’ll often work as part of a team, offering their detailed knowledge of electrical systems for all kinds of projects. 

How do you become an electrical engineer?

Electrical engineers need a high level of education to pursue a career. Usually, you’ll need a degree related to electrical or electronic engineering, although a physics or mechatronics degree could also be useful. After that, you may need a master’s qualification and registration with a governing body to find a job. 

How much do electrical engineers make? 

The average salary for an Electrical Engineer in Pakistan is Rs 599,800.

Explore engineering courses 

To find about the many different fields of engineering, you can check out our range of online courses to get you started.  

 

Software Engineer

What is a software engineer? 

The role of a software engineer (also known as a software developer) is focused on the development and utilisation of new computer programs, software, and technology. It’s a highly specialised field that’s in demand across the world, making it one of the best-paying jobs in Pakistan. Software engineers must have a detailed knowledge of coding, programming, mathematics and science.  

How to become a software engineer? 

To become a software engineer, you’ll need to have a working knowledge of a wide range of computer systems. For many professionals, a computer science degree or similar is the place to start. That being said, it’s possible to learn many of the skills you’ll need independently,  with practical and industry experience highly sought-after. 

How much do software engineers make?

The average salary for a Software Engineer in Pakistan is Rs 704,105.

Explore coding and programming courses

To start you on your journey to becoming a software engineer, our coding and programming courses can teach you many of the basics you’ll need.  

 

Project Manager

What is a project manager? 

Project managers are found in all kinds of industries. However, their role follows a similar pattern across all. They’re the professionals who plan, assess, manage, and ultimately ensure projects are delivered. They have to account for finances, risks, and resources, balancing various aspects to meet expectations. It’s a role that requires a host of different skills, making it one of the best-paying jobs in Pakistan. 

How do you become a project manager?

It’s possible to become a project manager by following several routes. If you’re going into an industry such as engineering or IT, you’ll usually need relevant qualifications in these fields. However, a business degree is always useful, as is experience in the industry you want to work in. 

How much do project managers make? 

The average salary for a general project manager in Pakistan is Rs 1,410,000.

Explore Project Management courses

Find out about some of the essential skills you’ll need to become a project manager with one of our online courses. 

Category Job Market, FutureLearn Pakistan

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