The role of millenials

This past week I received some interesting feedback from one of my volunteers. She is a 2000 grad from JMU and recently took over one of my chapters. I had emailed her all of the information she needed to start her chapter and directed her to our online resources, and held a conference call where I went over all of the policies and procedures of the program. She was upset by this, and had wanted a print copy of all the information mailed to her house- she had envisioned a large binder with all of the information layed out. This was interesting to me because most of my volunteers prefer to have all of that information online where they can easily access any pieces that they need when they need it. 

This brought up an interesting thought that I had not yet considered. I have been assuming that all of my leaders want information the same way- online and not print, but I had not yet considered that some people may prefer the huge binder of information to the web-based resources. I thought perhaps I could wrap this in to my online training modules somehow- perhaps by including a survey that asks that person what their preferred vehicle is for information. I am thinking that this will provide that valuable insight in to the best way to keep my volunteers motivated and on task with their roles. 

Looking to the work of others

I spend a lot of my time as a professional looking at the work of other schools. The nice thing about my profession is that people are very willing to share information and tools with each other, because there is no direct competition between our target audiences (i.e. the alumni from JMU don't have to worry about getting hit up by Tech!). When it comes to volunteer training resources, I've seen a lot of schools move from a pdf file of a handbook, to a more interactive web toolkit that lays out all of the different aspects of chapter leadership in different pages. This trend shows an increase in the awareness alumni offices have of how their volunteers process information. As millenials step in to the picture more often, so does the need for online training tools.

I found that the University of Delaware went above and beyond in their online resources by creating a slideshare pictured here (if you click the image it will take you to the actual slideshare). 

I really like this for an online training module and may consider using slideshare to create mine as well. I'd like to spend a little more time researching before I make my final decision. I was also considering making a powerpoint/prezi and doing a screencast so that I can make it more visually exciting.

Chapter Leader Training

One of the issues I run in to most frequently in my position is coming up with new and exciting ways to train chapter leaders on the same old information, or updating outdated policies and procedures in ways that make sense. For example, we have a new form that needs to be filled out by all of our chapter leaders whenever they have a payment request or a reimbursement request. I chose to go over this new form during a conference call, but feel as though this was not the best way to cover this information. First of all, not all of our chapter leaders were on this call so there are still a good number of them who are unaware of the change. Secondly, the conference call had no visual component other than an agenda. It would have been great to set up a webinar or perhaps do a screencast of someone filling out the form with the proper areas filled in rather that just discussing the form over the phone. This is something that I will look in to for the next change.

Design For How People Learn

This is the book I've chosen to read and critique for this class. I wanted to read something having to do with design, because while it is one of my favorite aspects of this program, it is what I feel as though I am the least skilled in. Upon first glance of the book, it is clear that the author has a good understanding of learning technique, as she includes lots of different types of visuals to enhance the text of the book. As a visual learning, I am excited to read this book!

Independent Study: A JMUAA Chapter Leader Training

For this course, I would like to create an introductory training video for Alumni Chapter leaders to watch prior to coming on board with a chapter leadership team. In my current position at JMU, I recruit, train and oversee the 80+ volunteers who run our 25 active chapters across the U.S. and in London. One of the biggest strains on my time is volunteer turnover, and having to repeat the same information over and over again to new folks joining new teams. When these training sessions occur, they are often times on the phone and scheduled during a short duration of time that is semi-convenient for the volunteer. An online training video would ensure that all volunteers are receiving the same information, but at their own pace and at a time that is most convenient for them.

Currently, these chapter leaders do not have a formalized training structure. There are job descriptions for each role, however, much of the training for these roles comes in an as-needed basis. The on-the-job training model has worked for many of the aspects of chapter management, but there are still aspects that fall through the cracks. For example, when a volunteer starts as a social events chair on a chapter leadership team, they are given an overview of how many events to plan per year and what demographics to consider when planning, but they are not told how necessarily to pay for these events. That is one part that they typically learn as they go through the role and communicate their needs with my position.

My goal is to create a learning module that introduces chapter leaders to the world of chapter management and gives insight in to the goals of the university as well as how the chapters can assist with those goals. This will not only cut down on the amount of time spent telling chapter leaders about these things, but will also allow them to participate in the training at a time that is most convenient for them, and at their own pace.

I found a video that fits in with the style that I'd like to convey:
http://vimeo.com/1629500