Challenge

President’s Choice Financial (PCF), is North America’s most successful Internet banking story (more than half a million new customers signed in two years). This ambitious growth strategy, however, led to critical challenges: how to train new hires on the complex banking applications (used to manage customers’ accounts—e.g., create new accounts, check transactions and balances, add accounts and bank cards etc.).

Since the Bank’s legacy application (green screen) is high security and is operational 24/7, it offered no opportunities for trainees to learn the system or practice using it.

Learning Designs Online designed a CD Rom-based interactive simulation that allows new employees to effectively learn and practice all functionality of the mainframe application. (An eLearning solution was not feasible since the PCF sales pavilions are not Internet enabled).

LDO’s interactive training solution allows new sales associates to learn how to use the system to carry out most banking tasks (e.g., locating a customers’ file, opening new accounts, adding bank cards, providing investment and loan products).

The courseware’s nine modules employ a ‘scaffolding’ design that lets trainees to access as little or as much help as they require. As they build confidence and mastery, they can test (and re-test) their skill levels by taking the appropriate self-test units as many times as they wish.

This CD Rom’s design exploits the benefits of ‘situated learning’ to improve motivation and enhance the transfer of new skills to the job.