| "One of the best I've taken"
by Tim Anderson
PrimeProblem Solving, online, 2001, 19 hrs., PrimeLearning.com®
(917-210-8173, www.PrimeLearning.com®), $450 per user
per year; $8,100 per 100 users per year. Other resources:
mentoring, discussion boards, chats.
For all its importance in and at work, problem solving
seems to receive little consideration as something you
can learn explicitly. Most of the major online content
vendors find a place for a few such courses. PrimeLearning.com®
goes much further with its PrimeProblem Solving curriculum
of 15 courses requiring an estimated 19 hours to complete.
They are some of the best online courses I have taken.
I was so delighted by the first course in the sequence
that I had to take more. I wound up finishing the curriculum.
The courses are consistently rich in content. But
content alone does not make a great online course, no
more than does a classroom instructor who happens to
be knowledgeable about a subject necessarily make for
a great classroom experience. The Prime courses are
also an excellent learning experience.
The Problem Solving curriculum has 15 separate courses:
Solve Problems Together
The Problem-Solving Process
Analyze Problems Creatively
Use Investigative Tools
Gather Evidence
Interpret Data
Determine the Real Problem
Solve Problems Methodically
Group-Based Solutions
Cost-Benefit Solutions
Sell Your Solution
Implement Decisions
Working Together
The Nature of Groups
Ensure Group Success
The courses are well integrated. Each is segmented
into two or three sub-topics (examples: pitfalls in
stating the problem, understanding group dynamics,
managing personal conflicts, barriers to creative
thinking, miscommunication, hidden agendas). The curriculum
teaches a variety of concepts and approaches to problem
solving including brainstorming, Pareto charts and
histograms, force field analysis, fishbone diagram,
six-word diagram, Occam's Razor, the Delphi approach,
swapping technique, designing check sheets, and more.
Each course has multiple resources: an e-community
with events, live chat, discussion, company documents,
cue cards, job aids, glossary, workplace exercises,
games, papers, books, and links. The system includes
an online mentor to whom you can e-mail questions.
PrimeLearning.com® has developed an effective blend of
interactivity, information, questions and answers,
audio prompts, quizzes, case studies, and company
examples. The layout makes clear the logic of the
material. The questions asked during the course helped
me digest the information quickly, and the examples
of companies dealing with real world issues helped
me think concretely about each topic.
Recommendation
I highly recommend the PrimeLearning.com® Problem Solving
curriculum. It is comprehensive, integrated, and well
designed. It provides users with a positive learning
experience, striking a balance between content and
activity, reading and doing.
Tim Anderson (tanderson@tmreview.com) is vice
president of marketing for Training Media Review.
He has an extensive background in Internet strategy
and execution, having worked at Amazon.com, Junglee
(acquired by Amazon), Vicinity, and the Dialog Corporation.
Tim has an MBA from Harvard Business School
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