Unique and revolutionary learning consultancy formed

‘Providing learning that succeeds’ is the ambitious yet confident boast of a unique learning consultancy: Waller Hart, Learning Architects (WHLA). Formed by two of the best known names in the UK’s e-learning industry - Vaughan Waller and Jane Hart (formerly Jane Knight) – WHLA aims to ‘redefine the way that learning solutions are created’.

Waller explained: "An architect designs buildings to be aesthetic, efficient, functional and user friendly and yet are also pleasant to work or live in – in other words, fit for purpose. A learning architect designs learning solutions that are synergistic with the way people learn and work in their organisation.

"Working independently and with no preconceptions or assumptions, WHLA concentrates entirely on finding the best solution to the learning or performance shortfall."

Just as a firm of building architects will survey the building site, has the soil analysed to determine to what depth the foundations need to be, and so on, WHLA will carry out a Site Survey to examine many factors including how the learners themselves work and learn and the culture of learning within the organisation. This ensures that the learning solution itself is built on firm foundations.

Importantly, the information gathered is used by WHLA to determine the design of the learning solution and not just to modify or reinforce a solution that has already been decided.

Following this Site Survey, WHLA creates a Learning Blueprint for the learning solution concentrating on:
• the needs of the learners
• the needs of the organisation and
• fitting the solution to the people rather than the people to the solution

In this way, stated Waller: "WHLA are architects of learning and performance solutions that will fit with the way people live, learn and work."

Having created the Learning Blueprint, this becomes the property of the client and they can then proceed their own way if they so wish. WHLA can either find and manage a team of the best and most experienced learning minds in the country for the project's needs from WHLA’s extensive range of contacts or assist the client in realising the programme themselves using the latest tools for learning, such as an LMS, LCMS, rapid authoring tools and collaboration tools.

WHLA can also project manage the entire process, from initial briefing through to implementation and either provide an Assisted Self-Build Process or a Managed Build Service.

"In doing this, we bring our clients our unparalleled breadth and depth of knowledge, contacts and experience in this constantly evolving field," Hart explained. A whitepaper which details the WHLA learning design approach is available from the website: www.whla.co.uk

Using over 45 years of experience in this field, covering education, lifelong and organisational learning, Waller and Hart have developed a unique and revolutionary learning design process which challenges the conventional way of interpreting learning and business needs. The end results are challenging and effective learning interventions specifically designed with the learners’ needs in mind.

Jane Hart, a well-known author in the field of learning technologies, the founder of the e-Learning Centre and a former senior lecturer in IT and learning technologies adviser in the Further and Higher Education sector, was one of the pioneers in using the web for teaching and learning in education. Some ten years ago, she left teaching to concentrate on providing e-learning and consultancy services to both universities and businesses.

For the last 20 years, Vaughan Waller has run the Technologies for Business and Learning (TBL) e-learning consultancy and in addition, from 1999 to 2006, he was the elected chairman of the eLearning Network (eLN), the UK’s foremost professional association for users and developers of e-learning. Through this he is nationally and internationally known - and respected - for his invaluable work in promoting best practice within the industry.

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Notes for Editors:

About Waller Hart, Learning Architects (WHLA)

Vaughan Waller and Jane Hart (formerly Jane Knight), two leading names in the UK learning industry, have combined to form a consultancy that intends to redefine the way learning is created.

A Learning Architect designs learning and performance solutions that are synergistic with the way people learn and work in their organisation and does not modify or reinforce a solution that has already been decided.

Until now, the design of learning interventions (regardless of how they are to be delivered) is usually constrained by the exigencies of modern business – cost, time and the availability of resources. However, the design of learning should really only be concerned with
- the needs of the learners
- the needs of the organisation and
- fitting the solution to the people rather than the people to the solution
WHLA uses a design process that concentrates on these factors rather than on the way the learning solution is created or how a particular technology is woven into the solution.

Waller and Hart, plus a team of the best and most experienced learning minds in the country, enable organisations to develop and extend the skills of their workforce and provide learning that succeeds.

Vaughan Waller has more than 20 years experience in applying learning technologies where organisational performance improvement is required. Using his technical and IT background, Vaughan often advises on the tools and systems that can be used for learning. Vaughan was Chairman of the UK's foremost e-learning association, the eLearning Network, for seven years until 2006 and he is now an Honorary Life Member of the association.

Jane Hart (formerly Jane Knight) has been working in the education and training world for nearly 25 years, helping organisations to understand the potential of learning technologies and how to create successful learning and performance solutions.

Further information from:
Vaughan Waller, WHLA, tel 01992 634244
Jane Hart, WHLA, tel 07778 063068
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR: tel 01727 860405