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The New Curation Framework | www.opensesame.com | (503) 808-1286 | 3 Foundational curation building blocks: Here's a simple example. A Learning and Development team has a single objective—to provide training for all new hires as part of the company onboarding process. The L&D team will need to select a training option— whether in person, online, or a combination of both— to satisfy all relevant regulatory requirements. It will also need to accommodate each learner's language, location, and access to technology. These are their foundational building blocks, the essential elements of any curation exercise—the nonnegotiables. Consider the following questions: z Where will learners be accessing the content? This will determine what requirements exist regard- ing technical specifications, mobile responsiveness, and the best mix of online and in-person training. z What language(s) does my population speak and prefer? While seemingly obvious, this requirement is essen- tial and often overlooked at the start of the curation process. z Are there regulations requiring training in my population's region(s)? In many regions, training on harassment preven- tion, business ethics, and information security is required by law. Understanding these require- ments is foundational to a successful curation exercise. Assuming all of the foundational building blocks have been satisfied, our learning team can now consider ways to tailor the learning experience to the popula- tion's unique preferences. Style, format, and desired content features are critical pieces of the curation process and arguably the most powerful indicator of a learning program's initial adoption and early engagement. Content variety is vital when addressing learner preferences in a group of any size. In large groups, it is crucial to take into consideration a wide range of stylistic preferences. No two individuals' preferences are identical, so a single homogeneous content solu- tion will likely fall flat for at least some percentage of the total learner population. One strat- egy to avoid this common curation pit- fall is building choice into the learner experience. By focusing on an end goal to train our population on a skill, we can select various con- tent objects aligned to that skill, allowing learners to choose their preferred experience. For example, when training new managers on effective delega- tion techniques, there might be 3 to 5 activities available, any one of which could satisfy the learning requirement. In this case, learners have the choice to learn in the way that most closely matches their preference set, meaning they are more likely to come back again and again. Contextualized learning programs provide grounding and purpose for learners, so nobody is left wondering, "what's the point?" after completing a learning activity. After addressing the foundational curation requirements and building in choice for a wide range of learner preferences, we can think about the broader context for learning- the "why." Building context into learning begins with considering how each training component fits into the broader professional development ecosystem. How does one activity connect to the next? What skills are connected to each learning activity? How do these skills tie to different job roles or company values? At this stage, the questions are getting bigger and more complex. Fortunately, contextualization doesn't have to be overly complicated. It can begin with a simple set of competencies built around existing events and obser- vances. The beginning of the year is a great time to send out refresher training on annual goal planning or Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) because there's a clear context and purpose for learning those skills. When we curate the context surrounding learning, there is a clear path to success for learners at every level within the organization. Every aspect of an employee's career should link to learning, including onboarding, goal setting, performance improvement, and career progression. This lays the foundation for ongoing adoption and organic growth for the learning program across the entire organization. Adaptive curation is the final curation block and adaptivity is arguably the most important to consider. Adaptive learning programs continu- ally evolve, taking past successes and failures into account to improve outcomes moving forward. Adaptive curation requires sustained work to update and refresh content based on changing needs, preferences, and current events. Achieving a truly personalized and adaptive learning experience requires a systematic approach, a dynamic library of content, and the flexibility to evolve. All of this begins with a pragmatic curation alignment process. A curation framework: laying the foundation

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