1. education

Leveling the Learning
Playing Field
Advancing Member Certification with Online Learning
Overview
As learning continues to evolve in ways that reflect the way we live,
AT A GL ANCE
organizations such as governments, businesses, and professional associations
Client IMCA
are now turning to e-learning methods to deliver educational content online
Members 9,370 members1
and support distance learning. A sophisticated learning platform combined
Level Professional Association
with e-learning methods can help a professional association attract new
Solutions Brightspace Employee
members to the organization, efficiently and cost-effectively meet the learning
Learning and Development and certification requirements of members, and accelerate a member’s
solution
path to achieving professional certification. The Investment Management
Consultants Association® (IMCA)—headquartered in Denver, Colorado—is
CHALLENGE:
one such professional organization, established in 1985 to deliver premier
• Help members better prepare
investment consulting and wealth management credentials.
for certification
• Replace costly traditional learning delivery methods
• Affordably recruit and reach members
SOLUTION:
• Online educational materials for
continuing education offered at one third the cost of conferences
• Ability to adapt courseware quickly to
address member challenges
RESULT 2 :
• 1/3 of 400 users taking the
Fundamentals of Alternative
Investments course are
non-members, creating a valuable prospect pipeline for IMCA
• 50% of curriculum (and growing) is now delivered on the Brightspace platform
• Rapid deployment of new curriculum and courseware updates
Membership numbers provided by IMCA and include 6,265 Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) certificants and 732 Certified Personal Wealth Advisor (CPWA) professionals
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Results and figures provided by IMCA
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Challenge
SK YROCKE TING COSTS OF TR ADITIONAL PROGR AMMING
The Essentials of Investment Consulting (EIC) Certificate
IMCA sets the standards and practices for the
Program, designed for financial-services professionals
investment management consulting profession,
seeking to enhance their fundamental knowledge of
providing investment consultants and wealth managers
investment-consulting topics—often used as a starting
with the credentials and tools required to best serve their
point for the CIMA certification process.
clients. The organization’s mandate includes the delivery
of world-class educational offerings through membership,
ICMA’s e-Campus, built for individuals enrolled in the
conferences, research, and publications. This educational
CPWA certification program, the CIMA Qualification Exam
programming includes a wide range of study resources
Review Course, or the Essentials of Investment Consult-
and test preparation to help candidates along their
ing certificate program.
path toward Certified Investment Management Analyst®
Certification (CIMA), Certified Personal Wealth Advisor®
CE Broadcasts, archive of continuing education webinars
Certification (CPWA) and continuing education programs.
that provide a convenient way to earn CE while learning
Educational courses offered include:
about relevant and timely industry topics.
The Advanced Investment Strategist Certificate in
In the past, IMCA leaned heavily on “live” learning delivery
Portfolio Risk Management, designed for investment
methods—such as conferences—coupled with continuing
consultants and wealth managers dedicated to acquiring
education broadcasts. The organization encountered
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the advanced knowledge needed to manage client port-
several challenges with these more traditional forms of
folios effectively in today’s challenging global economy.
delivery. First and foremost, conferences are costly. A
member employed with a larger financial firm might have
The Fundamentals of Alternative Investments Online
the resources to spend $2,000 plus travel expenses to
Certificate Program, providing a foundation of core con-
attend, but this expenditure was simply out of the reach
cepts in alternative investments.
of the average independent financial consultant. Second,
a week out of the office was often inconvenient for busy
The Candidate Resource Center, designed to help candi-
investment and wealth managers. Members demanded a
dates prepare for the CIMA qualification and certification
more flexible, self-directed learning experience.
exams with topic overview readings, section quizzes,
practice exams, and other relevant resources.
While conferences will always be an important part
of IMCA’s education strategy, the organization’s goal
is to eventually offer an equal amount of educational
opportunities online using the Brightspace platform.
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Course information provided by IMCA
“The Brightspace platform allows us to be really nimble
and responsive to our members’ education needs. If I hear
from members that they are having problems, I need to
react quickly and make the changes necessary to make it
better. It’s just a matter of getting the content right—and
I can have it in the system and out to our members really
fast. When you are a curriculum creator and all you have
to worry about is content, that’s a great place to be.”
Jamie Lewis, Education and Product Development Manager
IMCA
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Solution
PROGRESSIVE APPROACH
However, after only a year of use, the IMCA team began
IMPROVES MEMBER ENGAGEMENT
looking at alternative learning platforms. The team
In 2010, IMCA embarked on a new e-learning program
was increasingly frustrated by the cost and proprietary
to provide its 9,370 members and prospective members
nature of the existing system. An RFP process was
with broader access to preparatory programming for the
initiated, and IMCA selected the Brightspace Employee
CIMA and CPWA certification process.
Learning and Development solution. The Brightspace
platform was chosen for its ideal balance of features and
“We are a membership and accrediting body where
people can build their professional knowledge and earn
capabilities, learner-centric design, and
affordable price point.
CIMA and CPWA certification. We recognized that we
needed a better way to support members going through
The Brightspace platform now houses IMCA’s Candidate
those certifications,” explains Jamie Lewis, Education
Resource Center and e-Campus, providing preparatory
and Product Development Manager for IMCA. “CIMA
and professional educational materials to IMCA
certification is governed by accreditation rules and
members and prospective members through an array of
regulations beyond our control. So, while the certification
videos, questionnaires, and other content.
team can give suggestions and recommendations on
what knowledge is required, our members really need
QUICKLY ADAPTING TO A CHANGING
more education to help them prepare for this really
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT L ANDSC APE
tough test. IMCA saw an opportunity to create this
“The landscape is perpetually changing and our course
educational programming as a value-added service for
content must adapt accordingly,” says Lewis, who is also
our membership.”
IMCA’s Brightspace administrator and is responsible for
the organization’s educational delivery strategy.
Initially, IMCA used another learning management
system from a provider of customized and personalized
“For instance, literally every year tax regulations change
educational solutions and services to house the
and we need to change with them. It’s a bit like doing
organization’s new Candidate Resource
aircraft maintenance when the plane is in flight. One of
Center and e-Campus.
the things I love most about the Brightspace platform
is its flexibility. It is incredibly nimble. We can go into the
system and alter content on the fly to keep our members on track for their certification.”
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Solution continued
When Lewis joined IMCA in 2013, the organization’s use
“Video-based content delivered through Brightspace
of the Brightspace platform was fairly limited. “We were
has also provided the IMCA team with a workaround
pretty much using Brightspace to store text documents
for a technical issue facing some members. Many of our
and conduct quizzes. We simply weren’t using the tool to
clients within large financial services firms have firewall
its fullest extent,” says Lewis.
issues and are prevented from viewing video-based
content online. This gets in the way of their learning and
Now, with an experienced instructional designer on staff,
professional development goals. And yet, we’ve found
IMCA is exploring all the capabilities of the platform. “A
many more can successfully access videos stored in the
lot of instructional designers are like me. You set up your
platform via D2L Capture,” says Lewis.
sandbox within the learning environment, start playing
with functionality, and begin imagining new creative ways
Similarly, the IMCA team has implemented an “ask the
to deliver content,” Lewis says. “Sometimes it’s the tool’s
expert” feature in Brightspace using the platform’s
capabilities that inspire the content, and sometimes
online discussion feature. An outside consultant
it’s your content that inspires new delivery methods.
monitors the discussion board and answers members’
Brightspace is so easy to use, so flexible, it allows folks
content-related questions within forty-eight hours. “It’s
like me to draw outside the box and discover new, inno-
just one more way we’re molding Brightspace to fit the
vative ways to deliver content.”
unique needs of our association,” says Lewis. “We don’t
have a facilitator guiding members, and members are
cycling in and out of the educational content we provide.
THE RIGHT INFORMATION AT THE RIGHT
But, nevertheless, we’re interacting with our members
TIME KEEPS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON TRACK
and fielding their questions as they arise.”
IMCA is currently focused on building out its content to
leverage the features of the Brightspace platform while
The IMCA team has combined videos and quizzes
also adapting the online learning and development
delivered through Brightspace to provide important
solution to the organization’s unique needs.
continuing education for members. “Our Fundamentals
of Alternative Investment course is completely delivered
“We don’t do lecture capture in the traditional way
Based on feedback from members, this course seems to
Capture™ to deliver video-based content to our members.
be rising in popularity. People are enjoying the content
We can easily load all of our Fundamentals videos using
and like the approach,” says Lewis.
the functionality of the Brightspace platform and quickly
add them to course material,” says Lewis.
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in the Brightspace platform through video and quizzes.
an educational institution would. But we do use D2L
Result
After only eighteen months, enrollment numbers
In addition to strong adoption of e-learning within its
are rising. About 1,800 members now use the
membership, IMCA is also realizing significant benefit
Brightspace platform to prepare for their CIMA and
from Brightspace at the Association level.
CPW certifications.4 Because of the self-guided learning
approach, many members are able to participate in
courseware as their schedule allows, meaning different
people are cycling in and out of the system all the time.
“Using Brightspace, I was able to take the Fundamentals
“Our Fundamentals of Alternative Investment course
often attracts non-members as it is a hot topic in the
of Alternative Investments program online. The system
industry. We have about 400 people in the course right
was very easy to use, and offered great content. I found
now, and one-third of them are non-members. In other
it very easy to budget my time for the modules,” says
words, we’re finding our e-learning offering has become
one participating financial advisor.5
a prospecting tool for our organization. That’s kind of a
cool, unexpected side effect.”
Approximately 800 members are actively using the
Jamie Lewis
Candidate Resource Center for CIMA certification
Education and Product Development Manager
prep. Another 180 are using Brightspace to prepare
IMCA
for their CPW designation. Access to the Resource
Centre is complimentary for members. Non-members
can participate in the Fundamentals of Alternative
Investments program or the Essentials of Investment
Consulting program for $795, about one-third of the
cost of IMCA’s traditional conference-based education
programs.6
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Results and figures provided by IMCA
Quote provided by IMCA
Results and figures provided by IMCA
Results continued
IMCA’s e-learning strategy, delivered through
Most importantly, feedback from IMCA members using
Brightspace, has allowed the organization to affordably
the Brightspace platform has been overwhelmingly
reach its members, and extend its offerings beyond tra-
positive. “Certification is a voluntary thing. All of our
ditional, expensive education delivery methods, such as
members are busy, working professionals with day jobs.
conferences. “We don’t completely live in Brightspace,
They have a very low threshold for any kind of pain,”
but it’s becoming an increasingly important educational
says Lewis. “The learning system we provide needs to
content delivery method,” says Lewis. “About 50 per-
be slick, simple, and intuitive. They want to get in, get
cent of our efforts are now focused on Brightspace, and
the information, and move on with their day. So we are
growing. We’re just three years in, and the evolution over
constantly assessing our approach, looking at ways to
the last year and a half, since I joined IMCA, has been
reduce the number of clicks and make everything really
pretty significant. We’re continuously asking ourselves
obvious,” adds Lewis.
what more we can put into the Brightspace platform to
support and add value to our members.”
With a depth of experience in learning platforms, Lewis
has also been delighted by the close collaboration she
has formed with the D2L team. “This is the first vendor,
in my experience, where I have had monthly meetings
with my account manager. We troubleshoot problems,
uncover new capabilities, and the team is eager to
gather feedback about our core competencies and
requirements. Our course content is nothing like the
instructor-led class settings found in a traditional K–12
or higher education setting. We have different needs, so
we need to use the platform in different ways. We are
learning from each other as we go.”
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About D2L
A global leader in EdTech, D2L is the creator of Brightspace, the
world’s first integrated learning platform. The company partners
with thought-leading organizations to improve learning through
data-driven technology that helps deliver a personalized
experience to every learner, regardless of geography or ability.
D2L’s open and extensible platform is used by more than
1,100 clients and almost 15 million individual learners in higher
education, K–12, healthcare, government, and the enterprise
sector—including Fortune 1000 companies. The company has
operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia,
Brazil, and Singapore. www.brightspace.com | www.D2L.com
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