E-Learning

Introduction

RUBIZMO (Replicable Business Models for Modern Rural Economies) is an ambitious Horizon 2020 funded trans-European project working to foster rural entrepreneurship across three high potential growth areas, Food, Bio-Based Value Chains and Ecosystem Services.

These interlinked sectors have been chosen because of their commercial potential, prospects for sustainable job creation and social value to rural communities.

The work of the project falls under three main Areas

Introduction

RUBIZMO (Replicable Business Models for Modern Rural Economies) is an ambitious Horizon 2020 funded trans-European project working to foster rural entrepreneurship across three high potential growth areas, Food, Bio-Based Value Chains and Ecosystem Services.

These interlinked sectors have been chosen because of their commercial potential, prospects for sustainable job creation and social value to rural communities.

The work of the project falls under three main Areas

Analysis – 100’s of successful rural enterprises across Europe were analysed to discover their secret and uncover the lessons that can be learned and mimicked across Europe.

Tools – As a result of this in-depth analysis a range of Learning Tools were created by the project:

An Online Library showcasing businesses and providing inspiration for budding and seasoned rural entrepreneurs alike.

• A Transformation Support Tool to help take rural enterprise from idea to reality through tailored business model selection advice.

• A Cooperation Toolkit which in demonstrating the vital necessity of networking and collaboration for enterprise success helps the entrepreneur develop their own appropriate local network.

Capacity Building - A range of capacity building training supports offering Master Classes, Study Visits, Guidelines for Stakeholders, Coaching for Entrepreneurs and this Train the Trainer Scheme.

The purpose of this Train the Trainer Scheme is to provide an online guide to those engaged in rural entrepreneurship education and training looking to effectively use the project in their teaching and coaching activities. A number of assumptions inform this scheme which are outlined below:

• Education and Training activity will take place in a very wide variety of contexts involving great differences in:

Trainer Profile

Entrepreneur Profile

Level of engagement in training activity

Stage in the entrepreneurial process

Range of rural entrepreneurial focus

Support resources

Local context and culture

• There is no pre-determined programme of study, syllabus or assessment model to follow

• While it is envisaged that training will be delivered in the national language, the majority of project outputs and training materials available are produced in the English language necessitating a significant degree of fluency in this language to fully engage with the project education and training resources.

• The majority of participants with RUBIZMO will be adult learners.

All of the above combines to add a high level of complexity to the potential application of the training and education provision of the project. A one size fits all approach to training inclusive of this train the trainer scheme is not applicable. This training scheme instead will offer a range of general and practical guidance and education and training which can be drawn on to help you the trainer realize the potential of RUBIZMO for rural entrepreneurship in your own local context.

These interlinked sectors have been chosen because of their commercial potential, prospects for sustainable job creation and social value to rural communities.

The work of the project falls under three main Areas

Analysis – 100’s of successful rural enterprises across Europe were analysed to discover their secret and uncover the lessons that can be learned and mimicked across Europe.

Tools – As a result of this in-depth analysis a range of Learning Tools were created by the project:

• An Online Library showcasing businesses and providing inspiration for budding and seasoned rural entrepreneurs alike.

• A Transformation Support Tool to help take rural enterprise from idea to reality through tailored business model selection advice.

• A Cooperation Toolkit which in demonstrating the vital necessity of networking and collaboration for enterprise success helps the entrepreneur develop their own appropriate local network.

Capacity Building - A range of capacity building training supports offering Master Classes, Study Visits, Guidelines for Stakeholders, Coaching for Entrepreneurs and this Train the Trainer Scheme.

The purpose of this Train the Trainer Scheme is to provide an online guide to those engaged in rural entrepreneurship education and training looking to effectively use the project in their teaching and coaching activities. A number of assumptions inform this scheme which are outlined below:

• Education and Training activity will take place in a very wide variety of contexts involving great differences in:

Trainer Profile

Entrepreneur Profile

Level of engagement in training activity

Stage in the entrepreneurial process

Range of rural entrepreneurial focus

Support resources

Local context and culture

• There is no pre-determined programme of study, syllabus or assessment model to follow

• While it is envisaged that training will be delivered in the national language, the majority of project outputs and training materials available are produced in the English language necessitating a significant degree of fluency in this language to fully engage with the project education and training resources.

• The majority of participants with RUBIZMO will be adult learners.

All of the above combines to add a high level of complexity to the potential application of the training and education provision of the project. A one size fits all approach to training inclusive of this train the trainer scheme is not applicable. This training scheme instead will offer a range of general and practical guidance and education and training which can be drawn on to help you the trainer realize the potential of RUBIZMO for rural entrepreneurship in your own local context.

Given the wide scope of the Rubizmo Project, it’s inevitable that you the trainer will be faced with very different training groups. No one theory of learning provides an optimal learning theoretical framework for this project. Here we briefly explore the three main theories of learning as all will inform the teaching and learning philosophy you take or equally importantly choose not to take when delivering Rubizmo training.  

There are three main frameworks underpinning learning theories:

1. Behaviourism

2. Cognitivism

3. Constructivism

Behaviourism is based on observed changes in behaviour. It focuses on new behavioural patterns being repeated enough times that they become automatic. The most famous example of this is Pavlov’s Dogs Experiment. An experiment where after ringing a bell each time his dogs ate a meal, he conditioned them to salivate at the sound of the bell ringing, regardless of whether there was food present or not. He taught the dogs to associate the bell with eating. The dogs learned that if they heard the bell ring it meant that they were going to be fed.

In the context of RUBIZMO, this is perhaps least relevant and perhaps more suited to situations which the focus is on learning through pattern creation and reward and punishment. In Rubizmo you are not there as the distributor of knowledge and the participant in your programme is not a passive receptacle of knowledge. This is very important to remember even in the delivery of more technical training on the project tools. Meaningful learning needs to be contextualised and valued in the personal experience of the participant. Where a more extended delivery of enterprise training is envisaged there is more scope for part adoption of this philosophy. There is something positive to be taken from the comfort and security of routine and confidence building engendered through this approach. While Training in Rubizmo is not about exams and grades, reward is nevertheless not to be discounted but is to be found through fostering achievement both in the training process and crucially in enterprise application.

Cognitivism focuses on an unobservable internal change in mental knowledge. The theory holds that individuals are actively involved in the learning process, and that knowledge is organized. As Learners grow they become better able for increasingly sophisticated thought. People organize the things they learn, and new information is most easily acquired when it can be associated with things that have been previously learned. An example of this is the rat in the maze. The rat smells the cheese and follows the path to the food. After going through the test many times the rat never hesitates and has apparently memorized the route. When scientists block that path, the rat finds an alternate route to the cheese. It never goes the original way again because it assumes that the path is blocked (even if it can’t see this). Cognitivism is all about organised knowledge which builds on previously learning in a structured clear-cut path where the destination is in clear sight.

In Rubizmo training, achieving this is a challenge. Learners are typically adults with a wide range of knowledge and experiences to draw on. (This, while making session planning trickier overall can be a huge advantage and is often an explanation as to why adult learners excel in their programme of study.) The time available for Rubizmo training will vary widely and the wide range of personalised learning necessary in any coaching effort all work to compromise structure and organisation when planning training activity. At a minimum it is important however that the learner can fully understand and value the path within each training session and from session to session. In their individual engagement they need to be equipped to engage with the project material in a structured, building block fashion. This can be equipped through reflective practise, structured worksheet material and really all activity which takes the learner away from passive engagement.

Constructivism suggests that learners construct knowledge. It is broken down into two processes: accommodation and assimilation.

Accommodation is when the learner adjusts their personal understanding of the world to fit new experiences. Accommodation can be understood as what happens when failure leads to learning, i.e. the classic “learning through one’s mistakes”.

Assimilation on the other hand is when we incorporate new experiences into an already existing understanding without changing that understanding. The experience or lesson confirms what you already believe to know is true.

Constructivism is perhaps the most democratic teaching philosophy best suited to an adult learning environment. There’s a certain logic to the proposition that knowledge created is knowledge valued and retained. It’s an empowering philosophy which parallels the overarching entrepreneurial empowerment goal of the Rubizmo project. It makes for a student-centred learning environment full of debate, shared ideas and collaborative learning. Implemented successfully, it should make for a more enjoyable learning experience. In the context of RUBIZMO where achievement is not measured in academic grades it might allow for the framing of intrinsic reward through project work or a more demanding role in the learning experience, through peer presentation for example.

Methods to adopt a Constructivist approach to RUBIZMO Training include:

Talking less - Take full advantage of the possibilities of educational technology so that as much as practical the traditional teacher as presenter method is confined to outside of the active session. Today this is very easily achieved through video presentation technology and has the added advantage of facilitating a differentiated learning environment where participants learn in very different ways and paces.

Trusting the Learning Participant - Obviously the better you know the class, the easier this is to achieve. It should however be reasonable to assume that those interested in entrepreneurship have the inquisitorial capacity to ask good questions, be enthused about the material and work with others where the goal can be shown to clearly be of benefit.

Personalising the Learning – A danger with Rubizmo is that the many examples of entrepreneurial success can come to be understood as something that could never work locally and something for a far-flung well-resourced corner of Europe. – A good way to counter this is to challenge that assumption and ask why not? What are the local impediments to success and what could be done to overcome them? Are there somewhat similar success stories that could prove those initial assumptions might not be true? Give voice to the participant and foster a culture of debate and argument.

Making the learning more about the Learner Doing than the Teacher Teaching – This is about setting the participant up to construct his/her own knowledge. At the end of every learning period, it’s not enough to be able to say “Today I taught X”. As a Rubizmo trainer, you need to be able to say “Today participants did A, B and even C.”

Making Entrepreneurship training about shared learning – While this may seem a contradiction, entrepreneurship being in most cases an individual centred journey, much can be achieved through collaborative learning. Learning from each other and working together is often much more effective and enjoyable than learning in isolation. It also works really well in an adult learning environment. Participants are better equipped to build their own comprehension where the can hone their understanding by bouncing it off their peers, rather that remote academic texts.

  We’ve already alluded to the challenges involved in RUBIZMO training planning. There is no one syllabus, no common set of timetabled hours, no examination to build towards and no common student profile. This has the potential to result in an unstructured, unplanned, ad hoc, scatter gun approach to Rubizmo training which will be of limited service to the rural entrepreneur. In many ways, structure and planning is more important in RUBIZMO training than conventional syllabi led programmes where much of this planning is very well confined and signposted.  

Training Aims and Objectives

The aim of the training part of the Rubizmo project is to provide intermediaries with another tool that they can provide to Business owners, micro, small and medium sized, entrepreneurs, students, employees who may be thinking of starting their own business. The training will equip future trainers with some of the practical skills and tools in delivering training but also with material for participants that they can use to either improve their businesses, for new entrepreneurs looking to develop a business idea they may have, students who may be future entrepreneurs, etc.

Training Aims need to be clearly understood by both sides of the education partnership, Trainer and Learner, and clearly outlined at the commencement of each programme and session therein. They should give a broad purpose or general teaching intention to each session. It may sound obvious but having a clear sense of destination is crucial to achieve true buy-in to the training process, even more so in a non-traditional learning context such as Rubizmo.

Learning objectives

The outcome based approach

Historically the common method of developing courses was all about CONTENT and its delivery. This of course was understandable in a pre-internet age where information in its raw form was much more precious in a sense. Today, putting it bluntly trainers as information conduits are ever increasingly redundant. Moving towards a more student-centred approach focusses on what the student Can Do at the end of a course, what is commonly referred to the outcome-based approach.

When planning your RUBIZMO sessions always have front and centre what it is you want your trainees to be able to do with your training. The Following list of verbs should help simplify this somewhat and help you to order your planning thoughts and objectives.

1. Knowledge: The recall of information. Define, describe, label, list, match, arrange, name, recite, recall, relate, repeat, order, recognise, record, reproduce, state, underline.

2. Comprehension: The translation, interpretation or extrapolation of knowledge. arrange, classify, describe, discuss, sort, explain, express, identify, indicate, translate, interpret, locate, report, restate, extrapolate

3. Application: The application of knowledge to a new situation. apply, practice, solve, choose, prepare, use, illustrate, schedule, sketch, use, demonstrate, operate, sketch, measure

4. Analysis: Break down knowledge into parts and show relationships among the parts. analyse, diagram, question, appraise, discriminate, test, calculate, distinguish, differentiate, categorise, examine, compare, contrast, experiment, inventory, criticise

5. Synthesis: Bring together parts (elements, components) of knowledge to form a whole and build relationships for new situations. arrange, design, prepare, assemble, formulate, propose, collect, manage, compose, organise, synthesise, create, plan, write, construct, modify, conduct

6. Evaluation: Judgments about the value of material and methods for given purposes. appraise, estimate, select, argue, evaluate, support, assess, judge, value, attack, predict, score, compare, rate, defend

 SMART Objective Planning

Of course, there is never enough time for this sort of planning and it’s important that it doesn’t become merely a paper exercise removed from the reality of practical delivery. To this es as useful in session planning as it is in enterprise development planning. Importantly it’s quick to apply and can act as a mental checklist to test the suitability of your plans.

 Learning Process 

The level of skill and experience participants held on joining the course will help measure with planning and measurement of the effectiveness of the learning engagement.

NOVICE: A novice does not know anything of the subject he/she is approaching and has to start with taking in the facts and rules of it. The novice cannot decide on which rules to apply and learns them as context free. Practice is thus limited to imitation, to exercise.

Beginner/advanced beginner – The beginner can start to learn the context of the rules, i.e. that there are different rules to apply in different cases. The practice becomes more varied and more adapted to individual cases.

Competence – At the third stage, the competent person grasps all the relevant rules and facts of the field and is, for the first time, able to bring his/her own judgement to each case. This is the stage of learning that is often characterised by the term ‘problem solving’.

Proficiency/fluency – the fourth stage is called fluency and is characterised by the progress of the learner from the step-by-step analysis and solving of the situation to the holistic perception of the entirety of the situation.

Intuitive expert – An expert identifies him/herself with the complex real-life situation in which he/she is bound to act. The ‘art’ of the expert consists not in solving problems, but in constructing them out of the amorphous complexity in life. This act of creating the problem already contains its solution.

The audience Rubizmo will be targeting for training will be at different stages of learning – so the above approach should be considered when delivering training. If grouping target audience into students, early stage entrepreneurs and advanced entrepreneurs might make the lesson plans easier for the trainer as well as the trainee. With Adult learners, be very careful however about making assumptions however. Background experience and formal education levels don’t always paint a full picture.  

Keeping Learners Motivated:

Keeping learners motivated can be a challenge in Rubizmo training, not least because it’s likely in many cases that the learning groups are not well known to you the trainer at least at the outset of training. Fostering a sense of intrinsic reward as mentioned above and building that inclusive democratic, yet structured learning environment is crucial. It’s only human nature that the mind wanders when it doesn’t know where it’s going. Being aware of the type of learner and having a mix of learning styles will be needed.

The attention span of people can also become an issue for trainers/teachers and by mixing and matching methods of learning and training will help to keep participants alert and focused.

It is important to remember the following Rule:

90:20:8 Rule

Adults can listen with understanding for 90 minutes

With Retention for 20 minutes

So try and involve them every 8 minutes.

Other techniques that could be used are the 20/40 Rule – Talk for 20 minutes out of every hour and spend the rest of the lesson to reinforce, skills practice or discussion

The 15/85 rule – 15% of the time should be spent on lecture or presentation and 85% of the time devoted to small-group activities or large group sharing and exploration. All of the above is very much in keeping with that constructivist learning ideas we’ve already explored.

What are the most important things for learners to remember?

The trainer should break this down into three sections.

Subject: Must Know              Subject Should Know                  Subject Nice to Know

A timetable should be designed by the trainer for the training being delivered to include;

• Topics to be covered/discussed

• Time allowed for each section

• Types of props or media to be used for those sections - Videos, Powerpoint Presentation and Site Visit – remembering people have different learning styles and every persons learning style should be catered for as much as possible.

One tool that is often used to help teachers/trainers plan their delivery of a lesson or training course was developed by Edgar Dale in the 1960’s known as the “Cone of Learning or Experience”.   

As outlined in the diagram above, the concept of the cone is to assess how people take in and retain information. The green segment again re-emphasises the importance of learning through doing. Very interestingly Reading even as far back as 1960 was acknowledged by Dale as being the least successful learning to remember exercise. It’s a radical step-change learning proposition and for many years impractical to implement, however desirable in the training room. Sixty plus years on however, reflect for a moment on what’s possible today. How much easier is it to facilitate Dales Learning Cone in your own training? Ask yourself, what is possible with a little imagination?

While of course the cone is a broad guide and may not be the same for every person, the Cone highlights the importance of the use of a blended learning approach to delivery of training may have a better outcome for participants who can work with the ones that best suit their individual learning style.

So far Learning styles have been mentioned on a number of occasions.  

It’s well recognized that people learn in different ways and the potential to do so today is more possible than at any stage in human history. We all probably have a gut understanding of what works best for each of us. For myself, I have an interest in both DIY and website development and feel most comfortable learning through watching videos and then trying it out for myself as quickly as possible, (not always with the most successful results but never mind!) My mother in contrast when for example learning to use a new phone always prefers the comfort and security of reading through the manual again and again before touching the phone!  

There are a number of theories that identify different styles of learning. In this section we will look at some of these theories. It is important to remember that these are only suggested styles and although a person might have a greater tendency toward one style, it is likely they use a combination of styles in learning.

Learning Through Our Senses

We learn through our senses in the three following ways:

1. Visual (Learning by watching or seeing) (Eyes oriented)

2. Auditory (Learning by hearing or listening) (Ears oriented)

3. Kinesthetic (Learning by carrying out an activity) (Hands-on oriented)

Visual Learners learn best when ideas, concepts, data and other information are presented with images or are displayed graphically.

Auditory Learners are people who learn most effectively by listening to information delivered orally, in lectures or speeches.

Kinesthetic Learners are discovery learners; they understand through doing.

There are numerous other learning style quizzes available online which you may wish to encourage your programme participants to take. Most are quick and easy to take and without getting bogged down in the area provide a means of getting participants thinking about their own style. 

As a RUBIZMO trainer you’re not going to have the opportunity to really explore your participant learning styles, very few educators in fact do to any significant degree. What’s important is to assume that your participants learn in the different ways that have been described above and to be cognizant of this in your planning by including a wide range of activities and presentation materials. Knowing how each best matches a particular style will likely be enough to keep that mix well balanced.

Rubizmo as explained has developed three main rural enterprise development online tools of benefit to the early stage budding entrepreneur and seasoned entrepreneur stakeholder alike.  

• A Virtual Library Library showcasing businesses and providing inspiration for budding and seasoned rural entrepreneurs alike.

• A Transformation Support Tool to help take rural enterprise from idea to reality through tailored business model selection advice.

• A Cooperation Toolkit which in demonstrating the vital necessity of networking and collaboration for enterprise success helps the entrepreneur develop their own appropriate local network.

This Train the Trainer Scheme is mainly focused on the Online Library and Transformation Support Tool. This section explores the potential and scope of these tools for effective rural enterprise engagement and development.

A Common starting point for all new entrepreneurs to the project is the Virtual Library. This can be very successfully engaged with by participants of all backgrounds and abilities from the novice entrepreneur simply dipping a toe in rural entrepreneurial waters to the serial entrepreneur looking for new ideas or learning to be gleaned from a focus on learnings and challenges these enterprises are working to overcome. It is therefore very suitable for use in a differentiated learning environment such as RUBIZMO where there are often very different levels of experience to be catered for. It is the jumping off point for all succeeding tools in the Project and without successful engagement here the possibility of achievement further into the project is more limited. It provides a pan European perspective on Rural Enterprise and extends the horizon of entrepreneurial possibility from the experiences of the local rural village to all of Europe. It offers colour, personality and role models to follow for the rural entrepreneur. It immediately makes rural enterprise a tangible, everyday reality and removes it from the abstract and theoretical. It also of course can be reduced to another online repository, where engagement is passive and cursory.

Before proceeding further take sufficient time to explore the tool for yourself. The video below introduces the tool, and it’s features. After watching it and working through the questions at the end you should be much more confident when introducing it to your class. The video is also suitable to share with your class.

To become meaningful the online library needs to be engaged with in an active personalised way. You the trainer can do much to help achieve this. There’s also huge scope in this to accommodate different levels of ability, commitment and engagement Some suggestions here include:

Including Task based activity with all engagement for example:

• Peer Presentation of Case Studies

• Mind Mapping the case studies

• Question and Answer opportunities

• A search for local similar example not highlighted in Rubizmo.

• A search to find more information or press on the companies 

• Discussion Groups on the difficulties and possibilities for local transference

• Reflective Practise where the entrepreneur is encouraged to personalise engagement here in the context of their own entrepreneurial endeavours and aspirations.

The important thing really is to focus on getting the participant actively engaging with the material, as against passively working their way through the library. Training time devoted to the actual nuts and bolts of the tool should be relatively limited for a couple of reasons. The tool is very intuitive and self-explanatory. Secondly, explanation of the workings of the tool might be best achieved through use of the training video which participants are free to explore and use in their own time and at their own pace. This video is provided but you are encouraged to take some time to produce your own in your own national language or one which best reflects your specific training focus. The script for the video is provided in Appendix A.

The Transformation Support Tool is an interactive, multi-layered online support tool with three main purposes.

• Presentation of a wide range of generic business models supported by examples across the categories of Food, Bio-Based Value Chains and Ecosystem Services

• Comparative Analysis of each model under the Business Model Canvas, Regional Impact and Business Success Criteria

• Implementation Tool which enables the participant to test their own specific business Assets and Environment against specific model criteria to identify possible advantages/deficiencies with a view to potential implementation of the model

The Transformation Support Tool builds on the case evidence of the Virtual Library. Business Model descriptions where possible are supported with case study evidence from the library. Time permitting it’s therefore appropriate to introduce the Virtual Library first to participants. As explained this library is very intuitive and particularly well suited to self-directed exploration. The Transformation Support Tool is more technically complex and will prove a more demanding technical challenge for your participants to master. Awareness of your audience differing IT proficiency is a consideration and it’s important to find an appropriate balance. Extra supports outside of the session such as video might well be appropriate to use. It’s important that participants feel emotionally comfortable and safe in the session. This can be addressed by ensuring that participants know they’ll have the extra resources available after the session to master any technical problems they might encounter. The focus of each session should not rest on the workings of the tool. Much more significant is the outcomes of the tool, accessible business model analysis and interactive personalised rural enterprise transformation testing.

Before proceeding further take sufficient time to explore the tool for yourself. This three-part video series introduces the tool, and it’s features from the perspective of the educator. Shorter videos will be available to share with your participants. After watching these videos and working through the questions, you should be much more confident when introducing the tool to your class. The video series is broken into three categories in line with the three distinct Tool functions described above. Time permitting this segmentation should help provide a structural basis to your own workshops.

As with the Virtual Library the tool lends itself to Task Based Learning activity. Suggestions already provided for the library are equally applicable to the Transformation Tool. An important consideration is the pacing when moving from one part of the tool to the other. Poor management here can result in a lot of frustration. In the Transformation Tool analysis provided is obviously subjective. This provides a lot of scope for debate and discussion. The tool also has a problem-solving function which can be explored in a group or individually. An important feature of the tool is the capacity to introduce more local or familiar models by the trainer depending on need and capacity. This is a relatively straightforward process and such models are in the first instance available just to each trainer. There’s also a lot of potential for use of the implementation tool in personalised coaching sessions. As stressed in the video introduction, guidance and analysis is not fine-tuned and should really be considered a jumping off for deeper more contextualised research as the participant moves further along the entrepreneurial journey.

Within the Tool itself a suggested learning journey takes the learner from:

The Business Model Canvas

The Transformation Support tool is centred on The Business Model canvas. This is a one-page visual representation of an existing or potential business. It helps to collect, understand and communicate the ingredients and relationships that transform a business idea into a viable, sustainable and scalable venture. The Business Model Canvas uncovers the strengths, weaknesses and potentials of existing and evolving businesses. It can also be used to sketch out and explore new ideas helping entrepreneurs think of all the necessary parts for a successful business. An understanding and value of the Business Model Canvas is necessary for the Rubizmo participant to exploit the full capacity of the Transformation Support Tool.

Business Model Canvas Template

Some Important Pointers

• The Business Model Canvas was developed in 2005 by Alex Osterwelder and Yves Pignour.

• It is a one-page Strategic Management Business Overview Template designed to quickly describe a business or communicate a business idea or concept.

• It can be used to describe any company, small or large, established or in development.

• It is divided into nine colour coded blocks with the right side of the canvas focussed externally (the customer) and the left side of the Canvas focussed internally (the Business).

• The Canvas is centred on the Value Proposition – the value of exchange between customer and business.

Advantages for use in Rural Enterprise Training 

Easy to understand meaning programme participants of all levels of entrepreneurial expertise can engage with the canvas successfully.

• Focussed. One page leaves no room for colourful description or superfluous information which can serve to mask business fundamentals

• Flexible. Quick and easy to make model changes and brainstorm ideas

• Highlights connections. The Canvas is a really effective way to offer a helicopter view of the business and how different parts of the model interconnect.

• Teamwork. The Canvas is made for teamwork in the training context. It’s therefore very well suited to collaborative learning in both online and face-to-face classes.

The Transformation tool provides a Canvas description of each business model showcased with level of canvas block significance highlighted. It also offers an interactive problem-solving function which facilitates analysis on specific blocks in the canvas. Depending on your training context, the focus may lie primarily on the Business Model Canvas with the Rubizmo Tool used as a supportive interpretive tool or vica versa. The Canvas is also highly suited for use in extended or protracted training programmes and lends itself to structured units of study quite organically.