“We’re family-oriented. We move and grow as a team.”
– Tan Wee Shen, Founder & Director of Three Learning

 

In seeking to better understand Three Learning’s Mission and company culture, our intern Shao Hao interviewed founder and director Mr. Tan Wee Shen. In this article, we dive deep into Wee Shen’s perspective on Three Learning, his aspirations for the company and the kind of culture that he wishes to create in the workplace.

What inspired you to start Three Learning?

WS: “While I was working for my previous company, I had always thought that there must be a better way to conduct training, as opposed to the conventional classroom teaching methods. I found that people tend to forget easily what they learnt in the classroom, and that the knowledge taught was seldom effectively translated into the workplace settings. I felt that there must be a better way to retain knowledge for a longer period of time, and I believed then, and still strongly believe that utilising technology to assist in the learning process is the right way to go. We believe that in order for any learning to be effective, good and relevant content curation, suitable pedagogy application and appropriate technology deployment must converge. This is our 3LDS development methodology which forms the basis of the development of our coursewares. So, I decided to form Three Learning in 2005. We have since embarked on a number of multi-million dollar projects and accomplished significant milestones.”

“To me, we are still a young company and still have many things to learn.  I hold on to this philosophy that we should never reach the peak of our skills and knowledge; this is because the next natural progression after the peak is down. Always look for a new height once we reach a peak.”

What’s the most important thing you’re working on right now, and how are you making it happen?

WS: “Our team is currently working hard on our upcoming learning portal framework, Koollab. Koollab will be an upgraded learning platform with improved functions and a user-friendly interface. Koollab was conceived and created with 4 main objectives in mind: To assist companies in (1) having greater ease and comprehensiveness of hierarchical reporting, (2) having greater flexibility of design and administration, (3) measuring learning effectiveness, and (4) promoting learning responsibilities and a culture of knowledge sharing, throughout organisations. Our team is working hard on this project everyday. Do stay tuned for more exciting updates!”

Where do you see Three Learning in the next 5 years?

WS: “I would like Three Learning to be known as the e-learning company that can bring about a good total learning experience. A good total learning experience can be defined by three aspects: where the learner is confident in the knowledge that he/she retains, where the learner is engaged with the content, and where the learner has a multisensory experience. We also have a target to help 500 clients’ reach a good ROLI (Return-of-Learning-Investment) by 2020.”  

How do you help people grow to the next level and be their best? And what kind of employees are you looking to hire at Three Learning?

WS: “As an e-learning company, I wish to incorporate a greater use of technology, especially Koollab, in better educating and training our employees. With Koollab’s learning effectiveness indicator, employees can gain a sense of what their strengths are and where they have room for improvement. I look to hire people who can fulfil 3L’s 3 core values: Integrity, Passion and Innovativeness. I highly encourage job seekers who have a passion in learning to join our team.”

How would you describe Three Learning’s workplace culture?

WS: “Three Learning is like family to me. We give our employees freedom and we don’t restrict people in sharing new ideas and we always grow as a team. We are also objective-based in our work, and we strive to accomplish our goals together.”

What is one thing you would say to your current employees to motivate them?

WS: “I would tell my employees that they are in a promising industry, and that things will become big and rosy in the near future. It is a time where people are beginning to discover the value of digital learning and more industries are starting to incorporate e-learning into their training systems. People are also growing keen on micro-learning, where knowledge is conveyed in 7-10 minute bite-sized modules. To my employees, keep being positive, keep working together and keep pushing on!”