BLENDING TECHNOLOGY INTO A TRAINING PROGRAM
Introduction
Many challenges face training professionals. One challenge that is constantly evolving is the use of high-tech components in training programs. There are many benefits to using technology in a training course, such as e-learning programs that allow for better, faster and a more efficient flow of information from the trainer to the participants usually involving information downloaded from the Internet or contained on a CD-ROM that users can access on a computer (Silberman, 2006, p. 191-192). Even though technology can be an essential tool to a successful training program, the technology is not as important as the way it is used (Newmark, 2009). The paper will outline four categories of e-learning and the benefits these technical options can have in a presentation when used correctly.
There are multiple forms of E-learning. E-learning takes place when the instructor and the participants are separated by physical distance (Koohang, 2004). The four categories of e-learning that will be focused on in this paper are (Silberman, 2006, p.191):
1) Independent e-Learning
2) Group-Based e-Learning
3) Virtual Classrooms
4) Blended Learning
All four of the E-learning options offer benefits to the instructor to present well informed active training to participants in multiple destinations. The key is figuring out how technology can best enhance the learning experience for both the instructor and the participants.
Before choosing a form of e-Learning to enhance a presentation, the instructor needs to recognize their audience and the type of instruction that is taking place. When e-Learning is the form of training, timing is an important factor in determining which category can best suit the participants. Timing can be broken into two categories, asynchronous and synchronous (Silberman, 2006, p. 192). Asynchronous describes training that the audience does not have to participate in at the same time, so the user can take lessons when and where they choose (p. 192). Synchronous learning describes training that requires the participants to communicate at the same time (p. 192). By realizing the needs of the participants and how timing factors in, the instructor can offer the best form of e-learning to enhance the needs of the audience.
Independent E-Learning
The first type of e-learning that can enhance a presentation is independent e-learning. Independent e-learning can be a good educational tool when users need access to the information at all times and the content of the material needs to be precisely the same for each user (
Silberman, 2006, p. 192). Independent e-learning is a great option when participants need to be in-sync with each other. For example, if students from all over the world are enrolled in a virtual class offered at a specific university, there is not an opportunity for everyone to get together to learn the new information all at once. However, independent e-learning would be a great solution by allowing the students to have access to the same information at all times during the day.
Independent e-learning can be a great alternative when people do not have coordinating schedules and are not located in one central area. Independent e-learning may not be the best solution to group training if the following challenges are present (Silberman, 2006, p.192):
1) If the company providing the e-learning does not have the resources (money, time, etc) to develop a proper training course that meets the needs of the participants;
2) The material in the training course does not match the knowledge level of the users because the information is either too high or low;
3) The course does not meet the users’ expectation;
Since independent e-learning can be provided to anyone in anyplace at anytime, it is import that all participants share the same goal of optimizing the learning objective, whatever that may be (Koohang, 2004). Reviewing the pros and cons will allow the presenter, and the participants, to assess the learning situation to make sure the team’s goals are being met appropriately.
Group Based E-Learning
The second e-learning option is group based e-learning. Group based e-learning is a great online educational option when the participants do not need to physically be in the same place when the learning takes place, but the timing of the training is crucial to its success (Silberman, 2006, p.195). For example, an event planner who is onsite at the meeting in Seattle needs to update her team in Atlanta on all the last minute changes that have taken place before the working day closes on the East Coast. To successfully update her team, the event planner may use a form of group based e-learning to educate her team, at the same time, on changes that have taken place to ensure all members start their next working day with the same goals in mind. In group based e-learning, the team also has the opportunity to ask questions of each other and receive instant feedback.
If group based e-learning is a suitable option for educating the team on the latest information, there are many tools available to achieve the learning objective. Three popular options with examples to consider are (Silberman, 2006, p. 195):
1) Webcasts
2) Webinars
3) Video Training
To help ensure that the participants can easily access the information at the appropriate time, the three options for group based e-learning are great tools for achieving this goal. However, in all of the three examples of group based e-learning that will be shared, it is important to incorporate active learning into the training when possible. A negative outcome of group based e-learning is that since the participants are not physically in the room, the option to “zone out” may present itself (Silberman, 2006, p. 198).
The first group based e-learning tool is a webcast. A webcast is an audiovisual experience that is accessed either through the computer or through the computer with the assistance of conference call line (Silberman, 2006, p. 195). Webcasts are normally set up to have a speaker lecture to the audience with prepared material and the participants interact with the presenter during the question and answer session (p. 195). For example, a webcast may be a great option for your group if an international team member has a time sensitive, specific message to deliver to the team members, but does not have the time or resources to convey the message in person.
The second group based e-learning tool is a webinar. A webinar is a computer-based educational tool that is a more interactive adaptation of a webcast (Silberman, 2006, p.196). Instead of delivering a message to a group through a webcast, a webinar is used when a trainer needs to instruct the participants on a function and the responses of the group need to be seen immediately by the trainer. A webinar is a great learning tool when the instructor needs instant feedback from the participants, but cannot physically walk around the room to observe the students (p. 196). An example of a webinar is to quiz the audience, via the computer, on how well they understand a new software program that has been implemented. If a majority of the participants get a certain question wrong, the instructor can automatically go to that question and explain to the audience what the right answer is and why.
The last group based e-learning tool is video training. Video training involves educating the audience by having the presenter speak directly to a group in a different location from a video studio (Silberman, 2006, p. 198). Since the presenter’s message is directed to the specific audience, the participants can interact in real time with the instructor. This live communication from the presenter in the studio to the audience in a separate location is like a news reporter reading the news directly to the group. The video training approach of e-learning may be difficult at times. The costs required in setting up the video equipment in two locations, and the initial awkwardness of the participants and trainers adjusting to a live video session may be challenging, but the benefits of being able to deliver high-quality learning experiences to the group can be very rewarding (Silberman, 2006, p. 198).
Virtual Classrooms
Independent and group based e-learning can be very beneficial training tools. Another great form of e-learning is the virtual classroom. A virtual classroom is created by a software platform that supports online course instruction (Silberman, 2006, p. 199). Unlike group based e-learning that requires the participants to learn the information all at the same time, the virtual classroom allows students to learn the information at their own convenience with limited time constraints. Virtual classrooms are very popular in the educational system because they provide opportunities to reach students outside the traditional campus classroom (Schutt, 2009).
Instructors need to be cautions when training virtual. The urge to dump information into a tedious slide show or cut and paste directions must be avoided (Silberman, 2006, p. 200). It is also important to demand interaction between the participants and the instructor. The flow of information between the students, and back and forth between the instructor and participants can create a personal touch that can make up for not physically being in the classroom.
Once the pitfalls of a virtual classroom are addressed by the instructor, the fun of supporting online course training can begin. A successful virtual classroom effectively integrates instructional technology tools, including course management systems, live synchronous classroom meetings, and online tutorials to support student learning (Schutt, 2009). An example of a virtual classroom is when participants want to further educate themselves on a particular topic on their own time, but because of work or location constraints are not allowed to take part in the traditional face to face classroom setting. The virtual classroom allows for students to receive a proper education from a trained professional by virtually having access to the same information students physically in the classroom would have by accessing online classroom meetings and tutorials. The instructor, like in the physical classroom, is still able to post instructions and information to the participants in the chat room or online blackboard for all to see virtually. Then the participants can share information and ask questions of each other and the instructor. The virtual class room is a great alternative to face to face learning because it allows the participants to learn the information without having to physically be in the classroom.
Blended Learning
The last form of e-learning is blended learning. Blended learning is combining e-learning with traditional classroom instruction to create courses that mix different delivery methods to create the best of both worlds: e-learning for the delivery of information to the participants, and face to face interaction for group discussions (Silberman, 2006, p. 201). Blended learning gives the instructor and participants’ opportunities to interact in multiple setting options to make sure the information is accessible.
In blended learning, the instructor has the opportunity to work with the participants virtually and face to face. Having two types of interaction with the participants allows a course to be structured that taps into the groups’ interests in both settings. For example, if the training topic is team building, before the participants meet in person, it may be important to pre-test the audience (Silberman, 2006, p. 202). A virtual online pre-test can be given that evaluates if the participant is a leader or a follower. After the quiz is taken, the instructor can gather the information on the participants and develop material for when the group meets face to face (p. 202). Since the instructor will know the personality of the audience because of the electronic quiz, the information that is shared face to face can be focused on specific types of team building that relates to the needs of the audience.
Blended learning may seem like the best training option because it supports virtual instruction with face to face as well. However, it is important to recognize how blended learning can fail if the instructor does not prepare. For example, the budget and education need to be available to support two forms of training. Funds and knowledge are needed to create a stimulus learning opportunity to make sure the audience is learning in both settings, or time will be wasted playing catch up virtually, or face to face (Silberman, 2006, p. 204). Also the course content needs to be designed to support virtual learning and face to face, and the flow between the two needs to be smooth so the transition is not difficult. When the possible negative outcomes of blended learning are addressed, then the instructor can properly prepare a successful presentation.
Conclusion
Technology can present many opportunities to a training professional when used correctly. This paper outlined four categories of e-learning; independent, group based, virtual classrooms, and blended learning. Each e-learning category has the potential to enhance the training program by adding information that is better, faster and more efficient to the trainer and participants. For every positive that e-learning can present, there are negatives as
well. It is important to weigh the pros and cons when using any type of tool in a presentation to make sure that technology is the best way to deliver a message to the participants. “Not every problem requires a training solution; similarly, not every training solution requires a technology” (Silberman, 2006, p. 191). The objective is figuring out how technology can best improve the learning experience for both the instructor and the participants.
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