BRIDGE THE GAP
March 14, 2016
Echoes of Marshall McLuhan’s “enclaves” observations appear, too often, in decision-making today.
The separation between the levels of corporate hierarchy grow and the gulf between the learning cultures of executive management and its workforce widens.
The result, of course, restricts the benefits of our well-intentioned training initiatives.
Having lived through the earliest years of industrial videotape training –- with a camera in my hands – an expert to provide content and ad libbed scripting -– plus, a two-inch reel-to-reel (“black and white”) mastering machine — for me, the potential in digital learning technologies is awesome.
The opportunities-for-change, offered by mutiple-media based e-Learning are here. And, those millions of people in every country in the world -– who had previously been bypassed -– can now be included.
However, this Learning Revolution will only come about if we can take the time to focus our efforts on the Instructional Design aspects of these newer technologies -– and, NOT on the technologies themselves.
Plus, we must keep foremost in our minds that designing for our workforce specifically means designing on their learning terms — and, not on our own.
Today’s learner, all too often, is being left out in the cold. Unfortunately, talking about technology from the learner’s point of view, rather than from our own, seems to be an antiquated discussion packaged away with a box of yesterday’s videodiscs.
We must bridge the canyons and provide the training that successfully communicates to our workforce — a workforce that has grown up with smartphones, tablets, computers and television —- relying on the multiple-media presentations of multi-sensory communication.
The takeaway here is simple.
Develop your training initiatives from the learners’ point-of-view, rather than from your own.
More on Wednesday – – –
— Bill Walton, co-Founder, ITC Learning
www.itclearning.com/blog/ (Mondays & Wednesdays)