How important is training investment to manufacturing companies? An international study conducted by Bo Hansson of Malardalen University suggests that, “the single most important factor associated with profitability is how much is invested in training . . .” Moreover, a recent U.S. Department of Education study found that by increasing an individual’s training by 10%, productivity is increased by 10%. Compare that to only a 6% productivity increase when adding 10% to...
When I was in public school “Civics” was a required course while American History courses accompanied that requirement. I still remember the major point my Civics teacher emphasized over and over again: “Vote for the man (sic) and not the party!” (As a point of interest, in the first twelve Presidential elections in which I was eligible to vote, I voted six times for a Republican and six times for a Democrat. ...
My career in visual-media training goes back a long way — to the earliest days of videotape instruction (the “black and white days”). In addition, back then there was no profession called “Instructional Design.” Rather an SME prepared the content (all factual with only the uniqueness of the camera work and rudimentary hand-drawn graphics to provide the motivational elements) and, then, the SME became the on-screen talent. Later, the beginnings of Instructional...
I’ve posted countless times extolling the near-necessity of using full-motion video, graphic animations and, where appropriate, gaming for the bulk of your training initiatives. Why?!? It’s the learning culture of the vast majority of your trainees! Plus, it gives them a near-simulation experience (as close to hands-on training as one can get — at a fraction of the cost)! In addition, long-term retention is significantly increased and a more productive transition from...
When I entered the first grade in 1939, learning to read had its bedrock based in phonics. Skip forward to the early 1990s when ITC decided to produce an interactive reading/writing series of Interactive Laser Videodisc instruction. We surveyed a number of universities that were actively involved with teacher training and quickly discovered that “Phonics” had become a “dirty word” and that “Whole Language Learning” and “Balanced Literacy” were now the new...
It’s easy for us to find the faults with any newer technology. Funny how that works! I guess it’s because it is much easier for us to see the negatives than it is for us to embrace the positives. Time for a gut check when we talk about e-Learning! Do we all realize that e-Learning is singularly poised to positively impact all aspects of one’s business?!? It is uniquely capable of making...
The term, “to be educated” is well defined by Steve Denning in his ‘What Does It Mean To Be Educated?’ piece that appeared in Forbes Magazine: “In recent posts, I have been suggesting that being educated includes (to give a short answer): a demonstrated ability to listen carefully, to think critically, to evaluate facts rigorously, to reason analytically, to imagine creatively, to articulate interesting questions, to explore alternative viewpoints, to maintain intellectual...
Let’s take a look at some of the unique training challenges faced by American process and manufacturing companies today. While many of the observations are also applicable to all organizations, process and manufacturing plants rely heavily on in-house skills training as central to their success. Training methods vary widely — from traditional classroom instruction, with hands-on practice, to the latest in technology-based training options. But, which method is best? For training a...
While most of us think of training in terms of the formal classroom, learning center, or controlled WEB access, below are a few other uses for e-Learning that will help you get the maximum value from your training initiatives. (courtesy of G. H. Kaiz, co-Founder, ITC Learning). Engineer Training...
Several years ago, I was invited to review several e-Learning courses marketed by a Midwestern vendor. This particular vendor had a large number of offerings targeted at many industries. And, their catalog described their solutions as “skills training.” As we shall soon see, that catalog description could not have been further from the truth! What I saw astonished me. It was like traveling backward in time! Looking at those courses returned me...
Several years ago in a New York Times column by Virginia Heffeman, “Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade,” she reviewed a book, “Now You See It,” by Cathy N. Davidson. The arguments still apply today: “Simply put, we can’t keep preparing students for a world that doesn’t exist. We can’t keep ignoring the formidable cognitive skills they’re developing on their own. And above all, we must stop disparaging digital prowess just because some...
“Have I got a college for you. For your first two years, your regimen includes ancient Greek. And I do mean Greek, the language, not Greece, the civilization, though you’ll also hang with Aristotle, Aeschylus, Thucydides and the rest of the gang. There’s no choice in the matter. There’s little choice, period. Let your collegiate peers elsewhere design their own majors and frolic with Kerouac. For you it’s Kant. You have no...
Question: Who wants to pay for training? Answer: No one wants to buy training! Why should they? Shouldn’t their new hires be already equipped with the necessary skills — and ready to perform their assigned tasks? As you well know, that only happens in Utopia. So why, then, do you have to develop or purchase training programs for your workforce? The answer is not very complicated. We only purchase training programs when...
I have written many times regarding the attributes of well-designed e-Learning. I have, often, listed the salient characteristics that are found within effective e-Learning designs. And, I have emphasized learner-control as a key design feature of properly produced e-Learning with its resultant increase in learner-retention. Today, however, we’re going to reverse the process. We’re going to examine the characteristics you should avoid when buying or producing e-Learning. The following items are some...