It seems pretty clear that corporate America has decided to adopt E-Learning as the training medium of choice. The advantages of cost savings, 24/7 availability, and easy conversion of existing information are all winners to the decision makers, charged with profitability responsibilities. What is lost, however, in this rush to adopt E-Learning, is the long-time emphasis on retention and transferable skills acquisition. And, today those can only be attained through a recognition...
A learning management system, or LMS, is a software package that allows training programs to be administered, documented, and tracked, as well as deliver e-learning content and resources to trainees. One of the biggest advantages to web-based LMS systems is open access to content and administration anytime and anywhere. At the most basic level, LMS systems allow for student registration, deliver e-learning materials, enable discussions and communication between students and instructor, track...
The shift from teacher-led to media-rich, learner-centered instruction may well be forced upon the American education system in the upcoming years. In case one hasn’t been paying attention, there are big changes on the horizon for education in this country that will result in opportunities for well-designed, media-rich on-line courseware. We all know that a significant trend in education today is toward competency and accountability. Clearly, competency-based on-line courseware, with integrated measuring...
The key to your business’ success is well-trained employees. While proper and thorough training of your employees will not only provide them with the technical skills they need to succeed, it shows you are invested in them and allows for more involvement and better output. Here are some helpful tips to supplement your company’s training program: • See training as an investment rather than an expense. While some training programs may be...
As trainers, you should always keep your eye on “The Big Three.” Your first task is to recognize that too many investments in training are made which are unrelated to company objectives. Therefore, it should come as no surprise, that management, too often, regards training costs as superfluous and unnecessary. So, how can you assure that your training efforts will help your company achieve that competitive advantage? In order to successfully connect...
SCORM is not just the latest internet buzz word, it’s an important e-learning standard that allows companies to tailor their training program to meet the needs of individual students without the expensive price tag. The SCORM approach is self-paced and self-directed. With SCORM content and programs are sharable within a single learning platform, regardless of the system the platform uses. This is why SCORM is a powerful tool for online training. Why...
Training differs from education in many ways. Its aim is to improve the skills necessary for better life and job performance. And, rightfully, the emphasis today for both training and for education has shifted from the provider to the receiver — allowing us to now focus our attention on learning and the learner. The philosophy and aims of an educational institution are concerned with the education of the whole man — mind,...
When incorporating SCORM compliant web-based e-learning programs into your employee training practices, implement these helpful tips to ensure your employees get the most out of their e-learning experience. • Incorporate different elements into your e-learning to keep trainees engaged. Mix up the sequence of video, audio, and interactive quizzes in order to hold your trainees’ attention and help them better retain the material. • Learning is a social activity, so encourage your...
Those of us involved with Skills Training have two big advantages in the Learning World today. First of all, our test results can successfully measure the knowledge acquisition of our training initiatives. Unlike Education, which mistakenly bangs its head against the Standardized Testing myth, our skills training tests actually measure the knowledge acquired for on-the-job performance. In contrast, standardized testing merely measures memorized academic skills — ignoring any measurement of “attitude, engagement,...
We all know that a solid background in industrial fundamentals is essential to a well-trained industrial worker. Work practice, tool use, mathematics, reading and writing are the necessary foundation skills that are, too often, essentially ignored in most training curricula. Of that list, reading, writing and math training are the most often omitted simply because we assume that those skills already exist in our employee population. We’ve all heard a lot about...
Web-based e-learning has dramatically increased in popularity during recent years due to the many benefits it has over traditional classroom training. For one, it’s more cost-efficient because it’s produced inexpensively and prevents employees from spending time away from work. Because of its convenient accessibility, e-learning can easily fit into your employees’ busy schedules. Trainees can work at their own pace, which is most likely to be faster than if they were training...
Those of you who regularly read these Blogs know that I am a big proponent of E-Learning that: a) Uses a multimedia instructional design (full-motion video-based) for maximum communication in today’s learning culture. b) Avoids written language as the primary communication tool (no PowerPoints). c) Includes an Optional Word-for-Word audio button in every training course you purchase or create. If you question these requirements, please take a moment to examine the following...
SCORM, or Sharable Content Object Reference Model, is a collection of technical standards for web-based e-learning. SCORM was founded by the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL), the research division of the United States Department of Defense, and since then has evolved and grown to become an e-learning industry standard. One of the biggest benefits of SCORM is reusability. SCORM allows instructional components to be integrated into multiple applications. So, rather than operating several...
About ten days ago, my married daughter called to tell me about a film she just had seen at her oldest son’s Middle School auditorium in Pennsylvania. She was excited (and, disturbed) about this documentary and wanted, very much, for her mother and me to see it. So, I accessed the movie’s website: www.racetonowhere.com and discovered that it would be showing in a Northern Virginia Community Center this past weekend. And see...
