The world is beginning to harvest the advantages achieved by bringing computers into the academic classroom. Many of the foundation skills and competencies — later, so critical to the workplace — can be achieved through the use of technology in the classroom, K-12 and beyond. Students using technology demonstrate any number of improvements: more confidence, higher motivation, peer mentoring, collaboration, and enhanced self-esteem (Means). They are also able to handle more complex...
We all know that the term, “e-Learning,” today stands for almost anything and means almost nothing. The “e” in that term might mean something, but the “Learning” portion of that term is a misnomer in many, many cases. Let’s quickly eliminate the current types of e-Learning that contribute little to the learning challenges of both this decade and beyond. Transporting words, numbers, graphics, and still pictures across digital networks is easy. It...
As industry realizes that technology training is a necessity in today’s business world, the role of interactive training will only expand. And, in many cases, community colleges will lead the way. Industry is rapidly beginning to understand that technology-based training is necessary and that the training platform has to be accessible, affordable and accountable. Today’s e-Learning environment is capable of meeting those requirements. Smaller companies often can’t afford training because it’s not...
In previous blogs, I have extolled the virtues of several training technologies — specifically digitized CD-ROM, extinct Interactive Laser Videodisc, and, of course, knowledgeably designed e-Learning. As a training delivery medium, all three have their specific strengths and weaknesses. BUT, if you are going to make training investments now that are going to commit your organization for the future, there is only one good choice to make — knowledgeably designed e-Learning! We...
The headline above seems a little silly, doesn’t it? Nothing to it — right?!? Just pick out an appropriate title in a catalog or on a vendor website — and, order it. Piece of cake! Not so fast! Assumptions are being made here that may cost you much bigger bucks than the money you peel off to buy the skills-training title you’ve chosen! So, why isn’t it that easy? Well, you wouldn’t...
Today, the e-Learning designs we create should be focused on “The Learner” and on individual learning styles. With some exceptions, these designs must take into account the current infrastructure limitations found in most organizations and businesses. For the moment, because of those infrastructure limitations, we must regard the Web as more like a radio extension and less as a television experience – if we want to heighten multi-sensory learning. (Conversely, we must...
The ultimate test for instrument technicians, electricians and electronic technicians, as well as mechanics and millwrights will be their troubleshooting skills. While most maintenance tasks in a plant are routine, knowing how to systematically think through a problem is vital to a plant’s operating efficiency. Acquiring troubleshooting skills equips the worker with strategic thinking that can be applied to the analysis of problems in any industrial system. Developing logical thinking skills and...
The need for e-Learning technology to catch up with the new learning designs required is greater today than it’s ever been. Certainly, the training requirements of today’s workplace are intensifying. A recent National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) undertaken by the Department Of Education has reported that, “Growing numbers of individuals are expected to be able to attend to multiple features of information in lengthy and sometimes complex displays, to compare and contrast...
The death of Theodore Sizer last week should remind us all of the better ways to address our nation’s education needs. The serious shortcomings resulting from “standards” testing needs more critics like Sizer. In a long career, Dr. Sizer was, among other appointments, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Chairman of Brown University’s education department. Dr. Sizer’s view of education reform — “with a premium on classroom creativity, bottom-up...
Digitized CD-ROMs, supported by a robust administrative system and networked over a training-dedicated LAN, are your best choice for effective training today. They can provide the best in instructional quality, programming reliability and administrative capabilities. Complete with pretests, easy-to-follow menus, teaching segments built around specific learning objectives, simulations, exercises, and final evaluations — knowledgeably designed CD-ROMs are supported by easy-to-understand user guides, instructor guides, and fully functional administrative software. Learners interact constantly,...
The key to successful training is to make it an integral part of an organization’s business objectives. Up-front planning helps ensure that your investment in training will deliver measurable results. Your goal is to make training a cost-effective solution that supports the business objectives of your organization. It is critical to focus training where it will have the greatest effect on performance. Using needs assessment and task analysis techniques, you can identify...
Far, far too often, when training your workforce, much of the basic knowledge required is overlooked. Why? A solid background in industrial fundamentals such as work practice, proper tool use, applied industrial mathematics, reading and writing are all critical elements in any meaningful industrial skills training program. Why is it that these important fundamental skills programs sit collecting dust on a storeroom shelf? Often, it is because the programs are “too academic.”...
Training methods vary widely today — from traditional classroom instruction, with hands-on practice, to the latest in technology-based training. But, which method is best? For training a large number of students in a relatively short amount of time, the better training method may be one that can be administered to a large group. If cost is no issue, classroom instruction will work — as long as those lectures are supplemented with hands-on...
A few days ago I was invited to review several e-Learning courses marketed by a Midwestern vendor. This particular vendor has a large number of offerings targeted at many industries. And, their catalog describes their solutions as “skills training.” As we shall soon see, that catalog description could not be further from the truth! What I saw astonished me. It was like traveling backwards in a time capsule. Looking at those courses...
