High Tech Training Trends

With all of the choices out there, which technological training resource should your company be using?

                   High tech training has become the  norm for the world of training. The more that technology advances it has given companies new options for bringing technology to their employees. The traditional setting for training is no longer traditional at all. There are several options for instructional designers to use for implementing training, while utilizing the innovations of technology. The innovations in technology that are being utilized for training are Computer Based Training (CBT), Webcasts/Webinars, Blended Learning, Blogs, and other technological approaches in higher education. The technology introduced to the training setting should be appropriate to the content being taught now we will look at the appropriate use of each technological innovation. 

                

             Computer-based Training is becoming one of the most used formats for training, also known by several other names such as: eLearning, Online Learning, or Web-Based Training. Training delivered using a computer or the web (Noe, 2013). The impact of this form of training is that it has given instructional designers the opportunity to implement training that people can receive without having to be there physically. Learners have access to information at all times, no matter the location or time zone, known as Asynchronous learning. It has been known to cut down on training costs for employers as well, which is why it's quickly becoming a contender for becoming the leader in training technology. Computer-based training will continue to have an impact on how people learn and interact in training and development environments, due to its accessibility to the learners. The implications of this for training is that the traditional face-to-face setting will become less utilized in a global setting.

 Webcasts/Webinars are quickly becoming the alternative for reaching groups of people in a virtual classroom setting that gives them the chance to interact. Gathering people at the same time in different places to learn, known as Synchronous learning , has been used in several other technological training settings as well. The impact  that webcasts and webinars are having on training is that people will have the opportunity to receive information in real time, with other participants/colleagues like the face-to-face setting. This technology also allows companies to reduce training costs on travel, meeting venues, materials, and refreshments.  It will continue to have an impact on how people learn and interact in training and development environments, especially with the creation of more tools. The implications of this for training is that we may see less face-to-face classrooms and more webinars instead. It can also be used in combination with the traditional face-to face setting, known as Blended Learning.

             Blended Learning, as mentioned above, is the use of technology with the face-to-face setting. Training is delivered using a combined technology and face-to-face instructional delivery approach, such as classroom and WBT (web-based training (Noe, 2013). This is a great technology to use in order to demonstrate some hands on training for employees. The impact that this type of technology is having on training is that it allows learners to have a hands on approach  and then work alone to apply the techniques that were taught. It will continue to have an influence on how  people learn and interact in training and development environments, because it's a new version of the traditional classroom. The implications of blended learning for training is that it utilizes technology, while still using the traditional methods of face-to-face learning.

                                     

            Blogs A webpage where an author posts entries and readers can comment (Noe, 2013).  

Blogs are fast becoming the a way to communicate to the masses, especially with the rise of social media blogs. The impact that  blogs have had on technology is distributing information consistently to the masses. It can be used as a tool giving information. Blogs will continue to have an affect on how people learn and interact in training and development environments. Because Blogs allow information to be shared and 

 allows people to interact when they post comments to the blogs an author the implications of this for training. 

               With all of the new advances in technology training can take so many forms in the future. For Instructional Designers it will give them the opportunity to use more resources. In higher education there have been developments in using technology as well http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED498562  Having all of these options available will definitely, help to make training experiences more interactive and engaging to learners. Which new technology do you think will help your organization to train smarter? 

References:

Noe, R. A. (2013). Employee training and development (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED498562