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TRENDWATCH: Matching Learning Styles & Generational Preferences
May 12, 2009
By Emma King
Generational learning is a challenge training organizations struggle with regularly. How do we effectively and efficiently provide learning with all of the different learning styles and generational preferences? The honest answer: We struggle!
The problem we face: finding a course structure (either online or classroom driven) that meets the expectations of the four different generations in our workforce today.
An audience poll by Meridia Audience Systems at Training 2009 Conference & Expo in Atlanta revealed the most average training delivery method across generations providing performance support and reference materials for self study. However, most popular with Generation X was self-navigating to find training (55 percent).
In a breakout session, presenter Bob Pike asked his work group—consisting of Baby Boomers (48 percent), Gen Xers (50 percent), and Traditionalists (2 percent)—if they used social networking tools YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, or Twitter. Some 47 percent did not utilize any of these, whereas 17 percent used one or two.
Looking at the years that span these four generations, we face more of a challenge than just learning styles. Understanding each generation and how they embrace technology is critical when creating content.
Here is how each generation looks at technology:
Traditionalist (born 1922-1943): "What is that?"
Baby Boomer (born 1943-1960): "Ugh! Technology slows me down!"
Gen Xer (born 1960-1980): "I'll get back to you; let me check my e-mail."
Gen Yer (born 1980-2000): "Don't leave home without it."
I was born in Generation X, but my adaption to technology as a self-confessed geek puts my technology age at that of a Millennial. But my willingness to adapt doesn't apply to all Gen Xers in the workforce. To provide adequate training within your organization, it is necessary to provide levels of training that can cross the generational divide.
As trainers, we need to ask our workforce who they are and what they do with technology so we can identify the levels of social media, scaled assessment testing, interactive media, virtual classrooms, ILT classes, and performance support we should be supplying to our workforce.
To create platforms that can teach four generations in our workforce, we need to understand their technology capabilities to effectively deliver training using media that make sense to the workforce, and not just the technology geeks (myself included) who want to push out the latest and greatest authoring tools and social media platforms because they think it's cool.
But how do you understand what technologies relate to your workforce? How do you know if implementing social media platforms is right for your corporation, or if you're just doing it because the industry is talking about social media becoming the next method of informal training?
Clearly, professional roles—as well as the industry sector your company resides in—can change the view of technology and the use of training tools within organizations to reach their generational audience. All too often within our training environments, we adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, which unfortunately does not cater to the majority of a company's workforce. Understanding the majority and the way it works can help you design training concepts that can meet the needs of your workforce and increase its performance. That's why it's imperative to evaluate and assess training methodology and best practices that meet your specific organization's needs and goals.
Five questions to keep in mind when designing your training:
• What are my specific training goals?
• Who is my audience?
• What is the technology age of my audience?
• Which training mechanism(s) will align with the majority of my audience?
• How will I measure the effectiveness of my training?
Emma King is chief learning strategist for Meridia Audience Response. For more information, click here.
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