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Training in a Web 2.0 World: The Evolution of Distance Learning
December 09, 2009
By Norm Willox
Technology innovation across industries is challenging workers all over the world to acquire new skills to prepare for the jobs of the future. The Obama administration dedicated approximately $53 billion in stimulus funding for education and training initiatives, in part because there are areas where the U.S. has fallen behind as our global economy evolves. To stay competitive, organizations need workers to adapt and evolve to rapidly changing conditions that require new competencies, and the only way to accomplish this is through continuous education.
Advances in information technology are not only transforming the types of skills organizations need, but also the way teaching and learning take place at work. The Internet and other technologies such as PDAs and advanced gaming systems are driving an evolution in the world of training. The rapid expansion of Broadband Internet access to people internationally is enabling high-quality, timely e-learning content to be delivered to virtually anyone with a connection to the Web. As a result, organizations are adding distance learning techniques to traditional, instructor-led training because it's delivered instantaneously, offers greater flexibility, lowers costs, and improves performance.
The worldwide economic downturn is forcing every organization to closely examine budgets, and many simply can't afford the travel expenses and "back scheduling" of limited resources that come with instructor-led training. Companies and government agencies are increasingly dealing with geographically dispersed personnel, making it challenging and expensive to physically meet for training initiatives.
The ability to access e-learning content via the Web eliminates these challenges, allowing workers to engage with critical training programs wherever they are, when it's convenient for them. The key is ensuring flexibility and cost-savings don't come at the expense of effectiveness in terms of performance, as the quality of e-learning solutions continues to advance in parallel with the information technology that supports them. Today's distance learning content is comprised of high-quality video, multimedia, and gaming/simulation technologies able to engage learners in a way Powerpoint slides and brochures of the past couldn't. Instructor-led page-turners are being replaced by dynamic, interactive video content involving real world experts dealing with real world situations. In fact, the Department of Education recently released a report, "Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning," that found "on average, students in online or distance learning environments perform better than those receiving face-to-face instruction."
In addition to cost and effectiveness, organizations need e-learning content delivered quickly. In today's fast-paced work environments, there can be a lag time of months or even years before critical training information gets shared with front-line practitioners, which often is too late. Professionals across industries such as healthcare and industrial operations need continuous education to maintain certifications and accreditations, and our civil servants, including law enforcement officers and other first responders, must have access to the latest tools and techniques to keep our communities safe. This requires continuous education, which means refreshing personnel with the latest information on skills, techniques, and best practices, multiple times per year. And rather than waiting for the next scheduled training seminar, distance learning solutions put critical information at the fingertips of every professional when he or she needs it. Today's solutions provide users with access to massive libraries of programs across a variety of disciplines, ensuring personnel have access the right information, right from their desktop (or mobile device), right now.
For example, energy and power companies are currently facing a "brain drain," with waves of craftsmen retiring, creating a void of skilled personnel and increasing operational risk for plants and facility operators. Not only are these organizations losing skilled workers, they are losing the institutional knowledge they rely on, and do not have the luxury of methodically boarding new hires with mandatory training through mentorships and instructor-led seminars. That knowledge has to be replaced and distributed to personnel in different geographic locations, which is where distance learning becomes a necessity. Similarly, law enforcement departments are exploring the use of distance learning to enable the transfer of knowledge to personnel for competency testing. In Florida, pending legislation would require training and certification of all 911 dispatchers in the state—a complex undertaking involving thousands of individuals and the need for a specific, consistent curriculum. To provide these critical first responders with the information they need, government leaders are exploring use of distance learning content integrated with on-site skill demonstration to meet these goals in an efficient, and cost-effective way.
The most exciting part of distance learning is solutions are providing more and more value as technology innovation continues across organizations. Today's centralized, enterprise IT systems are capable of driving efficiencies for all parts of an organization, and it's no different with training. Past investments in Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) captured information on the hiring and boarding of new personnel along with any associated training/compliance requirements. By combining this with e-learning data, organizational leaders can manage career paths far more effectively. Using information most organizations already have, learning management systems (LMS) can create specific "lesson plans" for an individual's career development in accordance with performance and compliance objectives. Not only can employees access content they need at any time and location, but the LMS provides feedback to both employee and management on where education gaps exist and where improvement is required.
The value of e-learning solutions is only increasing as they begin to embrace social media technologies that enable increased engagement through collaboration. Social media or Web 2.0 tools are accelerating the adoption of collaborative, two-way e-learning experiences that are replacing the top-down, one way instructional model. Tools such as blogs, wikis, forums, and messaging services such as Twitter are enabling learner feedback, peer-to-peer collaboration, and the sharing of best practices. Students are helping to create lesson plans, rather than just follow them, collaborating in real time and discussing real world experiences that enrich the overall learning experience. These technologies allow multiple forms of information to be collected, enriched, and delivered in ways never possible before, allowing for learning to take place at virtually any time and any place.
Advances in technology are challenging our workforce to become more efficient and competitive, and the organizations that embrace continuous learning and the new technology platforms that deliver it, will work smarter, faster, and more effectively. Now is the time to evolve our training programs to incorporate these exciting new tools to maximize performance and get the greatest return on our training investment.
Norm Willox is CEO of Critical Information Network (CiNet).
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