So… we know that technology has the potential to change the way we provide learning experiences even though some companies have yet to even dip their toe in the water.
The reasons given for this are multiple but often boil down to just not knowing where to start. And I can understand this. There is a multitude of eLearning platforms available, a confusion of LMS platforms on offer, available at all price points but not all doing what you might want. You can spend hundreds and thousands or virtually nothing and still end up with an end product which doesn’t meet the needs of your learners or your business bottom line.
Let’s make it more straightforward for the non-adopters to get a handle on the topic.
The way I see it, you can look at learning methodologies by dividing them into four quadrants, each dependent on the amount of face-to-face or personal contact (or lack of) the trainer has with the learner:
1 Face-to-face, in person interventions : eg.F2F training courses, coaching, action learning sets
2 Voice interventions: eg. Webinars, web conferences, teleconferencing, telephone coaching
3 Written interactions: eg. Online training e-learning packages with tutorial support, distance learning, on line assessments, text messaging, smart ‘phones and apps, social media,gaming
4 Individual learning: Eg Reading, mobile learning, self paced e-learning, video, self-study packs
The first three options have a personal element, even if it is a disembodied ‘tutor’ at a distance whereas the fourth relies completely on self-engagement and the level of self-motivation that goes with it.
OK, you can’t divide up the learning events quite as cleanly as I have done here as there is sometimes an overlap. Certainly, taken at its broadest definition, BLENDED LEARNING (of which I am an ardent fan) combines several of the quadrants to provide the final learning package.
How you pick and choose your methodologies depends on your learning objectives (or should do in my opinion) but having the willingness to step outside the box and go for something a little different, doesn’t.
It depends on just that – “willingness” – and open-mindedness and a spirit of curiosity and examining what really meets the needs of your workforce and listening to what your employees want and investigating how they are already learning off-site and…and…and…..
Thoughts?
Kate
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