August 28, 2013 It’s easy for vendors and users to talk e-Learning solutions these days. And, yes, the promise of better learning is out there for many of us to see. Yet, it’s also past time for us to look at the challenges still awaiting those of us committed to better learning for everyone. And, that is because the need for e-Learning technology to catch up with the new learning designs required...
August 26, 2013 If we’re going to make our training initiatives more productive for our organizations, we first have to know what needs to be done. And, to accomplish those goals, it naturally follows that we must plan intelligently. 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...
August 21, 2013 Today, we’re going to focus most of our comments on the unique training requirements faced by process and manufacturing companies. While many of the observations are also applicable to all organizations, process and manufacturing companies rely on in-house skills training as central to their success. Training methods vary widely today — from traditional classroom instruction, with hands-on practice, to the latest in technology-based training options. But, which method is...
August 19, 2013 A few years ago, I was invited to review several e-Learning courses marketed by a Midwestern vendor. This particular vendor had a large number of offerings targeted at many industries. And, their catalog described 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 time! Looking at those...
August 14, 2013 Joining the ever-growing list of effective people who reject “PowerPoint Presentations” as learning or thinking tools, we find the following quote in THE WASHINGTON POST article by Craig Timberg and Jia Lynn Yang: “Jeff Bezos, The Post’s incoming owner, known for a demanding management style at Amazon” — Bezos also has agreed to keep the newspaper’s top executives in place, though they may need to work without a popular...
August 12, 2013 “The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” — Alvin Toffler Toffler and many others have acknowledged that individual learning styles are unique and should be addressed more successfully. Other thinkers have acknowledged that today we live primarily in a “television and gaming learning culture.” People get much more of their information — and...
August 7, 2013 Today, there is too much fascination with authoring software technology. “Do it yourself ! — and, while you’re doing it, do it our way using our latest and greatest PowerPoint conversion software,” is shouted out by almost every e-Learning authoring software vendor. Haven’t we heard that hype before?!? How many wire recorders, beta players, Super 8 cameras, and similar “latest and greatest” tools are languishing in the dust of...
August 5, 2013 At least once a year (and, quarterly if you can muster the staff tine to do it), we should all take an inventory of our training initiatives and objectively evaluate how they meet the following tests: • Have your training initiatives been directly tied to your company’s business objectives? • Have you performed a “cost/benefit” analysis for each of your training programs and, if so, has each contributed positively...