Delivering training can be like delivering the punchline to a joke: Deliver it well and you leave the audience laughing and wanting more. Deliver it poorly, and folks start heading for the exit (mentally, physically, or both).
Indeed, some 35 percent of employees say they mentally check out of online workplace training, according to the Kahoot! Workplace Culture report, which surveyed 1,635 U.S. workers employed in companies with 250-plus employees.
And a recent SHRM research report showed that more than 1 in 10 employees are dissatisfied with the training they receive.
That’s probably because training often still involves static PowerPoints, clunky software, or long reading materials, notes Andrew Scivally, co-founder and CEO, ELB Learning.
Plus, today’s learners are easily distracted by their smartphones and the constant barrage of social media and other informational updates. In other words, it’s not so easy to hold employees’ attention these days when it comes to training—even (and maybe especially) when using those very devices for training!
It can be challenging to figure out the best delivery method for various training courses. Whatfix offers some tips to consider when trying to determine the most effective modality:
- Cater delivery methods to the aim of the training. You might choose different methods for learning intricate hard skills vs. new approaches to communication.
- Keep your audience in mind. Who is being trained and what are their needs?
- Consider the timeline: How quickly do employees need to acquire a particular skill or knowledge?
Delivery Tools and Tips
This month’s issue takes a look at a variety of training delivery tools and methods, from virtual reality (VR) and other immersive technologies to digital whiteboard tools, practice activities, and personality assessments (we’ll tackle ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence technologies in the September issue).
Tom Pizer, director of Learning Technologies at GP Strategies, explores the 5 main sticking points that often pop up when trying to implement a VR learning experience and ways to overcome them. He learned from early pilots that VR was more effective as an assessment or capstone activity for other more traditional learning deployments than standard assessments. “The VR component allows learners to put all their new skills into practice in one comprehensive simulation,” he notes.
Scivally points to Fendi, which uses a VR tool that allows users to create their own scenarios with a 360-degree video to learn how to prevent shoplifting. Since implementation, Fendi conquered its goal of reducing thefts by 55 percent.
KeepWOL’s game-centric talent development platform uses live multiplayer Web-based games, artificial intelligence technology, and end-to-end learning integration to understand employees, improve soft skills, build inclusive teams, and revitalize corporate culture. KeepWOL founder and CEO Lauren Fitzpatrick Shanks provides a case study on how a multinational pharma company built a connected learning ecosystem through play.
And Heather Shen, co-founder and chief product officer at Praxis Labs looks at how learning in immersive environments can empower learners to better understand different perspectives, fostering empathy, effective human skills, and inclusivity.
But it’s also crucial to include human feedback in any technology-based training strategy, cautions Brian Tuite, CEO and co-founder at Zenarate. He also notes that collaborative learning is necessary to help learners feel more connected.
In that vein, digital whiteboards can provide an interactive environment for idea creation and collaboration, says Bucky Dodd, Ph.D., chief executive officer and principal consultant at ClearKinetic. In “Using Digital Whiteboard Tools to Level Up Training Experiences,” he offers a practical starting point for training leaders who want to expand their toolkit for planning and facilitating training experiences.
TechLearn: Where Learning Empowers Technology
Talking about collaboration, join us in New Orleans for our TechLearn 2023 Conference as we work together to design and deliver training even better. Built for collaboration, networking, and learning, the conference offers:
- 35+ Innovations in Training Test Kitchen demos and labs
- 56 breakout sessions
- 8 hands-on clinics
- 2 thought-provoking keynotes: Learn from theoretical neuroscientist, inventor, and author Dr. Vivienne Ming and Ann Yoachim, director of Tulane School of Architecture’s Small Center for Collaborative Design
- 3 New Orleans experiences (ghost tour, river cruise, and craft cocktail tastings) + a dine around mixer
- 4 pre-conference certificate programs
- 1 co-located event: GamiCon NOLA
Download a brochure to learn more and click here to register by July 14 as you’ll get an automatic $300 discount on the TechLearn Conference with the Early Bird Rate.
What Methods Are You Using?
I’d love to hear about some of the tools and delivery methods you are using (or planning to use) in training. Please click here to participate in our 2023 Training Industry Report Survey and share your insights. You’ll be entered into a random drawing for a chance to win one of two great prizes: a free Training 2024 Conferenceregistration ($1,995 value) Feb. 26-28, 2024, in Orlando, or 1 of 2 AMEX $50 gift cards.
Please also vote by JUNE 15 for the training tools and solutions you find to be most effective for our 2023 Training Magazine Network Choice Awards: https://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/choice_awards/2023
Gap Analysis
Looking to identify potential training delivery or technology gaps in your organization? Apply for our Training APEX Awards, which recognize excellence in employee training and development. ALL Training APEX Awards applicants receive a feedback report and qualitative scorecard and are offered the opportunity to have a call with me to go over their results and identify potential areas for improvement. To download the 2024 application and the qualitative and quantitative scoring guidelines and find additional information (including answers to frequently asked questions), please visit:
I’m happy to answer any and all questions throughout the application process up until the deadline of September 5—just call (516.524.3504) or e-mail me (lorri@trainingmag.com).
As they say in show business: It’s all in the delivery!