The world as we know it today is constantly changing. Everyday something new and mind-blowing is reported in the news, and with the takeover social media has had on our lives – new ideas and trends are more easily shared than ever.
This has an impact on training and assessment worldwide. It is important that trainers and training courses adapt with the changing world, to incorporate new fleeting trends into programs – ensuring that the relativeness of learning is maintained.
This can be hard, however, the following techniques are examples of such trends, which make efficient use of budgets and can be incorporated into the training of employees to have a real impact on the bottom line.
Rich Media –
A common theory among learning is that of ‘Learning Types’. This is the idea that different people learn more efficiently through different learning styles such as visual and auditory. A recent rejection of this idea is the concept that everyone is a better learner when audio and visual ques are combined.
Rich media training programs are sure to bring about increased positive outcomes from training and assessment as trainee engagement is more encouraged. Incorporation of relevant video and animated graphics into training programs alongside well thought out storylines/audio explanations will engage trainees more effectively than any other basic form.
Personalisation –
Personalising the training experience is another trend that can be used to positively influence training courses. Companies such as Amazon.com have provided personalised experiences based around content to successfully sell and promote their products. This model can be translated into the training sector.
Incorporating a personal experience into training can boost engagement by helping employees see what they’ve done correctly, what they need to focus on and finally information on their overall position. By giving employees a sense of control over their learning process, they become more engaged and motivated to undertake the process and produce future results.
Bite-Sized, Non Linear Education –
With employees often busy with multiple duties and on the go, bite sized training programs are crucial to ensure that trainees remain focused on the training task at hand. An example of efficient bite sized and non-linear education would be teaching five specific concepts in five minutes (5-in-5) in multiple formats. If carried out effectively, this type of education can efficiently meet training goals whilst at the same time ensuring that employees still have time to complete other tasks.
Integration of Mobile into Existing Programs –
With digitaltrends.com estimating that there are roughly 6 Billion active cell phones worldwide and with the exponential increase in tablet sales, mobile learning is becoming more and more relevant and worthwhile in incorporating into training assessment and courses. Resistance to adopt the mobile medium was known to exist for sometime, however recently this barrier has been broken and thus it is vital trainers incorporate this trend into their programs. Whether training is entirely mobile friendly or whether mobile devices are used to augment existing training. Incorporation of this technology is sure to encourage employees to become involved, and is also tied in with the limited time available to today’s employees.
In conclusion, all of these trends share the common attributes of revitalising ways to communicate with and educate internal and external populations. All have been adopted in training courses worldwide and therefore should be considered by trainers to create shorter, more engaging and accessible learning experiences in order to motivate employees and bring about increased productivity!
If you’re looking to incorporate some or all of these trends into your training course why not invest in a TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training & Assessment? This acclaimed course is a sure fire way to ensure that your training techniques are up to date and incorporating the latest trends.