Chapter Eight

Technology-Based
Training Methods
 Objectives
O Explain how new technologies are
influencing training

O Evaluate a Web-based training site

O Explain how learning and transfer of

training are enhanced by using new training
technologies

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Objectives
O Explain the strengths and limitations of e-
learning, mobile technology training
methods (such as iPads), and simulations

O Explain the different types of social media

and the conditions conducive to their use
for training

O Describe to a manager the various types of

distance learning

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Objectives
O Recommend what should be included in an
electronic performance support system

O Compare and contrast the strengths and

weaknesses of traditional training methods
versus those of technology-based training
methods

O Identify and explain the benefits of learning

management systems

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 A Few Statistics
O 15% of training hours are delivered in a
virtual classroom; 29% are delivered online
O 39% of learning hours involve technology-
based training methods
O 79% of companies are using learning
management systems
O 36% of large companies deliver training
online, compared to 28% of small
companies
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Technologys Influence
O Employees have greater control over when
and where they receive training
O Employees have greater access to
knowledge and expert systems
O The use of avatars, virtual reality, and
simulations make training real
O Employees can choose the media they like
best
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Technologys Influence
O The administration of training can be
conducted electronically

O Training accomplishments can be easily

monitored

O Training can be easily delivered to trainees

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Technology-Based Methods
Mobile Blended
E-Learning Webcasts Podcasts
Learning Learning

Distance Social Shared

Wikis RSS Feeds
Learning Media Workspaces

Discussion Adaptive
Blogs Microblogs MOOCs
Boards Training

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Technology Facilitates
Collaboration
O Digital collaboration can be synchronous or
asynchronous
o Synchronous communication refers to
trainers, experts, and learners interacting
live and in real time
o Asynchronous communication refers to
non-real time interactionslearners
access information and resources when
they desire them
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Dynamic Learning
O Greater interaction between learners and
content, trainers, and other learners
O Trainers serving more as resources and
coaches
O Experts and resources becoming a part of
the learning environment
O More training via social media
O More training via games and exercises

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Features of Online Learning
O Contentcontent may include text, video,
graphics, and sound

O Collaboration and sharingcollaboration

and sharing can help reinforce content

O Links to resourcesaccess to other training

methods and electronic performance
support

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Features of Online Learning
O Learner controlleaners can control what,
when, how, and with whom they learn
O

O Deliverydelivery may include internet,

intranet, distance learning, and CD-ROM
O Administrationonline administration of
enrollment, monitoring, and trainee
progress

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Online Effectiveness
O Online is more effective than face-to-face
for declarative knowledge
O Online and classroom are equally effective
for procedural knowledge
O Learners are equally satisfied with online
and classroom instruction
O Online is better than classroom when
theres learner control, practice, and
feedback
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Online Effectiveness
O Online is better than classroom for long
courses
O Online and classroom are equally effective
when similar methods are used
O Trainees who benefit most are those who
devote more time
O Online learning is not effective for learners
with low technology self-efficacy

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Needs Assessment
O Evaluate if the organization has the
technological infrastructure to deliver
training, provide learning resources, and
offer technical support

O Assess if trainees possess the skills for

online learning

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Rapid Prototyping
O Rapid prototyping could be used to design
a program

O Refers to an iterative process where initial

design ideas are proposed and provided in
rough form in an online working prototype
o The prototype is then reviewed and
refined

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Refrain from Repurposing
O Trainers should avoid repurposing

O Repurposing refers to directly translating a

face-to-face program to an online format

O Repurposing will likely result in ineffective

training

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Create a Learning Environment
O Include visuals and text
O Explain complex visuals with audio or text,
rather than by both
O Omit extraneous visuals, words, and sounds
O Engage learners through conversational
language agents
O Explain key concepts prior to full instruction

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Create a Learning Environment
O Provide prompts for self-regulation
O Provide content in short sequences
O Connect modules to engage learners
O Provide exercises that parallel the work
environment
O Distribute exercises within and among
modules
O Provide explanations to responses on
quizzes and exercises
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Learner Control
O Do not allow trainees to control the amount
of feedback they receive

O Provide practice repeatedly using different

high fidelity examples

O Allow trainees to control the sequence to

receive instruction but not to skip

O Prompt self-regulation

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Time & Space
O Ensure employees are given time and space
for online learning

O Managers need to give employees time in

their schedules for training, and employees
need to schedule training time away from
distractions

O Employees should not be required to fit

online learning into already busy schedules
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 MOOCs
O Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are
courses designed to enroll large number of
learners, which are free and accessible to
anyone with internet access

O More companies are working with MOOC

providers to design custom courses

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Advantages of MOOCs
O Low cost, accessible, and diverse topics
O Engaging short lectures combined with
interaction
O Emphasize application using role plays,
cases, and projects
O Learning is semi-synchronous
O Many offer college credit and certificates of
completion

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Limitations of MOOCs
O Participation tends to drop off after two
weeks
O Completion rates are low, and most
students who do complete courses do not
take the credential exam
O May not be appropriate for courses where
synchronous collaboration is needed

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Social Media
O Social media take many forms:

Networking
Shared
Sites Microblogs Wikis
Blogs Media
(Facebook, (Twitter) (Wikipedia)
(YouTube)
LinkedIn)

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Social Media
O Social media can be useful for:
o providing links to resources
o determining training needs with tagging
o reinforcing and sustaining learning
o coaching and mentoring
o linking learners
o engaging younger employees
o providing content before a face-to-face
learning event

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Blended Learning

Technology-
Traditional
Based
Methods
Methods

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Blended Learning
O Blended learning combines online learning,
face-to-face instruction, and other methods

O Offers the positive features of face-to-face

instruction and technology-based delivery,
while minimizing the negative features of
each

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Blended Learning
O In comparison to pure classroom learning,
blended learning:
o provides increased learner control
o allows for self-directedness
o requires learners to take more
responsibility
o is better for teaching declarative
knowledge or information

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Blended Learning
O In comparison to pure technology-based
learning, blended learning:
o provides more face-to-face social
interaction
o ensures that instruction is presented in a
dedicated learning environment
o provides live feedback, which is
preferable to feedback received online

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Food for Thought
Interestingly, trainees prefer classroom
instruction to blended learning,
perhaps because blended courses may
be more demanding.

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 The Flipped Classroom
O The flipped classroom is a popular
application of blended learning

O The classroom is designed for interaction

and application; lecturing occurs online

O Instructional content is delivered online and

activities, including those that may have
traditionally been considered homework,
are moved to the classroom

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Games & Simulations
O Branching storytrainees are presented
with a story, make decisions, and progress
based on decisions
O Interactive spreadsheettrainees are given
a set of business tools and make decisions
O Game-basedtrainees play a video game
O Virtualtrainees interact with a computer
representative of the job

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Games
O Consider the following when designing games:
o What is the business objective?
o What behavior or tasks will be learned?
o How many levels and players?
o Will everyone have access to the same
technology?
o Is the game fun and engaging?
o Does the game provide feedback and
leaderboards, meters, or badges?

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Advantages of Simulations
O There is no need for a centralized training
location
O There is meaningful and engaging content
O They provide a consistent message
O They can safely put employees in situations
that would otherwise be dangerous
O They can yield positive outcomes in a shorter
amount of time

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Limitations of Simulations
O High development costs

O Absence of human contact

O Difficulty for first-time users

O May not be taken seriously by all learners

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Mobile Technology &
Learning
O It is an easy way to communicate up-to-date
information to employees
O It can be useful for enhancing transfer by
providing follow-up
O It brings training to employees who are
mobile
O Learners can complete training on their own
time and pace
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Adaptive Training
O Training that customizes content based on a
trainees learning style, ability, personality, or
performance
O Adaptations include variety, difficulty, and
sequencing of content and practice
O Instruction changes based on trainees scores
on assessments completed before training or
throughout training

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Distance Learning
O Distance learning is used by geographically
dispersed companies and features two-way
communications between people
O Involves teleconferencing and individualized,
computer-based training
O Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) uses
satellite technology to broadcast and allows
trainees to respond to questions using a
keypad
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Distance Learning
O Guidelines for developing a virtual classroom:
o test technology before the first class
o design short modules and assignments
o make learning interactive and interesting
o include media such as video and audio
o limit classroom size to 25 or less
o offer learners multiple ways of interacting
with others

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Technology for Training Support
O Technological support is needed when:
o performance is infrequent
o the task is time-consuming and difficult
o the consequences of error are severe
o information and procedures frequently
change
o employee turnover is high
o little time and few resources for training
o employees are responsible for their
learning and performance
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Expert Systems
O Expert systems organize and apply the
knowledge of experts to specific problems

O Used when problems and decisions exceed an

employees current skill set

O Help employees make sense of different

conditions and keep track of tasks to be
completed

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Expert Systems
O Expert systems have three elements:
o a knowledge base that includes facts,
figures, and rules
o a decision-making capability that draws
conclusions from this information to solve
problems
o a user interface that gathers and gives
information to the user

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Electronic Performance
Support Systems
O An EPSS is an electronic infrastructure that
captures, stores, and distributes knowledge
throughout an organization
o Enhances performance in the fastest time
possible with minimal support from others
O Includes all software needed to support work,
beyond one or two applications

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Learning Management
Systems
O LMSs are technology platforms that automate
the administration, development, and delivery
of all a companys training programs

O LMSs centralize the management of learning

activities, track regulatory compliance,
measure training usage, assess employee
performance, and determine training needs

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Whats Best?
O Simulations, games, and adaptive training are
suited for complex processes
O Online training and MOOCs are suited for
facts, figures, cognitive strategies, and
interpersonal skills
O If realistic, online training and simulations can
be useful for interpersonal skills
O Mobile learning is best suited for facts
O Mobile learning and social media are best
used as supplements to live training
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 When Should Technology
be Used?
O There is an adequate budget and resources
O Trainees are geographically dispersed and
travel costs would be high
O Trainees are comfortable with technology
O Use of new technology fits into the
organizational culture or business strategy
O Employees would have a difficult time
attending traditional training
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.