Training

Blended

Today's new simulation software offerings and the availability of rapidly customizable enterprise application courseware make e-learning increasingly practical, affordable, and effective. That said, not all training can or should be delivered by e-learning. Deciding what to train in a classroom and what to provide through e-learning depends upon some up-front, role-based analysis that provides the following critical information about each user group that is to be trained:

		Number of people
		Planned growth and employee turnover rate
		Areas of greatest change
		Employee location
		Computer literacy, reading literacy, and native language
		Complexity of the business and system processes

When analyzing and designing a training solution, it is also important to look at the technical infrastructure (including Internet connection speed) and the internal training resources available within the company. Compliance requirements may also be important factors to consider.

Generally, the e-learning tasks that provide the greatest business benefits and cost savings are those that are less complex, that affect large numbers of users and/or widely dispersed users, and that affect groups of users with high turnover rates. When online task-based simulations are combined with quick-reference cards and FAQ sheets, your company has an on-demand training and support site that keeps performance high and support costs low.

By contrast, complex tasks that affect relatively small numbers of users are most affordably and effectively taught in classroom sessions. As with e-learning, these live classroom training sessions should also be supported by step-by-step instructions, quick-reference cards, and FAQ sheets, all of which can be easily deployed online in HTML or PDF format and integrated into an online learning site. With planning and smart design of online materials, training materials can provide effective on-the-job support, which effectively doubles their value.

By implementing a well-designed, blended learning solution, you can choose the best mode of training for your users, maximize training effectiveness, and minimize the cost of travel and time away from work. And whether developed for hands-on classroom training or self-paced e-learning, all training materials need to be designed to work for both initial training and ongoing on-the-job support.

If your company already has an e-university or learning-management system (LMS), the training materials that are created can be integrated into your company's existing structure. If you don't already have an integrated learning site at your company, begin with a good development toolset and a Web server. By putting all materials online, you also increase availability and make them easier to maintain.

INTELLIGO, Inc. 2450 S. Downing Street | Denver, CO 80210 | Phone: 303.721.1187