A Tweet

Hi Joe, “I’m eating some “killer” cheesecake at the new XYZ restaurant that just opened on Main Street.  The food’s delish, you’ve gotta try it!”

Ralph

Welcome to the world of social networking! What exactly is social networking? Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. – these are all internet-based tools used to communicate with people. They have become the standard means of sharing our lives – the joys, the sorrows, the funny times, as well as the ordinary occurrences of life – with others.

But we’re trainers, so the question we need to ask ourselves is, “How can we use social networking to enhance our training?”

Research shows that as much as 80% of job learning occurs informally. While the traditional classroom will never fade away, we need to think of how we can blend other devices that will meet the needs of a new, and yes, younger workforce.

Let’s look at three examples of how social networking can be used before and after training:

1. Send an email, with a discussion board, to a group of learners before a class, asking them what their main goal(s) is for the class. This information can be invaluable for both the designer and the facilitator when it comes to customizing the program to meet the needs of the learners. This will also motivate the class in advance.
2. Create an internal corporate LinkedIn account for those who took a training program. The participants can share best practices and discuss how they are using what they learned in class back on the job.
3. With the rapid retirement of the baby-boomer generation impacting corporations, it is critical to tap into the expertise of tenured employees before they retire. To avoid this “brain drain” set up a company-wide Facebook account where employees can share experience and best work practices. Create a topic a week and provide incentives for people to contribute. Creating a learning organization where people share valuable knowledge and experience, must become part of a company’s culture.

See how easy, yet powerful, these examples are? Try some social networking yourself – and share your experiences with the rest of us. As Mikey, from the Life cereals TV commercials would say, “Try it, you’ll like it.”

Ooops, gotta go, I feel another tweet coming on…

Ralph

Phase I:  Planning & Analysis

E-learning, like any training strategy, takes time and money to build. You either build it yourself or you hire a consulting firm to build it for you. Before you spend money on any e-learning project, it is wise to do some advance research. If you understand, and apply, the planning and analysis steps in instructional design, your e-learning will:

• Meet a legitimate business need.
• Stay on time and on budget.
• Include content targeted appropriately for your audience.
• Contain only relevant content for your learners.
• Produce desired performance outcomes.

Phase II: Design & Development

Depending on your learning goals and circumstances, e-learning can be more cost-effective than traditional classroom methods. How do you guarantee that e-learning will save money and meet your learning objectives? Start with good design. If you understand, and apply, formal design and development steps, your e-learning will:

• Be the appropriate strategy to use to teach your content.
• Contain assessment tests to measure knowledge, skill, and retention.
• Be structured properly to maximize learning success.
• Include feedback mechanisms and any additional job aids.

Phase III: Validation & Evaluation

e-Learning is no different from other methods of training in that it needs to be validated and evaluated. Does the e-learning course need any final revisions before implementation? Are the employees performing their jobs effectively after completing the e-learning course? If you understand, and apply, formal design validation and evaluation steps, your e-learning will:

• Incorporate Adult Learning Principles in its design.
• Be targeted to the appropriate experience level of your learner population.
• Run properly without any typographical or grammatical errors.
• Enable you to evaluate your training effectiveness.

So pull that design manual off the shelf or take a workshop to learn the basics of design and then enjoy playing with your new e-learning toys!

Lynne

Yes, they’re here!  Gen X and Gen Y in the classroom. This, and many other incidents like this, have lead me to find the answer to the following question: “Do the Adult Learning Principles we use, developed by Malcolm Knowles in the ’70’s, still apply today?”

A quick recap of some of the adult learning principles reminds us that adult learners:

• Want to control their own learning.
• Need to know why.
• Want to see the relevance and the benefit in what they are learning.
• Want to participate.
• Have a strong need to maintain their self esteem.
• Do not want their time wasted.

So which of the above principles are still relevant today?

ALL OF THEM! The Gen X’ers and Gen Y’s that I know might even have a stronger need for those principles. They want the “need to know” and they want it now! Don’t single them out or embarrass them in front of peers and don’t waste their time with “busy-work.” So, I guess what I am saying is, we don’t need to recreate the wheel. As training professionals let’s continue to design and deliver training following the principles of adult learning and let’s recognize the learning preferences of a new generation of employees in the work force.

“So what should we do differently?” you ask, to meet the learning needs of Gen X and Gen Y.

First, be aware that their best learning time is afternoon and into the evening, so you may not get their best work in an 8:00 a.m. class. They also prefer flexibility when it comes to scheduling training. If possible, provide the option of two half days of instruction instead of one full day. The younger generations love access to information – years of surfing the net have shown them how to find what they need. Maybe we should be teaching them where to find information rather than giving it to them. Gen X and Gen Y prefer a trial-and-error approach to problem solving rather than a rules-based approach. Look for opportunities to give them a problem and let them figure it out. They will use their multi-tasking skills to discover the answer, find efficiencies, and save time.

Although strongly independent, Gen X’ers want continuous feedback; always ensure they are aware of how they are doing. They have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and will invest in themselves over the organization. Ensure they know what’s in it for them when they are in a training session.

A strong interest in cultural diversity ensures Gen Y’s participation in collaboration and community. In training, strive to have a blended learning approach where they can email, text, and be involved in online learning communities.

There is no doubt that the new generations of learners will challenge the skills of instructional designers and classroom trainers.  I have a feeling (actually, it’s “more than a feeling”) that by continuing to apply Malcolm Knowles’s adult learning principles and making adjustments in our delivery methods we can meet the needs of Gen X and Gen Y.

Oh by the way, just around the corner are the Millennials, so “keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel.”

Langevin Team