Learning expectations and training techniques have undergone a sea change in recent times. The student/trainee expects to learn within the shortest time and at an affordable cost. It is this challenge that trainers and coaches have to meet. Has this gap been bridged?
We need to examine what type of training and learning techniques are available now to comprehend the above question.
Technology has enabled trainers to enhance the delivery method which reaches students easily and effectively, both in terms of efficiency and cost. Several new methods have been innovated, which aim to meet the expectations of the students.
Communication with students is now more effective. We can now communicate through audio, video, e-mails, blogs, youtube, social media etc. Computers are extensively used not only as a medium of learning but also in examinations.
Forward thinking trainers are finding other interactive tools to enrich the learning experience.
- Google maps are used to teach various disciplines like history, geography and even literature.
- Google Lit Trips is a site developed by an English teacher, Jerome Burg that experiments with teaching literature through maps.
- Juicy Geography is a site where educators can share ideas and resources that typically pertain to issues of geography, earth science or technology.
- Google Earth is being used for teaching biology, and also physics.
- Skype and Team viewer are extensively used in several virtual class situations, they been highly successful particularly in teaching music.
Complex computational modeling and simulations have become almost a fundamental necessity, even in disciplines such as finance and accounting. Courses like CPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountant) have a paper which tests the ability of a student through the use of advanced Excel. Hence teaching models also have to be modeled to suit the requirements of today.
Students need to multi-task to be able to move across assignments and teams with ease. This is essential because most professional courses test the skills of students in the application of principles, rather than testing only the student’s understanding of the theory. Through discussions in forums created on the website of some trainers, students can share their real life experiences, which broadens their understanding of the practical applicability in a given circumstance.
Here is where technology has enabled trainers to provide students with an array of learning techniques that support and enhance their skills. The use of audio/video content, mobile phones, notepads and podcasts are becoming increasingly popular. Downloadable e-books are now the norm rather than printed books – think about how many forests are now being saved!
Several virtual classroom softwares are used by trainers and students, making classes almost 24x 7. A student can choose any time at his convenience. Trainers are also using social media to connect with each other, share ideas, and find the best instruction tools and practices.
While live classroom lectures are still popular, they are not sufficient to meet the needs of the students in this fast world. One study says roughly 80% of all learners today prefer correspondence style learning, which we commonly refer to as “online learning” or “distance education.” The biggest advantage of online learning is that assignments can be accessed anytime and anywhere that is convenient for the learner. ELearning supplements are now a basic need of a student.
However, exclusive eLearning has its disadvantages as students feel isolated from an instructor and classmates. Certain complex topics definitely need the guidance of an instructor. Also, learners lacking discipline may fall behind in their studies/training.
Hence a marriage between traditional face-to-face live classroom lectures along with online support is the current trend and is known as blended learning. This is now a hot word in the training domain. It’s referred to as different things — reverse teaching, flip teaching, backwards classroom, or reverse instruction.
Blended learning tries to eliminate the inadequacies in traditional live lectures and utilizes the benefits of self-paced online e-learning. Thus the student has the opportunity to undergo a whole new gamut in his learning experience.
Blended learning has the following merits:
- Subsequent to a live lecture, a revision through eLearning assists the student in recapitulating the topic with much ease, while it is still fresh in his/her mind.
- The live classroom actually extends further through a virtual classroom.
- The trainee can choose his/her own convenient time for further revisions, this helps in absorbing the live training more effectively.
- It is cost effective due to reduced commuting time.
Still there are critics who term blended learning as rather a knowledge delivery technique and coin it as blended training. According to the critics, it is only a delivery tool to help the training industry, but whether the student is actually making use of it or not is a big question. It means the effectiveness of blended learning depends wholly on the student/trainee himself.
Therefore, they point out that blended training is not a learning technique, but a training strategy. There could be some truth in it but it does not merit much deliberation considering the merits.
Whatever be the merits or demerits of this system, there is no doubt blended learning has indeed emerged as the top knowledge learning technique in the present times. In the US alone, the Government is planning to spend US$ 30 million to take blended learning to 400 schools across the country.
However, training providers need to create blended eLearning by including practical situations which a trainer has gained through his/her own practical real life experiences and incorporate them in the content. This will therefore improve the quality of blended learning and therefore enhance the performance of a student/trainee.
