Abstract
The key to an organization’s abilities to provide effective training in the 21st century is by infusing technology into their training programs. Before technology infusion can occur, there must be a clear understanding of the dynamics of learning with technology and of the instructional culture of the organization. Developers of effective training programs infuse technology based on four phases—development, integration, implementation, and evaluation. The development phase involves the analysis of the organization, the creation of training goals and objectives, and the design of the training program. The integration phase determines the organization’s technology levels and allows developers and trainers to expedite training methods suitable for particular needs. The implementation phase consists of the actual delivery of the training. The evaluation phase is ongoing through formative evaluation, and it ends with a summative evaluation. Future trends of technology in training show promising models for effective individualized training in virtual environments.
TopIntroduction
With buzzwords such as the “21st century digital economy” and “going global” floating throughout the media outlets, businesses and organizations reassess traditional means of preparing trainees for challenges in this digital age. From communication to providing services, technology has reshaped the business landscape. Traditional means of training are no longer satisfactory nor as effective or efficient when preparing organizations to do business in the current economy. To make training truly effective, businesses and organizations must utilize technology in providing training, but technology infusion into a training program is not a simple matter. It requires an understanding of the role of technology in the learning process and the importance of instructional technology culture of the organization. With this proper understanding, business leaders, designers, developers and trainers can then infuse technology into the training program by going through the phases of development, integration, implementation, and evaluation outlined in this chapter.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Blended Learning: Face-to-face instruction combined with computer-mediated instruction
Asynchronous: Occurring in delayed time, not in real time.
Webinar: An interactive web conferencing seminar conducted among a facilitator and participants.
Digital Native: An individual who has grown up with technology and feels highly comfortable adapting to technology.
Webcast: A multi-media file that is broadcasted through the Internet on-demand or live.
Extranet: An intranet that allows limited public access to an organization’s intranet.
Synchronous: Occurring in real time.
Digital Immigrant: An individual who has not grown up with technology and must adapt and learn to use technology.
Intranet: A limited access network owned by an organization solely for the organization’s use.