| This article describes how investments in
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| | is critical for enhancing learner
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| skill-building training programs are
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| | retention. Without an ample period of
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| usually wasted, and how to implement the
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| | skill reinforcement, an organization's
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| best available options for enhancing
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| | investment in training will not result in
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| learner retention and increasing your
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| | changed behavior patterns.The key is to
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| organization's ROI.The ProblemDo any of
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| | think of training not as an event, but as
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| these challenges sound familiar to you?We
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| | a long-term process. We have found that
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| spent quite a bit of money to train our
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| | the use of virtual classes, conducted in
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| staff, and now 6 months later nobody is
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| | 60-90 minute sessions, provides an
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| using it! Everybody liked the program,
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| | excellent way to economically and
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| and they were positive when they walked
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| | efficiently create reinforcement
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| out the door, but nothing seems to have
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| | opportunities and enhance learner
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| really changed....Our senior leaders are
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| | retention. It also encourages an
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| complaining that we didn't get the
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| | additional element of accountability when
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| results we were after, in spite of the
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| | each participant must report the actions
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| significant investment we made!These
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| | taken on their Development Plan, as
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| scenarios happen all too often today.
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| | created in the classroom.Assessment,
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| There are 3 key reasons why your training
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| | Measurement and the use of a Development
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| investment may be wasted:All skill
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| | PlanNot only do assessment tools provide
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| learning involves physically growing new
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| | excellent resources to measure progress,
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| neural connections in the brain.It takes
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| | they enhance the learner's ability to
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| lots of practice and an extended period
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| | apply new skills and retain knowledge. An
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| of repetition of skills to stimulate this
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| | excellent way to measure improvement is
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| growth and establish these neural
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| | to use a behavior-based pre-test before
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| connections.Improving behavior with new
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| | training, followed by an identical
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| skills means working against habits that
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| | post-test 9 to 12 months later. Knowledge
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| have been ingrained for decades.It sounds
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| | tests assess the wrong thing: what a
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| like a daunting task to overcome these
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| | person knows, rather than what a person
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| hurdles, doesn't it? But today there are
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| | is doing. Multi-source feedback (also
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| new strategies, resources and
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| | known as 360 degree feedback) is the only
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| technologies that can overcome these
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| | way to get an objective assessment of
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| obstacles and really make learning
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| | leader, team and other people skills, all
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| stick.The SolutionIf you perceive
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| | of which are otherwise hard to
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| training not as an event, but as a
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| | measure.3Not only does 360-degree
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| process designed to reinforce behavior
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| | feedback offer an excellent measurement
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| over the long run, you will see long-term
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| | resource, it provides the participant
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| behavior change and increase your ROI
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| | feedback regarding his or her current
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| from learning initiatives. An excellent
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| | strengths and development needs in areas
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| way to do this is with a "blended
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| | targeted during the training program.
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| approach" to learning.About Blended
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| | This helps the participant apply the
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| Learning"Blended Learning" is a term used
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| | learning concepts discussed in the
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| to define the use of multiple learning
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| | classroom, and to create an
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| resources to help learners change
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| | individualized Development Plan to
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| behavior. This includes instructor-led
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| | improve behavior.AccountabilityHolding
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| classes, virtual classes, self-paced
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| | participants accountable increases the
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| instruction, assessment tools, coaching,
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| | chance that they will follow through on
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| on-the-job resources, books, reference
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| | the actions identified to enhance their
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| manuals, and discussion forums. Knowing
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| | performance. When they know they will be
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| how to create well-designed learning
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| | held responsible to show evidence of
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| solutions, using a blended approach, can
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| | improvement, their motivation to work on
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| insure you achieve the objectives you've
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| | performance issues dramatically grows.
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| targeted.Blended learning has become one
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| | When the participant shares his or her
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| of the hottest topics in the learning
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| | Development Plan with the immediate
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| profession. In a recent study, survey
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| | manager, it helps the manager to not only
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| respondents rated blended learning as the
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| | coach the individual where needed, but
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| most effective form of training.1In fact,
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| | hold him or her accountable for following
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| the use of blended learning is projected
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| | though on the plan.Strong, consistent
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| to double in the next couple of years. In
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| | coaching from supervisors and managers is
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| 2004, it comprised 16.1% of training and
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| | the key to bridging the chasm that exists
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| is projected to grow to 29.4% of all
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| | between learning and behavior. Train
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| training by 2006. It was cited as the
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| | leaders to apply the right amount of
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| most effective type of training by 78.5%
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| | accountability and support to their
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| of respondents in the 2004 survey,
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| | direct reports to ensure that transfer
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| followed by instructor-led and on-the-job
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| | takes place. Include a 360-degree
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| training. It was also cited as the most
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| | feedback process to enhance the
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| efficient form of training.The amount of
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| | likelihood that supervisors are applying
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| online learning used over the next 2-3
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| | what they've learned.4SummaryThe bad news
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| years is also expected to double. Our
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| | is that it's extremely hard to improve
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| experience has shown there are 2
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| | performance when less effective behaviors
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| approaches to e-learning that will
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| | have been ingrained for years. The good
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| significantly enhance learner retention
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| | news is that it CAN be done when:The
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| and provide a high ROI, as follows:Online
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| | problem is identified (typically through
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| Instructor-led Training. This is also
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| | a 360 degree feedback diagnostic)A
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| known as a Virtual Classroom. Online,
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| | targeted training program is
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| Self-Paced Training. Moving from
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| | providedLearning is reinforced over
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| instructor-led classroom instruction to
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| | timeThe individual is held accountable
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| self-paced online instruction and virtual
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| | for improvementThe primary viewpoint
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| classroom delivery was frequently
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| | needed is to view training not as an
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| mentioned as the key to:2increasing the
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| | event, but as a process of ongoing
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| ration of employees to learning staff
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| | learning and follow-up.Susan Cullen is
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| members by up to 40%reducing travel costs
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| | President of Quantum Learning Solutions,
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| by as much as 80 percentreduced time away
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| | Inc. in Princeton, New Jersey. She has
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| from the jobincreased usage of learning
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| | implemented successful blended learning
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| assetsintegrating learning with job tasks
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| | approaches worldwide with Fortune 500
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| This indicates that not only is a blended
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| | companies and smaller organizations. For
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| learning approach a more productive
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| | additional information, contact
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| learning experience, it is also more
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| | 800-683-0681 or visit Blended Learning
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| cost-effective for the organization. One
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| | Survey, 2004, conducted by the American
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| key element of reduced cost is the
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| | Society of Training & Development and
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| reduction of travel costs and time out of
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| | Balance Learning2 ASTD 2004 State of the
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| the office.The Importance of
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| | Industry Report, published by the
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| Reinforcement and an Ongoing Learning
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| | American Society of Training and
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| ProcessIn addition to the use of multiple
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| | Development3 2005, Dennis E. Coates,
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| learning delivery options, the use of
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| | Ph.D.
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| reinforcement and ongoing "touch points"
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