Assignment : Essentials of Training and Development

Submitted to: Sir Sameer

Submitted by: Mahnoor

Chapter # 3: Technology based-training methods

8.1.Technology influence on training and learning:-

Technology Influence on training:
Advances in technology, such as social networking, artificial intelligence, and robotics,
are transforming human resource management. These technologies make training more realistic
and allow employees to choose their work location and time. Social networking facilitates
communication, decentralized decision-making, and collaboration, making it useful for busy
employees. However, some companies are hesitant to embrace social networking due to concerns
about time waste, neglect, or harassment. Others believe the benefits outweigh the risks, trusting
employees to use it productively and developing policies about personal use and etiquette. Social
networking has become an electronic substitute for daydreaming and socializing with co-
workers.

Technology Influence on Learning:

Technology significantly influences learning by enhancing engagement, providing
personalized learning experiences, and increasing access to information and resources. It fosters
collaboration, develops crucial 21st-century skills, and supports diverse learning styles.
However, it's crucial to ensure responsible and effective integration, considering the learner's
needs and the potential for digital divides.

8.2 Training Methods:

1. Computer based training: Computer-based training (CBT) involves the use of a
personal or networked computer for the delivery and access of training programs. CBT
can be synchronous and asynchronous, as well as online, web-based, mobile and distance
learning. CBT is particularly useful when training learners on a specific computer
application, but can also be built to train learners on general knowledge or skills. The
greatest disadvantage of CBT is that it is expensive to develop and deliver, especially for
smaller groups of students. CBT can be more cost efficient when designed to train a
larger number of students.
2. Online Learning: Online learning, which involves interaction with digital technologies,
is a complex and multidimensional ecosystem that occurs across different times, places,
instructional methods, and media types. While few adolescents take fully online courses,
they are intentionally pursuing learning opportunities, both formal and informal. The
diversity of interactions makes it difficult to determine the benefits or harms of online
learning for adolescents. Studies have found mixed results, with some studies showing
negative impacts on math and language arts performance, while others found no
relationship. A multidimensional ecosystem perspective is needed to understand the
benefits and harms of online learning for adolescents.
3. Web based training: Web-based training (WBT), also known as internet-based training
(IBT), eLearning, or online learning, offers flexibility for employees to learn anytime,
anywhere. Nestle used WBT to create 'Omni University' to bridge skills gaps in
marketing, sales, product development, and cross-functional teams. The initiative
received a post-training assessment score of over 70%, enabling each business unit to
incorporate new processes, requirements, and tools, preparing their workforce and
increasing sales.
4. E-learning: E-learning, or electronic learning, is anytime instruction delivered via the
internet or corporate intranet to students and other learners. It allows for a flexible
learning experience, regardless of physical location. Initially, e-learning focused on direct
delivery from a teacher to learner, but it now offers multidirectional communication
using interactive tools, allowing learners to choose how they respond to content and
engage with peers.

8.3 Developing Effective online learning:

It has often been noticed that even the corporate learning strategies that have been
planned with utmost care and consideration fall flat because they have not been appropriately
measured or evaluated. In such cases, how would you come up with an effective online training
strategy that would work wonders for your employees?
1. Define or outline your goals: Yes, this is the most important task of all if you want to
engage your employees in the online training. Irrespective of whether you are doing it
yourself or using any service provider to design the content, having a thorough
understanding of the organizational goals and priorities always helps.
2. Understand the needs of your target audience: This is another crucial factor to be
considered when you want to bring in that engaging factor in your eLearning. You must
be aware that the organizational structure is constantly changing and with that the needs
of your audience. Ask yourself some of these questions: Who are your learners? What is
their job profile? How do they prefer to spend their time? How do they communicate?
What experience do they come with? What is their educational background? And so on.
3. Keep it really simple: At the time of developing your online training, you must ensure
that not only it is simple in terms of its accessibility, but also the subject matter or content
are simple from a comprehension point of view. Of course, you would not like your
learners to lose their interest in the middle of the course.
4. Keep it structured and organized: The content or the subject matter that you plan to
include in the online training course should be structured in a way that it is relevant to the
topic of the course and not to any specific learner. For better user experience and the best
performance, content must be in structured and organized manner. While designing the
course, make sure that the headings and sub headings are written in a way that it is easier
for the learners to understand what they can expect from that particular slide/page or
topic.
5. Ensure that you know and understand the subject matter well: For your learners or
target audience, it will not be very difficult to understand if they find that the course they
are taking contains irrelevant content. While designing, make sure that you only consult
the people who have first-hand knowledge of the topic and will help you create original
content.
6. Make it engaging: Ensure that your online training includes as many interactive
elements as possible. Few ways to make your content more engaging involves
communicating and connecting on various social networking sites, using video and audio
resources, providing your learners with greater control so that they create their own
learning path and decide how they could best use the material provided to them. Another
way could be to share the knowledge that you gained with a wider audience base through
different online platforms, such as forums, blogs, wikis, Google Docs, etc. It would be
also good if you could implement a few elements of gamification in your course, so that
your learners find it easier to grasp the content in a more fun way.
7. Ensure that the course is relevant to the learner needs: Learner engagement is
another crucial factor for an effective online training strategy. To achieve this objective,
explain your employees how after taking this training they should be able to perform their
 regular job roles and responsibilities. As discussed in one of the previous points, when
you keep the content organized, it will help your learners figure out what is relevant for
them.
8. Provide flexibility to your learners: When we talk about flexibility in eLearning, we
think of mobile or tablets which support learning-on-the-go. Since they can be accessed
easily and from any location, it helps engage the learners and affect their learning
outcomes.
9. Provide feedback and other forms of support to the learners: Feedback is crucial for
the learners’ development, and providing it at the right time will only ensure that they
have been able to meet all their learning gaps and improve their learning outcomes.

8.4 Learning Management systems:

An LMS is a software that organizes, implements, and manages online learning
environments. It serves as a centralized library for students to access interactive materials and
assessments, while trainers monitor their progress. LMS helps businesses streamline onboarding
processes, improve training consistency, and achieve measurable ROI. It is designed for
convenient learning anytime, anywhere, and allows administrators to manage user data, organize
content, and automate grading.
Role in Training and Development
1. Training Delivery:
o LMS provides a digital platform where employees can access training materials
such as videos, documents, quizzes, and e-learning modules anytime and
anywhere.
o It supports blended learning (combination of online and in-person training).

2. Training Support:
o Offers interactive features like discussion forums, feedback systems,
assessments, and real-time chats with trainers.
o Helps in monitoring learners' progress, offering reminders and support for
course completion.
3. Training Administration:
o Handles all logistics such as scheduling, enrollment, attendance tracking, and
certification.
o Generates reports and analytics on training effectiveness and learner
performance.
 o Helps HR and managers in identifying skill gaps and planning future training
accordingly.

4. Benefits in Organizational Context

 Efficiency: Automates routine tasks and reduces administrative burden.
 Accessibility: Makes learning available 24/7, supporting continuous learning culture.
 Cost-Effective: Minimizes physical training costs (venues, materials, trainers).
 Scalable: Can be used to train a large number of employees across locations.

Conclusion :

Technology has transformed training by making it more accessible, flexible, and

engaging. Methods like CBT, online learning, e-learning, and LMS allow employees to learn
anytime, anywhere, and support personalized, interactive experiences. An effective online
training strategy requires clear goals, audience understanding, simple and structured content, and
ongoing feedback. Tools like LMS streamline training delivery, support, and administration,
making learning efficient and scalable. In short, technology-based training, when well-planned,
leads to better learning outcomes and supports continuous employee development.