If you weren’t using software to train people prior to the pandemic, then you certainly are now. If you didn’t know what micro learning was before the pandemic, then you certainly do now. The word virtual may have referred to things in the far distant future in the past, but now, virtual everything is front and center.

Training in the Digital World

The digital age in which we live has influenced the way we do just about everything. Technology is everywhere and takes many forms. We’re even learning differently. Technology and its devices have transformed how we learn. As a seasoned Learning & Development professional, I’ve experienced firsthand how training has changed over the years. Traditional classroom training where students and trainers would gather in one room still exists (albeit on pause for the pandemic), but the learning professional has many additional options to choose from thanks to technology.

The Challenge is in the Choice

The key is choosing the right technology option for the right situation. We can provide training in many ways. We can teach it live, either in-person or virtually using Microsoft Teams. We can create paper job aids, or we can create digital job aids and send them out to our learners’ smart phones and tablets. Our employees can sit in a classroom to learn, or they can watch training videos on the train riding to and from work. The challenge is knowing when to use technology and how to adapt your content to it. I like to say that content is, and should be, king. The more complex the content, the greater the need for in-person, more hands-on training. If content is simple and straightforward, then why not try micro-learning?

Who are you Training?

Know your audience, right? Who are you are training makes a difference too. New employees today coming out of college have literally grown up with technology, so for them learning online or from a device is more comfortable than people who grew up in a different generation.

Business Constraints

Every business will provide the L & D professional with constraints, i.e. lack of time for training, lack of money for training, and lack of resources for training. So, given your training situation, you need to decide not only what to teach, but how to teach it, within the business constraints that you have. This is where technology comes in to help. If you can’t teach in-person because of the pandemic, then do it online. If you don’t have the time for lengthy classroom instruction, then break lessons up into smaller bites and create some video tutorials. If you have employees spread out worldwide and can’t afford to fly everyone to a central destination anymore, then develop some e Learning classes.

Constant Upskilling

The digital age not only transforms the way we live, work, and learn but it also requires constant upskilling for everyone, especially the Learning and Development professional. We need to keep abreast of all the technology options available to us and use them accordingly to meet ou needs. How you train people now will probably change…. just you wait!