(With inputs from Nilesh Vani, Executive Vice President, Aptech Learning Services)
Blended Training
With so many factors conspiring against the instructor, how could we have effective training in organizations?
In his classic 1954 article, The Science of Learning and the Art of Teaching, B.F. Skinner—the father of operant conditioning—described the conditions of the typical classroom as particularly adverse to learning. A single teacher cannot individually and appropriately reinforce thirty or more students at the same time. He proposed the “Teaching Machine”, which has today blossomed into eLearning. Is there a space for the human teacher in a Webbed world? Yes, according to John Dewey’s experiential learning “Toolbox”. Dewey averred that learning was driven by the learner’s sense of disequilibrium (cognitive dissonance) when confronted with new experiences and ideas rather than by reinforcement. He believed that traditional reinforcement of information only led to superficial learning. The educator is responsible for creating learning events in which the learner is presented with problematic situations which he/she would be motivated to solve by learning.
So, how do we strike the balance? Through a two-tiered L&D program:
- Tier 1: Delivery of knowledge-level programs through eLearning
- Tier 2: Delivery of skill- and attitude-level programs through ILT
In this approach, the “what is what” of the competency is first delivered via eLearning—CBT or WBT. Next, the “how to” of the competency is delivered via ILT. The overlap is the judicious balance called Blended Training (BLT). This way, both the learners and the instructor retain their motivation on the learning process. And all stakeholders achieve their ROI.
An Optimal Solution
In the Technology Age, eLearning has fundamentally changed the way corporate L&D departments perceive returns from learning investments. Better fiscal prudence due to tighter budgets has compelled many an L&D manager to take the long-term view on recovering learning costs, which is a key strength of eLearning. In the industry whitepaper released in August 2007 by The Training Associates, the CEO Victor J. Melfa states,
The largest single expense for training organizations is the cost of instructors, both full-time staff instructors and contract instructors.
Victor has astutely noted that,
In addition to the total salary of a trainer, all direct and indirect overhead costs attributable to the trainer must be added to obtain his or her true total cost.
The image comparing the cost-time correlation between CBT/ WBT and ILT showcases the quintessential fact about eLearning—long-term ROI realization. Naturally, smart L&D managers tend to make the obvious choice.
Using modern authoring techniques, well-designed eLearning programs could even enable skill/ competency training. Typically, such programs have content, supported by technology, as the backbone of the training. Here, the recommended learning components include:
- Assessments/ Evaluations - Pre and Post, Formative and Summative
- Immersion/ Experiences - Scenarios, Case Studies
- Exercises/ Activities – Quiz and Practice, Scoring and Certification
In these programs, the trainer is the “coach” who facilitates learners to make the most of the content to enhance their competencies and thereby performance. And, that’s the real deal!
