Technology and Corporate Training

The definition of technology is broader than most people think. While technology resources are often thought to be digital tools, technology is defined as anything that helps accomplish a task. In the world of corporate training, new technologies become available almost daily. However, uninspired corporate training specialists often obtain as many new digital tools as possible under a misguided belief that if the technology is new and shiny, then certainly it must be more effective.

There is no single tool that solves every problem for corporate trainers; they require a strong background in adult learning pedagogies (e.g. ADDIE, andragogy) and be well-versed in a variety of digital tools. Whether designing e-learning, blended learning, or instructor-led training seminars, the appropriate use of relevant technology is a critical factor.

Recently, I designed several online learning modules to provide asynchronous training for state legislation related to public procurement of goods and services. Because the training was delivered online, I used a popular authoring tool (Articulate) to create the module. However, in order to use the tool effectively, I also required multiple software tools to create the interactions necessary for participants to gain the required knowledge to engage in public procurement.

I also used non-digital tools. I interviewed multiple subject matter experts, I studied legislative code, I used pen and paper and later a word processing tool to outline the course and I used presentation and flow-charting software to create the necessary graphics. For a finishing touch, I sought out training images appropriate for the course in Creative Commons, an open source image database. Combining these traditional and digital technologies resulted in an effective learning solution for state procurement agents while minimizing the overall cost of providing training.

Managing costs related to technology technological advancement is a critical focus for leaders. While technology continues to advance almost daily, the nature of technological advance is slower than most realize. Many new technologies provide only a new veneer for existing technologies. The development of the mechanical pencil provided a new veneer to the existing technology of using lead to write on paper yet it was a true technological breakthrough. Similarly, smartphone technology was not first introduced by Apple. Rather, the first smartphone technology was introduced by IBM in 1992 and was the first technology to meld the functions of a cell phone and a PDA (Tweedie, 2015). Rathar than an example of true technological advance, the iPhone provided a new veneer for an existing technology.