This project has been very interesting for me, as I am in the midst of an organization that is very fond of its static traditions. The majority of our courses are still taught via platform instruction, with a live instructor standing in front of a class full of live(?) students using PowerPoint. There is some movement forward, however: the use of Centra software to conduct synchronous courses over the Intranet, as well as the use of BlackBoard for some of the standard mandated training courses is a small step forwards. The evolution from VHS tapes to DVDs represents a step sideways, as many of these are recordings of guest speakers who cannot be present, but whose presentation has been taped at some time in the past. It's still a talking head, but just at a slightly higher resolution. Sigh.
The evolution from the old computer-based training that gave us the term "page-turners" still lives, with the advent of web-based training courses that do the same thing, but also include some Captivate demos and Flash sequences just to liven things up. Still static. Still boring.
We also invested a huge sum of money into our video-conferencing network. Not only have there always been reliability issues with this system, but the quality still isn't that good, and the end result is slightly better than no training at all, but it can result in a frustrating experience for both instructor and students, It's fine for short meetings, but it isn't the best option for classes, but since we bought it, we must justify its continued existence by using it (the self-fulfilling prophesy of technology).
In almost all of our classrooms, the whiteboards have been either replaced, or are now supplemented by a SmartBoard (TM). As a student whose eyesight is not what it was 25 years ago, I find them hard to read, and when used as a display for PowerPoint, they are particularly challenging to me as they are very difficult to read, and complex diagrams are illegible. These devices replaced front projection systems that were much easier to read, although they were much more tempermental to use. The only read advantage is that they don't involve the use of smelly markers and don't have to be cleaned using vile substances whose odors linger in the room for at least 24 hours after the whiteboards are cleaned.
For the future, there is hope: a few weeks ago I attended a technology demonstration of a product called KZO (the company is called KZOInnovations http://www.kzoinnovations.com/ ). Their product represents the best combination of semi-static to dynamic products I've seen to date: they begin with an archive of videos, all of which have been indexed and cross-referenced for searchability. Users can request either an entire video clip, or just a specific portion thereof for viewing. If it is a presentation, the product supports a sychronous connection to visual products like PowerPoint or other images. Static so far, but here's where it gets good: KZO supports a text chat option that allows viewers to post questions about the video they've seen to the point of contact for that video. Unless otherwise specified, this becomes part of the permanent record of the video clip. Users can also add their own observations and comments, building a wiki for this item. Almost dynamic...or at least a good start!
Several major corporations use this product for their employee training activities, as standard content can be created for employees to access when it is convenient for them to do so from their desktops or homes. Once completed, the product transfers the record of completion to the Learning Management System used by the organization. For those of us in the training world who have to occasionally produce mandated training for large numbers of people and keep records, this is a VERY COOL feature!
I've recommended that we take a good look at this product and we are scheduling a demonstration in-house for later in the Spring. I see this as also a tool for the delivery of asynchronous training, and could be used in conjunction with Centra courses as well as independantly.
In addition to adding collaboration and multimedia tools, I am also looking at incorporating serious games, simulations, visualizations, and even virtual worlds to our training mix. Doing this with no budget and a staff of one is a bit of a challenge...however, I've asked for additional support and have developed a roadmap and business plan for integrating these new technologies, and so far no-one has told me "NO" nor have they said other discouraging words...I've learned that that is what passes for tacit support, so I am moving forward with several ideas that will incorporate games and simulations. Once one is done and in use, I predict that demand will spike as everyone sees it and wants that (or something similar) for their courses. That is how evolution happens in my workplace: motivated by greed and envy rather than by vision and creativity. Oh, well...it may be dysfunctional, but it's home.
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