USING TECHNOLOGY FOR COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING

THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY

According to a 2007 American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) State of the Industry report:

The use of technology-based training increased to 30.28 percent in 2006, up from 11.47 percent in 2001. Nearly 40 percent of Bench Marking Forum (BMF)

organizations said they used technology-based training.

Nearly 36 percent of the BEST (determined by enterprise-wide success as a result of employee learning and development) organizations said they used technology-based training.

The average direct expenditure for training, per employee, was $1,040, or 2.33 percent of payroll.

The second most covered training content was IT and systems skills.

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ASTD: BEST TECHNOLOGY PERFORMANCE INITIATIVES

Technology is being used in organizations to:

Create communities of practice and facilitate collaboration.

Develop knowledge management systems.

Develop online documentation systems.

Provide easy access to standards and manuals.

Reduce training costs.

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STAYING UP-TO-DATEStaying up-to-date with instructional and communication technology is important.

Technology reduces the cost of training and/or the cost and time required to travel to training events.

Distributed training provides professional development for all employees, thereby supporting commitment to employee growth. It can also shorten the time required to bring a new employee up to speed in an organization.

Technology such as training via simulation reduces wear and tear on equipment and improves time to efficiency.

The use of technology for instruction and communication can increase an organization’s ability to share information quickly and efficiently, and to stay current in their particular field.

Technology allows for rapid content development and easy updating. User-generated documents allow subject matter experts (SMEs) to develop content that is more exact and designed from experience.

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STAYING UP-TO-DATE: PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS CAN HELP

American Society of Training and Development (ASTD); http://www.astd.org.

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); http://www.shrm.org.

Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT); http://www.aect.org.

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE); http://www.iste.org.

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STAYING UP-TO-DATE

American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE); http://www.aaace.org.

EDUCAUSE: Transforming Education Through Information Technologies; http://www.educause.edu.

Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education; http://www.aace.org.

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HOW TO STAY UP-TO-DATE: READ!

Refereed or research journals: TechTrends (AECT). Journal of eLearning. Educational Technology, Research and Development

(AECT). American Journal of Distance Education. EDUCAUSE Review (EDUCAUSE). Training and Development (ASTD).

Free Journals: Technology and Learning. T.H.E., Technology in Higher Education. Campus Technology. eLearn.

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WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO STAY UP-TO-DATE?

Reflection

Outline an action plan you can use stay current on the latest technology. Include: Organizations to investigate. Journals to read. Workshops/trainings to attend. Topics to learn more about.

Keep this action plan for your own professional development.

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INSTRUCTIONAL AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Two-way communication on the Internet, also known as Web 2.0, has increased the number of options we have for communication and delivery of instruction.

There are two ways of communication: synchronous and asynchronous. Communication that is immediate is synchronous. Communication that is delayed (such as email) is asynchronous.

What kinds of technology do you commonly use for communication?

What kinds of technology do you commonly use for learning?

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SYNCHRONOUS VS. ASYNCHRONOUS

Synchronous: Occurs at the same time and allows for immediate communication.

Asynchronous: Occurs at different times and allows for time to think, reflect, and gain additional information before responding.

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SYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION

Interactive Video:Live two-way audio and video. Runs on the Internet. Point-to-point or multi-point (Polycom). Requires camera, microphone and high-speed Internet. Allows for up to 30 simultaneous connections. http://www.polycom.com/usa/en/home/index.html

Voice Over IP (VOIP): Internet telephone. Requires installation (free) and headset. A camera is optional. Allows for up to 10 simultaneous video; unlimited audio only.Skype is an example: http://www.skype.com 11

ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONPodcasts:

One-way communication to disperse information, recorded audio and/or video. Information is stored on a streaming server (I-tunes) and is downloadable for later use. Requires a handheld or computer, speakers or headphones. Anyone with the link can view. Examples are viewable at http://podcast.com.

Blogs:Two-way communication which allows for sharing of text, digital images or video. Requires a computer and speakers if audio is used. Can be closed or open to public. Examples viewable at http://blogger.com.

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ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION

Wikis:Wikis can be used as knowledge management tools. They can store definitions, documents, training videos, company policies, and more. Google Docs: http://docs.google.com Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/main_page Pmwiki (download and host): http://www.pmwiki.org Web-based wiki services:

Pbwiki: http://www.pbwiki.com Social text: http://www.socialtext.com;

http://www.atlassian.com

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BOTH

Webinars:Provide one-way video and two-way audio. These are typically viewed live but can be saved and streamed for one-way delivery of information. Examples related to classroom

technology are viewable at http://www.campustechnology.com/mcv/resources/webinars/

Learning Management Systems:Typically provide many services; asynchronous includes discussion (similar to a blog), email. Content areas include text, audio, video, etc.

Blackboard: http://www.blackboard.com. Open Source: http://opensource.org.

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OTHER TECHNOLOGY

Capture tools: Capture live instruction for later distribution,

either streaming or in a package. Adobe’s Captivate: http://www.adobe.com/products Camtasia: http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp

Aggregators: These are management tools with which the user

sets parameters and the aggregator will pull together information from multiple sources to one location for reading. http://www.newsonfeeds.com/faq/aggregators

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OTHER TECHNOLOGYSocial bookmarking:

Users save links to web pages that they want to remember and/or share. These bookmarks can be saved privately, shared with specified people or groups, shared inside intranets, or another combination of public and private domain. Examples: http://docs.google.com, http://www.popfly.com.

Second Life:A virtual world where individuals create their own avatar and can then travel around in the world communicating with others who are present. Example: http://secondlife.com.

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ADVANTAGES OF USING TECHNOLOGY FOR COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING

Advantages:1. Most technology allows for direct sharing

of information.2. Many technologies provide a permanent

or storable record of information shared.3. Information can be retrieved and

reviewed again.4. It can increase communication and

productivity.5. It can reduce training costs.

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DISADVANTAGES OF USING TECHNOLOGY FOR COMMUNICATION AND TRAINING

Disadvantages:1. Indirect communication can result in

misunderstanding.2. Challenges for synchronous communication

includes reaching people in different time zones. 3. Technology and support costs can be significant

depending on the skills of the individuals who will be participating.

4. Copyright questions can arise as to who owns the materials you create, and permission to use other’s work.

5. Technology problems can interrupt communication.

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COMPANIES AND PRODUCTS

Brainstorm companies and products available.

If you were to evaluate a technology, what information would you need to research?

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ACTIVITY

Select a company or product. Research the following information and summarize it in a one-page, report. Share it in the space below, but detail the following information:

Company or product Description; common uses Contact information Cost Limitations on participation Support provided Advantages and disadvantages

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