6 Traditional Training Gaps Bridged By Blended Learning Software
You hear a lot about the benefits of JIT, and it can be really helpful. But it’s still a remote device. There’s something to be said for literally having someone hold your hand. Think about a skill you have learned on the computer. Say it was a foreign language or an artistic craft. Reading about techniques and playing with software is fine. But until you actually sit in an art class and draw, you won’t know the value of ‘just doing it’. Blended learning software offers the ideal mix of prep and practice. What are some specific ways it beats exclusive online or offline learning? Here are some of the most notable benefits that blended learning software can bring to your organization.
1. Support In Their Moment Of Need
You could spend years on virtual linguistic sites and get good enough to pass exams and earn a translation job. But, you could walk into that country and spend 5 minutes on the street, conversing in that language. You’d learn so much more. On the other hand, you could be dumped there with no ability to even introduce yourself. It would take much longer to acclimate, and it would hurt a lot, too. Blended learning software merges these facets. It sinks lessons deeper. When you’re in a situation where you freeze, there’s an actual flesh-and-blood person there to guide you and ‘feed you lines’. It’s a powerful tool for assimilation and recall.
2. Risk-Free Real-World Experience
Simulations are touted as the best form of contextual training. But as much as RPG can get your blood flowing, it will never compare to the actual experience. Try to juxtapose it with your favorite car racing game, a few laps of go-karting, and speeding down an empty highway. It’s not even close. Simulations are a dry practice run which ensures you have all the skills you need, at least in theory. You can practice as often as you want. But before you take on your activities ‘live’, you need practical engagement. Blended learning exposes you to tactile thousand-dollar tasks without thousand-dollar risks. It takes you past the intellectual exposure and into tangible engagement, closing your training loop.
3. Collaborative Training Sessions
Usually, individuals frequently overrate in-person group work, because most of it is left to the resident ‘goody-two-shoes’. Collaborating online is more involving. Digital footprints make it easy to see exactly who’s doing what, and who’s doing nothing. So, everyone is forced to do their part. This doesn’t really feel like a joint task, though, since everyone can do their bit and leave. They don’t fully get to work together or exchange ideas. Collaborative training sessions which implement blended learning software facilitate this. On screen, everyone can complete their portion. Then, learners can get together and compile their individual segments into a cohesive whole. It’s the best of both modes.
4. Interactive Learning Modules
Traditional forms of training are, ironically, passive. The fact they involve ‘real people’, as opposed to computer screens, leaves you assuming they’re more engaging. In truth, seminars and workshops are largely cosmetic affairs. Employees slump in their seats, take lots of selfies and live for snack breaks. They’re more focused on after-hours networking than the course itself. For many employees, a workshop is a paid party rather than an online training activity. Blended learning holds off the fun, social aspect, until after knowledge is digitally acquired. You get to practically explore your book-learning, screen-learning really, and then reap the condensed benefits of face-to-face seminars or video-conferences.
5. Multi-Format Training Styles
We often talk about the four modes of learning, text-based, visual, aural, and manual. Online training emphasizes the first 3. You read the instructions, you watch a how-to demo, you listen to step-by-step instructions. The fourth mode is generally restricted to traditional classroom set-ups. Yes, you can run through an online simulation, but it doesn’t have the same effect as physically trying something out. Online learning allows you to pick your preferred mode out of the three. Conventional training set-ups restrict you to the fourth. Both systems are deficient in isolation, but blended learning systems merge them for better results.
6. Enhanced Personalization
Yet, personalization is another traditional gap which blended learning software bridges. You have the power to create a customized training path based on each employee’s goals, skill base, and areas for improvement. Start with a pre-assessment that tests how much they know and what they need to work on. Then, use the data to develop a personal plan of action to address their preferences and gaps. Traditional training often involves a one-size-fits-all approach. Every employee attends the same on-site courses based on changing compliance issues or company policies. New tasks include new ILT training sessions, complete with printed materials and travel expenses. While blended learning software gives you the opportunity to combine face-to-face training tools with personalized support, which addresses the strengths/weaknesses of every team member.
Veteran employees may automatically dismiss online training. Netizens will often swim at the other extreme, swearing by the power or virtualization. In reality, a blended approach is the best. It overcomes old-school barriers and course-corrects digital omissions. You can receive JIT in a tactile way that engages your senses for deeper recall. It offers a non-theoretical context and authentic teamwork. Training is truly interactive, and there’s room to actually learn-by-doing in a way you can’t achieve through simulations. Plus, it offers the benefits of face-to-face training at a fraction of the cost, while overcoming many of its barriers. Win-win!
How is conventional training problematic, and how can the blended learning approach fix it? Is there any way to convince employers blended learning software is the way to go? Download our eBook Blended Learning LMS Buyer's Guide: Tips To Bring The Best Of Both Worlds To Your SMB and discover how to remedy traditional training gaps, leverage your blended learning platform for managing online training, and how to bring the best in your SMB by using a blended learning LMS.
