CHART Talks: Innovations in Learning Technology Change Face of Training
February 12, 2017 | 2389 Views
This article first appreared in Hotel Management's January 2017 issue page 38.
View the video on YouTube.
Technology plays a major role in training our staff members today. Our new generation of employees have been exposed to a vast array of technology in their lives and education, and expect that their training at work be at a similar level to hold their interest. These learners are connected in so many ways, however, they are also easily distracted.
Your challenge is to capture and maintain your employees’ attention despite all the diversions they are facing. It is critical to engage the learners and integrate learning technologies in all aspects of your training so they become active learners and embrace the behaviors we are teaching.
How do we capture their attention and maintain it? By using the latest, most advanced technologies. These could include:
- Interactive multi-touch displays
- Modular classroom design
- Wireless portable panels
- High definition PTZ cameras
- Virtual presence robots
- Muscle gesture devises
- Global video conferencing
Utilizing technology can also impact your bottom line and keep your training message consistent across geography. Virtual presence robots, for example, allow you to engage with your learners ‘face to face’ despite being in different cities or even countries. Embracing this new technology provides you with better control of the messaging to your employees.
These technologies are widely-used now, and what is on the horizon is not too distant:
-
5G network – It’s hard to imagine that 5G, the next major phase of mobile telecommunications standards, will likely be here in the next 2 years. This will dramatically change our businesses and how we communicate and reach individuals anywhere in the world.
-
Holograms – The use of these are not only possible,but are increasingly becoming a common training tool used by educational institutions across the globe.
Some tools will be simple and some much more complex, yet they all play a role in making your organizations more competitive. We have to embrace these technologies and determine how to use these to keep our learners engaged and interested.
I encourage you to review your current training tools and resources and evaluate whether they are engaging your learners. Your business, brand, and guest experience depends on it!