Training and development are critical factors in organisational success in an environment where knowledge and technology are constantly growing and evolving. Smart businesses invest in employee training and development to improve job performance, productivity, and morale—all of which can have a positive impact on an organization’s bottom line.
The Importance of Technology in Education
Employee professional development is critical for a company to retain clients, remain competitive, and maintain a firm grasp on company goals. The Association for Training and Development discovered in 2011 that American businesses spent approximately $156 billion on employee training, but when employees returned to their jobs, 90 percent of the skills they had acquired were lost. Only 10% of the information was retained due to a lack of ongoing follow-up and consistent reinforcement of significant testing. Technological advancements in the last decade have provided new corporate training capabilities, and while many’stand-and-deliver’ methods can be exhausting and tedious for employees, technology is bringing corporate learning to life. New instructional methods necessitate the use of specialised instructors, particularly those who are technologically savvy.
Employee Engagement is Increased by Interactive Technology
Interaction with others and relevant material is one of the pillars of basic learning, so why shouldn’t training include real-world, hands-on interaction? The game of learning is changing thanks to interactive technology, and the benefits for corporate training are enormous.
Although lecture-style training is not always the best method of corporate education, the incorporation of various types of technology is proving beneficial to corporate learning.
– Video conferencing systems enable instructors to reach a large, often remote audience. Skype, the popular video conferencing platform, had 663 million registered users by the end of 2010, and instructors in both the educational and corporate sectors have found it to be an excellent alternative to traditional face-to-face meetings. With the introduction of GoToMeeting in 2004, business took video conferencing to a new level, offering the words “Work with anyone, anywhere,” and using the same foundation, GoToTraining was founded in 2010. Video conferencing enables one-on-one meetings as easily as group meetings, and this type of technology has expanded the reach of corporate training.
– Everyone enjoys playing games, so incorporating game play technology into training is a great way to engage employees during training while also increasing their knowledge retention afterward. Interactive games, which can be played on a variety of devices (including laptops or television consoles, and which incorporate more advanced technologies such as augmented reality eyewear or true-to-life simulators), can leave a lasting impression on employees. Training games have been shown to provide faster and easier instruction delivery, higher test scores and long-term retention, and overall consistency in instructional quality. As an added benefit, interactive games are significantly less expensive in terms of materials and curriculum.