By Robert Rosell, President, Quality Media Resource
After years of experimentation and great expectations, e-learning has both opened new avenues for training delivery and disappointed many of us. Despite the great multimedia potential of the Internet, most e-learning programs have remained text-based and rather dull. There is, however, a way to blend a proven, engaging training technology with new delivery options without breaking your budget or putting people to sleep. It's called Streamed Learning.
Why Streamed Learning?
As the training function continues to evolve, more and more organizations are discovering the simplicity and effectiveness of Streamed Learning - a combination of streamed video (as widely used on popular online sites like You Tube) and learning management tools.
Video has long proven itself to be a powerful and effective tool in the learning process. What makes video such an enduring and popular training resource?
- The dramatic impact of a well-made video stimulates thinking and discussion on important topics
- Video dramatizations are an effective way to present relevant examples of the subject being discussed
- Content experts with national stature can be brought into your workgroup at an affordable cost through the video medium
- Video works for both auditory and visual learners making it more effective for many people (and more interesting) than simple text-based learning
- Video can be customized to meet the individual needs of your organization
- You can use a complete video program or license clips that best meet your needs
- Video is a cost-effective training tool that can deliver a consistent message to a large number of employees
- Video works well as an element in a blended learning approach
With the development of computer networks, and especially the Internet, it has become much easier to deliver video to anyone’s desktop or laptop computer anywhere in the world. This is done over an organization’s internal network (intranet) which resides inside the firewall, or over the Internet.
There are a variety of formats for streamed media, with the most popular currently being Windows Media Player, Flash Streamed Media, or QuickTime files. Streamed Learning can be delivered in any streaming format.
Many Streamed Learning producers (including QMR) provide you with a post-test, certificate of completion and other resources to enhance your training and measure its effectiveness. You can also get reports to help you keep track of which employees have viewed a program, when they viewed it, what score they received on a post-test, if they printed a certificate of course completion, etc.
Finally, Streamed Learning is flexible - easily blending with other training approaches to enhance the learning experience.
Text-based learning may work well for certain applications. But when you are trying to motivate employees or change behavior (as with training on leadership, coaching, mentoring, diversity, communications, ethics or harassment prevention for example), there's no substitute for the dramatic impact of rich media. Streamed Learning allows you to easily integrate these more dynamic training tools into your curriculum.
Streamed Learning: Why Bring It to Your Organization?
