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Distance Ed-- How do you determine the technology?
Training & Organizational Development
Distance Ed-- How do you determine the technology?
A forum for exchanging ideas about skills training, leadership training, management training, compliance training, e-learning, as well as organizational development and effectiveness.
Do you have a method or reason for selecting a particlar technology for distance learning, i.e. online, video conferencing,interactive satellite TV? Or do you just use whatever you happen to have or t
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Forums  »  Topic Forums  »  Training & Organizational Development  »  Distance Ed-- How do you determine the technology?

Distance Ed-- How do you determine the technology?

posted at 3/19/2008 6:06 AM EDT
Posts: 79
First: 3/19/2008
Last: 10/15/2009
Do you have a method or reason for selecting a particlar technology for distance learning, i.e. online, video conferencing,interactive satellite TV? Or do you just use whatever you happen to have or think of?

Specifically, I am researching DL technologies for a federal leadership training organization, and they want to have a method of determing the best or most appropriate technology for particular content areas, prefeably based on research. There is a LOT of research comparing tradidtional classroom to distance, but not much comparing different DL technologies.

If you have any thoughts or know of any research please let me know. What do you do in your organization? Thanks!

Distance Ed-- How do you determine the technology?

posted at 3/25/2008 9:29 PM EDT
Posts: 108
First: 4/15/2007
Last: 8/17/2009
Hello annree. I cant quickly put my finger on any research. Im quite practical, so if I were to make a decision procedure, Id assess these six factors in the decision making process.

Cost budget available versus cost of delivery method

Availability ease of purchase of delivery method in local area

Technological Constraints bandwidth constraints, serviceability of equipment, ease of use

Target Audience technological and language literacy, degree of comfort with delivery method

Andragogical benefit need for collaboration versus two-way communication versus one-way communication; asynchronous versus synchronous

Reusability opportunity to use delivery method for future training

Im sure there are other criteria that you could also apply. Whatever criteria you apply, you could weight them and put them in a Kepner-Tregoe type decision matrix.

For leadership training, Im skeptical that you can determine the one best method for each content area. What I mean is that I dont think it helps to split the course up into its separate content pieces, determine the best method for each piece and then assemble the course from these pieces. I prefer taking a more holistic approach. What you do in one segment of the course will depend on what you have done previously and what you will do next.

For example, getting participants to co-operate in constructing an online wiki might be appropriate for segments C, F and K. But if the participants seem to be doing the wiki thing for a large part of their time, this will diminish its andragogical benefit.

I know that I have not answered your question; however, I hope that I have helped in some way.

Les Allan
Author: From Training to Enhanced Workplace Performance
Business Performance Pty Ltd
http://www.businessperform.com

Distance Ed-- How do you determine the technology?

posted at 3/26/2008 6:18 AM EDT
Posts: 79
First: 3/19/2008
Last: 10/15/2009
Thanks Les, your reply is very helpful. I hadn't thought of using a decision matrix but that approach is a good idea. I think my client has in mind something more complicated than we need, so I plan to give them a report laying out a valid methodology to use, general enough to be useful in the long term.

Thanks, and I may have more questions,
Ann

Forums » Topic Forums » Training & Organizational Development » Distance Ed-- How do you determine the technology?

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