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"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." ~Toffler
So, what about your employees? Are they "learning, unlearning, and relearning"? Learning and Development is an exciting and evolving field, and as technology and our understanding of adult learning theory exponentially increases, so do our opportunities to better educate our work force.
To view a few of the ways you could incorporate technology and adult learning theory into your organization, feel free to choose a tab at the top of this page and look around. I've supplied examples of various kinds of computer based training modules, assessments and presentations that I've created in the past using tools such as Adobe Captivate, Camtasia Suite, Techsmith's SnagIt, and Articulate, to name a few. Hopefully, these examples will provide you with a sampling of my software and development skills and perhaps inspire a few ideas in your organization.
Keep in mind, however, that Instructional Designers and Technical Writers must not only be experts in advanced software and writing skills, which are the mainstays of their craft, but also in the art of extracting information in a palatable and team building manner. While championing the virtues of documented processes and metrics based training design, they must also be sensitive to the team's goals and deadlines. They should work to build relationships of trust with their subject matter experts, so that each team member has no doubt that if his valuable time is taken or her expertise sought, the answers provided will be used and given serious weight. This fact is why relationship building and teamwork is a skill you should scrutinize before hiring any Technical Writer or Instructional Designer; writers and designers do not work within a vacuum. They are part of a greater team at large.
And, just as it is for the team at large, sound project management practices are what make a learning and performance project successful. Requirements of learning and performance deliverables must be thoroughly scoped and carefully documented, so that scope creep or insufficient definition does not cause project delays. The purpose and audience of a training program must be carefully considered and when appropriate, both pre and post metrics must be gathered to document whether the desired change in behavior was achieved. In the case of written materials, the audience must be clearly defined, the delivery mode established, plans to accommodate updates and changes considered. This preparation and thought at the beginning of a project is what makes us successful at the end of a project.
Through deep understanding of adult learning theory, thorough requirement gathering and detailed definition of the project goal and client expectations, creative and impactful projects are designed and implemented, and they're done on schedule, within budget and above expectations - the goal of any good Instructional Designer or Technical Writer.
So, what about your employees? Are they "learning, unlearning, and relearning"? Learning and Development is an exciting and evolving field, and as technology and our understanding of adult learning theory exponentially increases, so do our opportunities to better educate our work force.
To view a few of the ways you could incorporate technology and adult learning theory into your organization, feel free to choose a tab at the top of this page and look around. I've supplied examples of various kinds of computer based training modules, assessments and presentations that I've created in the past using tools such as Adobe Captivate, Camtasia Suite, Techsmith's SnagIt, and Articulate, to name a few. Hopefully, these examples will provide you with a sampling of my software and development skills and perhaps inspire a few ideas in your organization.
Keep in mind, however, that Instructional Designers and Technical Writers must not only be experts in advanced software and writing skills, which are the mainstays of their craft, but also in the art of extracting information in a palatable and team building manner. While championing the virtues of documented processes and metrics based training design, they must also be sensitive to the team's goals and deadlines. They should work to build relationships of trust with their subject matter experts, so that each team member has no doubt that if his valuable time is taken or her expertise sought, the answers provided will be used and given serious weight. This fact is why relationship building and teamwork is a skill you should scrutinize before hiring any Technical Writer or Instructional Designer; writers and designers do not work within a vacuum. They are part of a greater team at large.
And, just as it is for the team at large, sound project management practices are what make a learning and performance project successful. Requirements of learning and performance deliverables must be thoroughly scoped and carefully documented, so that scope creep or insufficient definition does not cause project delays. The purpose and audience of a training program must be carefully considered and when appropriate, both pre and post metrics must be gathered to document whether the desired change in behavior was achieved. In the case of written materials, the audience must be clearly defined, the delivery mode established, plans to accommodate updates and changes considered. This preparation and thought at the beginning of a project is what makes us successful at the end of a project.
Through deep understanding of adult learning theory, thorough requirement gathering and detailed definition of the project goal and client expectations, creative and impactful projects are designed and implemented, and they're done on schedule, within budget and above expectations - the goal of any good Instructional Designer or Technical Writer.
