Employee training can be a time and resource-intensive undertaking,
albeit a necessary one. For many organizations, training programs are
developed by employees from all levels of the company. This is not only
an appropriate use of the talents and expertise of a workforce, it is
also an excellent way to promote buy-in on new initiatives or methods,
a way to increase morale in those given the opportunity to effect the
direction of an organization through their instruction efforts.
Challenges associated with using employees as training content
developers and instructors can be accommodating different worksites and
shifts. Conducting multiple training sessions can result in lost
productivity for the employee instructor and perhaps overtime expenses.
In addition, once the program has been fully rolled out to all
employees, the content is often lost in a matter of months. New
employees will not have the benefit of those programs that have come
before their tenure with a company.
A
High-Tech Solution
One option available to organizations is to develop computer-based
multi-media training tools. Far more dynamic and capable than mere
presentation tools such as PowerPoint, these solutions allow students
to move at their own pace, take quizzes as they progress through the
lessons, take comprehension tests, solve sample problems, and even
interact with an instructor via e-mail. These software solutions were
developed as tools to allow teachers of primary grades to college level
to create on-line classes to be delivered via intranet or by the
Internet.
Creating employee training curriculum via computer allows employees to
complete a given class when and where their work situation allows.
These programs are also easily repeatable at any time they are called
for, whether a new shift of a dozen people are hired at once or a
single new part-time employee is added.
Increasingly,
people
world-wide are recognizing the Internet as a viable tool for gaining
instruction and knowledge on almost any topic.
Internet delivered course offerings are now a part of most university
catalogs, and there are a growing number of highly respected
institutions that deliver most of their direct instruction through
web-based course management platforms.
Creating employee training curriculum via computer multi-media
presentation programs allows employees to
complete a given class when and where their work situation allows.
These programs are also easily repeatable at any time they are called
for, whether a new shift of a dozen people are hired at once or a
single new part-time employee is added.
Moodle
One of the more powerful methods of creating web-based courses is
through the software platform Moodle. Moodle is designed to help
educators create online courses with opportunities for rich
interaction. Its open source license and modular design means that a
large number of talented programmers have worked to refine the program
and add remarkable functionality.
It also means that the software program is free for all to use. Gotta
love opensource!
The Moodle list of
current users includes an impressive number of accredited
universities, k-12 schools, technical institutions, and a large number
of businesses who are offering any number of informational courses,
tutorials, continuing education programs, and industry certifications.
Moodle is set up to allow significant customization and is easy to use
once you master the courseware management platform.
So What's The Green Business
Angle?
Moodle is a model of efficiency. The software is free and the resulting
training programs are delivered electronically. That means less
employee travel, less waste of resources in the form of energy, and
employee time--not to mention all the reams of paper that are usually
printed and then discarded for a typical employee training class.
You can download the most current version of Moodle by doing a simple
Google search for the name.
