Computer based training is becoming more of the norm in human resources as more organizations move to an asychronous training strategy vs. face to face synchronous learning.
There are many factors to consider when it comes to computer based training, and probably one of the most important is ensuring that the technical requirements of the programs or services you are using are met by the end user.
Recently, I was working with a client who I am training remotely on using Mac OS X. We had three very excellent sessions remotely, but our most recent one hit a stumbling block. It turned out that he had an older operating system than I, as well as a different version of iTunes and iPhone software. I'll be visiting him onsite to remedy these issues and continue our remote learning arrangement in two weeks.
Prior to initating any remote learning or training task, its important to make sure that the technical requirements and needs are up-to-date. In this case, because the training was going so well, we didn't discover that the software wasn't the same until late in the game. What could have prevented this from happening in the first place was conducting an on-site visit first to assess what the learner had for technical tools and software.
While costly, sometimes training well does require an initial on-site visit to assess what the learners need. In lieu of that, sending along a list of requirements ahead of time can prevent a situation like this from occuring in the first place.
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