Learning Tecnologies - Which One is Best?

Blogs, wikis, podcasts or an LMS? Never before has there been such an array of technologies available. How do we decide which of these, if any, will best support our training needs? Which do we use, why, when, where and how?

The answer is quite simple - there is only one technology to use - the RIGHT one! But how do we choose the right one and is one enough? Is it the latest high tech machine that goes ‘Bing!', or could it be as simple as a telephone?

How many times have you heard about the introduction of a technology with great fanfare only to hear no more about it? Spectacular failures have been rampant and one must ask ‘Why?' Some questions come immediately to mind....

Who made the decisions? With whom did they consult? On what basis was this technology chosen? What was the input of those expected to use it?

Making the Decision

I see two levels at which technology decisions are made in an organisation. The first is the initial decision to purchase and have available a particular technology for use by staff. The second is the decision-making process engaged by the staff for each particular training experience. There are a number of issues to be considered and a number of people to be consulted when considering a new technology.

Establish your needs - then choose the technology

Your needs should always dictate which (if any) technology should be used. A common mistake is to start with the technology and then find a use for it. Any technology should be just another delivery tool.

Some questions to ask are: What are my objectives? Do I need to have high-level interaction and the ability to show moving images? And most importantly: Which medium will BEST convey my message?

Look at the range of technologies - don't be seduced by just one

There are a number of technologies that may suit your needs. No single technology is superior to all the others. It's very easy to become entranced by the latest, which has 'flashing lights' and all sorts of 'bells and whistles'.

Look carefully at your needs and objectives. (Do you have needs and objectives? Or are you just buying into technology for the sake of it!)

There are a series of questions to ask here: Do I need sound, colour and/or motion? How available/ accessible is this technology? Will my learners have easy access to it and be comfortable using it? How much does it cost - and how much money do I have?

Include the users in your selection process

If the users don't like the technology they won't use it! It's amazing how many good reasons they will find not to use it. Or they may simply ignore it and go their own way.

I constantly work with organisations that have 'imposed' a technology because the CEO and/or the IT section have decided that 'this is the way to go'. The amount of time that it then takes to change negative attitudes is totally counterproductive. And in some cases, resistance has been so high that the implementation of the technology has failed completely.

Technologists are very good at knowing the technology. They should be part of your team, but remember; they are seeing the technology with a different set of values to you.

Users (both trainers and learners) should be included on the panel that selects any new technology. They know what they need in order to effect learning and can evaluate how a new technology could support and enhance their activities.

Which Will I Choose?

Given that an organisation has made informed decisions about the technologies that are available, you, as a trainer, face the task of incorporating these into your day-to-day training. In order to make informed decisions, it is necessary to understand the technologies - their potential and limitations.

What are the Technologies?

We don't have enough space here to take an in-depth look at the available technologies - I'll do that in future articles. Some of the latest technologies of interest to organisations at the moment are:

Blogs - text, audio and video
Wikis
Audio, web, video conferencing
Audio and video streaming
Podcasts
VoIP eg Skype

Although I have listed each of the above as separate and definable technologies, these boundaries are being blurred and we are seeing a convergence of all onto the one platform.

Characteristics

In order to simplify the process of choosing the right technology, I have allocated each of the technologies a series of characteristics in the table following. These are by no means exhaustive, but may help in making decisions about which technology to use. For example, if you need real-time interaction with sound and vision with a small group you'd be best served by web or video conferencing.

	Motion	Still images	Audio	Text	Synchronous	Asynchronous	Large Group	Small Group
Email				X		X	X	X
Bulletin boards				X		X	X	X
Discussion forums				X		X	X	X
Listservs				X		X	X	X
CDs, DVDs	X	X	X	X		X	X	X
Instant Messaging				X	X			X
Chat				X	X			X
SMS				X		X	X	X
MMS	X	X	X	X		X	X	X
Blogs - text, audio and video	X	X	X	X		X	X	X
Wikis		X		X		X	X	X
Audio conference			X		X		X	X
Web conference	X	X	X	X	X		X	X
Video conference	X		X		X			X
Audio streaming			X			X	X	X
Video streaming	X		X			X	X	X
Podcasts (audio & video)	X	X	X			X	X
VoIP			X		X			X

In Conclusion

We live in an era when technology surrounds us and offers many opportunities. However, exercise your knowledge and understanding of people to provide learning solutions - not technological ones! Wise choice and use of new technology can greatly extend and enhance the learning experience.

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