Blended Learning: A Budget-Friendly Corporate Training Solution
Roundtable Learning
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Blended learning combines the best aspects of different training modalities and allows them to culminate into a dynamic learning experience. This comprehensive approach to training is all about offering flexible learning paths. Ineffective training methods are still a barrier for many organizations, partially because it’s difficult to teach anything just one way. Rather than shoehorning learners to one type of learning path, organizations are finding a cost-effective way to adopt innovative and learner-centric training solutions with blended learning.
Blended learning is a strategy that combines multiple training modalities to increase retention and accessibility of learning objectives. Instead of trying to force everyone to learn the same way, you can give them interpersonal, presentational, and immersive experiences that leave a lasting impact on their knowledge base. By combining in-person and digital training, blended learning effectively caters to different learning styles. Instead of the same old song and dance, it’s a learning journey that is twice as engaging.
MODALITIES IN BLENDED LEARNING
The learning process isn’t linear. Luckily, there is a diverse range of training options available to meet the needs of the modern workforce. Instructor-led training (ILT), eLearning, Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) each offer unique benefits as individual training modalities. As the world of XR training booms with innovation, organizations are finding that by combining complementary modalities, blended learning models focus on enhancing learning experiences.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is a go-to resource for workplace performance support. AR programs allow learners to be present in the real world while enhancing their learning experience with digital elements. By bridging skill gaps in real-time during the flow of work, AR helps learners troubleshoot any task at hand independently. Best of all, organizations can save big by utilizing a highly scalable learning solution. In recent news, wearable AR glasses with eye and hand tracking are making a lasting impression in the world of XR training.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality training allows learners to practice and hone their skills in a safe, controlled environment. Once they put on a VR headset, they are fully immersed in a virtual world that can replicate anything from a bustling warehouse to a conference table. VR can simulate worst-case scenarios that connect learners to the reality of their roles and allow them to practice mitigating risks. Exceptional for onboarding and safety training, VR allows learners to get the experience they need while eliminating safety hazards and reducing time to proficiency.
eLearning
With interactive knowledge checks and reliable scalability, eLearning modules provide information on foundational concepts to learners at their own pace. eLearning courses can be taken by one or a million people at the same time. Now, that’s true scalability! eLearning courses are fundamental training experiences that can be enhanced by hands-on modules that follow information-rich training.
Instructor Led Training
For many learners, collaboration is key. Instructor-Led Training naturally fosters a collaborative learning process between instructors and their trainees. ILT enables learners to ask complex questions throughout the learning process, resolving any ambiguity with in-person learning support. It’s a classic way of giving employees an opportunity to learn from the experts. ILT is simpler than other modalities to develop, but scaling is limited by the amount of instructors available to train.
While each of these modalities has strengths to showcase, depending on your training topic, certain modalities can synthesize and produce the right learning outcomes. Blended learning places learning objectives where they are best taught and retained.
Blended learning models can mix ILT with AR, eLearning with VR, and more, facilitating online courses, virtual classrooms, and hands-on workshops. Selecting the right modalities for a blended learning program is a crucial part of the planning process. The right mix of modalities will optimize your learning practices by pairing foundational information with active learning experiences. The key is to harness the power of immersive technology for specific learning reinforcement. Let’s dive into a real-world example!
HOW BLENDED LEARNING WORKS
Blended Learning is a unique way to combine different modalities and enrich learning experiences with the right amount of foundational learning and experiential learning.
Let’s take a standard fire extinguisher lesson, for example. While most people are vaguely familiar with how to operate a fire extinguisher, without the help of visual instructions or in-person instruction, how prepared would your employees be to respond to a fire? Imagine how many physical fire extinguishers your organization would need to train your entire workforce.
Let’s paint the picture of what fire extinguisher training looks like in a blended learning model.
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Imagine the relief once your workforce has the right experience under their belt! By blending ILT, eLearning, and VR together, you can feel more confident than ever that your team truly has the knowledge to put out a fire and can trust they’ll do it in the fastest and safest way possible. Every second counts!
CUTTING COSTS WITH BLENDED LEARNING
So, how much will this cost you? The good news is that a blended learning program is likely more affordable than your current training initiatives. According to Training Industry’s L&D survey, nearly a quarter of L&D professionals said that they’d like to invest in upgrading learning technologies. Here’s where blended learning can make the most out of any budget.
By implementing a blended learning model, organizations find smart ways to use time and resources efficiently, saving them thousands. Organizations that utilize the benefits of blended learning are selective about what content belongs in immersive learning solutions like VR. By utilizing virtual or augmented reality where it’s needed, ILT and eLearning can offer foundational support as your dynamic training program helps your workforce meet their learning objectives.
Flexibility
Flexible learning paths require a flexible learning model, and blended learning accommodates different learning needs. The training model’s strength is in flexibility, as it reaches more learners by giving them multiple opportunities to learn and practice their skills. By incorporating scalable XR learning solutions into a blended learning model, organizations reduce the time it takes to prepare their employees. Blended learning programs highlight different learning pathways as a flexible learning model and save organizations invaluable time!
Blended Learning’s Scalability
By incorporating digital learning into your traditional training model, learning opportunities expand. Because of its scalability, blended learning is a budget-friendly enterprise training solution. Blended learning takes the stress off expansion because it presents clear objectives that can be taught asynchronously across multiple modalities. Organizations are using blended learning to cut costs by consulting with learning experts and being selective about what content belongs in immersive learning solutions like VR.
Saving Long-Term With Blended Learning
Blended learning is a strategic investment for organizations looking to save long-term costs. Blended learning programs help organizations save over time by reducing safety incidents and user malfunctions that involve expensive equipment and company resources. By integrating various training methods, blended learning ensures that employees are prepared for real-world scenarios. This comprehensive approach to learning reduces accidents and operational disruptions that can quickly become costly.
By reducing the expenses that come with in-person training with scalable learning solutions, blended learning models modernize training programs with the right amount of interactive, experiential, and digital learning. Blended learning programs work best for safety, soft skills, and technical skills. Blended learning programs are completely customized to learner and organizational needs – gamification, microlearning, and many other learning strategies make sure that learning objectives fit together where they should.
Blended learning’s caveat is the challenge of matching your learning objectives with the right modality. In order for immersive technologies like AR and VR to be successful in a blended learning solution, it’s important to remove heavy content or text that is better suited for traditional modalities. By applying a strong instructional design that focuses on the user experience, organizations are more likely to see strong learning outcomes.
BLENDED LEARNING FOR BETTER TRAINING OUTCOMES
Blended learning offers enhanced scalability and flexibility, which reduces training costs and improves employee performance and preparedness. Are you ready for better training outcomes?
Stay competitive! Implement a blended learning program today to meet the evolving needs of your workforce in 2024. Blended digital and in-person training methods offer a cost-effective and flexible approach that can benefit organizations by saving money while improving learning outcomes and employee engagement.