Training Videos Aren’t the Only Answer
By Abbie O’Dell
As a learning leader, one of the most common requests I receive is for short, targeted content that is readily accessible online or in video format. In our industry we are always looking for ways to drive innovation and increase productivity, and getting critical information into the hands of our employees as quickly as possible helps keep us moving forward. We experience this firsthand when we encounter situations outside of work where problem solving is required. Need to find out how to change the blade on your lawn mower? Gone are the days of tinkering with it or referring to the user manual. Instead, most of us get online and do a quick search, scanning through videos and forum posts, seeking the shortest path to the answer we need.
In the world of training and learning, this type of activity is known as informal learning, where the person in need of the information seeks out the answers themselves in an unstructured, self-directed way. Informal learning activities are initiated by the learner themselves, resulting from a practical need to perform a task. Formal learning, conversely, is characterized by structured learning experiences such as classroom training, webinars, or e-learning courses. Most learners report that they gain the majority of their expertise through these types of informal activities, yet paradoxically organizations typically invest their resources in the formal learning space (Cross, 2007).
In the quest for speed and productivity, many organizations are beginning to investigate methods to strategically employ informal learning methods in the workplace. Conceptually, this is similar to how our industry has embraced the model for self-installation of broadband services. Rather than having to wait for a scheduled (formal) installation experience, we give our customers resources and tools to take matters into their own hands, allowing them to get connected quickly and easily with little intervention from us. Informal learning proposes a similar model whereby we empower our learners to solve problems and find information when they need it, whether out in the field using a mobile device at a customer’s premise, or in a call center from a desktop. It offers organizations the possibility of greater productivity and faster problem solving, by putting resources in the hands of our frontline employees and enabling resolution of issues through self-direction.
The Impact on Learning
Creating short, online training content certainly offers significant potential, but it is not a panacea for the needs of our learners or our organizations. Studies of cognition have begun to investigate the impacts to attention span and learners’ ability to retain new information, relative to their use of technology. The way we experience the Internet builds patterns for us in how we find information (and how we subsequently think about what we’ve learned) by training our brains to receive inputs from multiple sources and quickly switch between tasks. While this helps us increase our rhythm and pace, it also has been found to disrupt our ability to process new information in a way that helps it crystallize in our memory. (Greenfield, 2015; Ross-Gordon et al, 2017). We have developed ways to process large amounts of information more quickly, but at a much shallower level, and studies are finding a decrease in evaluation, analyzing, and decision making (Greenfield, 2015). Faster intake and processing of information sacrifices overall comprehension of the new material, and learners who engage in multitasking during the learning experience perform more poorly on tests of cognition (Ross-Gordon et al, 2017).
Conflicting Priorities
This potential loss of depth in understanding presents a challenge in our fast-paced and technology-rich industry. Whether troubleshooting at a customer’s home, maintaining our plant, or handling complex customer issues over the phone, our frontline employees encounter a wide array of ever-changing situations that require creative approaches and critical thinking. Quick access to information at the time of need can help solve predictable or common problems, but may not prepare employees for the unique challenges they encounter.
One solution is to introduce tools and technology that help automate the problem solving process, simplifying tasks like diagnosing signal impairments through the creation of sophisticated telemetry tools that can boil down information to a simple green checkmark or red x. Through use of these types of tools, organizations have been able to streamline and simplify tasks that previously required extensive technical expertise. While this approach also has undeniable benefits, recent studies on behaviors of airline pilots and autopilot systems indicate that a reliance on automation and artificial intelligence can dull our own responses to complex situations, and cause us to actually lose skills and knowledge (Carr, 2013). Over-reliance on automation tools risks creating a culture where we lose the ability to think deeply about situations we encounter, and we may fail to make the crucial creative leaps required for complex tasks like troubleshooting. In effect, we sacrifice depth for speed, where learning and cognition are concerned.
A Blended Approach
While some of this may sound like a grim future where we have all lost our ability to respond nimbly and creatively to novel situations, studies of cognition and neuroscience offer solutions. Research consistently demonstrates our brain’s ability to change (and even regenerate) throughout our lives, a concept known as neuroplasticity. When we learn new information we quite literally rewire our brains, changing the physical structure of our neural networks. These networks are reinforced each time we reuse those same pathways, a concept often explained as neurons that “fire together, wire together.” Intentional and thoughtful design of our training coursework and post-training resources can help to create and reinforce the pathways that enable deeper understanding, critical thinking, and complex problem solving.
Blended learning, the method of combining computer-based training and instructor-led training, offers a solution. In a blended training program, we can foster a learning environment that helps learners become familiar with online tools and resources they will use back on the job (such as videos, knowledge base articles, or online reference sheets) while still having the opportunity to participate in activities and skill-building exercises that develop crucial decision making and problem solving skills. McKenna et al (2019) offer a comprehensive exploration of blended learning, and a detailed decision making matrix that can be used by organizations seeking to understand how a blended learning environment can be employed in their training programs.
Conclusion
Can a training video teach someone everything they need to know? No, but when coupled with well-designed classroom experiences, it can create proficient employees who can confidently solve novel problems with creativity and judgment.
Video tutorials, online resources, and quick reference guides offer significant benefits to organizations as we seek to increase the pace of our work and elevate the support we provide our customers — but alone they will not produce results. Building the critical skills of problem solving, judgment, and critical thinking requires a different approach to the learning experience. Learning organizations must seek to create programs that incorporate a blend of instructor-led learning activities designed to foster deeper understanding of our complex systems and technologies, alongside these tools.
References
Carr, N. (2010, June). Does the internet make you smarter or dumber? Wall Street Journal, Eastern Edition. Retrieved from http://www.nicholascarr.com/?page_id=25
Carr, N. (2013, November). All can be lost: The risk of putting our knowledge in the hands of machines. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/11/the-great-forgetting/309516/
Cross, J. (2007). Informal learning: Rediscovering the natural pathways that inspire innovation and performance. Pfeiffer.
Greenfield, P. (2015). Mind change: How digital technologies are leaving their mark on our brains. New York, NY: Random House.
McKenna, K., Gupta, K., Kaiser, L., Lopes, T., & Zaretsky, J. (2019). Blended learning: balancing the best of both worlds for adult learners. Adult Learning 31 (4). DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/1045159519891997.
Ross-Gordon, J. M., Rose, A. D. & Kasworm, C. E. (2017). Foundations of Adult and Continuing Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Abbie O’Dell,
Senior Director of Learning Services for Field Operations,
Charter Communications
Abbie joined Charter in 2002 in a technical support role, quickly transitioning into the training department. During her career, she has supported training for call centers, stores, direct sales, dispatch, and field operations; and in 2010 she founded the first Virtual Training Team, specializing in providing interactive online sessions. She transitioned to her current role in 2019, supporting the development of engaging learning experiences for all of field operations. She is currently serving as President of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCTE, Chair of SCTE’s Learning & Development Committee, and Vice-Chair of SCTE’s Engineering & Technical Operations Committee.
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