Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2016 - 26


DON'T FALL PREY TO THE IDEA THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN
SAVE A POORLY DESIGNED COURSE.
the best possible experience. While
you may not ever reach that elusive
100-percent satisfaction rate, here are
some guidelines that can help you create
a learning environment that engages
learners and maximizes your time and
financial resources.

CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT
THAT IMPROVES CRITICAL
THINKING SKILLS
According to a 2012 American Management Association
report, "More than half of executives admit their
employees are 'average' at best in critical thinking,
creativity, collaboration and communication skills." As you
develop your learning environment, consider how you
can incorporate activities that sharpen critical thinking
skills. These skills help employees make better decisions,
regardless of their job or industry.
To realize this potential, it's important to develop a
common understanding of what critical thinking means.
At ansrsource, we define critical thinking as the ability to
evaluate the connection between evidence and potential
conclusions. By thinking critically, employees can ask
relevant questions to identify alternative solutions to
existing challenges.
Incorporating critical thinking activities into the learning
environment takes time and careful planning to pull off.
However, the potential benefits derived from a workforce
that excels in critical thinking far outweigh the effort
involved in designing this type of environment.

TIPS FOR DEVELOPING THE
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Be authentic. Employees who must take

time out of their day to attend courses,
while still managing their normal
responsibilities, may be turned off by a
generic "off-the-shelf" course. Customized
content featuring visible leaders in
the organization can create a strong

| 26

value proposition on the importance
of the course.

Identify early on if the content will
require additional incentives to generate
commitment. It may be hard to admit,
but not all learners will be motivated
to take your course. Some companies
use badging, competition or career
pathing to motivate learners to complete
required modules.

Use existing resources to foster an employee's
motivation to learn. Incorporate elements

of social learning to develop stronger
connections among peers. Maximize your
human capital by providing employees
with opportunities to showcase their
knowledge and share it throughout
the organization. The ideal learning
environment can incorporate existing
tools and systems. It does not have to
rely on expensive technology to provide
the customization and personalization
desired by today's workforce.

that the greater team understands the
value of the learning experience. These
actions can garner outside support,
encouraging participants to make the
course a priority.

Incorporate activities that develop higher
order skills, such as critical thinking.
Avoid death by consumption: Give your
learners opportunities to apply their
knowledge. Challenge them with thoughtprovoking assignments, and encourage a
healthy debate on difficult topics among
class participants. These strategies will
encourage learners to internalize the
content, which will increase their retention
of important concepts.

Reduce learner attrition by designing
activities that take the holistic user experience
into account. Employees often struggle

to keep up with work while meeting the
requirements of their coursework. The
stress of these demands places a greater
burden on an individual's cognitive load
(the total capacity of working memory
available to the brain at any moment).
Routine activities require less effort from
the brain than activities that require
the processing of new information.
Cognitive load is important to keep in
mind throughout the design process,
as it can guide the rhythm and pacing
of your material.

Expand the learning environment. Include

supervisors when designing course
outcomes to ensure that they align
with expected productivity gains.
Encourage learners to discuss course
concepts with their peers, and
identify opportunities for learners to
immediately apply their knowledge.
Raise awareness of course concepts so

Design your environment to fit into the
learner's daily routine. Chunk content

into small sections that can be spread
over the course of a few days. This design
will give learners the flexibility needed
to meet multiple demands. Specify how
much time each activity will take so that
learners can manage their schedule
accordingly. If group meetings are part of
the course, be sure to provide ample time
to accommodate various work schedules.
http://www.amanet.org/uploaded/2012-Critical-Skills-Survey.pdf
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - Fall 2016
