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LavaCon 2020: Leveraging Technology to Create Training Content

Contributed by Madison Bowes

This page provides a summary of Scott Youngblom's LavaCon presentation in which he explains the value of technological advancements in the field of instructional design.

Here is a link to the presentation.

Overview

By watching this presentation, viewers have a unique opportunity to learn how new technologies are being applied to optimize information delivery in communications fields. As an employee of a major consulting firm that specializes in helping clients optimize information delivery, Scott has experience with augmented reality, virtual reality and intelligent content delivery. To introduce the concept, he gives an overview of current trends in instructional design. There is more demand for unique training solutions than ever before. Companies are eager to find the best way to deliver vital information to their employees in order maintain a stable corporate ecosystem. Demand has increased even more this past year as more companies transition to remote work in response to the pandemic.

Traditionally, web-based and in-person instruction has been used to ensure that employees are well versed about safety, maintenance and standard operating procedures. Currently, most forward-thinking employers are looking to the future where virtual reality technology reigns supreme. When employees have the opportunity to train with 3D technologies and augmented reality, they have a more hands-on experience and are quicker to attain success in their respective fields. Higher retention rates follow an employee's success, as does risk reduction.

Key Takeaways

  1. Good training techniques teach employees what to do instead of what to know.
  2. Giving employees real life context in an immersive training environment increases the volume and retention of information learned in a shorter amount of time, thereby reducing the number of human errors and maximizing efficiency.
  3. Virtual reality simulations allow trainees to practice reacting to dangerous scenarios without putting them in harm's way.

Reflection

In Writing with Digital Technologies, we have explored a variety of highly technical skills and platforms that expand the scope of our skillset as technical communicators. Learning and employing new technologies is a skill that is more specific to our goals in this WRIT 4662 class. Virtual/Augmented Reality technologies offer instructional designers the opportunity to introduce trainees to their work environment with a safe, effective and highly adaptable training tool. Learning how to make the most out of immersive training technologies is a highly technical skill. This learning process is similar to experiences we've had in class. We learned how to employ HTML/CSS and markdown languages to communicate information to our audiences. As technical communicators, our long-term career success depends on our willingness to learn and effectively apply the new tools that emerge in our field.