I just viewed an incredibly insightful video by Dr. Will Thalheimer, PhD, who studies, researches, and teaches best practices in training and development, learning, and instructional design. It’s a “must see” if you have any interest in creating or facilitating training that has real impact.
Dr. Will reminds us of the importance of not only providing quality, memorable information during training, but the importance of developing activities that help learners remember that information (and the new skills that go with it) and supporting learners after the training is over. He points out that helping learners remember and supporting their post-training application are two of the biggest un-tapped opportunities for improving the impact and return on investment of workplace training programs.
Dr. Will’s message closely aligns with my design philosophy. Having done this work for over 10 years, I have found that most corporations are not interested in creating post-training support. It’s unfortunate, because learning is minimized when it’s not properly supported. Check out Dr. Will’s video for more insights.