Blended Learning Implementation: Modern Staff Training Solutions

Research and prepare an outline of a staff training program.

Blended Learning for Staff Training is crucial for education providers to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market. As teaching methodologies change, companies must adapt their training and development programs to meet new demands.

The integration of information and communication technology has significantly altered how people learn, share, think, and utilize information. Blended Learning for Staff Training addresses these changes by combining traditional face-to-face instruction with online learning components.

In Australia, the online education market has experienced a 20% growth over the past five years, reaching US$4.68 billion. To capitalize on this growth and expand into Asian markets, Australian companies are leveraging Blended Learning for Staff Training to enhance their technological capabilities and learning skills.

Implementing Blended Learning for Staff Training requires considerable capital, planning, and the ability to design, integrate, develop, and deliver technology-enhanced learning experiences. This approach allows companies to capture a larger target market by offering flexible learning options that cater to the increasing demand for online education over traditional physical studies.

By adopting Blended Learning for Staff Training, education providers can equip their staff with the skills needed to create and manage online learning platforms, ultimately positioning themselves to thrive in the growing online education sector.

Blending online with face to face training:

A course or training which can be done or completed through face-to-face delivery and online with a proper proportion of the content that can be delivered online and mainly using face-to-face meetings and online discussions. (Sherwani, K. H., & Mohammed, N. H. 2015)

Blending requires essential training to the teachers before they are given work firstly; they have to be familiar with the teaching through the online to the students with innovative ideas to teach them differently.

Through various technologies including video, audio, voice, and online collaboration tools and are corresponds with the use of the Internet and is made easy to facilitate online delivery.

To enable instructors for customizing, content, learning materials and to engage students with creative tools and the emerging web, which are used in present and will be used in the future also with the updating in current technologies.

Proper methods or tools for learners and teachers of diverse nationalities, styles, cultures expertise, and ages, which can be connected from multiple settings such as homes, workplaces, libraries, and countries. (3)

For a company blending online for face-to-face training provided to the clients required more workforce as on staff has to be provided for each student if they go for the customized learning and the demand for experts in this would be more for the face to face training. (2)

Following are the benefits of the blended learning model for staffs include:

• As per the requirement, flexible class time and structure are made.
• We can access relevant, engaging content, and high-quality work in a different way.
• The easy way for adapting to the learning needs of students
• To ensure the progress of the students by focusing on the historical data which have been underserved and to tailor the guidance and instruction given by the teacher can be followed.

For a wide range of synergetic tools, which includes following like, wikis, discussion boards, podcasts, email, wall posts, blogs, social media feeds, chat, collaborative documents, photo albums, file, and media sharing polls, and workspaces the need of training platform is necessary. (Reed, K. L. 2016)

For the success of the blended, the basic requirement is that it is important that the teacher is both interested and competent in the teaching online context.

Before the blending online start, proper planning about the learning theories and concepts are to be done by the teachers.It is very challenging for teachers, when a learner knows about the technology more than they know about it and which demotivates the teachers.

Teachers teach as they were teaching back by their teacher but with the change in the situation teaching in old ways is not acceptable and for that continuous development training is required.

With the change in dynamics or style or ways of learning. Everyone has a different style of learning for which fundamental change or shift is required in the education and for that learning to our style of thinking, must be personal and must be suite to our experience. (1)

To connect with the student’s various resources are easily available from outside or can be outsourced without the classroom by using different tools and applications used by the teachers. The best way or pedagogy is an important thing or aspect for the online education and even in a classroom environment, not only blending of the classroom is required with that the Web which makes the course useful and effective.

For the objectives and goals of the education blending in the right path or way is important. Due to some internal challenges of the organization in the plagiarism skills sets, potential and time management, the consistency or accuracy of quality work, delivery on time affect the organization badly.

With the Greater access of the range of personalized, individualized learning and appropriate teaching method and resources which are available to the company for providing services to them. The proper program should be there which can easily connect or access from various settings such as libraries, homes, countries, and workplaces. (3)

Instructors in the blending online process face problems or challenges like being online every time and for a definite period and the problem of scheduling the orals. Due to proper internet connectivity teachers are to be a force to sit continuously and be in the touch with the learners.

Through blending, teachers can conduct the lectures from the home rather than at school. And for this teacher has to store the content on a local device or a learning management system that stores data in the server. (Abrams, R. C., Nathanson, M., Silver, S., Ramirez, M., Toner, J. A., & Teresi, J. A. 2017)

The major issue in blending online is privacy and storing examinations in the programs or Cloud them which will not ensure privacy. With more flexibility and cost-effectiveness in terms of mission, breadth, time, infrastructure, value, and scalability.

Web links:

1. http://www.issinstitute.org.au/wp-content/media/2016/01/Report-Watson-Final-LowRes.pdf
2. https://www.jcu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/227866/JCU-Blended-Learning-Guide-2015.pdf

 

The use of technology for flexible delivery

Flexible learning is a process in which with the use of multi-layered and multi-faceted. It is a sequence of approaches in terms of content, time, place, and mode and also a type of learning or method applied in various courses. (1)

Due to the overarching purpose of technology, it becomes easy to increase opportunities and various ways of learning are available to learners and giving them more control in their learning process through a different learning mode, interactions applications. (2)

This option is not to be considered as an alternative way for providing education but with an overarching force by which learners are provided with more choices.With the use of Information technology day by day in the market and also increasing usage day by day in education which has elaborate or open and flexible learning opportunities in various vocational education and training programs. (Bice-Urbach, B. J., & Kratochwill, T. R. 2016)

The usage of technology for the learning activities and the efficiencies of these learning tools are also important and need to be considered and should be gained through applying technology tools in an administrative, support system, resources, and management services. Internet is a tool that gives the significant potential for opening easily and flexible learning process available easily. (3)

With technology updates daily, tech-friendly skills are more important to have in the person and with that knowledge are also as important in the various sectors in a specific subject and update with information about the subject is also important with the changing dynamic in the market.

In one of the studies by an Australia, Coates, Scott, and Anderson in 2008. The study describes how much the economic, social, demographic changes, technological and political have an impact on the vocational training and higher education institutions in Australia which have analyzed interaction with different cultures and institutional plan. (1)

The important key evaluated was the impact of the information and communication and the changes forces of the identification of the technology and its revolution in the country and its exponential growth in the computing power and the development of internet speeds in the economy.

This skill is very important in the VET industry and even in any other industry as everyday new challenges are there in the market and with that competitive market with changing technology.

To capture the growth in this segment, the ability to design, integrate, develop, and deliver the technology with their considerable capital and planning. The natural change of the expectations of learners due to change in the technology and their opportunities offers of learning to them.

The demand and need for training and education are growing day by day, to meet this growing demand, vocational education institutions are increasingly turning their e-learning as they are giving more priorities to a convenient tool of providing flexible access to learning available. (4)

Through E-learning improving the quality of teaching is possible but vocational training institution response to the process of e-learning are different. With a growing phenomenon that is adopted by vocational institutions in developed countries and Australia for funds organizational arrangements, staff, and student support, policies vary differently from institution to institution. (1)

Good examples of strong organizational structures, well-developed policies, well thought different pedagogical approaches, and excellent e-learning resources are there in Australia.

Flexible staffing is the resource management opportunity for the organization is available.

By providing flexible learning programs with the different ways or use of pedagogical and technical skills. Units and Courses are needed to accommodate industry requirements and work practices. (Sadeh-Sharvit, S. 2019)

To know whether teachers are apprehensive or tech-savvy about the usage of online applications, they can use intuitive tools that would make work easy to learn without any extensive training or increased demands on IT resources in the company.

Through the use of the online course and Email discussion tools which enables students to ask queries and questions to staff or the teacher from any time zone at any day of the week and at any time of the day and even at nights.

An educational technology of start and the recording process which is initially to be a localized and easily useable innovation offering different value to a proper learning context only and which may gradually be expected by all teaching staff, even in the field where very less or any basics marginal learning value are used, and which might have significant cost also.

Online methods are easy to be used and are more extensively formative than comparing with summative assessments. With formative assessment, a learner can monitor their true/false questions learning, item banks, and quizzes, which are used extensively to know and check the progress of the learning by the learners and by the experts, and with the formative assessment analyzing is done easily.

The goals of the reform are to make open training and vocational education in the competition by increasing the number of options for clients which promotes the learning approaches more flexible by using specific strategies to achieve the goals and as one of the important activities towards the company.

With the change in the strategy for opening vocational education and training in the competition. VET is used as a funding model and is needs to be redesign to make them flexible and consistent with learning, (2)

In Australia, several options are made into consideration for specifically, modification of government funding using performance tools that are not based on working hours, competitive tendering, and an entitlement or voucher system.

 Cost-effectiveness of the program:

The Cost-effectiveness of online learning is very difficult to determine or calculated at an early stage with accurately. At an early stage, it seems to be more expensive than conventional or traditional approaches, but it is also having the advantage to give better learning outcomes and various levels of satisfaction to the learner in learning online.

The online programs were more effective but in terms of the cost are more when compared with current and more traditional delivery methods. Recurrent costs and Investment costs are high and are variable and depend on the method used, to the extent of country economic level, location of the students, and the online learning policies.

The online learning to students offering off-campus might appear effective on the ground and can be a low-cost than others when compared with traditional distance education delivery by corresponding to the current situation. (3)

Sources:

1. https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1196&context=jutlp
2. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—edemp/documents/publication/wcms_120392.pdf
3. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2020/03/11/helping-teachers-students-switch-remote-learning/ journal

4.http://sitios.itesm.mx/va/congreso_academico/documentos/Introducing%20flexible%20learning_Deakin%20Unv.pdf

 

Submission requirements: Assessment 4 – Journal   ·         Reflect on your ability to apply judgement, intelligence and common sense during the planning of the outline of this program. o   Do you think some of your ideas did not seem feasible/practical? o   Do you think you may have made an error of judgement in proposing some of the measures? If yes, how can you rectify it? o   Do you think your ideas may be criticised as silly or impractical? What can you do to rectify this? ·         How will you draw upon your own expertise and that of the other team members in implementing the staff training proposal? ·         How can you model and encourage collaborative communication and learning approaches? ·         How can you establish collaborative and participative work relationships with the team? ·         How can you encourage contributions from staff? What types of rewards and incentives can you offer? ·         Review the progress of your personal development goals in terms of: o   improving and adapting your leadership style o   promoting self-motivation amongst staff or team members. being a role model for collaborative thinking and work practices.

 

Answer:

As per me some ideas or approaches are practical possible while in some idea I doubt due to less experience in the fieldwork and knowledge. I think the errors are less or very nominal and I have analyzed the data very well. Not all ideas would criticize, some are practical is possible in the market.

With the use of the communication channel use, I would connect with everyone, as everyone has any one of the expert skill in them by learning from others and helping to learn my expertise to them in development.

With the use of different techniques and tools, we can easily encourage collaborative communication and learning approaches as per requirement tools would be used.

By providing benefits of work from home for 1 day a week, celebrations, holiday tours, annual leave, family security options can be used to encourage contributions from staff.

With the experience day by day, my leadership qualities are improving gradually and with that, even the work of motivation to staff is also improving by applying different ways

References:

Sherwani, K. H., & Mohammed, N. H. (2015). An analysis of training and employee performance: A case study in a telecommunication company in Erbil. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 2(2), 74.

Reed, K. L. (2016). LIS Training for Support Staff: An Initial Review of Associate’s and Certificate Programs In The US. Journal of Library Administration, 56(3), 317-325.

Abrams, R. C., Nathanson, M., Silver, S., Ramirez, M., Toner, J. A., & Teresi, J. A. (2017). A training program to enhance recognition of depression in nursing homes, assisted living, and other long-term care settings: Description and evaluation. Gerontology & geriatrics education, 38(3), 325-345.

Bice-Urbach, B. J., & Kratochwill, T. R. (2016). Teleconsultation: The use of technology to improve evidence-based practices in rural communities. Journal of School Psychology, 56, 27-43.

Sadeh-Sharvit, S. (2019). Use of technology in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders in youth. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, 28(4), 653-661.