Designing the right blend combining online and onsite training for optimal results

Abstract

Training organizations today have more options for delivering instruction than ever before. With the expansion of broadband communication capabilities over the Internet, online e-learning training solutions are very appealing. How can training organizations best take advantage of this opportunity? What types of training solutions are most effective in a distributed online environment? Many organizations are now responding to the opportunity for online training by blending their technology solutions with traditional classroom training. These blended solutions allow existing organizations to move into hybrid learning environments that include a significant role for e-learning alongside traditional training and instruction. A blended approach allows for greater variety in meeting learner needs. Portions of a course most suited for live treatment are handled in the classroom, while portions suited for online treatment are handled through web-based mechanisms. With this approach to training, online and onsite interventions complement each other. But a combination must be accomplished through careful consideration of how to meet learning objectives, take advantage of technology capabilities, and support e-learning technologies. Smith and Dunn (1991, p. 172) point out that the focus of mixing instructional technologies should be to meet training needs: “ …[T]he key to the human uses of educational technology resides in the intelligent mix of activities, the use of the technologies to amplify the quantity and quality of information available….” With careful planning, a well-designed blended approach can provide a highly effective training solution to human performance issues. The potential rewards of a successful blended approach are significant; however, the challenge of creating an effective blended training solution is also significant. For example, given the high costs generally associated with onsite training programs, one of the primary drivers behind blended approaches to training is often cost savings. Consideration must be given during the planning stages to the cost issues of the blended approach, including costs associated with the design, development, and delivery of instruction as well as the requisite student support. An instructional and development approach that considers these issues early in the design stages of the project is critical to the successful generation of a blended training solution. A well-conceived development and implementation plan can reduce the risks associated with blended training by ensuring that all stakeholder needs and concerns are properly addressed during the course design. This article documents a blended online and onsite approach that led to increased student learning and performance gains in a major military training course.