Tag Archives: training for software applications

What are the Price Drivers for Training on Software Applications?

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As with any custom training, defining the best solution involves consciously making tradeoffs between the nature and scope of the training and the costs involved. In addition to the normal price drivers for custom training solutions, the following factors specific to software application training will play an important part in this calculation:

  • The amount of domain or business knowledge on which the participants must be trained (e.g., a debit is … a credit is …)
  • The degree of complexity inherent in the software application
  • The size of the software application
  • The stability of the software application
  • The level of user ability
  • The desired level of interactivity
  • How Software Training is Built

Software training solution developments follow our standard development process with a few tweaks:

  • We make sure that we understand the domain or business knowledge that also must be communicated in the training.
  • We locate and leverage any existing training materials or technical documentation on the application.
  • We make sure we know the skills that are necessary to run the application, the skill gap level of the potential audience, the receptivity to various learning strategies, and any location or department customization needs.
  • We sit with the application itself and with your technical liaisons and subject matter experts to ensure that we understand and can use the application the way it was intended.
  • We construct useful job aids.
  • We rely on your technical liaisons and subject matter experts at each key decision point in the Rigorous Project Management process to validate the technical accuracy of the material and pay particular attention to testing any interactive simulations.

What’s Different About Training for Software Applications?

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The custom development of training for software applications requires a specialized approach.

Such training can be delivered as an e-learning solution, as instructor-led, in a virtual classroom, or via some blend of all these approaches. A blended approach often works best, and many clients choose this route.

Instructor-led

If instructor-led is the alternative you think is best based on the number and distribution of the participants and other decision factors, we will design and create the course materials, including the presentation, instructor guide and the participant guide, based on the individual software application and the ultimate work product/activity needed. Envision will also provide an instructor as needed to teach the software application or provide a “Train the Trainer” session to enable your current training staff to deliver the materials.

E-learning

If e-learning is the way you choose, the possibilities get very interesting. Envision will create online modules and job aids to train the participants on the software application. There are a few ways to go about it, based on the importance of the software to the organization, its complexity, and your willingness to invest in interactivity.

Consider the following increasing levels of interactivity as the basis for the e-learning development:

  • The course would utilize explanatory text, application screenshots and field definitions, much like an online manual.
  • The course is an automated presentation, showing a run-through of how the application works.
  • The course presents automated simulations of the use of the application, showing actual screen captures of mouse movement and the steps needed to complete activities.
  • The course does all of the above and also allows the participant to actually practice using the application in simulation mode by being guided through the clicks and activities necessary to learn the software.

Webinar

When considering training for software applications, a virtual classroom approach is often the best way to go because it provides the best of both worlds. It allows you to exploit the full potential of the interactivity enabled by e-learning while gaining the benefits of having the learning session led by an instructor. A virtual instructor provides presence and a guide through the material and gives the participants someone with whom to interact, both during the presentation and after. We have found that phone call symposiums after a virtual classroom session provide a great way to follow up, so participants can ask questions and apply the knowledge they have gained to their particular situations.

And of course, if you really want a blended solution, nothing stops you from running a true instructor-led class with all the participants in the same room going through the same e-learning course at the same time. The combinations are endless and we are happy to work with you to find the right blend of technologies to get the job done within your allotted budget.