Available Training Tools.
CD-ROM or Multimedia.
I shall begin with a brief description of the technology currently available for training. As mentioned earlier, the main tools available to us within this information and communications technology is the Internet, the Intranet - which "in effect, it's a private Internet" (Stevens, 1996, p. 28). Available within the constraints of the individual companies - and the CD-ROM, also referred to as multimedia. It's almost guaranteed that at some point you have heard about or have even utilized one, if not all, of these tools. Of the three, CD-ROM is perhaps the one which people are most familiar with in terms of use. However, we often either underestimate or take its.
training capabilities for granted.
"Multimedia is one of the most flexible forms of individual training (books are the other). Users can determine when they learn and at what pace" (Selecting a Medium for Training, 1999, p.3). This flexibility presents the learners with a learning freedom equated only by the Internet. It's empowering for me to know that I could access the training I need when I have the time, whether it be at 4 o"clock in the afternoon or 3 o"clock in the morning, and that I could practice applying the concepts and skills at my leisure without being dependent on somebody else's schedule to finish the training. .
Furthermore, multimedia provides a stress free environment for the learner, as learners can "make mistakes without risking criticism or embarrassment." A room full of people, specially if they are your peers, could be a major inhibitor to asking that one question that could bring everything into focus. I couldn't tell you how many times, although primarily in high school, I've missed important information because I don't want to risk asking that one question everyone else will term "dumb." .
Although, multimedia is a great training option for delivering highly interactive, graphical material; it's not one of the best options for text-heavy material.