The 3 L&D Technology Traps

Thanks to technology, we are part of the most exciting time to work in L&D.? Our once meagre toolbox is now overflowing with the flexibility of numerous options to help us reach every student whatever their learning preferences or styles, the logistics of the situation, and the type of skills and knowledge to be acquired.

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What’s more, we can now create a single course or module with multiple delivery options in as much time as it took us to create a single delivery method a few short years ago.

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So, what can go wrong? Plenty, if we allow ourselves to fall into 3 common traps.?

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1.????? We Forget to Remember the Basics

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While it’s easy to be dazzled by the technology, and why not? The basics of effective learning and development remain stubbornly unchanged: identifying and focusing on organizational goals, understanding learner needs and connecting with each learner effectively, tracking progress and outcomes, you know the sort of things, they’re not sexy or trendy, but they are important, and no technology can replace them.

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2.????? We Get Fixated on One or More Technology

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A decade or so ago it was easy to spot the average professionals in our industry: ask them to create a training package and they’d crack open PowerPoint without thinking. Their training material consisted of nothing more than dozens or even hundreds of PowerPoint decks, which they knew better than their students, because that’s what they spent most of their time looking at while teaching.

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It’s tougher to spot these folks now because the same behaviours are hidden within different applications and the same person who once relied on just PowerPoint may now have a handful of systems they always turn to when developing material, but the behaviours are just the same.

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3.????? We Elevate Technology to Something More than Just Tools

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Sure, they are great tools, but just as a golfer uses a 9-iron or an electrician a screwdriver so our video editing, LMS, content creation and AI systems are just tools.? We can use them effectively and pitch the ball onto the green or wire the switch safely, or we shank the ball into a bunker or create a short-circuit. Even worse, we can try to re-wire a socket with a pitching-wedge.

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It’s about selecting the right tool for the job and then using it correctly.?

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I just completed draft development of a simple learning package for a client, and I can’t believe that I used 11 different systems and applications from 11Labs for AI narration, WalkMe to capture and label screen recordings to Camtasia for video editing and Articulate 360 to put it all together and make it LMS ready, and guess what, it took me less time that an old school PowerPoint deck.? I just hope that I didn’t fall into any of the traps I mentioned above!