Are you using training aids to teach your employees? You should be. Training aids should always be used to meet the requirements for the continuing education of your employees. Training aids provide visual cues for the lessons’ being conducted, which help break the monotony of a purely oral presentation and assist your employees in memorizing this information.
Which training-aids should you be using? We’ve compiled a short list of the most useful training aids that you need to be using when educating your employees – some are more low-tech then you might expect.
Interactive Whiteboards
An interactive whiteboard is, as the name suggests, a virtual whiteboard that can be manipulated using touch controls to drag, click and resize images, write notes, display video and control other elements on the board.
Interactive whiteboards are extremely powerful training tools, as they add a great deal of interactivity and visuals into the education process. An interactive whiteboard can be used to demonstrate facts, figures, concepts and visuals while highlighting the topic you’re covering and displaying relevant videos.
An interactive whiteboard promotes collaboration and greatly enhances group education by allowing the learners to interact with the whiteboard, quickly and easily adding their ideas to the board and then sharing them with the class.
Additionally, interactive whiteboards make it easy for business educators to show their employees difficult concepts and ideas, by using the visual enhancements to further illustrate the process. As a bonus, once the course has concluded, all notes and ideas presented during the classes can be shared with the participants.
Flip Charts
A flip chart is simply a tripod with large pieces of paper attached – a decidedly old school teaching device, but still one of the best tools to add a visual stimulus to your otherwise bland presentation. Using a thick marker, the teacher can draw graphs and charts, write their key points or take suggestions from learners. Flip charts are fully interactive and flexible enough to allow for spontaneity and fun.
Though a relatively primitive medium, a flip chart is a powerful tool when used correctly in education. Business educators can center discussions and debate concepts drawn on the flip chart and employees can contribute ideas to the graph or make their own. By allowing your employees to interact with each other and the instructor, they will have an easier time retaining information and have some fun in the process.
Microprojectors
A microprojector is a small device that can display slides or visuals. Though less interactive than a flip chart or interactive whiteboard, its strengths lie in its portability and powerful capacity to display very large projections. All that is needed is a blank wall or projector screen.
A microprojector, though simple, is a highly effective visual learning aid that can help your employees understand complicated concepts. To see the best results, simply display the key points of your presentation in large, easy-to-read font and use images or graphs to further highlight your ideas.
Offsite Facilities
Most businesses don’t have the facilities or the equipment to provide a top-quality learning experience to their employees. Luckily, it is relatively easy and affordable to find a conference room for hire. Additional training equipment like microprojectors, speakers, and microphones can also be obtained for a nominal fee.
Choosing which training aid to use is dependent on what you are teaching, how many employees will be participating and the style in which you want to teach. Each training aid has both advantages and disadvantages. What is important is to choose one that you are comfortable with and that suits the style of both the education program and your employees.
By using the correct equipment as part of your business’ education program, you can greatly enhance the quality of learning for your employees while also helping them retain the information by presenting it in an interesting and interactive way.