Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2019 - 21

Engagement: It is the word of the day,
and there are countless articles and
tips on how to improve content to keep
learners engaged. Disengagement is not
a new problem, however. Surveys have
asked questions about engagement for
years, and it repeatedly surfaces as one
of trainers' biggest challenges.
While instructor-led training (ILT)
has always been the gold standard,
the rise of mobile, online and virtual
training has added another dimension
to the training continuum. Instructors
are besieged with new options and
platforms. As a result, determining
which training delivery method best
suits one's learning objectives is
becoming increasingly difficult.

The Evolution of
Virtual Communication
The concept of virtual communication
has its roots in the 1800s, when Samuel
Morse invented the telegraph. Like
virtual communication today, the
telegraph allowed users to communicate
information quickly, while also reducing
the travel, time and cost of in-person
communication. Alexander Graham Bell
took it another step when he invented
the telephone. However, it wasn't until the

need for greater human connection arose
that the business application of virtual
communication truly became apparent.
Walt Disney predicted it in 1958 in
his animated film about the future,
"Disney's Magic Highway," although
his prediction, of course, was simply
that video would be displayed through
television technology. By the early
1960s, Hanna-Barbera Productions,
Inc. imagined the 21st-century "The
Jetsons." In this cartoon, the Jetsons
family communicated using video on
personal phone calls and watches
and used video meeting technology in
the workplace.
Despite many attempts to perfect the
technology, starting as early as 1927 by
Bell Labs, it wasn't until the last decade
that businesses regularly implemented
virtual programs. The continuum now
ranges from video-based mobile
platforms to teleconferences and
online systems web conferences to new
technology platforms that bridge the gap
between virtual and in-person meetings.

The Challenges of Traditional
Virtual Training

According to Training Industry, the current
North American training market is

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE -TRENDS 2020 I WWW.TR AI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

estimated to be $166.8 billion. According
to Training Magazine, spending on travel,
facilities and equipment for in-person
training is estimated at $29.6 billion. It's
no wonder that instructors are seeking
alternative training options. However,
training without in-person interaction
presents its own set of challenges.
Cindy Huggett identified several
challenges that trainers are experiencing
with virtual platforms in her 2019 "State
of Virtual Training" report. Her findings
include the following:
* Only 23% of virtual trainers use
webcams while facilitating. A higher
percentage - 42% - turn their
cameras on at the beginning and
then quickly turn them off. The most
common reason cited was the lack of
internet bandwidth.
* Other technology issues were listed
as top challenges as well. When
Huggett asked instructors to identify
their biggest obstacle to success,
more than 30% of their responses
were about technology.
* Respondents also mentioned many
other challenges - most notably,
unprepared participants and lack of
stakeholder buy-in.

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Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2019

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