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About The Bright Ideas Series: This series, from Syandus, hosts discussions designed to rethink training and bring like-minded professionals together to share and learn. In other words, focus on getting results.

September 25, 2018 Session Title: Technology and Coaching the Adult Learner...What Makes Sense?

During this web-session we will tap into industry veterans to share their experience with coaching technology, what really works and how best to evaluate and use.

Panelists include: Tracy Tibedo, Director of Sales Training, Thermo Fisher Scientific; Dr. Douglas Seifert - Founder & CEO of Syandus; and Matt McDarby, Managing Director of Specialized Sales Systems.

The Learning Environment Can Be Incredibly Immersive

A 3D experience is remarkably immersive; learners think that they're real people. Still it's important to use a good design process and employ modern principles for adult learners – one that doesn't change when you use advanced technology.

Fear of Commitment? Practice is a Long-term Process 

Tech won't help if we ignore the fact that practice is a continual and long-term process – to which we need to be committed and invested for the long term. Tech or no tech, if there isn't a plan to enable practice, you won't get the desired results.

The Right Place at the Right Time: Creating an Environment That Makes It Easy to Practice

Organizations need to create a setting in which learners can practice on their own time, in an environment which is immersive and contextual. Additionally, the organization needn't involve real coaches as part of the cadence for this component.

Should You Invest in VR?

Virtual Reality (VR) might be a great fit for your organization, but it's all about your learning goals. VR technology is fast-moving because it’s so new, and projects can be expensive and time-intensive.  There are also other virtual technologies that do not require a headset for immersion that may be a better fit for your learning goals and budget.

How to Evaluate Technology

Building immersive technology in-house may seem less expensive, but it is complex and often underestimated, requiring constant updating across operating systems and devices. However, choosing a platform can be tricky. It should be strategic, rather than tactical; you should be able to edit and iterate the content, and analytics should be built in. The technology should be maintained so that you do not need to worry about interoperability.

The Most Ignored Aspect of Coaching

It's practice. We wouldn't expect an athlete to perform without practice and coaching.  Practice without coaching is not effective; and coaching without practice is not an effective strategy either.