Distance Learning Technology Selection for Asynchronous Safety Training

Example 3: Asynchronous Training

In an effort to improve its poor safety record, a biodiesel manufacturing plant needs a series of safety training modules. These stand-alone modules must illustrate best practices on how to safely operate the many pieces of heavy machinery on the plant floor. The modules should involve step-by-step processes and the method of delivery needs to be available to all shifts at the plant. As well, the shift supervisors want to be sure the employees are engaged and can demonstrate their learning from the modules.

One technique I have used for equipment training is designing a multimedia interactive learning object using an Adobe product called Captivate to create a simulation (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek 2012).  I like that it can be used as a stand along object or converted to a SCORM package and loaded onto a Learning Management System for automated tracking and scoring.  I have placed stand along objects on a webpage allowing easy access to just in time training.  Staff don’t need to log in to the LMS however this does not allow the training to be tracked automatically.

I recently developed a module showing staff the proper way to clean an IV pump.  One would have thought the manufacturer would have developed something like this but since we could not find one, we developed it ourselves.  During the analysis of the problem, we identified that many staff members felt this task was someone else’s job so we used the opportunity to address this issue with our specific target audience as well.  The start screen showed 3 large buttons branching learners to a video showing a skit acted out by our own staff showing that anyone can clean a pump how to do so, a close-up picture of the front of the pump for staff to click on for more information and finally button to report a problem with a pump that automatically sent notification to our Biomedical Engineering Department.  We chose to put this on a webpage instead of our LMS because there was a widespread belief that only the Environmental Services Department could clean a pump when in fact anyone is able to once they have been trained. 

I think a similar technique could be used for each piece of machinery on the plant floor, possibly eliminating the button to report a problem if there are established methods of doing.  My first choice would be to use an LMS to track completion and competency if one is available since the leadership has expressed this concern.  The first branch would link to a short video on the safe operation of the machine.  The next branch would be an interactive practice exercise using a drawing of the equipment asking learners to identify important elements of safety, and finally the last branch would be similar to the practice however it would be scored and information passed to the LMS for tracking.  If the use of an LMS is not possible, the learning object(s) could be used from a CD as well (Smith Nash, 2005).  This again cannot be tracked automatically however the results could be printed or the last branch could be eliminated completely and a supervisor or trainer could observe the staff member performing on the actual device using a paper-based competency. 

The use of video for training can be found on several popular websites such as Lynda.com (http://www.lynda.com/) and Microsoft .com (office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/training-FX101782702.aspx).   Simulation is often used in high risk situations such as medicine (http://www.laerdal.com/doc/86/SimMan) and firefighting (http://bullex.com/product/bullseye-workplacesafetytraining/).

References

Bullex, (n. d.) retrieved from http://bullex.com/product/bullseye-workplacesafetytraining/

Laerdal Medical, (n. d.) retrieved from http://www.laerdal.com/doc/86/SimMan

Lynda.com, Inc, (n.d.) retrived March 23, 2014 from http://www.lynda.com/

Microsoft (n. d.), retrieved March 23, 2014 from office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/training-FX101782702.aspx 

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Smith Nash, S. (2005). Learning objects, learning object repositories, and learning theory: preliminary best practices for online courses. Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects, 1. Retrieved from http://www.ijello.org/Volume1/v1p217-228Nash.pdf