Collaborative Training Environment

Collaborative Training Environment

A new automated staff information system was recently purchased by a major corporation and needs to be implemented in six regional offices. Unfortunately, the staff is located throughout all the different offices and cannot meet at the same time or in the same location. As an instructional designer for the corporation, you have been charged with implementing a training workshop for these offices. As part of the training, you were advised how imperative it is that the staff members share information, in the form of screen captures and documents, and participate in ongoing collaboration.
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I recommend that this training environment is created in a synchronous online learning environment, with 'live' lessons given to the participants via the web. Because the staff is located in different offices and cannot meet at the same time, the ongoing collaboration that is required will have to be gained through blogs and discussion boards. There should be a discussion board during the live lessons as well - these should take the form of webinars. I think that if the assignments associated with the training are completed in groups (purposely choose members of the groups from different locations) using a wiki to upload files and screen captures and finally to submit their assignments (as the wiki itself) then there will be excellent collaboration and sharing of documents and other information. The teams will feel closer as they have been working together, and this will ensure that the same learning has taken root in every branch of the company.
An example of an organization offering a course structured like this is http://www.automatedbuildings.com/online/index.htm

This company provides training in a live webinar format to employees who want to know more about the aspects specific to this particular industry. There is collaborative discussion during the webinar and afterwards through a discussion board.
Another example is the automated training system developed by L & T Chiyoda Limited, an engineering firm with 950+ employees. They are using an online Training Management System which includes synchronous online training and collaboration.