Common Modalities in Technical Training
What does technical training look like? I am an instructional designer on the customer education team at a software company, so my work does look a little bit different than traditional employee development.
Technical training teaches users how to use digital products. I work closely with software developers and product managers to figure out exactly which skills my learners need. How will customers use this application or platform? What workflows will they most commonly need to perform?
After defining the most typical use cases , I then design and develop learning experiences. In technical training, these generally fall into 5 categories:
vILT - Virtual or on-site instructor led training is a very common modality for technical training. Having a facilitator there to guide learners through the material provides a layer of support for more challenging skills.
Labs - Learning experiences where users are in a training or reference environment and can go through the steps to perform tasks. Adobe Illustrator has AMAZING examples of this for free; you can download practice files and then follow along with the directions to create graphics.
Simulations - These are interactive eLearning experiences built in authoring tools such as Storyline or Captivate. Like labs, simulations require dummy data or imaginary accounts to create and capture activities. User click the screen to move through the steps in a guided practice.
Videos - I make video demos and tutorials in Camtasia. A well-edited script and clean screen recordings serve as the foundation for video learning. I keep videos short and sweet by focusing on one skill or example in each.
QRGs - Quick Reference Guides, or job aids, are as simple as a step-by-step process in a Word doc, a flow chart, screenshot, or job aid. This is visual that users can refer to when using the product.
For any of these modalities, learners should also use the product documentation as a resource. I recommend collaborating closely with technical writers.
So that’s technical training (in a nutshell)! I’m happy to answer questions if anyone is interested in the field.
