What are the implications of wireless technology for corporate trainers? What opportunities seem to be emerging? What, if any, is the downside?
Wireless technology has made the teacher and the corporate trainer more mobile in today’s technical environment. No longer are they stuck behind a desk or podium, delivering information they derived from the computer, or handing out sheets and sheets of paper containing the information required for the presentation.
Wireless computers enable the teacher to walk around the classroom, interacting with each student at their desk, while conducting a lesson on the interactive white board at the front of the room. The students also participate in the lesson – both from their desk using a device specifically designed for communicating with the white board, and by standing at the board and working on a lesson using a specially designed tool for the board. The teacher is free to be anywhere in the room, with a laptop, conducting the lesson in a more student-involved environment. Consequently, more interesting lessons – more education.
The same is true with the corporate trainer. He would be able to use the same technology in his presentations to new employees, clients, etc. Employees being trained using hands-on technology learn faster and retain information longer. Clients being presented with a cutting-edge presentation would be more inclined to go with the company. Now travelers can access the internet while waiting on a flight instead of trying to setup an appointment once the trip is over. I’m sure we all see this in our day to day travels.
The only downside in my opinion would be a classroom or conference room that did not have wi-fi capabilities. However most schools and businesses have seen the advantage of this and make this available for users. The only serious problem is making sure the network is secure and access is limited only to what the users need to see.
According to Paul du Gay in the book Media, Politics, and the Network Society by Robert Hassan (Hassan, 2004),
…”the new electronic media not only allow the stretching of social relations across time and space, they also deepen this global interconnectedness by annihilating the distance between people and places, throwing them into intense and perpetual contact with one another in perpetual present” …
So in closing make a list showing benefits of wireless technology and a list of possible downsides. In my opinion the good still outweighs the bad.
