There’s been a lot of talk in recent years around the benefits of “flipping the classroom.” This conversation normally centers on having learners watch lectures on their own—outside the classroom—so that classroom time can be spent on interactive applications of the content. It’s a model that a number of organizations and institutions support. But is it enough? 

The use of video for performance support has been widely employed for many years. Millions of videos are available online (e.g., YouTube). Learning institutions are videotaping lectures and creating vast digital libraries of content. The use of video has become pervasive, and for good reason. Video-based content can be more engaging and has been proven to increase learner retention. Innovations in technology have triggered an explosion in the use of video for learning and performance support. How can learning professionals join the revolution?

Defense Acquisition University’s (DAU) mission and vision require more than just training. Its mission requires it to provide the award-winning certification training that DAU is known for. For these professionals to be truly successful, however, its mission also requires it to serve them well beyond their last certification class with learning assets such as knowledge sharing and mission assistance. DAU’s vision is to continue to be successful in the future by improving all three domains of its new acquisition learning model, and integrating those domains to create the best possible learning environment, combining and focusing all activities on individual and organizational performance.

Subject matter experts have deep content knowledge, but too-often default to lecture-based methods of training delivery. This results in a poor learner experience during the session and rarely translates to an on-the-job behavior change as a result of these sessions. Even when SMEs are trained and motivated to design better learning experiences, they often reverted to lecture-based instructional techniques and one-off training interventions when they were called upon to deliver future training workshops.

As we move, albeit haltingly, to more independent and technology-enabled learning and performance support, participants enjoy choice. Lots of it. They choose to participate, engage, and contribute. Or they can choose to skip your learning program entirely.

We often describe the shift towards performance support as a linear journey, one that continues in a single direction. The reality is quite different. Over time an organization’s utilization of performance support rises and falls with the changing tides. Managing your journey over the course of time can be a challenge. 

You’ve heard about performance support and hopefully tried a small project or two. Or maybe you’re excited by the idea and want to accelerate its growth in your organization. Once you get to initial buy-in, either just within your team or with a small group of initial clients, what’s next?

Performance support is frequently addressed as an add-on solution or an adjunct to existing learning systems and processes based on a content-centric approach. This often leads to a disjointed user experience that in turn leads to lower rates of usage and poor return on investment.

Software training traditionally focuses on the new bells and whistles that justify the latest version. This does nothing to prepare users for daily work with the tool and it doesn‘t provide the support when they need it. Organizations need more than just software training in order to maximize capital investments in software.

Performance support is very different from training. In a world where many people are conditioned to think that learning should look like school, with teachers, students, and formal instruction, it can be difficult to get the organization and its workers to adjust to a performance support approach.