Life often presents us with situations from which there seems no return. March 9, 2020, changed the lives of all of Italy and, subsequently, the entire world.
Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte declared Italy a red zone due to the unstoppable spread of SARS-CoV-2 , a virus discovered in late 2019, instituting a total lockdown for an indefinite period. At that moment, we didn't fully grasp the situation; we were all perplexed and stunned, unable to understand what was really happening. In an instant, we saw our entire daily lives upended, losing everything we loved: from the company of friends to sports; from walks to simply breathing fresh air without a mask; from in-person classes to our passions and hobbies... in short, we lost our freedom.
This situation was devastating psychologically. Losing everything, in the blink of an eye, without being able to do anything about it. We were forced into a completely new reality that we faced with some fear but also with courage, experimenting with new ways to continue our daily activities. Distance learning is one of these, and the transition to this new type of lesson was extremely difficult: it forced us to live the final months of high school without being able to share emotions and feelings with our teachers and classmates. A few months later, with the start of university , and given the still critical health situation, distance learning returned. Once again, this situation took away another first experience: experiencing the adventure of university in person and meeting new people. All of this was truly frustrating, and the thought of what it could have been like, combined with the myriad distractions of staying home, led to a significant drop in concentration, also due to the lack of teacher interaction during lessons.
During this time, I was fortunate enough to participate in a training course through IdeeInsieme (a training organization). In that course, the teachers employed a much more engaging method , in my opinion, interacting continuously with the students to make the lessons interesting.
In light of this, I asked myself: " Why have university professors switched from in-person to distance learning without seeking new teaching methods, given the additional tools at their disposal? " My curiosity was such that it pushed me to deepen my knowledge of training, particularly corporate training, through research and studies.
On the other hand, you can understand unexpected things precisely when you lose the ones you are used to.
| THE TRANSITION FROM IN-PERSON TO DISTANCE LEARNING |
The sudden outbreak of the global pandemic has forced us all to radically change our daily routines at school, university, and work. A new form of teaching has been necessary, replacing traditional classroom teaching: distance learning (DAD) , aimed at reconciling social distancing and continuing learning activities. To ensure this new type of teaching is effective, audiovisual and IT technologies are essential, but they also require multimedia platforms for sharing teaching materials (such as Microsoft Teams, Webex, GoToMeeting , etc.).
A central role in this new experience is certainly played by the teacher , who is required to constantly monitor their students' progress , while also allowing them to develop skills and abilities independently. Moreover, students, being at home, have a very short attention span. For this reason, the teacher's role becomes even more crucial: they must be able to diversify teaching tools and engage students in the activity, making the lesson as interactive as possible.
| THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING |
Corporate training It consists of learning new technologies, knowledge, and methodologies, with the aim of training management and employees. Unfortunately, in Italy, few companies fully exploit training opportunities. According to a survey conducted in 2019 byManagerial Learning Observatory di ASFMOR (Italian Association for Management Training) e CFMT (Tertiary Sector Management Training Center), in one year have been dedicated to training in average 6,4 days, 20% more than in 2017, and the percentage further increases in the case of CEOs and general managers (6,9 days) and managers during 40 (7 days), while it decreases slightly in the age group between And 49 56 years (6,1 days in the classroom). Furthermore, the time dedicated to perfecting one's skills has increased by 44 % over the last two years and is expected to exceed the 62 % by 2022In light of these data, it is necessary to clarify that the great importance of training should not be underestimated. It is an activity that must be well organized and well-structured, carried out in a manner useful, stimulating and interactive To highlight and develop students' qualities. Distance learning doesn't impact the effectiveness of the courses, as long as there's seriousness, commitment, and involvement from both sides. (teacher and student).
Training is beneficial not only for newcomers but also for companies themselves, as it leads to increased motivation and productivity , improved organization, and an increase in specific skills useful to a business. It's scientifically proven that corporate training can increase sales and profits by up to 200%. According to a study conducted by "The American Society for Training and Development," among 2500 companies, corporate training produces a 218% increase in average revenue per employee and a 24% increase in annual profit.
However, organizing corporate training isn't easy. It's necessary to proceed step by step:
- Needs analysis (understand the shortcomings and potential of your collaborators and identify business objectives);
- Training organization (select the appropriate courses and experiences to achieve the objectives set based on your budget, designing a training project);
- Monitor results (evaluate the applicability of the skills developed and learned to the company and their effective use in the workplace);
- Project Review (analyze how the training project is progressing after a certain period of time, that is, whether the results obtained are consistent with expectations, whether the objectives have been achieved and in what way).
Following these steps is essential.
These reflections therefore underscore the fact that quality training is an opportunity to be seized, whether it's remote or in-person. One or the other may differ, but not in terms of achieving the desired outcome. They will have positive and negative aspects , and only those designing them can emphasize one to the detriment of the other.
AUGUSTO DE PADUA