Why the McDonald's Approach to Computer Learning Doesn't Work

by HSG on Apr 19, 2013 in Articles from Software Fans

No matter what type of business you’re in, boosting your bottom line is always in the back of your mind. In a rough economy, it can be tempting to focus too much on pulling in more money and not enough on containing it from within.

That’s right, containing it. You have the potential to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars every year right under your nose from something as simple as lack of or ineffective computer training.

Teaching You Tools to Become Empowered
To build a successful business and career, you must always keep up with changes in the IT Marketplace. AWS, Office 365, LinkedIn, Sales Force, SEO, Social Media are just a few examples of where knowledge is a huge factor for success.
Training with HSG addresses your knowledge gaps and provides you with the requisite tools to outpace the competition.

How much do the employees you have working for you right now really understand about technology? How good is your IT tech department? Technology changes faster than a blink of an eye and oftentimes, businesses struggle to keep their top employees trained.

With millions of dollars being lost to Internet espionage, file corruption and other computer crimes, staying on top of changes is essential. Recently, online learning centers have been emerging as the go-to method for quick and inexpensive learning. Unfortunately, this type of computer learning isn’t always the best solution.

 

When it comes to learning IT skills, you don’t want cheap, you want cost-effective.

 

Online Learning Centers Give Your Employees False Confidence

Here’s how online learning centers work: You pay an upfront or monthly fee and are allowed to watch training videos on the skill you’re interested in learning. This is fine if you want to learn one or two specific features on a software program, but if you’re trying to learn the whole program, you can easily get lost.

A training video is a training video. Whether you watch it on the Internet or rent it free from your local library, you’re only getting a set amount of condensed information. It can be very easy to fall into the trap of thinking you’ve absorbed everything from a 2-hour course or a week-long video training session.

But there are always learning gaps.

No matter how concise your notes, there is always something missing in this type of training session. In order for learning to be effective, you need that instructor-student interaction. You need to be able to ask questions and get answers explained in the way you understand. Everybody learns differently. For example, some are more visual while others are more hands-on.

When you think of these online learning centers, imagine you’re going through a McDonald’s drive-thru. You order a main course, a side, a drink, and a dessert. Sure, it fills you up for a bit but where’s the real nutrition?

The Best, Most Efficient Way of Learning IT Skills

There are many different types of computer learning. You can even log on to YouTube and pick up a few photography tips, software skills, and some technical information, but it could never be an effective substitute for full, dynamic classroom instruction. And never is the right computer learning any more important than when your employees are learning IT skills.

With technology changing so fast, your employees need real classroom instruction, not the “McDonald’s approach” of online learning centers. Cheap computer tutorials only offer so much and when it comes to training your IT department, you do not want to cut corners.

This isn’t to say that you absolutely have to pay for brick-and-mortar classes. Far from it. Sending your entire IT department or accounting department to a class a couple towns over can really add up. What you want to do is find a company that offers combination classes; the type of institution that gives you the option to choose on-site instruction, live online instructor-lead classes, and public classes.

With online, instructor-lead courses, you get a similar feel to that of online learning centers but with real-time interaction. Students can sit down to a class and really become a part of it.

They can ask questions, take notes, interact, and learn from not only their instructor, but their peers. This type of learning is a cut above computer tutorials because it gives your employees a chance to really grow. To keep up with rapidly-evolving technology instead of just watching pre-recorded videos that can be outdated in a matter of months.

The Real Cost of Online Learning Centers

You may think that online learning centers are best because they’re less expensive but let’s look at it another way. If you had finally saved up enough money to get that vintage sports car you’d always wanted, would you try to save money by pumping it full of low-grade gasoline?

Of course not.

The same goes for your top-notch employees. You hired them for their skill and expertise. After they’ve been with you for a few years, why feed them scraps when it’s time to learn new software or new internet privacy information?

Your employees are your investment, not a place to tighten your belt. Just like that sports car, if you don’t want a mechanical breakdown, you have to put in a little more upfront. Legitimate software training programs are your best way to get a better return on investment and improve your company’s bottom line.  

Keywords: computer learning, online computer classes, computer tutorials, learning IT skills, online learning centers

other blog entries

Course Directory [training on all levels]

Upcoming Classes
Gain insight and ideas from students with different perspectives and experiences.

Interesting Reads Take a class with us and receive a book of your choosing for 50% off MSRP.

did you know? HSG is one of the foremost training companies in the United States

Information Technology Training that enables companies to build better applications and expertly manage the software development process.

Our courses focus on two areas: the most current and critical object-oriented and component based tools, technologies and languages; and the fundamentals of effective development methodology. Our programs are designed to deliver technology essentials while improving development staff productivity.

Personalized courses for unique business and technology needs

An experienced trainer and faculty member will identify the client's individual training requirements, then adapt and tailor the course appropriately. Our custom training solutions reduce time, risk and cost while keeping development teams motivated. The Hartmann Software Group's faculty consists of veteran software engineers, some of whom currently teach at several Colorado Universities. Our faculty's wealth of knowledge combined with their continued real world consulting experience enables us to produce more effective training programs to ensure our clients receive the highest quality and most relevant instruction available. Instruction is available at client locations or at various training facilities located in the metropolitan Denver area.

Upcoming Classes

consulting services we do what we know ... write software

Design and Development
Application lifecycle management
We generate use cases, UML documentation, architect the system, create an object model, iteratively develop the system, unit and system test and modularize where necessary. These types of engagements are typically longterm and, almost always, incorporate a variety of software technologies.
If you are in need of expertise but only require the assistance of one or two engineers, the Hartmann Software Group can be of help. Instead of procuring talent by way of a placement agency who is likely to contact us, come to the Hartmann Software Group directly. You may realize some savings.
Mentor
The best way to learn is by doing.

The coaching program integrates our course instruction with hands on software development practices. By employing XP (Extreme Programming) techniques, we teach students as follows:

Configure and integrate the needed development tools

MOntitor each students progress and offer feedback, perspective and alternatives when needed.

Establish an Action plan to yield a set of deliverables in order to guarantee productive learning.

Establish an Commit to a deliverable time line.

Hold each student accountable to a standard that is comparable to that of an engineer/project manager with at least one year's experience in the field.

These coaching cycles typically last 2-4 weeks in duration.

Provide Expertise
Services for your business growth.
With the introduction of smart devices, e-marketplaces, electronic forms, SEO practices, big data, virtual office environments, media streaming and so much more, there is hardly a business whose livelihood is not, in some way, dependent upon the inclusion of such software functionality into its online presence, work environment and product offerings. Such inclusion often presents a complex array of challenges that are far beyond the expertise of the business as it demands an understanding of technological options, modular decomposition, backend systems integration and web services. Most importantly, the business requires IT talent and expertise; this is where the Hartmann Software Group shines. To that end, here is an overview of some of the services that we offer:

Business Rule isolation and integration for large scale systems using Blaze Advisor

Develop Java, .NET, Perl, Python, TCL and C++ related technologies for Web, Telephony, Transactional i.e. financial and a variety of other considerations.

Windows and Unix/Linux System Administration.

Application Server Administration, in particular, Weblogic, Oracle and JBoss.

Desperate application communication by way of Web Services (SOAP & Restful), RMI, EJBs, Sockets, HTTP, FTP and a number of other protocols.

Graphics Rich application development work i.e. fat clients and/or Web Clients to include graphic design

Performance improvement through code rewrites, code interpreter enhancements, inline and native code compilations and system alterations.

Mentoring of IT and Business Teams for quick and guaranteed expertise transfer.

Architect both small and large software development systems to include: Data Dictionaries, UML Diagrams, Software & Systems Selections and more