Training Faculty on New Software and Technology

Stephani Cuddie, Director, Online Administration & Training, Franklin Pierce University

Stephani Cuddie, Director, Online Administration & Training, Franklin Pierce University

Many technology vendors who provide technology products or software to colleges & universities also provide initial onboarding training as part of the implementation pricing. This training is often given to a large group of anticipated users in 1-hour segments over a week or series of weeks. Pre-2020, it was probably given in person over a series of half or full-day training sessions; currently, training is more likely presented using conferencing software like Zoom and possibly recorded for future viewing.  

While synchronous training using web-based video conferencing is useful for classroom lectures and meetings, it may not be effective when onboarding new software to anticipated users in a university setting, especially when the anticipated users are faculty. Faculty are brilliant in their disciplines, but they sometimes need the tactile experience of doing something before they can fully embrace new technology or software, which synchronous virtual training does not always provide.  

The demands of faculty are increasing annually, with increased teaching and advising loads, ongoing research, and publishing expectations, they have less time to attend training. The expectation that faculty carve out several hours to attend training can be difficult. Realistically, faculty who are just seeing the product for the first time may not be able to fully conceptualize their use of the tool. The training is presented in the abstract and while users are allowed to ask questions until they can really “use” the software, they won’t know what to ask. Additionally, when the training is presented passively the training can be lost completely due to the delay between the training and the time when they need to recall the information. 

“The internal trainer can develop a training “course” that can train the users on-demand, allowing them to pace through a series of learning modules to understand how to use the software in their specific context.” 

It is recommended that colleges & universities include their instructional technologist, instructional designers, or information technology trainers, the person who will be the "internal trainer” for the software in the vendor-provided training. The internal trainer needs to learn the software or technology alongside the anticipated users after the vendor has ended their training period; thus, giving them an internal point of contact to go to when they have questions.  

The internal trainer can offer one-on-one, just-in-time training, small group training, or help the faculty review their use of the software to ensure they have done all the ‘things’ correctly. The internal trainer can develop a training “course” that can train the users on-demand, allowing them to pace through a series of learning modules to understand how to use the software in their specific context. Additionally, they can develop documentation supporting the users' use of the software in their context.  

The positives of having an internal expert far outweigh the negatives. This allows the university to provide support when needed, build a relationship with the vendor, build rapport with the faculty, and develop resources that are specific to the institution that best serves the population. The internal trainer allows newly hired people to be properly trained in the use of the system because the vendor is not going to offer training because someone has left the institution. Vendors typically do not offer ongoing training without additional cost, leaving universities with a need to know how to train others, and the inclusion of an internal trainer should not be optional, it should be required in the initial onboarding of any software or technology at every institution. 

Information Technology

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