Practical tips for training in the use of software in the company

As of today, knowing how to send e-mails and surfing the net is no longer sufficient: an adequate knowledge of writing and calculation software, as well as of the applications specific to certain company roles such as for example the staff responsible for preparing salaries , graphic designers, is increasingly required designers, architects. In fact, the requirements related to IT knowledge have dramatically increased in all types of organizations as well as investments in training in this field by companies.

But what are the aspects to consider in planning and implementing a training intervention in the context of the use of applications for companies? Which teaching methodologies are best indicated in order to adequately transfer the expected knowledge?

most effective in terms of approach to teaching, tools and methodologies and design methods of intervention to training the use of software.

The general rules
As regards the general approach to teaching, the participants of a course benefit from modalities that allow both to observe directly someone who operates on the software and to try to interact directly on the application.

The trainer’s task should be to show those present the functionality of the software by acting directly on it and to provide immediate feedback when the controls pass to the participants. It is also a good idea to show as many components of the software as possible, so as not to leave doubts about the general logic of the program.

It is also important, during the meetings, to always keep in mind the organizational objectives that the software can help achieve and ensure that end users are fully aware of it.

What to do?
A good practice should therefore include the preparation of lessons in environments in which each participant has both a clear vision of what is being explained and the possibility of getting to grips with the software: an example could be computer rooms, workshops or interactive video conference sessions . These settings should allow each of the participants access to the software, therefore each participant should be assigned a computer on which the program is installed.

The lessons should include an initial part of a complete and exhaustive explanation of both the reasons why the software was implemented and its main functions that can make an improvement in company performance, and the logic underlying the individual components of the software. The latter should be reviewed and explained one by one, to ensure that the program is learned in a coherent way in all its parts. A practical demonstration should follow, in which the trainer, explaining the individual steps, carries out the relative procedures. All pupils must be able to see what the trainer is doing, including on-screen cursor movements, and note the consequences of each “click”. The second part must consist of tutorials in which users try to replicate the steps previously shown. In this part, the trainer provides comments and indications in the form of feedback, correcting any errors.