Improve Your Training Room with the Latest Technology

Even the best professional development programs could fall flat if they take place in a substandard environment that is not user-friendly. When companies recognize the value of giving their employees the best training room features available, it improves the overall learning experience and boost learners’ knowledge retention.

So which environment is most conducive to learning? The ideal learning environment is a dedicated space designed for training. It is the difference between a room to train in and a dynamic learning environment designed to promote engagement and collaboration and enhanced knowledge retention. The actual physical space devoted to training should meet some basic criteria when it comes to technology, accessibility, layout and even climate.

Here is a look at the top “must-haves” for your next training event:

Space

The training space should be large enough to comfortably accommodate the anticipated number of attendees. Your participants should be able to work comfortably and your training facility should have ceilings of ten feet or higher, to allow for a spacious room feel.

Accessibility

Meet specific ADA requirements and legal restrictions and make sure the training room is conveniently located and easily accessible. Nearby bathrooms, comfortable break areas and an onsite café stocked with snacks, drinks and catered lunches will keep learners from disengaging, wandering and returning late from breaks. You should avoid using a room that has pillars or posts already built in, as these could easily obstruct your attendees view of whiteboards, screens, and instructors. You should visit the venue and walk around the event space your learners will have access to throughout the training. Physically take a seat in the chairs the attendees will occupy to identify any other issues that may interfere with their ability to fully engage in the training.

Climate

The room temperature is a key element in the effectiveness of any training program. Being too hot or too cool increases the mind’s inability to focus. With the wide range of individual preferences, what is considered as “just right” for one person might be too hot for another. That is why it is best when the thermostat or our Control 4 home automation system is located inside the training room itself, so heating and cooling functions can be manually adjusted as the need arises.

Lighting

Just like temperature preferences, individuals respond differently to the degree of lighting in a training room. Instructors should familiarize themselves with the light controls such as Vantage and diligently increase or decrease lighting as needed.

The optimum training room lighting usually originates from a room’s windows, as long as the windows also come with easy-to-adjust drapes and shades. This is important so that the windows can be darkened when using a projection screen or other light-sensitive training devices.

Technology

Dedicated internet capability is another “must-have” for the majority of training programs. Your participants are expecting uninterrupted internet access and dependable high-speed broadband connections.

A hybrid learning environment that incorporates the best of both virtual learning and live-classroom learning, is also getting increasingly popular. These technologies let learners across the nation join in training sessions remotely and multiply the reach and effectiveness of a single training session.

Do you have a question about improving your training room with the latest technology? Click here to contact Experience Audio Video today!