by Bishara Ghawi
Head of Training & Development Center
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, a new pattern emerged: the transition to digital platforms.
Many businesses and educational institutions were forced to close their doors through the government-ordered lockdown. After the confinement resulting from the pandemic, one cannot overstate the undeniable benefits that digital platforms have provided to our staff and students.
With the advancement of technology, the world we live in today has become fast-paced. We, at DG Jones and Partners, started using Microsoft Teams to help us stay connected between and among colleagues and offices. DGJ Academy started offering online training programs to colleagues. Employees signing up for courses have automatic access to notes published by the trainer, and the ability to interact online with colleagues taking the course as well as online help/ support from the trainer.
Teamwork and Collaboration
As stated previously, online training allows the person to interact with others, and different communities to come together and attend training sessions. It enables different individuals with various mindsets to meet and exchange different opinions and experiences from projects in different countries, thus building a more prolific discussion within the training session. By having access to forums or an allocated time for discussions, attendees can benefit from listening to various opinions and correlating them to their own experiences and opinions. As a result, this will lead to a culture of teamwork and collaboration within the work environment.
One of the advantages of online training sessions is that they can be taken anywhere. We at the DGJ Academy have set specific timings for the sessions. Online courses provide a certain degree of flexibility to both the trainer and the participants. This allows our colleagues from across the offices to register for the desired courses and continue expanding their knowledge while enjoying the process.
One of the most prominent assets of our online learning is providing our participants with the opportunity to benefit from our unique learning style and most importantly from the ongoing project experiences in the region. Online courses may also provide our audience with a variety of notes, infographics, PowerPoint slides, videos, and activities to help explain the course material in the most effective method possible.
In summary, online training sessions have proven to be a great asset for many people throughout the pandemic. At DGJ Academy, we chose to shift to online training sessions as a way to develop our colleague's skills and build their capacities throughout this exceptional period. However, it is worth mentioning that with the assessment of the pertinent benefits, what started out as a trend of online learning methods may become the new norm. Having said that, the traditional way of learning whereby students physically attend their classes will still be needed once this pandemic is hopefully over, we will aim to have a combination of both online and traditional learning.
