High Anxiety: The Trainer's Changing Role


As an in-house trainer, you're confident of your teaching abilities and are comfortable in a traditional classroom setting. Suddenly, management expects you to switch from delivering classroom instruction to developing and facilitating online learning in a virtual classroom.

When faced with this changing role, trainers may feel apprehensive and stressed about learning and using new instructional technology. Some will successfully make the transition; others may be forced to look for another job.

Reluctant trainers

Trainers who are reluctant to take on this new role can present a major obstacle to gaining organizational support for the implementation of the company's e-learning initiative.

In an interview for ZNet UK's IT Week, Steve Molyneux who is an academic and government adviser and advocate of greater use of technology in teaching, said, "The trainers have to change their modus operandi from being information deliverers to mentors and facilitators that's the biggest drawback where the [e-learning] system can fall over."

Karen Mantyla, president of Quiet Power located in Washington, D.C., wrote an article for Learning Circuits in which she identified several reasons that trainers are reluctant to change their traditional classroom role:

  • Skepticism that training via distance learning isn't as good as the tried-and-true classroom experience
  • Fear of using the technology and appearing less than proficient
  • Training where peers can see them
  • Lack of control
  • Fear of losing their jobs

    Making the transition

    In order to successfully switch to the role of online learning developer and facilitator, trainers need a combination of formal training, informal learning and management support.

    As a training specialist for an office supply retailer/wholesaler based in Ontario, Canada, Sherry Cairns had trained and coached call centre reps. She had no course design responsibilities prior to her new role as a developer of web-based training (WBT) and online help.

    "I felt extremely overwhelmed by the term 'online learning'," she admitted. "I felt very apprehensive about developing my first web-based course and it took a while to gain a comfort level with this medium."

    To prepare for her new role, Cairns learned how to use a course development software program by completing two days of classroom training along with the computer-based training (CBT)included with the software. She also researched the web for samples of both good and bad online course design. On her own, Cairns pursued an adult education certificate program at the local community college. Her employer's tuition reimbursement program supported her efforts.

    Management's role

    What should management do to help trainers make the transition to online learning and ensure the success of their organization's e-learning initiatives?

    The copyright of the article High Anxiety: The Trainer's Changing Role in Training & Development is owned by Audrey Choden. Permission to republish High Anxiety: The Trainer's Changing Role in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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