Technology is changing how people learn. There appears to be some evidence that the use of technology is affecting the behavior of individuals because of the heavy stimulation and shifts in attention that occur while using computers and the internet. Many trainers argue that perhaps it is the way we teach people that needs to be adjusted. If people learn differently, particularly given exposure to technology, education and training systems should adjust accordingly.

Technology is an important part of training and development systems in the workplace. What types of adjustments do organizations need to make given the different way learning takes place with technology? Technology enables people to engage in lifelong collaborative learning that uses higher-order cognitive functions to create new knowledge. The downside is that individuals are attempting to multitask and don’t give enough time and attention to each item learned to engage with the material at the depth needed to fully internalize it.

While trainees may think they can do more than one thing at a time, because technology makes it seem easy, the end result is that multitasking only works when the tasks attempted are simple and don’t compete for the same mental resources. Reinforcing the need for a balanced approach to delivering information to trainees is key. This is particularly important because technology provides enormous opportunities for presenting information in engaging ways to maximize learning. Technology can be an important tool to facilitate deeper-level learning.