PC Movies Get Two Thumbs Up for Computer Application Training

Mahoney, Lois S., Welch, Judith K., Strategic Finance

They may not entertain you like Jurassic Park, When Harry Met Sally, and Titanic, but PC movies, a new way to deliver computer application training, are the hot ticket to cutting training costs while ensuring a consistent learning experience. Employees can watch movies--on their own computer--to learn exactly what menus and buttons to click to use the features and functions of a software application. It's a practical new approach to training, especially for companies with sites across the country or around the world.

To provide step-by-step instructions on how to use a computer application, PC movies automatically record every click, scroll, and action on the screen--even a voice for narration. These simple and flexible multimedia applications turn a personal computer into a VCR. That's right, a VCR. You pause. You fast-forward. You rewind. You record. Just like watching a movie on your home VCR. With this approach, the training moves at a pace that's right for any student.

Here's why we give PC movies two thumbs up, what you can use them for, how to create one, and distribution methods.

BLOCKBUSTER ADVANTAGES

Studies show that people using PC movies perform as well as those having person-to-person training. The movies provide the same basic training as live training, but with PC movies the company doesn't have to provide repeated training presentations of the same material. And there are other benefits as well.

A key benefit for those of you with multisite locations is you don't have to spend time and money on travel related to …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: PC Movies Get Two Thumbs Up for Computer Application Training. Contributors: Mahoney, Lois S. - Author, Welch, Judith K. - Author. Magazine title: Strategic Finance. Volume: 82. Issue: 3 Publication date: September 2000. Page number: 74. © 1999 Institute of Management Accountants. COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group.

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