Task type: Report

Writing Paper: Part 2
Task type: Report

QuestionThe following comments were made during a discussion by members of the training department at your company about whether or not the department should replace classroom-based training with online training. Your manager has asked you to write a report on implementing online training, including: the benefits, the pitfalls and what your recommendation(s) would be:

Comments "Just-in-time training is great - it can take place anywhere, even in bed!" "The company will save money by getting rid of our traditional way of training." "Will our employees miss the interaction with a real person?"

Write the report for your manager. (around 280 - 320 words)

What you need to include to passClick here for our checklist first to understand what the examiner is looking for in a good answer.

Ideas for writingAsk yourself the following questions to help you get started:

• Make a list of some of the reasons for introducing online training, including the points mentioned in the task:
  - flexibility, can be accessed at any time of day
  - reduces training costs
  - can be customised for individual employees
  
• Now think about some of the reasons for not introducing online training:
  - can very expensive to set up
  - employees could react negatively to learning in this way
  - some skills not suitable for learning online
• Now decide what your recommendation would be, and why:
  - a complete replacement with online training?
  - a 50:50 solution?
  - keep the situation as it is?
• Finally, are there any practical actions that you need to take to ensure the success of your training programme:
  Examples:explain the changes to staff in a meeting
  issue staff with laptops for learning at home

Drafting and proofreading your work
You should look at your first draft of the task and decide:

• Have you answered the question fully?
• Is the layout and organisation appropriate for a report?
• Is the language accurate with a good range of structures?
• Is the style appropriate and consistent for your report?
• Will it be useful and helpful for the manager and other members of the training department?

Content Should discuss all the points mentioned in the task notes, i.e. benefits, pitfalls and recommendation. It should also give practical suggestions about implementing the report.

Communicative achievement Should be on the formal side. (Note: Reports are often given a wide circulation so it is better to keep to a formal style.) The training manager and other members would be informed, and be able to use your report as the basis for further discussion.

OrganisationThe report should be divided into clear paragraphs with appropriate headings for each section. The aim or scope of the report should be clearly stated early on.

Language Language of analysis and recommendation/ evaluation (e.g. "The cost would be outweighed by the benefits...."). Vocabulary for evaluating costs (e.g. 'our annual training budget is...') as well as terms associated with online training (e.g. 'e-learning solution', 'learning management system', etc.) could be used.. Does not have to be completely accurate but any errors should be minimal.

Model answer Proposal to introduce online training{1} The following proposal has been written to consider the implementation by our training department of an online training scheme, which would replace our existing classroom-based programme.{2} Online training - the benefits{3} {4}1. If our employees had access to online training, or a virtual classroom{5}, it would give them far greater flexibility in the way they learn. Training could be delivered in the office, at home or even when our sales force are travelling (e.g. in their hotel during the evening). This might increase their motivation to undertake training. 2. Our company could make huge savings in terms of: a) Staff time - Currently, we bring staff from all our branches around the country to our training centre. An online programme could reduce staff travelling time considerably. b) Expenses - The amount of money claimed by staff for travelling expenses and hotel accommodation for the duration of their training course is in excess of one million pounds per annum.{6} Online training - the pitfalls{7} Against the above points we need to consider the following: 1. Some employees like our present method of training. They value the face-to-face contact and the friendly learning environment created by our team of trainers. The classroom sessions are also a good opportunity to meet colleagues from other parts of the country and to get away from the office for a while. 2. We will need to make a considerable investment in{8} new hardware and software. Whether we opt for an off-the-shelf learning management system (LMS) or develop a system with our own programmers the cost will eat up a large percentage of our training budget. We would need to produce a financial report showing all the costs of implementing a new training system to see if it is economically viable. Recommendations{9} The best way forward would be to begin a trial of online training. We could then evaluate its effectiveness over the next 12 months and gauge staff reaction too.