When it comes to lift truck operator training, the theory part of the course has a bit of a reputation for being the ‘boring bit’. This can mean that trainees are disengaged before they even start, making the training less enjoyable, less impactful, and much more difficult for Instructors.
If this sounds like your experience with forklift and reach truck operator training, the good news is that there is a new way of delivering lift truck operator theory training that will help overcome all these issues – RTITB’s eTruck digital storytelling platform.
Here are 5 reasons why you should use eTruck to change the way you train today!
1. Digital storytelling can maximise forklift and reach truck training impact
Story-based learning is an innovative approach to self-paced learning that has been proven to not only improve retention of learned information, but also the trainee’s reflection as the information is given in a context that the individual can more easily relate to.
A story helps make the learning meaningful and relevant, so a learner can recall key points more easily when later faced with a similar situation or environment. For example, although all lift truck operators are taught that they should inspect their truck before using it. This point is more memorable for a learner when associated with the events in a story, rather than just being a bullet point in a presentation.
2. Training through storytelling changes lift truck operator behaviour
Learning by watching or hearing about the actions of others can change behaviour and attitudes far more effectively than simply supplying a series of facts on a PowerPoint slide or worksheet. With eTruck UK, candidates learn by following a story that tackles real issues relating to safety. The digital storytelling platform allows more complex themes – such as driver behaviour – to be communicated more effectively.
Becoming absorbed in a story also helps trainees to forget the day to day distractions that might otherwise interfere with the training process and leaves them more open to thinking differently. Learners can identify with characters (even fictional ones) and situations, and as part of this process question what they would do in a similar circumstance.
This is a highly important step in the teaching of safe lift truck operating practices and helps ensure that learners are better prepared for future practical forklift and reach truck training.
3. Digital storytelling suits all types of trainee lift truck operators
A story-based learning approach is shown to work with learners of all types.
It is estimated that in a group of learners, 40% will be visual learners who will learn from images, illustrations and videos. A further 40% will be auditory learners who thrive on narration and discussion. The remaining 20% will be more kinaesthetic learners, who will find the emotional content of a story impactful. Digital storytelling will appeal to each of these groups of learners equally during forklift and reach truck driver training.
With eTruck digital lift truck operator training Instructors and employers also have access to progress reports and analysis that show exactly how learners are performing as they work through the story online. This can be useful as it can highlight different areas of weakness for different learners, allowing attention to be focused there in any face-to-face follow up or intervention training.
4. A story makes everything more memorable
Human beings have been telling stories to one another for tens of thousands of years. Why? Because it works – it is the best way to make a point memorable. In fact, research shows that facts delivered via a story are 20 times more likely to be remembered. That’s exactly why many of us can clearly remember the finer detail of a soap opera plot from 10 years ago but can’t recall what we ate for dinner last Wednesday!
Think about the last time you shared something about your day with a colleague, friend or relative. Without even realising it, you probably resorted to a story-based narrative to make the information more interesting and memorable. By applying this same approach to forklift and reach truck training, it’s easier for trainees to retain the key points than simply by reading them as facts on a presentation slide, for example.
5. eTruck reduces lift truck training time for Instructors
Traditionally, forklift and reach truck theory training is done by Instructors in a classroom, taking 2 days on average, before around 3 days of practical lift truck training. However, with eTruck candidates complete their theory training by working through a story online at their own pace before arriving for their practical learning. This leaves days free for Instructors to deliver practical forklift and reach truck, or other, training.
The eTruck story-based learning solution from RTITB also makes it easier for a Lift Truck Instructor to deliver practical forklift and reach truck operator training efficiently. Having arrived at practical training with an understanding of the basic principles of operation and standard industry terms, candidates are ready to get started, all because of something they saw or heard in a story. This can save Instructors time they would otherwise spend bringing learners up to speed.
Start saving 2 days per person per lift truck training course – sign up today!
If you’re ready to use digital storytelling to not only maximise training effectiveness for your forklift and reach truck operators but also save up to 2 days per person per course, sign up for your eTruck training licenses with RTITB now.
These are lifetime licenses, so operators can return to the training content when they want to refresh their knowledge. This also gives your business a chance to use eTruck as a new, engaging part of toolbox talks.
Or get started by contacting our e-learning experts. Email etruck@rtitb.com or call +44(0)1952 520207 to speak to our friendly team today.