Technology can transform the way you work, but only if you know how to use it.
No matter the size of your university, it’s important to ensure all students, staff, and faculty understand how to best utilize the technology provided to them. Whether it’s your university’s intranet or an online form builder, these tools are crucial to the everyday workings of any university.
To keep everything running smoothly, training is a must. Establishing a robust tech training program at your university will make sure the information people need is easily accessible. Many universities are overwhelmed by the volume of training or the need to train everyone at once.
But creating tech training doesn’t have to be difficult.
The tips below can help guide you on the journey to developing or expanding a tech training program at your university. Although many of the tips are Formstack centered, they can all adapt to whatever technology your university has invested in.
Use Existing Webinars and Trainings
You don’t have to start from scratch when building out your training program. It’s highly likely that many departments within your university have already created trainings around the technology they use every day. Simply reach out to each department to tap into these pre-existing resources.
Another resource to tap into is the webinars and trainings already offered by the SaaS products you use. For instance, Formstack provides a wide array of training videos that can be easily linked or embedded within your hub page. Highlighting these trainings and webinars will majorly cut down on the amount of work you need to put into producing new content.
Create One Central Hub
The first important step to creating a tech training program is to identify one centralized hub to store all the tech training within. This could be on your public website, inside your intranet, or within a training software like Lessonly.
If creating a tech training program is new to your university, it’s best to start the process with the IT department. As subject matter experts, they will be able to easily compile a full list of tech that would need to be included in the hub.
Kennesaw State University has a phenomenal technology hub that is run by their University Information Technology Services department. It’s a great example if you’re looking for some inspiration on what should be included in this one-stop technology shop.
Pro Tip: Having too many SaaS tools in your tech stack can make workflows and processes more difficult than they need to be. Learn how a university-wide platform can solve your higher education data issues.
Get Students Involved
If you’re tight on resources, using students is a great way to minimize the burden on staff while providing students a great opportunity to build their resume. It's an opportunity for students to learn new software and stretch their creative muscles.
Here are some ideas on how to get students involved:
- Start a tech training council that meets once a month to develop curriculum
- Hire students as interns or part-time workers to create webinars and courses
- Require students in technology courses to create one or two videos for a grade
- Have student teachers create trainings as part of their workload
Tapping into the talents of students is a great way to relieve your tech team from becoming too burdened with extra work. Plus, students can greatly benefit from the extra opportunity.
Learn More: Creative Ways to Use Students as Tech Trainers
Use Professional Services
One of the best ways to prepare trainings for your university is by teaming up with Professional Services teams. Many software companies have these teams available to build custom trainings, provide thorough onboarding, and more.
Here at Formstack, we have an excellent team of product experts who can work with you to create whatever trainings best fit your needs. Our Professional Services team has helped hundreds of customers get the education and training they need to be successful.
Want to chat with Formstack’s Professional Services team? Tackle whatever project you have in mind, from customized trainings to improving Formstack processes. Connect with our Professional Services team now!
Take Your Tech Trainings to the Next Level
It can be hard to keep up with all the technology at your university. Setting up a tech training program with a centralized hub can make a huge difference in keeping track of all the programs and software you have access to.
The tips above can help empower you and your colleagues with the knowledge needed to be successful with any technology. Sharing knowledge is incredibly powerful, and this is one way to ensure everyone can access it quickly and easily.
If Formstack will be part of your tech training, consider getting Formstack certified! Our free certification program provides you with the knowledge you need to build no-code workflows with the Formstack Platform.
