I chose to do some further research on WorkSafeBC’s technological offerings for vocational safety training. I think the main problem with workplace safety training (whether in person or online) is that it is very easy to shape it as an information dissemination session, followed by a written test or quiz. Without engaging the user throughout the process, learning opportunities might be lost or may not stick for long beyond the training day. Additionally, materials are often presented in uniform ways throughout courses, whether through in-person lecturing, video, or reading.
While WorkSafeBC has a lot of digital content to consume on their site, I would say they are trying to make waves in terms of multimedia engagement from the user. For example, the image below (which can be found here) is an interactive activity, prompting the user to identify as many safety hazards as they can.
Interactive photo activity on WorkSafeBC’s site
Each of the images, videos, slideshows, and interactive multi-touch iBooks are available for workplaces to download for free, making it easy and quick to curate an effective WorkSafe curriculum for your business. It looks as if much of this content is up to date and is refreshed; none of the links I clicked on were outdated or poor in terms of media production value. From a snapshot view, I think that WorkSafeBC is doing a good job of providing appropriate materials for different vocational trades to utilize; my weakness in analysis is in not understanding the distinct safety training needs of every trade. A complete list of WorkSafeBC’s multimedia training options can be found at their site: http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Home.asp
Multi-touch iBooks by WorkSafeBC