Why are training objectives so critical to effective training and to course design? Be sure to discuss how are they relevant to instructors, learners, and course designers. Module 4: Training Design The Role of Objectives Being able to write valid objectives takes time, practice, and experience. The writing should be very clear. The objectives should be both attainable and measurable. The trainee sees and understands what is required of him or her during the training sessions. The designer is able to check the training methods and content against the objectives to ensure that they are consistent. The trainer is able to see how well the trainees are progressing and is able to make the appropriate adjustments. Because objectives define the behaviors expected at the end of training, the evaluator can know what is expected to be accomplished and measure whether it was done. All objectives should include: desired outcome – what should be expected to occur? conditions – under what conditions is the outcome expected to occur? standards – what criteria signify that the outcome is acceptable? Facilitation of Learning We have significant areas that we must both be aware of and adapt to in order for our training to be effective. Some of the more obvious would be the allowance for individual differences, motivation (see module 2), expectations, and the environment. We need to become aware of what obstacles may limit the transfer of knowledge. These obstacles may include working conditions, time pressure, inadequate equipment and budget, and too few opportunities to use the new skills and knowledge.Supervisors may undermine this learning with a lack of support and an unwillingness to provide feedback. They may view training as a waste of time and discourage the use of new skills and knowledge on the job. Or, they may not discuss training opportunities and may be unwilling to support any training efforts. Goal setting is another action that helps trainees learn. Both the trainee and the supervisor can be involved in setting goals for the employee. By having a specific direction to focus on, this focus encourages new learning to take place. Self management is our final piece that permits development of new skills on the job. The employee can also use self-measurement strategies to motivate continued learning and growth. Constraints must be acknowledged when we design training. We must take into account budgets, resource allocation, cultural biases, the differences in backgrounds among the trainees, the readiness (or lack of) for training, and those people that just don’t want to be there. People who show a lack of motivation need a pre-training intervention to bring them into alignment. Design Basics Before learning can occur, you must get the attention of the trainees. They must buy into the job-related benefits of this training. They must understand what is expected of them and what the nature of the training will be. Next, you must understand the process of retention and the psychological cues for retrieval. The memory must become activated, there must be some symbolic coding (refer to module 3), and there must be cognitive organization and symbolic rehearsal. The material must be relevant to the trainee for him or her to make the necessary connections to internalize it. Practice, or behavioral reproduction, is the third element designers must take into account when they create their materials. By going over the material in a different way, you can encourage learning. The last phase is reinforcement, which includes feedback and continuing practice or symbolic rehearsal. When you take all these phases together, you have the facilitation of learning! Training Methods Because we have all spent at least 12 years in school, we should be familiar with most of the following training methods:presentation which includes variations such as the standard lecture, team teaching, guest speakers, panels, student presentations audio-video which includes overheads, slides, video role play hands-on (on-the-job) training self-directed learning (pg. 453, Craig) apprenticeship case study games adventure learning team training action learning (team using real problem/issue to solve) behavior modeling (you learn through observation of the desired behavior) As technology has entered both our lives and the workplace, we are now faced with E-Learning and the use of technology on the job. Other methods that can now be used in training are: Simulations: Perhaps the most impressive simulation is used by the FBI, for new hires to learn interviewing skills. A screen pops up with an actor taking on the character of a bank manager whose bank has a sizable amount of money missing. Depending on the questions the interviewer asks, the program is equipped to go in any direction, and the responses (including body language) correspond to the tone of the questioning. This program also scores the interviews along specifically developed criteria by the FBI and provides additional practice for the new hires to develop interviewing skills and observations. Computer-based training – CD-ROM: Trainees simply put the disk into the computer and the program is available for them to learn at their own pace. This technology allows for a large number of geographically dispersed individuals to have the same materials available to them at a reasonable cost. Computer-based training using intranet: Many companies are now putting specific courses on the intranet so that their employees can avail themselves of each needed segment. Although used mainly in training for computer software and other computer technology, some companies have begun to develop courses in the “softer” skills. The material is ready whenever the trainee has the time and motivation to learn it. Computer-based training using Internet: Large corporations have found value in hiring a training company to produce specific modules and courses and then make these available to their employees via the Internet. This can be a very cost-effective method of delivery training. Virtual reality: This technology is still in development, but the premise is the complete involvement in an interactive process for the trainee to learn from experientially and have the opportunity to practice as much as needed. It also gives the learner an opportunity to practice without exposing him to dangerous environments or tasks. Distance learning: Many universities are now using distance learning, in which all the learning takes place on a Web site managed by the university, in a course that is totally delivered via the Internet. This allows people anywhere and anytime to study what they need regardless of location or time frame. The instructor is the learning environment designer and most of the interaction among students is asynchronous. Technology now has significant influence on both training and learning. Employees can gain control over when and where they receive training. They can access knowledge and expert systems on an as-needed basis. They can also choose the type of media (print, sound, video) they want to use in training. By handling course enrollment, testing, and training records electronically, technology has reduced the paperwork and time needed for administration activities. We can also monitor the employee’s accomplishments in progress. Digital collaboration, the use of technology to enhance and extend employees’ abilities to work together regardless of geographic proximity, allows interpersonal interaction anywhere around the globe. The Internet is primarily responsible for the development of electronic networks that integrate voice, video, and data connections among the learners, instructors, and experts. The instructor becomes more of a coach and resource person and less involved in the delivery of training content. Most companies use multimedia training, which combines audiovisual training methods with computer-based training. It is used most frequently to train employees in software and basic computer skills. Advantages include the program being self-paced and interactive, consistency of content and delivery, unlimited geographic accessibility, immediate feedback, a built-in guidance system, appeal to multiple senses, mastery testing, and certification and privacy. We must be aware, however, that multimedia training is expensive to develop, is ineffective for certain content, is difficult to update quickly, that trainees may have anxiety about the technology, and that there is a general lack of agreement on its effectiveness. We need to learn how to develop effective online learning. Consulting with information technology experts is essential before buying or developing a program. When developing online programs, the designer needs to incorporate basic learning principles (feedback, job applications, practice, appeal to multiple senses). The learner needs to be actively involved and must know the basics of using a computer. The trainees need to be held accountable for completing the course(s). Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) is a form of technology using artificial intelligence. It is interactive and can do several things, including: match the instruction to an individual student’s needs communicate and respond to the student model the trainee’s learning process decide on the basis of previous performance what information to provide the learner make determinations about the trainee’s level of understanding complete a self-assessment resulting in a modification of its teaching process Activities to provide further understanding of using technology in training design: Pick one of the above uses of technology and search the Web. Discover hints for using it in development, examples of companies’ marketing, how you think it could be used in your company, and further information about it. Internet e-learning provider: www.knowledgeplanet.com. Review the information at this Web site; discover what e-learning solutions Knowledge Planet provides. Are these effective? Why or why not? Online learning program: www.webbasedtraining.com. Click on “resources,” then click on “WBT online.” Choosing one of the online learning programs, describe the purpose of the program, identify features for effective learning, and provide recommendations for improvement based on your learning from this course so far. Online university courses: www.capellauniversity.edu. Click on “about e-learning” on the left side of the home page, scroll down and click on “find out more,” under the heading “is it right for me?” Take this quiz and evaluate whether you agree with the results, why or why not, and discover if there are other areas the quiz needs to address to be more effective. Meeting Organizational Needs Because no training really stands by itself, we need to take a hard look at the entire organizational system, the strategic plan, the vision, and the mission statement. All training should incorporate each of these pieces and move them forward in some way. To do otherwise would endanger the general health of the organization. The culture of the organization or “how and why we do what we do” needs to be addressed as part of the training design. Without addressing any issues in the culture first, the training may not have the opportunity to become effective. An example would be those managers or supervisors who don’t think that training is either necessary or effective. The reason these managers think and feel this way must be addressed before undertaking any training design. Then an intervention would need to be designed and implemented before the training. Then, and only then, would there be an atmosphere in which training could flourish. Because an organization will be headed toward its strategic plan, every organization needs leadership and leadership development programs. Specific plans need to be designed and incorporated into an organizational system. Trainers need to be involved in these plans and address these needs. An additional need would be the development of supervisors and other executives in a professional development program. The training professional may use a formal training program or various universities. The importance of further developing these key people in the organization should be fully integrated into all the organizational needs and plans for the future. Regardless of the method(s) used, the professional trainer must address the issue of accountability. All training needs the section where the trainee is made aware of what is expected of him and what will happen to his future if he is not accountable. Without accountability, there can be no progress both in the training efforts of the professional trainer and the future of the organization. Both of these elements are tied tightly together to help both the individual and the organization succeed.

Nearly everyone recognizes the value and benefits of workforce training. When done properly, training can make workers more efficient — increasing production, revenue, and profits while decreasing costs, waste, and inefficiencies. Effective training can lead to increased compliance with regulations. It can even lead to a happier, more satisfied workforce, which in turn reduces turnover and costly onboarding. So the benefits are many.
But creating effective training isn’t easy. Some common problems include creating training that doesn’t support a true business goal, or for a problem that training can’t fix, or without first identifying the true purpose of the training, or that includes too much information. Or maybe all of those things.
So, how does one create effective workforce training materials? Below is an eight-step road map to help you create more effective training materials
Step 1: Perform a Training Needs Assessment
Imagine someone at work perceives a problem and thinks a new training program might resolve it. For example, maybe the production manager says that her workers need to be more efficient and create more units of a product. Before anyone rushes off, creates training materials, and conducts the training, it’s a good idea to take a step back and assess the situation. That’s what the training needs assessment is for.
The basic training needs assessment is a four-step process. Those steps are:
Identify a clear business goal that the training supports
Determine the tasks the workers need to perform so the company can reach that goal
Determine the training activities that will help the workers learn to perform the tasks
Determine the learning characteristics of the workers that will make the training more effectiv
Step 2: Keep Adult Learning Principles in Mind
You could argue this step is already addressed at the end of step 1 or will factor into later steps, and you’d be right. But it’s important enough to call it out on its own.
The workers you want to train are adults, and adults share certain characteristics that that make training more effective for them (or less effective if you ignore the characteristics). If your training recognizes and respects these adult learning principles, it’s likely to be more effective. If your training disregards these principles, you’re throwing training money out the door from the word “go.”
So what are these principles? Adult learners:
Are self-directed
Come to training with a lifetime of existing knowledge, experience, and opinions
Are goal-oriented
Want training that is relevant
Want training that is task-oriented
Learn when they see “what’s in it for them”
Want to be and feel respected
You can see how these principles relate to the learner characteristics you identified during your training needs assessment. And you can imagine how they should affect your training during design and delivery. Remember the old saying that “you can tune a piano but you can’t tune a fish?” Well, if you ignore adult learning principles, you’ll be trying to tune fish all day long.
Step 3: Develop Learning Objectives
Before you begin creating any training, it’s critical that you create a list of learning objectives.
Learning objectives are a list of things the workers must be able to do after the training is completed. They are the “North Star” that all aspects of your training should be pointed at. Once you’ve created your learning objectives, create content that covers the objectives—and nothing but. In addition, any quizzes, tests, case studies, or hands-on exercises performed during training to evaluate your worker’s comprehension of the training should assess only the workers’ understanding of the objectives. And finally, any observation of workers when they’re back on the job to evaluate the effectiveness of the training should also focus on the performance of these objectives.
To (intentionally) overstate the point, learning objectives are the end-all and be-all of your training. Without objectives, you’ve got an out-of-control car without a driver.
Step 4: Design Training Materials
esigning training materials is like planning a dinner party, coming up with a menu, and writing the recipes. It’s the “plan before you do” phase of training creation.
While you’re designing your materials, keep the following points in mind:
Remember that it’s important to design before you rush into the next step (development)
Always focus primarily on the learning needs of your employees, and not on what’s easy for your trainers
Only create training content and assessments that relate directly to your learning objectives
Remember the adult learning principles
Include as much hands-on practice or simulation as possible: people learn by doing
Whenever possible, put the employees in control of the learning process (instead of the trainer)
Do everything possible to let the employees talk and interact with the trainer and with each other during the training
Make sure there’s plenty of opportunity for feedback during training
Break your training materials up into small “chunks” that are easier to take in and understand
Order your “chunked” training materials in a logical manner—one step that builds on top of another, or chronologically, etc.
Try to use a “blended learning” approach that includes training in several different formats (computer-based, instructor-led, etc.).
Try to appeal to a variety of your workers’ senses during training—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste (when appropriate and not dangerous). Sight is by far the most important sense for learning, but adding the others when possible does help.
Step 5: Develop Your Training Materials
Once you’ve got your training materials designed, now’s the time to roll up your sleeves and start developing them. It’s like you’ve written a recipe and are ready to cook the meal.
You may create a variety of training materials using several different tools during this step. Here’s a look at a few options:
Word, Excel, and similar “Office” programs to create handouts for employees and to create training outlines and notes for the instructor of any instructor-led components
Materials for hands-on elements and/or role-playing elements of the training
PowerPoint for in-class projections and/or handouts to deliver to employees. Beware of PowerPoint presentations that are nothing but screen after screen of bullet points, however.
Flip-charts, posters, transparencies, and/or computer-generated graphics for presenting visual materials during training
E-learning authoring tools such as Articulate Studio and Storyline or Adobe Captivate for creating computer-based e-learning modules
These are just a few ideas. Be creative and mix and match these to best fit the employees’ training needs. While creating materials, always keep in mind two primary concerns: (1) the things that will help your employees learn most effectively and (2) the learning objectives.
Step 6: Implement the Training
If designing is like writing a recipe, and developing is like cooking the meal, then this phase is setting the table, ringing the dinner bell, and eating the food.
It may seem obvious, but one of the most critical things you’ll have to do in this phase is inform the employees that will attend the training. Give them plenty of time in advance so that they can work it into their schedules and complete any necessary pre-training preparation.
One thing to keep in mind is that a learning management system (LMS) can play a big role in helping you during this step. An LMS is a software application used assign, deliver, track, and report on training. If you use an LMS at work, it’s easy for your employees to log in and see the list of training they’ve been assigned. Many learning management systems even include notification systems that send emails to the workers when new assignments are made or due dates are approaching. In short, an LMS can automate a lot of the clerical, scheduling, and notification procedures you’d have to do yourself in this step (and they do a lot more than that, too).
In addition, you may also have to do things like inform the workers’ supervisor, reserve rooms for training, buy any necessary supplies, work through any scheduling or traveling logistics, and perhaps even have food and drinks available. Get your ducks in order in advance, so your training goes off as smoothly as possible.
Moving forward to the actual training, the implementation can take a variety of forms. It may be classroom instruction; practice opportunities such as role-playing exercises, focus groups, case studies, or small group assignments; on-the-job skills-based training; the delivery of paper-based hand-outs for individual reading and study; the completion of e-learning modules on a computer; a combination of some or all of these; or more.
If your training includes an on-the-job skills-based component, make sure you know exactly what the employees must do to demonstrate competence. Define this in advance, when you’re creating your learning objectives, and don’t leave it unstated or vague.
If your training includes a classroom instruction component, there are a number of things you can do to make this more productive. Although the key things involve letting the employees be active participants instead of passive and bored listeners, more mundane things like room temperature, lighting, table and chair set-up, visual aids, and the instructor’s presentation style also play a role. There are a number of good books and websites that can you help you with this; the American Society for Training & Development’s website is a good place to start looking.
Step 7: Evaluate the Training
It’s easy to provide training to workers, pat yourself on the back, and think you’re done. But if you do, you’ve put your cart before your horse.
If your goal is to deliver effective training that changes your worker’s behavior on the job—and this SHOULD be your goal—then you need to confirm that the training was effective. The standard way to do this is to use Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation.
As you may have guessed, this method involves evaluating the effectiveness of your training at four different levels. Those four evaluations are:
Employees’ reaction to training:
Did the employees like the training? Did they feel like they learned? You can find this out by observing the employees during training, asking their opinions, or handing out surveys. You can hand out paper-based surveys after training if you want, but you may get better results if the survey is online and anonymous. Survey Monkey provides free online tools to help you do this.
Employees’ actual learning:
Assessments during the training should evaluate the employees’ actual learning of the objectives. This might include simple tests for knowledge issues, or case studies, job simulations, or hands-on exercises for skills and attitudes.
Testing Employees After Training
How to Write Better Multiple-Choice Questions
How to Write True/False, Matching, and “Other” Types of Questions
Testing and Fidelity
Testing, Reliability, and Validity
Employee’s post-training job behavior:
Are the workers taking the new knowledge/skills/attitudes from training and applying them at work where it counts? Observations of the employees’ on-the-job work behavior will determine this, as will other performance-based metrics.
Quantifiable business results:
Did the training result in reaching the desired business goal (i.e., did revenues rise, did costs decrease, was the new product manufactured properly, or were workplace incidents reduced)?
Step 8: Rinse, Lather, and Repeat Any Step When Necessary
You may have to return to different parts of this 8-step process in the future for a number of reasons. As mentioned above, one would be if your original training proved to be ineffective at any of the four levels. But you may have to do it again if you get new employees or if the work process changes.
But that’s no cause for panic. Now that you know the method, just work your way through. If you made some errors the first time—maybe you misjudged your employee’s learning needs, misidentified the learning objectives, provided too much information during training, put too little information into job aids, or held an instructor-led training that was dominated by the instructor—just go back and do it better the next time.
Conclusion:
So there you have it. Does training have an important role at the workplace? Absolutely. But it can’t solve every problem, and its effectiveness depends on how it’s designed, developed, and implemented. If you follow the eight steps listed above, you’ll find that your training programs will be much more effective, leading to an increased training ROI, happier employees, and the attainment of key business goals.
 
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