Training Design
Training design can be easy to get wrong. Designing and producing an effective training session can be a really difficult task. Not only do you have to make sure the knowledge/skill/attitude you are training is factually correct, but you also have to present it in a form which is easily digested by your learners.
How to Design Training – The 8 Step Process
There is a logical 8 step process which will ensure that you include everything you need to in your training design and the learning can be evaluated back against your session objectives.
These eight steps are available for you free in an ebook. Just click through on the image above.
Steps:
Step 1 |
What is the need for this training? Talk to the learners and their bosses and find out what they need to be doing differently as a result of the training. Is the need knowledge, skill or attitudinal based? |
Step 2 |
Write the objectives that you can realistically achieve given the number of learners you will be training and the time you have to train them in. The objectives should be written in behavioural terms (what they will be able to do at the end of the training) and reflect the knowledge, skill and attitude requirements identified in Step 1. |
Step 3 |
Now write the evaluation material which you will use to test that the learners have achieved the session objectives. Make sure that the evaluation proves that the learning has been taken on board. |
Step 4 |
Look at the evaluation exercise and ask yourself, “What do the learners need to learn in order to pass my evaluation exercise?”. The answer to this question is a list of subject matter and this list becomes the outline of the training session. |
Step 5 |
You are now ready to write the actual training material. Make sure your training design includes variations of approach to suit all learning styles. Include exercises, activities, discussions, role plays, syndicate work, case studies etc. to break the learning up into bite-sized chunks. |
Step 6 |
Write the first thing you are going to do or say at the start of the session. Whatever you choose to do to start the whole thing off, bear in mind that a good dynamic start is more likely to lead to higher levels of concentration and motivation from the learners. It is a good idea for the start to make a valid point about the need which has been identified for this training. |
Step 7 |
You may need to include an activity to enable delegates to get to know each other before the main part of the training starts. Use a process which is relevant to the objectives of the event and not just about each person introducing themselves. For example, on a recruitment interviewing skills course, I ask each learner to say three things about themselves – one of which must be a lie. Then the learners try to guess each other’s lie. The point here being that it is easy for job candidates to lie if the wrong types of questions are put to them. |
Step 8 |
Finally, practise running the session with some colleagues and then ask them to give you feedback. This “walk-through” will help iron out any potential problems before you run it live. |
Training Design – Logic
The logic behind this approach to training design is simple. Identify the trigger for the training and then make it go away. Do this by creating measurable objectives. Then assess the learners against these objectives as evidence of changed behaviour in the training room.
Training Activities Ten Point Checklist
It is important for your learners to be active learners and not passive. Training activities are essential for helping learners understand the learning and embed it into their work.
Follow this 10-point plan for successfully designing and running a training activity.
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