Step 8. Determine Follow-up Activities for the Event

Without follow-up, the benefits of training may be quickly forgotten or never used. Follow-up activities provide the continued support and feedback necessary for the successful implementation of new ideas and practices. To be effective, follow-up activities should be planned as you develop your training design, and should include a range of opportunities for participants to reflect on both the content of what they learned during the training and the process of implementation.
Follow-up strategies which to improve adoption of new training practices include:
• Newsletters and Web site postings;
• Peer observation and coaching, individuals observe one another performing a newly acquired skill, then meet to discuss and reflect on observations;
• Mentoring, in which individuals receive on-site, personal support and technical assistance from someone with experience in the method being learned;
• Study groups, in which individuals meet regularly to support one another during the implementation of a new idea or practice;
• Booster sessions, where training participants are brought together two to three months after the training event to reinforce knowledge and skills acquired during the training; and
• Ongoing communication between participants and trainers via phone or email.
Keep in mind that some follow-up activities require more resources than others, but may increase the likelihood of significant learning occuring.

Professional development includes a broad spectrum of ongoing activities designed to enhance the subject knowledge, essential skills, and attitudes of educators so that they might, in turn, improve the learning of others. Training events can be effective ways to share ideas and information with large groups of educators, particularly when supplemented by well thought out follow-up activities. However, the success of these events depends on a well-developed and executed training design.

[tags] training evaluation, training design [/tags]

Workplace time wasters

A survey by recruitment firm Office Angels has found that UK offices lose 72 million hours every week, totalling £6.85 billion a year, enough to build nine Wembley Stadiums each year!

Here are the top office timewasters:

• Over a third of office workers(36%) estimate they spend over five hours a week procrastinating instead of working – including, browsing online, daydreaming and making coffee for their colleagues -15,700,000hrs

• Nearly two thirds (59%) spend at least 30 minutes each week dealing with computer meltdowns and re-boots - 8,050,000hrs

• A sociable 13% admit to spending at least two hours a week gossiping to colleagues - 7,400,000hrs

• One in 10 (13%) lose 20 minutes a week on what they describe as pointless meetings - 7,400,000 hrs

• More than one in 10 (15%) waste an average of an hour a week dealing with indecisive colleagues/clients - 4,335,000 hrs

• 41% lose an average of 20 minutes a week due to office mishaps such as fire drills or power cuts - 3,540,000hrs

• More than one in 10 (14%) admit to keeping colleagues waiting by arriving 10 minutes late to work once a week or are kept waiting themselves by untimely employees - 3,267,600 hrs

[tags] time wasters, office timewasting [/tags]

Step 7. Prepare Participant Evaluation Forms

The purpose of the evaluation is to determine the extent to which the training achieved its objectives and to identify what adjustments, if any, need to be made to the training design or follow-up process. Some issues to address through the evaluation form:
Did the participants acquire the knowledge and skills that the training was supposed to provide?

Were the trainers knowledgeable about training content?
Were the activities interesting and effective?
Was the training format appropriate?
Is more training on this or related topics needed to support participants in their work?

During a multi-day training, have participants complete an evaluation form at the end of each day and a summary evaluation at the end of the training. Trainers should review the evaluation feedback immediately and, if necessary, modify the training agenda for the remainder of the training

[tags] training evaluation, participant evaluation [/tags]

Step 6. Prepare the Written Training Design

Create a written document providing a detailed plan of the training session, including goals and objectives; the sequence of specific learning activities and time allotted to each; directions and key points to cover during each activity; and the trainer responsible for each activity.

Consider the skill, expertise, training style, and comfort level of each trainer when making these decision. Consider identifying specific trainers to take the lead “fleshing out” different sections of the training and creating supporting materials.

Use this training design to stay on track during the actual event, make mid-course corrections, and document training details.

Step 5. Develop Instructional Activities

Developing a training design consists of organizing learning activities so that outcomes identified by your objectives are achieved. Each activity should have an introduction, a main segment, and a wrap-up segment, paralleling the overall structure of the training session. During the introduction, provide a brief description of the purpose and content of the activity and develop a connection between the activity and the one that preceded it. Make sure that activities flow logically from one to the next.

As you develop activities, select training strategies that are most likely to help you meet your objectives. For example, skill development is best achieved through modeling, practice, and feedback, while information acquisition can be achieved through group discussion or collaborative group work. Keep in mind that people learn in a variety of ways: some learn best by listening, others by reading, and most by doing. An effective training design incorporates a variety of training strategies, taking into account:
participant learning style
principles of adult learning
group size
prior experience and/or education level of participants
type of skill or information to be presented
trainers style
Some strategies that promote active learning include brainstorming, games, mini-lectures, small group work, cooperative group work, simulations, role-playing, and case studies.
When deciding which activities to use, consider these questions:
Do we know that this activity is effective?
Have we used it before? Are we comfortable with this technique? Do we have the expertise to use it effectively?
Does the activity require prior knowledge or skills on the part of participants?
Will we have the time, space, and resources needed to accomplish the activity?
Will the activity encourage learning without confusing participants?
Make sure that each activity includes a wrap-up component that brings closure to the activity, answering questions, and discussing possible applications. As part of your wrap-up, consider asking questions like:

What will you do as a result of…? What major themes emerged? or What is your response to…?
Finally, decide on the amount of time you need to carry out each activity and to achieve objectives. It’s better to drop an objective than rush and frustrate participants.

Remember you will need to develop resource materials to support these activities. These may include handouts, case studies, bibliographies, or questionnaires. Leave adequate time to draft the materials, obtain feedback, and make any changes.

[tags] Instructional Activities, training design [/tags]

Step 4. Outline Training Content

Most training is divided into three portions: an introduction, a learning component, and a wrap-up/evaluation component.

Introduction. The introduction establishes a positive learning environment. Opening activities should stimulate interest and enthusiasm, reduce anxiety amongst participants, and build community. It’s important to build some content into introductory activities, and make sure these activities are meaningful. However,, the development of group rapport can’t be rushed, so make sure to allow time for participants to become comfortable with one another.

Learning component. This is the body of the program. During this part of the program, participants engage in activities designed to accomplish training objectives. Concepts and ideas are taught and explored, attitudes are examined, resources are shared, and teaching strategies and skills are demonstrated, practiced, and discussed. To be most effective, activities should actively involve participants in acquiring knowledge or practicing skills.

Step 5 offers detailed information about designing learning activities.

Wrap-up and evaluation segment. This segment should help bridge the gap between training and implementation and promote a positive feeling of closure. It is your opportunity to “pull it all together”: highlight essential learning, summarize central concepts and themes, and describe next steps. Participants should have an opportunity to ask questions, discuss concerns, and provide feedback to the trainers. Finally, it is helpful to review the group’s expectations and identify resources to help satisfy those that have not been met. (Multi-day training events might need a brief introduction component and wrap-up component each day.)

Once you have established your priorities and begun to organize the training, create a rough training outline. Consider the following “rules of thumb”:
Block out the time into large chunks. Fill in “known” elements such as meals and breaks followed by specific activities.
Finally, assign an amount of time to each activity.
Start with simple concepts and proceed to ones that are more complex.
Proceed from topics that are less “threatening” to ones that may be more sensitive in nature.
Schedule activities which require the greatest concentration during times when people will be focused and energetic such as first thing in the morning and interactive sessions during low energy times such as right after lunch.

Give yourself and the participants a break. Build into your training design at least one 10-15 minute break in the morning and afternoon and time for lunch.
Build in time for reflection, discussion, and for questions and answers.
During a multi-day event, allow time at the beginning of each day to introduce the day’s events, bridge one day to the next, discuss comments or questions, and make general announcements.
Schedule a few minutes at the end of each day for feedback, announcements, and to provide closure to the days activities.
Review your plan with a critical eye. You may need to reduce the number of objectives you plan to address if you really want learning to take place.

Be flexible! Although your design is a detailed road map, you may encounter detours along the way. The best training design not only accomplishes the objectives of the training, but also meets the emergent needs of participants.

Always return to your stated objectives and outcomes to guide program content and remind you of your purpose. It’s easy to go off track.

Step 3. Define Training Goals and Objectives

After assessing the needs and expectations of participants, you are ready to define goals and objectives for the training. This provide criteria for:
clarifying expected outcomes
outlining training content
planning specific training activities
selecting/developing materials
designing evaluation procedures
communicating program intent to the training participants and others (such as program administrators and supervisors)
Making sure training is realistic and appropriate for intended purposes
A training goal should be broad, spell out who will be affected and what will change as a result of the training.
Sample Goal: To increase knowledge of HIV/AIDS among health educators in your city
Objectives are more precise, specifying a path for achieving the program goal(s). They should state as specifically as possible the after-training result that you are trying to achieve, including what will change, who will change, under what conditions, and to what extent.
Sample Objective: By the end of the training, participants will be able to identify three ways that HIV is transmitted.

Sample Objective: By the end of the training, participants will be able to list five ways to decrease the risk of becoming infected with HIV.
When developing your objectives, ask yourself what you want participants to know, say, and be able to do after leaving the training, and/or what actions you’d like them to take.

Then follow these steps, adapted from Jeary and Gerold’s Training Other People to Train: A Workshop on Training Adult Learners (1999):
1. List the ways you would like the training to benefit participants these are desired outcomes.
2. Work these desired outcomes into written objectives, keep in mind that participants want practical, usable knowledge.
3. Check your objectives from the perspective of participants. Will this objective meet their needs? Will it help you meet training goal(s)?
4. Set training priorities. Rank objectives according to importance - you might not be able to cover everything in one training session.
Remember to develop both overall objectives (for the entire training session) and separate objectives for each segment and/or day of the training workshop. Present the objectives to participants at the start of each segment and/or day. Having a clear direction helps to frame the segment and/or day

[tags] training goals and objectives [/tags]

Step 2. Determine Participants Needs

There are several ways to find out about needs and expectations of potential participants:
Have potential participants complete a brief, written survey to collect general information.
Survey a random sample by phone to collect detailed information from a few people.
Review evaluation and feedback forms from past events.

You should collect the following participant information:
current roles and responsibilities
previous training on this topic
reasons for attendance
specific needs and expectations for the event

Do this early enough so you can use the information to design your training.

[tags] defining training needs [/tags]

Defining the purpose of training

Step 1. Define Purpose of the Training and Target Audience

The first step to designing training is to become clear about what your training needs to accomplish. For some training your purpose and audience will be clear determined by funding or professional development needs. Or you may need to sort through and prioritize a spectrum of training needs before determining a focus.

Once you have a clear sense of the training purpose and target audience, write it down! Then use this description to promote your program to prospective participants.

[tags] management training, defining training, training design [/tags]

Developing a training design

For the next few weeks, we will be going through - step by step - the elements of training design or how to design training. This is NOT an academic approach to training - if you have stumbled the Sharp End Training blog because you are looking for inspiration because you have been handed the task - we are aiming at YOU.

There are eight steps to training design and we will go through them step-by-step.

What is a training design?
A training design is a blueprint for a training event. It is a detailed plan for what you will do, why, and the best ways to reach training objectives.
This document offers an eight-step model for designing an effective training event that meets the needs of participants and trainers.
Step 1. Define purpose of the training and target audience
Step 2. Determine participants’ needs
Step 3. Define training goals and objectives
Step 4. Outline training content
Step 5. Develop instructional activities
Step 6. Prepare the written training design
Step 7. Prepare participant evaluation form(s)
Step 8. Determine follow-up activities for the event

Each step can be applied to a variety of training formats, including face-to-face, online, and interactive, satellite-based trainings.

[tags] developing training, training design, novice trainer [/tags]