TRAINING WORKSHOP
Facilitator: Mark Hepworth, Department of Information Science, Loughborough University
Preparing to give a 'good' training course
The trainer's dilemma
Problem based learning
People tend to learn best while they are solving real-life problems. For example learning how to search the World Wide Web is best done while people look for information that helps them achieve a work/pleasure based objective. However, focus on completing the task may be at the expense of learning concrete skills.
Skills based learning
People need to learn discrete skills. For example people need to know the functionality of specific search engines such as phrase searching or Boolean logic when searching the World Wide Web. However, learning discrete skills in isolation is abstract and is difficult for people to relate to.
Basic training process
- Training needs analysis
- Conduct training
- Monitor progress
- Measure progress
- Review and reflect on process
- Experiential Learning Cycle
Questions you need to answer before designing
a training course
Who am I training?
- Who am I going to train?
- What is their background?
- Why are they in training course?
- What do they want to learn?
- What do they need to learn?
- What do they know?
- What are they expecting from you?
What content?
- What are they going to learn? What are your learning objectives?
- What do they have to do in order to learn that?
- What are the learning outcomes?
- What do they need to know in order to achieve that?
- What are they going to use to learn?
- What do you have to do in order to provide that environment?
- What do I have to do to help them to learn?
Where will it take place?
- Where are they going to learn or where are you going to train?
- What kind of support and help will they find there?
- What sort of difficulties are they likely to find there?
- What equipment will they and you use?
- How do you make sure you have access to the equipment and can set it up?
- What organization and preparation must you do?
When? Timing
- How much time have you got?
- How much time have they got?
- What time of day will it happen?
- What might be the effects of time of day?
- How frequently should they be trained?
- Should the training be staggered?
How?
- Where are they starting from?
- What level should you start at?
- Are they at the same level?
- How are they going to learn?
- How are you going to train?
- What methods will you use?
- How will you monitor progress?
- How will you know learning goals are achieved?
Useful books
Bourner, T. Martin, V. Race, P. (1993). Workshops that work. London: McGraw Hill
Minton, D. (1997). Teaching skills in further & adult education. Basingstoke: City & Guilds Macmillan