Chapter 11
Training Computer Users
Learning Objectives
• Goals of training activities
• Steps in the training process
• How to plan a training session
• How to prepare a training session
• How to present a training module
• How to progress toward quality training
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What Is Training?
• Training is a teaching and learning process that aims to
build skills that are immediately useful to the trainees
• Related to, but different from, education
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Education
• Education aims to provide conceptual understanding
and to build long-term thinking skills
• Provides basic vocabulary (concepts)
• Provides an understanding of general principles
• Intended to have long lasting effects
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Training
• Focuses on performing activities and building expertise
• Often tested by measuring a trainee’s ability to perform
•
specific tasks
Can be short term
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The Training Process
•
Four Ps of End-user Training:
Step 1: Plan
• Gather information about training objectives
Step 2: Prepare
• Gather and develop materials
• Organize them into modules
Step 3: Present
• Deliver training modules
Step 4: Progress
• Evaluate and improve training
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Step One: Plan the Training
(Overview)
• Determine
• Who the trainees are
• Background the trainees bring to the training
• What trainees need to know or be able to do as a result of
•
•
•
training
Level of skills trainees need
What the trainees already know
Specific learning or performance objectives
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Determine Trainee Backgrounds
• Skill level
– Novices
– Intermediate users
– Users with advanced skills
• Age
– Youth
– Adults
– Seniors
• Motivation
– Self-selected attendance
– Required attendance
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Determine Trainee
Content Needs
• Discover content needs from
• Position descriptions
• Interviews with
• Trainees
• Supervisors
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Determine Skill Levels
Trainees Need
1.
2.
3.
4.
•
•
Concepts: ability to use basic vocabulary
Understanding: ability to explain concepts
Skills: ability to perform a basic task
Expertise: ability to perform a task effectively and
efficiently
Concepts, level 1, is lowest level
Expertise, level 4, is highest level
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Determine
What Trainees Already Know
• Measure prior knowledge with
• Trainee interviews
• Supervisor interviews
• Pre-test
• Trainers can adjust for differences in prior knowledge
with
• Background materials
• Introductory session
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Appropriate Level
for New Materials
• Level of instruction alternatives:
• Teach to “average” of trainees
• Target instruction somewhat below “average”
• Use demonstrations and examples trainees can relate to
• Be aware of trainee diversity in cultural and language
backgrounds
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Define Training Objectives
• A learning objective is a statement of the knowledge
•
•
and skills trainees need to learn
A performance objective is a statement of what a
trainee should be able to do at the end of a training
session
Training objectives
• Usually start with an action verb
• Should be measurable
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Step Two: Prepare for the Training
(Overview)
• Specify topics to cover
• Organize the topics
• Select training environment
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Specify Topics to Cover
• Possible sources of topics
• Trainer’s knowledge of what is important
• Training objectives (from Step 1 above)
• Topics covered by other trainers and writers
• Examples of successful training materials
• Decide what not to cover
• Avoid
• Copying training materials verbatim
• Covering too much information
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Organize the Topics
• Progress from lower level skills to higher level skills
• Introduce concepts and terms first
• Then provide explanations to build understanding
• Focus on building basic skills and abilities next
• Finally, build expertise
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Generic Template
for a Training Session
1. Introduce trainer
2. Review previous topics
3. Introduce new topic
4 .Establish motivation
5. Present new material
• Concepts
• Explanations
6. Perform training activity
• Teach basic skill ability
• Build skills and expertise
7. Summarize and review main points
8. Describe next steps
9. Obtain evaluation and feedback
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Select an Effective
Training Environment
• Classes (15-25 trainees)
• Small groups (12 or fewer trainees)
• One-to-one training
• Self-guided tutorials
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Classes
• Advantages
• Cost-effective
• Single trainer for many trainees
• Potential use of special training facility
• Social learning among trainees
• Disadvantages
• Discomfort asking for help in a large group
• Different learning paces
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Small Groups
• Advantages
• Greater availability of individual assistance
• More trainee-to-trainee interaction and social learning
• Disadvantages
• Higher cost
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One-to-one Training
• Advantages
• Close monitoring of learning curve
• Availability of immediate help and feedback
• Disadvantages
•
• High cost
• No social learning among peers
On-the-job training is a variation
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Self-Guided Tutorials
• Advantages
• No trainer cost after materials have been developed
• Individualized pace of learning
• Disadvantages
• Assistance and feedback may not be available
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How Learners Learn
• No one, single learning style works for every trainee
• Each trainee has a preferred learning style
• Information retention and learning performance
improves with activity and repetition
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Learning Styles
• Visual learner is a trainee who learns most
effectively by seeing new material
• Reading
• Looking at picture or chart
• Auditory learner is a trainees who learns most
effectively by listening to someone talk through
new material
• Listening to lecture
• Experiential learner is a trainee who learns most
effectively by performing a task
• Also called kinesthetic learning
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Learning Methods and Retention
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Delivery Method
• Delivery method is an instructional technology, media
•
or approach to presenting information or training
materials
Lectures and readings are popular delivery methods, but
are they the most effective?
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Select a Delivery Method
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Lecture Method
• Advantage
• Effective use of instructor’s time
• Disadvantage
• Passive learner role
• Often used in combination with other delivery systems
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Reading Assignments
• Materials
• Textbook
• Trade book
• Vendor manual
• More active learner involvement than lecture
•
•
•
Amount of reading must be reasonable for given time available
Trainers need to evaluate organization and effectiveness of
materials
Need to match level of materials with reading ability of trainees
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Online Reading Assignments
• Materials
• Online help systems
• CD-ROM manuals
• Internet manuals (PDF files)
• Tend to be better written than many printed vendor
•
manuals, but online doesn’t guarantee accuracy
Enables increased trainee interaction and flexibility with
hyperlinks
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Group Discussion
• Actively involves trainees in peer-to-peer learning
• Most effective when shared experiences are beneficial
to learning process
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Visual Aids
• Materials
•
•
•
•
Pictures
Charts
Diagrams
Graphic images
• Visual information tends to be retained more effectively
•
•
than auditory information
Should be large enough to be visible to entire audience
Use simple designs with careful use of color, fonts, art
work for emphasis
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Multimedia Materials
• Multimedia materials are combinations of
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Text
Still images
Animation
Sound
Each form of media can reinforce others
Can increase amount of material learned and ability to recall
Cost
•
•
Prohibitive for single use (training session)
More cost-effective when development can be spread over multiple
training sessions
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Handouts and Reference Sheets
• Training is a one-time event
• “Take-away” information from a training session is
useful
• Handouts
• Reference Sheets
• Sometimes called “Cheat Sheets”
• Contain just enough information that users can recall
important facts or steps in a procedure
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Product Demonstrations
• Hands-on demonstration of hardware or software
•
products
Effective on LCD or DLP projection devices
• Cost of projectors is now more affordable
• Visible to large groups of 50-75 trainees
• Important to adjust pace, especially in a GUI environment
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Tutorials
•
•
•
•
Tutorial is an interactive learning technique
•
•
•
Self-guided
Self-paced
Step-by-step
Effective for introductory materials
Opportunity to repeat difficult lessons or take a refresher course
Costs
•
•
High for initial development
Low for each additional user
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Hands-on Activities
• Sometimes called lab exercises
• Let users
• Try out what has been learned
• Practice what has been learned
• Build skills and expertise
• Learn to become independent users
• Most effective when trainees receive immediate
feedback on performance
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Case Studies
• Encourage the transition
• from artificial environment of training room
• to realities of business world
• Based on real business situations
• Require trainees to apply skills they have learned
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Role Playing
• Role playing lets trainees participate in a rehearsal or
•
•
practice of a simulated work situation
Role playing trainees take the roles of
•
•
•
•
Users
Support staff
Trainers
Trainees
Provides experience with skills and emotions
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Collaborative or Group Learning
• Collaborative learning involves
•
• Group discussions
• Collective hands-on activities
• Group problem solving
• Role playing
• Participation in a case study team
Recognizes that learning is often a social activity
•
trainees can learn from each other as well as from a trainer
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Computer-Based Training (CBT)
•
•
•
•
Computer-Based Training (CBT) includes a combination of
•
•
•
•
Tutorials
Multimedia
Product demonstrations
Hands-on activities
Uses a computer as an automated training system
Cost
•
•
Expensive to develop
Cost-effective for large numbers of trainees
Some CBT systems also handle administrative tasks
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Web-Based Training (WBT)
• Web-Based Training (WBT) is similar to CBT, except
•
•
the Internet replaces CD-ROM as the delivery media
Cost
•
•
Expensive to develop
Cost-effective for large numbers of trainees
Trainers need to carefully evaluate the quality of Web-Based
materials
•
Not all Web-based materials are high quality
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Changing Role of Trainers in Online,
Self-Guided Training World
•
•
Less trainer time spent on preparation and presentation of
training materials
More trainer time spent to
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Assess trainee needs
Plan and design training programs
Evaluate and recommend training materials
Motivate trainees
Help with transitions between modules
Assess training performance and effectiveness
Assist trainees
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Develop Specific
Training Materials
• Most trainers do not develop training materials from
•
scratch
Existing resources:
• Vendor manuals
• Trade books
• Textbooks
• Industry training packages
• Respect copyrights
• Selected materials related to trainee interests
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Design Training
Evaluation Methods
• Training assessment focuses on
• Trainee evaluation: How well did the trainees learn the
material?
• Test or quiz
• Hands-on activities and exercises
• Trainer assessment: How well did the trainer prepare and
present the material?
• Trainee performance results
• Evaluation form or survey
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Evaluation Forms
• Provide vehicle for trainees’ perspective on strengths
•
and areas that need improvement in a training session
Sample questions
• Were training objectives clear?
• Were terms used in training defined?
• Was training well-organized?
• Were training aids useful?
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Step Three: Present the Training
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Tips on Presentations
•
•
A beta test run is a practice training session to give a trainer
feedback
•
•
•
•
on training materials
on presentation
on timing
on transitions between topics
Do a dry run at the training facility
•
•
•
•
•
Computer equipment
Projection equipment
Lights
Sound
Furniture
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More Tips on Presentations
• Use notes
• In outline form
• Don’t read an entire presentation
• Cover too little rather than too much
• Avoid trainee questions than may get off track
• Cover the important skills
• Avoid features that are “bells and whistles”
• Focus on education instead of entertainment
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More Tips on Presentations
• Ask “quick check” questions of trainees
• Direct question
• Open-ended question
• Group discussion question
• Read the “body language” of trainees to see if they are
•
•
comfortable, interested, bored, or inattentive
Take frequent short breaks in a long session
Get feedback from colleagues or a videotaped session
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Step Four: Progress Toward
Quality User Training
• Purpose:
improve the quality of training
• Review feedback
• Evaluate trainer performance
• Modify
• Presentation
• Materials
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Evaluation Resources for Trainer
• Results of training beta tests
• Results of trainee performance tests
• Trainee feedback on training
• Observations of training colleagues
• Videotaped training sessions
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Tips on Training Quality
• Keep technical materials current
• Check materials against the latest versions of hardware
•
and software
Join an online training group, such as
TechRepublic.com, and use their articles on training
improvement
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Learning Management System
• Learning management system is a software tool to
automate training tasks
• Authoring tools
• Training session management
• Libraries of instructional and reference materials
• Trainee testing and exam management
• Progress tracking
• Record keeping
• Skills database
• Certification database
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Chapter Summary
•
Training makes users
•
•
•
more self-reliant
more productive
less likely to need support services
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Chapter Summary (continued)
Steps in the training process:
1. Plan learning and performance objectives to provide the
concepts, understanding, skills and expertise trainees need
2. Prepare materials for delivery through classroom, small
group, face-to-face or self-guided training; prepare lectures,
readings, discussions, visual aids, handouts, demonstrations,
tutorials, hands-on activities, case studies, role playing,
group learning and CBT or WBT materials that are
appropriate to deliver the content to the trainees
3. Present materials using guidelines for effective
presentations
4. Progress training by evaluating the trainees and trainer to
improve training materials and presentation
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