Everyone was talking about the new training. It was so much fun. The animation! The games! Wow! The training moved so fast. But…when asked what they learned, each learner paused. “Hmmm,” they said, “It’s hard to pinpoint one thing because there was so much going on.”
In this world we are constantly competing against technology. Everyone wants it faster, better, and more entertaining. We are expected to cram a lot of content into a small amount of time.
Do all the bells and whistles make for good training? No! Those additions add interest and fun, but alone they don’t count for much if there is no solid foundation. In fact, it’s just like putting lipstick on a pig! It may be pretty but it’s still a pig! And, if people only remember that they had a good time in training, we have not done our job. We need to incorporate (PAF) Presentation, Application, and Feedback into every training program.
Presentation
First we need to present (P) what the learners need to know in order to be successful on the job. The training can be instructor-led or we can get the learners involved in the delivery. We can use e-learning or any other training strategy for that matter. But, between the glitz and glamour, there has to be content that is relevant to the job. And we need to use a variety of methods so we can engage the different learning styles and generations.
Application
Good training is not just delivering or presenting content. Once we have the need-to-know down, the learners require practice – application (A). As the saying goes, “Perfect practice makes perfect.” And we want to make the practice as real world as possible. It’s better to have the learners make mistakes (and get feedback) in the learning environment than back on the job. We can use role-plays, practice exercises, simulations, case studies, scenarios, etc., and these can be instructor-led or web-based, or something else. We just need to make the application exercises and activities hands-on whenever possible.
Feedback
Since training is a place where people come to practice their jobs, they need to know how they are performing to the standard. They need feedback (F). It doesn’t matter if the feedback is self disclosure (individual – i.e. how do you think you did?), peer delivered, or instructor-led. And, along with the feedback, we should provide tips on how they can perform the tasks better (if necessary).
I know that I’m preaching to the choir here, but I get excited about all the possibilities! We can still look for fun and excitement when we are deciding how we will deliver the content (presentation), how we will have the group practice (application), and how we will inform our learners about their performance (feedback).
Just remember, poor training in a pretty package is still poor training. Proper use of PAF will significantly increase the chance of having an effective training class. Training can be (and should be) both fun AND a great learning experience.
Martha
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