As trainers we know that training is defined as knowledge and skill (with the focus on the skill component) for use in your current job. We deliver new information to learners, the learners practice, and then receive feedback on their performance.

So let’s talk about the new technology and its impact on training. Nano learning, for example, is very short bits of learning lasting from 90 seconds to no longer than three minutes. Using Twitter, the maximum number of characters allowed to deliver a message is 144. Mobile learning is short tutorials lasting no longer than 10 minutes. So how do we actually train employees in so little time?

Most of the examples of this type of learning I have seen so far have contained only information. I would probably consider most of them to be online job aids. So the question is, “Where is the practice and feedback?’

I realize that, if every employee in your organization has a hand-held device, it is tempting to use this as a way to train them. Sure, by using these devices we can deliver information anytime, anywhere, and spend less time in training and away from the job, but can we call this training?

As result of all of this, I have viewed training via new technology and social media with scepticism. I didn’t know it, but my perceptions were about to change.

A recent Langevin assignment at a high-tech communications company gave me a change of perspective on the use of technology and social media in the training of employees.

The workshop started, as usual, with introductions and housekeeping. We moved onto key terms and definitions, and then the discussion quickly moved to “mobile learning.” The participants in my workshop proudly told me, “We are already doing mobile learning” and offered to show me some examples. Before I knew what was happening, the device was in my hand. The group said, “Press this, enter this password, go through it, and give us your honest feedback.”

To be honest, I was expecting to see a series of screens on the hand held device crammed with text; I was expecting a “read and click” exercise. To my surprise I went through a well-designed, functional mobile-learning tutorial that took five minutes to complete and, not only that, it contained a quiz with feedback!

I launched the tutorial and viewed an introduction page that was instructionally sound and graphically pleasing. The intro page had a sound instructional objective and a three-bullet point overview. I quickly moved on to the lesson.  The bullets of content flew onto the screen in quick, but readable, succession. I advanced to the next screen and viewed a colour-coded graphic outlining a process, pointing and clicking on various parts of the process when prompted. At two minutes into the tutorial I viewed the third screen—five bullet points. So far, I was quite impressed and was thinking hard to find some constructive feedback.

The next screen was a summary of the previous three and a nice link to an exercise. The knowledge check consisted of two multiple-choice questions, a true/false question, and a series of drag and drop questions relating to the process diagram. Automated and direct feedback let me know if I was correct or incorrect.

After completing the quiz, the final screen congratulated me for completing the tutorial and suggested two post-course performance support activities (PSAs) which would allow me some skill-based practice back on the job—and all this was done in less than five minutes! (Since the practice in the tutorial only checked my knowledge, this blended-learning approach was needed to ensure I also acquired skill.)

The ten participants, almost in unison, then asked, “Well, what do you think?” I was honest in saying that that the mobile learning tutorial was instructional, functional, and looked great. The one piece of constructive feedback I could offer was to add a three-question level 1 evaluation at the end.

Over the three-day session we looked at many examples of mobile and nano learning. We had great discussions about the use of technology and social media in training today and what’s coming next.

I believe that this organization will be successful in the use of technology in their training by sticking to sound instructional design principles that include using PSAs if and when needed, using technology for the right reasons, and not giving up on performance improvement for the sake of saving time and money.

So, my views on mobile learning and nano learning changed during that session. I went from sceptic to a believer; I guess I just had to see some good examples, and meet instructional designers who are committed to doing what they do best. Web-based training is training first and must follow principles of instructional design. The current and future technology must be leveraged to enhance our training and help training professionals to deliver knowledge and skill in the most efficient way possible.

Since that session I am convinced that we can train people using new technology and social media; we just have to do it right. Doing it right means including performance-based practice to ensure we are not just delivering information. So bring on the avatars and second life!

Steve

I was a bit nervous about my upcoming debut as ‘resident resume expert,’ so I decided to do a bit of research around effective resume writing. I quickly realized that there were a lot of similarities between writing a resume and writing procedures or creating a task analysis as part of an ISD process. Phew – huge sigh of relief! At least that much was familiar to me, as I am a former course designer and currently teach design principles and procedural writing at Langevin.

This past May, U.S. employers laid off 135,789 workers at a time when the number of unemployed who had been jobless for 27 weeks or longer was the highest on record (as of the end of 2009). As such, I thought it timely to share some of the more critical resume writing tips I shared with my job-seekers. And, whether you realize it or not, you may be a ‘natural’ at writing resumes, especially if you’ve written procedures, steps or a task analysis as part of any training program design. So read on, dear colleagues…

FORMAT

Just like a task analysis has a standard format (sub-tasks in the left-hand column, “how-to” steps on the right), so should a resume. Your resume format should attract attention, create interest and be consistent throughout the document. The most commonly used format for organizing resume information is the Chronological format. This format details each job and educational accomplishment in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent experiences first.

OBJECTIVE STATEMENT

All good training programs have clear objectives. In fact, Langevin teaches objective writing as part of our 3-day Instructional Design for New Designers workshop. An effective resume should contain a clear, concise objective statement (usually placed at the top of the page). Objective statements are best when they’re brief and to the point—one or two lines, maximum. Overused phrases such as “challenging position,” “growing industry,” “opportunity for advancement,” etc. should be avoided. Also, like training objectives, an objective statement on a resume should be free of personal pronouns.

CREATE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENTS

Langevin defines training as having the knowledge and skill needed to perform your current job. When writing a resume, replace typical job description statements with job accomplishment statements – that is, demonstrate that you have the knowledge and skill to work effectively and produce results. Isn’t that what training is all about—producing results? To help determine your accomplishments, ask yourself the following questions:

• Did I see a problem, opportunity, or challenge for which I took the initiative to create a solution?
• Did I develop something?
• Did I participate actively in a major decision related to organizational changes?
• Did I implement or participate in a sales/profit-generating or cost-saving recommendation?

Here are some examples of accomplishment statements:

• Created a new procedure for handling customer complaints. Company earned Customer Service Award.
• Developed a job aid to be used by all new interns. Decreased ILT time by 10%.
• Met 100% of assigned training program design deadlines.

BE ACTIVE

Finally, use action verbs! When we list tasks as part of instructional design, we start with action verbs; the same goes for writing effective resumes. Use a lot of action verbs, like in the accomplishment examples above. In fact, I used Langevin’s List of Common Action Verbs at the career fair. What a huge help!

A couple of other tips before I wrap up: avoid using a three-syllable word when a one- or two-syllable word will do (KISS – keep it short and simple)! And, don’t forget to update your resume often…opportunity favors the prepared.

I’d love to hear your tips and techniques for creating ‘eye-catching’ resumes. Feel free to share!

Melissa

Little things mean a lot in the world of training as well. We trainers work hard to develop our broad skill sets – interpersonal skills,  instructional design skills , and instructional skills – so it’s easy to sometimes forget the little things.

I would like to share with you of some of the little things we can do during our day-to-day training activities that make a difference. I have broken down these tips into three categories: interpersonal tips, instructional tips, and design tips.

So, here are my thoughts!

Interpersonal Tips

• Send thank you notes to people who make a difference to you; SMEs, managers, IT staff, and administrative staff.

• Send hand-written thank you notes instead of emails. There is more power in the written word and it really shows you care!

• Praise learners when they get things right! All too often it’s easier to focus on the things they do incorrectly.

Instructional Tips

• Try to talk to all of your learners at least once a day, every day. It helps keep them involved and makes them feel important to you.

• When using audio visual aids like flipcharts, PowerPoint slides, and whiteboards, use only dark colors for text and large enough font sizes so that everyone can see, otherwise, learners can become disengaged.

• Make eye contact with everyone during instructor-led sessions so no learner ever feels excluded.

Design Tips

• Design the course to include a short icebreaker or introductory activity during the first 30 minutes of class on the first day; it gives learners a chance to get comfortable with each other and with you.

• Design the course to include a variety of teaching methods so everyone can learn regardless of learning style. Mix some lecture with small group activities and demonstrations to keep people engaged and interested.

• Design end-of-training summaries with impact so learners walk away with key take-a-ways and positive feelings about what they have just learned.

Individually these things may not seem like much but when you combine them they add up to training success for you, your learners, and your department.

What little things do you do that add up to learning success?

Lynne

Relevance

When people come to training, their main concern is learning skills they can use in their jobs. No matter how interesting a fact may be when you design a course or prepare to deliver a course, if it doesn’t focus on how to perform work, it probably shouldn’t be in there. This is at the heart of the lean training approach. It has been said that in every fat course, there’s a thin course trying to get out. What this means is that your course content should focus on job tasks, and avoid topics or non-relevant information as much as possible.

Rationale

People love when instructions are clear-cut, but they also tend to question things a lot. Employees seem to constantly be asking themselves, “Why should I do it this way?” Don’t allow your learners to begin doubting the reasons for the work processes taught in the course; begin every lesson with a rationale for the process. Describe the personal and professional benefits people will gain from using the new process.

Realism

Look at any training that teaches skills where lives are at stake. How realistic is the practice in that training? Consider the training an airline pilot gets, or a firefighter gets, or a soldier gets. Guess how much of their graded activities are paper-based tests versus practical simulations of their work. We should be emulating that philosophy whenever possible. Rather than prepare written tests or oral quizzes, we should be creating practical exercises that resemble the learners’ real jobs as much as possible.

GRRREAT!

Yes, three “R”s in “great” because that’s what your training will be if you apply Relevance, Rationale, and Realism to your training. There are hundreds of ways to implement these concepts in your courses; you’re limited only by your creativity. But it’s nice to have something catchy that keeps that training design and delivery philosophy anchored in our minds. That way we don’t lose our way when we’re eyebrows-deep in the details of a specific course.

Alan

Some of my pet peeves about how some presenters and trainers use PowerPoint:

• Information Overload – let’s cram as much as we can on the slides so people leave and don’t have a clue about what just happened.
• Reading Slides – I’ll stand and read slides because the audience can’t read. How insulting to them and how insulting to me. Is that why I took this job? To stand and read to people??
• Boredom – How boring to watch a lengthy slide show – we’re killing people with this stuff!

Now, having said that, using multimedia slides in training can be beneficial. Typically, the course content requires a visual representation to enhance its meaning. Heck, visual learners love to see graphics and pictures. And lastly, seeing the content can increase retention for the learners.

So, the idea is to incorporate the slides properly. I’m sure you’re familiar with some of the basic ideas around using slides. Here are some Langevin tips:

• Keep it simple.
• Less is more – stick to key messages.
• Use caps only for a key word or phrase.
• Use 28-point font for headings.
• Use no more than 5-7 lines per slide.

But imagine my surprise to learn that there was a field of study around slides and even a book called Slide:ology – The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte. These are just some of her suggestions:

• The 3 Second Rule – your message must be processed effectively within 3 seconds – about the time it takes to read a billboard.
• It’s okay to have clear space; clutter is a failure of design.
• Go for a very low word count and use bullets sparingly.
• A slide’s value is determined NOT by the amount of information it contains, but by how clearly it communicates its message.

Remember, slides are meant to enhance the session to aid learning, not BE the session! And isn’t that what training is all about?

Marsha

• Cut back on some of the discussions and practice sessions?
• Depend on more lecture?
• Talk faster?
• Click the slides faster?
• Don’t take any questions?

Although I may have done some things like that in the past, it certainly wouldn’t be my recommendation.

Instead, here is what I do recommend:

Prioritize Course Content. Ask the SMEs or stakeholders the following questions:

• What is most difficult to learn?
• What is done most frequently?
• What is most important to the job?
• What do the learners have the least amount of background in?

Once you have this information you can focus on the high priority content. Deemphasize the lower priority content using the following methods:

• Appendix – push some of the content in the appendix of the participants’ guide.
• Multiple classes – offer some of the content in a later class(es).
• Blended solution – some of the content may fit well as an e-learning solution.
• Pre-course work – present content through pre-course assignments or required reading.
• Post-course work – present content through post-course assignments, required reading, or work-place activities.
• Job aids – Use handouts etc. to present content to the learners.

By cutting down on some of the content you can keep the interactive activities and practice exercises in your course.

If you try to squeeze all the content into the compressed time frame, all of it will not stick. The learners will probably retain some of the content, but will happen to e the skills and knowledge most critical for job success?

Always keep the following statement in mind: If your training does not result in improved performance, what’s the point?

Paul

We trainers have been using the word “objective” for about as long as managers have, but in a different sense.  In the world of training, an objective describes the result achieved by the end of a lesson. For every lesson in the course, there is an objective. This objective should be performance-based. That is, objectives in training should describe the actions employees will take on the job after training. And, as it turns out, training objectives can be just as SMART as business objectives when it comes to their formulation.  Let’s see how.

Specific: A training objective should include a task statement, which describes a work activity. This is a specific wording of a work activity using an action verb and a noun – e.g. give feedback, send an e-mail, etc.

Measurable: Performance-based training objectives relate to something the organization cares about, and, therefore, can track. Any objective that describes how someone should do something can be measured using checklists, observation, and other tracking tools.

Achievable: If the training team did a training needs analysis before designing the course, training objectives will describe the skill and knowledge employees must achieve and use on the job. Other factors that may affect employee performance, such as working conditions or management feedback, will have been handled with non-training solutions.

Relevant: Remember “measurable” from two paragraphs ago? If your organization is bothering to measure something, odds are it’s relevant to a grand plan. As a matter of fact, the more tracking that is done on the part of the job to which the objective relates, the more relevant that lesson is to the organization.

Time-bound: Training objectives may or may not describe a timeline in their wording. Not all job tasks have a time standard. Some job tasks have quantity or quality standards. Perhaps some of your lessons teach tasks that have cost or safety standards too. This is the one letter from SMART that doesn’t connect as well to training objectives as for business objectives. Perhaps we could change this “T” and make it “Tied to standards” Since all job tasks have some kind of performance standard associated with them, training objectives can include these as well.

If you’re talking shop and people overhear you mention objectives, they might say, “Ah yes, good old SMART objectives.” You can tell them that acronym applies to business objectives, and that training objectives follow a similar approach. Hopefully, with this article, you’ll be even better prepared to implement that approach in training.

Alan

We trainers and designers can use the same thought process when choosing presentation and application methods. We have to ask ourselves, “Does the method fit our audience, time frame, and content? Does the method make sense?”

For example, if I trained sales reps, then I might choose game playing for that audience. This method makes sense because sales reps are competitive people and competition is an integral part of their job. If I trained managers who have little time to give me, then I would choose a lecture method that permits transferring large amounts of information in less time but I would lecture in an interactive way to keep them engaged. If I taught skill-based content, then I would choose demonstration method to appeal to all three learning styles (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic). I would also need to consider my audience, time frame, and content for choosing the most appropriate learner practice methods.

In several of our workshops we share up to 50 presentation and application methods that can be used during training sessions! This is the cool thing about training that I’m always telling my learners. In our world of instruction and design there is always more than one way to do just about everything! While this fact might be overwhelming for some, for others it is very exciting!

If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed about what makes sense when choosing methods, give the following suggestions a try – keeping the key considerations of audience, time frame, and content in mind:

If you teach “hands on” skill-based content

Presentation Methods:

• Demonstrations
• Short Lectures
• Discussions,
• Peer Tutoring
• Field Trips

Application Methods:

• Practice Sessions
• Simulations
• Drills
• Games
• Laboratory Settings

If you teach business skills like leadership, communication and customer service

Presentation Methods:

• Behavior modeling
• Brainstorming
• Discussions
• Mock Interviews
• Graphic Association

Application Methods:

• Action Maze
• Case Studies
• Games
• Role Plays
• Quizzes

In summary, there are many methods to choose from when your design your training programs. The method you choose depends on many variables but the main ones are time, audience, and content. The choice you make will either help or hinder the learning process so make this decision with great consideration.

Remember my analogy of comparing clothing with methods. Just make your choices fit your training conditions and you will be fine!

Lynne

For many years, Langevin has been teaching Instructional Designers to consider the reading level of their audience in regard to any written training materials (participant manuals, hand-outs, etc.). In theory, this means avoiding many multi-syllable words, unusual words, or long and awkward sentences. So, as training professionals, what grade level do we write at and how do we use The FOG Index to ensure our learners can read & understand our content?

Use the following calculation to determine the Index on any written work:

1. Take a 100 word extract (ending at a full stop).
2. Count the number of sentences in the selected section.
3. Divide 100 by the number of sentences in the selection. This will show the average sentence length (ASL).
4. Count the number of words (NW) that have 3 syllables or more.
5. Add the ASL and NW and then multiply by 0.4. This will give you the FOG Index.

The FI gives comic books, Mark Twain, and Shakespeare a rating of around 6.

Now – if all this sounds like too much effort, technology makes determining the readability of your written materials effortless. There is another tool, The “Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula,” that assigns a U.S. grade-level to your writing as well – and best of all, your computer does all the work! To turn on the readability stats feature in Word:

1. Choose “Tools” from MS Word menu.
2. Select “Spelling & Grammar” from the drop-down tools menu.
3. Click on the “Options” button.
4. At the bottom of the grammar menu, click on “Show Readability Stats” to turn it on (look for the check mark to indicate it is on).
5. NOTE: In some versions of MS Word (including MAC versions), you must select “Options” first, then “Spelling & Grammar.”

And just in case you are wondering, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level rating on this article is, 7.6.

So remember, less really is more, when it comes to helping learners read and understand our content – and The FOG Index or The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula are two tools that can help us do just that.

I’d love to hear about your experience in using either of these techniques. Feel free to share your thoughts!

Melissa

• Relevant
• Active
• Varied
• Enjoyable

Relevant

The content of your courses should focus on need-to-know material. Simply put, explain how to do the job. Leave out the background information that led to a procedure in its current form. Forget about the history of a product or process. Even information on how something works is off the mark. Rather than teach people how something works, teach them how to use that thing. A classic example: Don’t teach all the menus and functions of a piece of software. Teach them how to find the information they need in a database,  how to update a customer record, or how to backup data, etc.

Active

The activities in your courses should be just that: active. Avoid lectures when you can. Use discussions, search-n-learns, brainstorming sessions, group assignments, etc. Any time people are producing something on a flipchart or a whiteboard, ask everyone to get up and huddle near the media being used. Change seating arrangements often. Include actual practice of the procedures being taught. A sure sign of an active course is when you call for a break and learners respond with: “Already? Wow!” Just ensure the activity isn’t there just for activity’s sake. It should still be relevant to what they do in their jobs.

Varied

Without getting too caught up in adult learning theory, we can safely say that different people prefer to learn in different ways. The easiest approach to handling this is to hit learners with many forms of communication or activity. Make sure learners get to do each of the following at least once per hour:

• Hear a process explained.
• Read the steps of the process.
• Watch someone doing it. (The instructor, a volunteer learner, or a video demonstration.)
• Talk about the process, its challenges, or its adaptation to their workplace.
• Perform the procedure.
• Compare their work to each other or to an answer key.
• Write down key learning points they got out of the lesson.
• Ask questions about the process.
• Share conclusions about its applicability to their jobs.

Enjoyable

Research indicates the rate at which people absorb or retain information goes up dramatically when they are in a state of enjoyment. Use activities like icebreakers, puzzles, cartoons, G-rated jokes, table toys (building blocks and pipe cleaners are very popular), group work, and games, to name a few. Not only does this make people more pleased about the training, but it improves the rate of learning and retention of training material.

There are many approaches to accomplishing RAVE reviews of your training. This one is simple and complete. Whether you’re designing or delivering a course, remembering this little acronym can influence your approach and ultimately bring you closer to your overall goal: improved employee performance back on the job.

Alan