chapter 11 training computer users. guide to computer user support, 3e 2 goals of training...

Chapter 11

Training Computer Users

Guide to Computer User Support, 3e 2

• 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

Learning Objectives


• 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

What Is Training?


• 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

Education


• Focuses on performing activities and building expertise

• Often tested by measuring a trainee’s ability to perform specific tasks

• Can be short term

Training


• 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

The Training Process


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


• Skill level–Novices

–Intermediate users

–Users with advanced skills

• Age–Youth

–Adults

–Seniors

• Motivation–Self-selected attendance

–Required attendance

Determine Trainee Backgrounds


Determine TraineeContent Needs

• Discover content needs from• Position descriptions

• Interviews with

• Trainees

• Supervisors


1. Concepts: ability to use basic vocabulary

2. Understanding: ability to explain concepts

3. Skills: ability to perform a basic task

4. Expertise: ability to perform a task effectively and efficiently

• Concepts, level 1, is lowest level

• Expertise, level 4, is highest level

Determine Skill LevelsTrainees Need


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


• 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

Appropriate Level for New Materials


• 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

Define Training Objectives


• Specify topics to cover

• Organize the topics

• Select training environment

Step Two: Prepare for the Training (Overview)


• 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

Specify Topics to Cover


• 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

Organize the Topics


1. Introduce trainer

2. Review previous topics

3. Introduce new topic

4 .Establish motivation

5. Present new material

• Concepts

• Explanations6. Perform training activity

• Teach basic skill ability

• Build skills and expertise7. Summarize and review main points

8. Describe next steps

9. Obtain evaluation and feedback

Generic Template for a Training Session


• Classes (15-25 trainees)

• Small groups (12 or fewer trainees)

• One-to-one training

• Self-guided tutorials

Select an Effective Training Environment


• 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

Classes


• Advantages• Greater availability of individual assistance

• More trainee-to-trainee interaction and social learning

• Disadvantages• Higher cost

Small Groups


• 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

One-to-one Training


• Advantages

• No trainer cost after materials have been developed

• Individualized pace of learning

• Disadvantages

• Assistance and feedback may not be available

Self-Guided Tutorials


• 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

How Learners Learn


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


Learning Methods and Retention


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?


Select a Delivery Method


• Advantage• Effective use of instructor’s time

• Disadvantage• Passive learner role

• Often used in combination with other delivery systems

Lecture Method


• 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

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

Online Reading Assignments


• Actively involves trainees in peer-to-peer learning

• Most effective when shared experiences are beneficial to learning process

Group Discussion


• 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

Visual Aids


• 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

Multimedia Materials


• 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

Handouts and Reference Sheets


• 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

Product Demonstrations


• 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

Tutorials


• 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

Hands-on Activities


• 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

Case Studies


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


• 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

Collaborative or Group Learning


• 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

Computer-Based Training (CBT)


• 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

Web-Based Training (WBT)


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

• 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


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


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


• 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?

Evaluation Forms


Step Three: Present the Training


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


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


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


Step Four: Progress TowardQuality User Training

• Purpose: improve the quality of training• Review feedback

• Evaluate trainer performance

• Modify

• Presentation

• Materials


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


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


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


• Training makes users• more self-reliant

• more productive

• less likely to need support services

Chapter Summary


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

chapter 11 training computer users. guide to computer user support, 3e 2 goals of training...

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