... if it does not include application. Had you fooled for a second, didn't I? There are times when training may not be the best solution but we aren't talking about that today.
[QUICK REMINDER: I compose these articles on my iPhone. Please do not expect perfectly authored articles as a result. Sadly autocorrect gets the best of me]
The other day, I attended a public training seminar held by a well known training vendor (I will not state the name). It was bad enough that I had to listen to a one hour sales pitch about their products. I was expecting that.
It was the content of the class that irritated me. Here I am in a room with a handful of people with tons of experience. There was a VP, a production manager, a private business owner, and don't forget me! The instructor never inquired about our experiences or to share our stories. He stood at the front lecturing the room. He threw in an activity here and there (e.g. A matching game) but there was no reflection on our experience.
According to adult learning theories, adults come to a training with previous experience and sharing these with colleagues can enhance learning. Allowing learners to apply content to their past experience helps to solidify the material in their brain. It also helps them understand how to apply any techniques or tools when they go back to work.
This philosophy is so simple but often overlooked. Trainers and instructional designers should ALWAYS embrace the learners' experiences and use it to enhance a training. Adults learn differently than kids. Don't do what this gentleman did and lecture in front of the room.
One more critical aspect to cover. It is essiential to cover all content defined by the course objectives. The content in the participant guide looked great. I think the instructor over reviewed two to three pages. Your learners come to your class based on the objectives. They want to leave a training know they can accomplish what was promised. Otherwise, they may view the training as a waste of time and the instructor risks losing crediability.
Needless to say, I got my money back for this seminar. I will never send my employees to this vendor for a training. To be honest, I think the instructor was more concerned about "being fun" rather than a trainer. He kept playing music and saying,"don't mind my dancing and feel free to join in."
Comments
Post a Comment