As most, if not all, of you probably know, I am an analysis at heart. I can sit and review material for hours, looking for patterns and trends that make sense to me. Today I checked the query statistics from Google's Webmaster Tools, to see how queries getting to my site pan out, based on location. Lately I seem to be getting a lot of international interest in my website (Welcome!), and I was curious as to why the international attention. I have such a wide variety of topics I cover, and would be interested in the results based on the Google international searches.
I'm posting this information, not to provide a scope of what my blog has covered, but to give you an idea of how analysis can help you with your Search Engine Optimization goals. Even with this little information, you can see where the International community has been looking, and succeeding in locating my blog. The same techniques can be used for your own websites, provided you know your Query statistics.
**please note that these are for Google search results only, which contributes to 68% of my total traffic.**
Google Belgium Results
Looking at the Google Belgium results, it appears the main interest is Macintosh related. Specifically, they were looking for information on NetBoot imaging for Mac Minis for a diskless deployment. It's a very interesting subject, one that I hope will soon be answered by this blog. I want to try a "diskless" NetBoot image setup for our lab for a generic Mac utility. This can be accomplished by having a NetBoot server and a Home Folder server on different machines. Yay! A topic to look forward to!
Google Canada Results
Our friends in the Great White North have a different focus. Sure, they seem to be interested in the release of Mac OS X v.10.5 (Leopard), but that isn't the primary search term. It seems that they are more interested in Hydroponics, and my Cob Greenhouse project.
This doesn't surprise me completely, as Vancouver is one of the central locations for Cob construction within the North American continent, along with Washington State. I hope there is something here that relates to your project. I'll be working on my foundation this weekend (if all goes well), and will probably post some pictures. In fact, my cob brick is doing wonderfully, having survived two drops to a cement floor with only minor cracking. ^_^
Google France Results
Google France brought up a primary search for training information. It seems my posts on the ADDIE system was helpful, or at least of interest. If you have any more questions, I will be providing periodic postings on ADDIE, but also feel free to check out Laura's Blog, to which I currently link. She just finished her Master's degree, and is beginning her PhD in Educational Psychology here at the U. She will have plenty of information for you. ^_^
Google India Results
India didn't surprise me at all. The few hits I received were specifically on mail servers. With India's reputation for technology professionals, I would expect nothing less. Unfortunately, that's one topic I will probably not cover. I'm not particularly interested in going the rounds with Mail servers for a while, but should I ever do so it will be a result of an Open Directory implementation in my home office. This means probably about 2 years out, or so.
Google Italy Results
Ahh, Italy. Beautiful country that captured my imagination through Roman history. It seems that Italian interests have focused primarily on getting an integrated contact/calendar system working on Mac OS X Tiger. Well, I hope to have more information on that subject, as I am running into the same problems.
Hopefully the review of Calgoo (which I am still using) has helped. It looks like it is working out well for the moment. Once they have integrated additional updating tools to various other Calendar servers (provided you have the rights, of course), and allows for direct integration of the new iCal server (or Darwin's Calendar Server), and perhaps integrates with Wiki tools and a shared Address Book server, then I think they have a decent Entourage Killer on their hands. ^_^
Google Mauritius results
I have to be honest, I had to look up Mauritius to find out where it is, which is off the East coast of Madagascar. What interested them about my blog was the comparison of Linux certifications that are out there, or more specifically CompTIA's Linux+ to the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) certifications. I hope that their answers were reached, as the LPI is more comprehensive, and preparation for the LPI almost gives you the Linux+ certification right off the bat.
Google Mexico Results
I have to admit, I'm rather confused with their search terms, as it was quoted as being "back on the train again". It looks like it was related to a post I made in December, so what ever it was, hopefully there was something that was useful. Most of my posts at that time were related to training, so perhaps that was it.
Google South Africa Results
My website has drawn a lot of interest in South Africa because of the Cob posts. It seems that using Cob has become more popular around the world, because of all the earthen building materials it seems to be more earthquake resistant. This is because of it's monolithic structure, and the use of straw or other fibrous plant material as the tensile component. Like steel reinforced concrete, the plant material holds the cob together.
Google Sri Lanka Results
Sri Lanka seems to have liked my ADDIE course design steps. I have to admit, I still think that it was one of the best series that I have posted on my blog. The ADDIE method is quite universal though, and I am currently using it to write a work of fiction. I quite enjoy the organized approach that allows me to tackle most any problem with a logical process. That, and a lot of time is spent in analysis. ^_^
Google UK Results
These results seem to have surprised me the most. I have posted quite a review on British Comedies that I enjoy, and I had thought that the posting would have provided some interest across the Pond. But it seems they were more interested on my postings regarding the Macintosh, farming, and gardening. Well, the English are famous for their gardens, so perhaps I shouldn't have been too surprised.
Well, that is pretty much how I viewed my Google results. Overall, the three main topics that I have been focusing on have been the most popular. Perhaps I should begin posting more about course development, as I have neglected that section for a while. Also look for a new post soon on NetBoot imaging, as I have been working extensively on that project for quite some time. ^_^
Showing posts with label ADDIE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ADDIE. Show all posts
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, December 15, 2006
Evaluation: How You Know The Work Was Worth While
Your adrenaline is moving out of your system now, the class is over. How did you do? Most trainers can "sense" a general feel in the presentation and participation from the learners, but what were they really thinking? Did they get it? Can they do their job better now than they could before they started the training?
If you are a trainer, chances are you were hired for a specific job: making sure learners work better/faster/smarter. As with any other job, chances are your boss will want a full accounting of your performance in this area. How can you prove that you have accomplished your goal in a way that's measureable, and easy to understand? You do this through evaluation.
There are a number of ways you can evaluate the success of your training, depending on how much time you have to prove your worth to the company. There are the direct, timely methods, and there are indirect methods as well. Let's take a look at them both, and see which is best for you.
Direct Evaluation Methods
These are commonly called "Tests", "Assessments", and "Surveys". Basically, you check to see how well the learner had performed at the beginning of the course, give them quick tests in the middle of the course to see if they understand each of the modules you are presenting, and then have a final exam that tests overall comprehension. This is probably the most traditional method of evaluation, and everyone is pretty much familar with it. But it only looks at a small snap-shot of the learner's abilities. You don't know if the targeted skills are going to be applied.
A real bonus from this method, particularly from the survey, is that you can get a feel for your development and implementation of the course. How did it appeal to your learners? How are you doing as a presenter? There are a number of things that you can learn that will add to your ADDIE development through this method, outside of just whether or not the analysis was correct.
Indirect Evaluation Methods
Indirect evaluation methods would include monitoring employee performance over a long period of time, focus on overall numbers and how they relate to the skill that needed to be taught. Is there an improvement? Did it warrant the devotion of resources?
For those who are familar with any type of research, this should be nothing new. Researching the results of a change is part of what analysts do, and makes them so valuable to companies (mostly because it's so boring no one else wants to do it ^_^). But what do you analyze? Focus on the results as compared to your initial needs analysis. Did the numbers you focused on for your initial analysis change? Did they change for the better? Where there other factors involved that were not initially recognized?
For those trainers that are caught in the political arena within your company and were forced to create a training program to compensate for non-skill related issues, this is a perfect time to emphasize that while the skill became better known, the outcome did not improve because of the x and y factors. If you provide the information in a scientific way, showing that even though the training was a success the solution failed to be realized, the management will often concede, or let you go, which would also be an acceptable alternative. Who wants to be blamed for someone else's incompetence?
Seriously though, it's a good method to see how effective your training was, your analysis was, and how well each of the learners assimilated the information. You learn how well things are going, how you can improve your teaching style, and therefore increase your effectiveness as an instructor. A success here will validate your work, give you a great promotion, raise, and a chance to win a free 2 week vacation in the Bahamas! ^_^
When to Use Your Evaluation Style
Neither evaluation method is perfect on it's own, so combining both is essential for a full view into how well you are doing. Use a quick assessment at the beginning of the course to find out where your learners are (if that is in question). Once you know, have them keep their scores for future comparisons and self-evaluation. Also have an after-class evaluation that is done anonymously away from the classroom environment. This way the instructor doesn't have a presence to influence the outcome of the evaluation.
Then, send two more evaluations, once after 3 weeks, and one after 2 months. This way you can find out how well the content is remembered, and what the percentage of recall is for the learners. This is good long term data to be gathering. And finally, spend some time doing indirect evaluations by checking performance numbers. Of course, this assumes that you have access to the information. If you don't, you may want to provide a quick spreadsheet to the company that contracted your services so that they can provide the final data to you. They can leave out any information that may be proprietary and still provide enough information to let you know if you have been successful in your endeavors.
So, that finishes this segment of the ADDIE program. I may post some additional information on the subject, but for now, I wish all of you good luck in your training development!
If you are a trainer, chances are you were hired for a specific job: making sure learners work better/faster/smarter. As with any other job, chances are your boss will want a full accounting of your performance in this area. How can you prove that you have accomplished your goal in a way that's measureable, and easy to understand? You do this through evaluation.
There are a number of ways you can evaluate the success of your training, depending on how much time you have to prove your worth to the company. There are the direct, timely methods, and there are indirect methods as well. Let's take a look at them both, and see which is best for you.
Direct Evaluation Methods
These are commonly called "Tests", "Assessments", and "Surveys". Basically, you check to see how well the learner had performed at the beginning of the course, give them quick tests in the middle of the course to see if they understand each of the modules you are presenting, and then have a final exam that tests overall comprehension. This is probably the most traditional method of evaluation, and everyone is pretty much familar with it. But it only looks at a small snap-shot of the learner's abilities. You don't know if the targeted skills are going to be applied.
A real bonus from this method, particularly from the survey, is that you can get a feel for your development and implementation of the course. How did it appeal to your learners? How are you doing as a presenter? There are a number of things that you can learn that will add to your ADDIE development through this method, outside of just whether or not the analysis was correct.
Indirect Evaluation Methods
Indirect evaluation methods would include monitoring employee performance over a long period of time, focus on overall numbers and how they relate to the skill that needed to be taught. Is there an improvement? Did it warrant the devotion of resources?
For those who are familar with any type of research, this should be nothing new. Researching the results of a change is part of what analysts do, and makes them so valuable to companies (mostly because it's so boring no one else wants to do it ^_^). But what do you analyze? Focus on the results as compared to your initial needs analysis. Did the numbers you focused on for your initial analysis change? Did they change for the better? Where there other factors involved that were not initially recognized?
For those trainers that are caught in the political arena within your company and were forced to create a training program to compensate for non-skill related issues, this is a perfect time to emphasize that while the skill became better known, the outcome did not improve because of the x and y factors. If you provide the information in a scientific way, showing that even though the training was a success the solution failed to be realized, the management will often concede, or let you go, which would also be an acceptable alternative. Who wants to be blamed for someone else's incompetence?
Seriously though, it's a good method to see how effective your training was, your analysis was, and how well each of the learners assimilated the information. You learn how well things are going, how you can improve your teaching style, and therefore increase your effectiveness as an instructor. A success here will validate your work, give you a great promotion, raise, and a chance to win a free 2 week vacation in the Bahamas! ^_^
When to Use Your Evaluation Style
Neither evaluation method is perfect on it's own, so combining both is essential for a full view into how well you are doing. Use a quick assessment at the beginning of the course to find out where your learners are (if that is in question). Once you know, have them keep their scores for future comparisons and self-evaluation. Also have an after-class evaluation that is done anonymously away from the classroom environment. This way the instructor doesn't have a presence to influence the outcome of the evaluation.
Then, send two more evaluations, once after 3 weeks, and one after 2 months. This way you can find out how well the content is remembered, and what the percentage of recall is for the learners. This is good long term data to be gathering. And finally, spend some time doing indirect evaluations by checking performance numbers. Of course, this assumes that you have access to the information. If you don't, you may want to provide a quick spreadsheet to the company that contracted your services so that they can provide the final data to you. They can leave out any information that may be proprietary and still provide enough information to let you know if you have been successful in your endeavors.
So, that finishes this segment of the ADDIE program. I may post some additional information on the subject, but for now, I wish all of you good luck in your training development!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Implementation: What Makes The Work Worth It
Everything that I have posted up to now comes down to this section here: Implementation. Actually getting out there to deliver the material in a way that makes the work behind it worth it. While this sounds like a simple deal, and is often taken for granted by a number of people, I want you to think about the last training session that you attended. Did you like the trainer? Did you like the training? Do you remember what the topic was about? Do you remember any specific thing from that training?
If you had a good trainer, you probably can say yes to every one of those questions. If you had someone that was just pulled in to do it because they happened to know something about the topic (SME), then you probably can't say yes to everything. So let's get down to what makes the trainer excel in the actual presentation.
Entertainment
Yes, believe it or not, as a trainer you are an entertainer. If you are going to be presenting anything, you need to keep people's attention. For some presenters (i.e., a CEO), this can be accomplished through the unspoken threat of unemployment. As a trainer, you don't have that ability. Instead, you need to captivate your learners by a mixture of humor, interesting material, and applicable media that can keep their interest. You also need to have an ability to judge the learner reaction, and adjust to keep their attention. Luckily, they are generally there for a reason and will give you more attention than they probably did their High School teachers.
Follow the Course Outline
Some instructors like to wing it when it comes to covering the material that is outlined. They think of themselves as catering to the learner's needs, and basically discount the work that course designers have put into the curriculum. I will tell you right now that if I had an instructor like this working for me, it wouldn't last long. The content is there for a reason, and the outline is there for a reason. You cover the material that is listed, and don't make it up as you go along.
Does that mean that you don't have any flexibility? Absolutely not! You can be flexible in how you address the material, and even in which sections you cover first (some textbooks will not cover what you want to cover). But don't dismiss your course material as a tool. It's there to help you stay on track, let you gauge how much time you have to cover the remainder of the material, and whether or not you are actually teaching the required skills. Without that gauge, you might as well waste everyone's time.
Topic Comfort
Every trainer that teaches a subject needs to be proficient in that subject to the extent that they can cover the skills required. This is not a suggestion, but a requirement. This is where having a Subject Matter Expert (SME) handy is almost required. Inevitably you will get a learner that wants something more than what you are teaching. You need to either address it while teaching (establishes credibility), or if you don't know the answer, offer to find the answer and get back to them. If you offer to get back to them, you need to get back to them with the answer, preferablly within 24 hours. Why? It establishes credibility with your learners, and establishes you as a well connected individual.
This doesn't mean that you have to know it all! That's almost impossible for anyone to know everything about any given subject. But it's a good sign of a scholar if they are able to identify sources to find the answer, rather than just spouting an answer that is shooting from the hip. Remember that your credibility as a trainer can be dramatically affected if you start making up answers without checking with the SME over your subject. If you don't have one, find one. Even if you have to contact the CEO first to go down the chain to the person that knows your topic, do it. Ultimately it's the best move that you could ever make.
Preparation
It seems almost redundant to mention this given all the previous posts that focus on preparing for a course, but your personal preparation is probably the best way to make sure the training session goes well. Leave all your emotional baggage behind, and focus on the present. While you are up there infront of the class, you belong to your learners. Having a bad day? Try to leave it behind. As always, this is much easier said than done, but if you need it take a couple of minutes before the training session to meditate and relax.
Also, spend some time in the classroom to be sure everything is working correctly. If you need speakers, make sure they are working. Have any video or slide show presentations? Make sure your projector/TV is working for you. Check the layout of the classroom to be sure all students can see you. If they are behind a column or barrier that may make it hard to see or hear you, block off those seats. Are all your tools functional? Make sure you go through each one before you start the class. A technical problem during a training session takes away from the flow, and makes it less enjoyable.
Have Fun!
Above all, make sure you are having fun while you are teaching! If you don't, your learners will catch it, and they won't have any fun either. If you make it a fun environment for yourself (and it's not sadistic humor, mind you!), then it should be a fun for the students as well. If you are getting done with a particularly long lecture or session, have everyone stand up and stretch. Perhaps you can have them do jumping jacks, act a little silly, or something like that. It's all about how comfortable everyone feels, and what would be fun for the entire class.
While this post isn't completely comprehensive, I hope it helps someone realize what can make a good trainer. Even SME's can make a good trainer if they are able to implement as many of these suggestions as possible. Of course, you need to make sure the course is effective, which comes to our last section in the ADDIE model: Evaluation. Catch you next time!
If you had a good trainer, you probably can say yes to every one of those questions. If you had someone that was just pulled in to do it because they happened to know something about the topic (SME), then you probably can't say yes to everything. So let's get down to what makes the trainer excel in the actual presentation.
Entertainment
Yes, believe it or not, as a trainer you are an entertainer. If you are going to be presenting anything, you need to keep people's attention. For some presenters (i.e., a CEO), this can be accomplished through the unspoken threat of unemployment. As a trainer, you don't have that ability. Instead, you need to captivate your learners by a mixture of humor, interesting material, and applicable media that can keep their interest. You also need to have an ability to judge the learner reaction, and adjust to keep their attention. Luckily, they are generally there for a reason and will give you more attention than they probably did their High School teachers.
Follow the Course Outline
Some instructors like to wing it when it comes to covering the material that is outlined. They think of themselves as catering to the learner's needs, and basically discount the work that course designers have put into the curriculum. I will tell you right now that if I had an instructor like this working for me, it wouldn't last long. The content is there for a reason, and the outline is there for a reason. You cover the material that is listed, and don't make it up as you go along.
Does that mean that you don't have any flexibility? Absolutely not! You can be flexible in how you address the material, and even in which sections you cover first (some textbooks will not cover what you want to cover). But don't dismiss your course material as a tool. It's there to help you stay on track, let you gauge how much time you have to cover the remainder of the material, and whether or not you are actually teaching the required skills. Without that gauge, you might as well waste everyone's time.
Topic Comfort
Every trainer that teaches a subject needs to be proficient in that subject to the extent that they can cover the skills required. This is not a suggestion, but a requirement. This is where having a Subject Matter Expert (SME) handy is almost required. Inevitably you will get a learner that wants something more than what you are teaching. You need to either address it while teaching (establishes credibility), or if you don't know the answer, offer to find the answer and get back to them. If you offer to get back to them, you need to get back to them with the answer, preferablly within 24 hours. Why? It establishes credibility with your learners, and establishes you as a well connected individual.
This doesn't mean that you have to know it all! That's almost impossible for anyone to know everything about any given subject. But it's a good sign of a scholar if they are able to identify sources to find the answer, rather than just spouting an answer that is shooting from the hip. Remember that your credibility as a trainer can be dramatically affected if you start making up answers without checking with the SME over your subject. If you don't have one, find one. Even if you have to contact the CEO first to go down the chain to the person that knows your topic, do it. Ultimately it's the best move that you could ever make.
Preparation
It seems almost redundant to mention this given all the previous posts that focus on preparing for a course, but your personal preparation is probably the best way to make sure the training session goes well. Leave all your emotional baggage behind, and focus on the present. While you are up there infront of the class, you belong to your learners. Having a bad day? Try to leave it behind. As always, this is much easier said than done, but if you need it take a couple of minutes before the training session to meditate and relax.
Also, spend some time in the classroom to be sure everything is working correctly. If you need speakers, make sure they are working. Have any video or slide show presentations? Make sure your projector/TV is working for you. Check the layout of the classroom to be sure all students can see you. If they are behind a column or barrier that may make it hard to see or hear you, block off those seats. Are all your tools functional? Make sure you go through each one before you start the class. A technical problem during a training session takes away from the flow, and makes it less enjoyable.
Have Fun!
Above all, make sure you are having fun while you are teaching! If you don't, your learners will catch it, and they won't have any fun either. If you make it a fun environment for yourself (and it's not sadistic humor, mind you!), then it should be a fun for the students as well. If you are getting done with a particularly long lecture or session, have everyone stand up and stretch. Perhaps you can have them do jumping jacks, act a little silly, or something like that. It's all about how comfortable everyone feels, and what would be fun for the entire class.
While this post isn't completely comprehensive, I hope it helps someone realize what can make a good trainer. Even SME's can make a good trainer if they are able to implement as many of these suggestions as possible. Of course, you need to make sure the course is effective, which comes to our last section in the ADDIE model: Evaluation. Catch you next time!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Course Material Development
Well, now we know what we need to teach, we know how to address this information, and now we even have our information outlined. We just need to develop the presentation material that best addresses the needs of the learners. How do you do this? Well, it begins with your design concepts and addresses the learning methods that you are most likely to employ in your training class.
Identifying Your Media
Your first step will be to identify the media you are going to use. Is lecture the best method? Perhaps a presentation slide show? It's all down to what you are teaching, and what your learners need in order to learn. For instance, if I were going to teach someone how to cook, I would probably use live presentations, video presentations, some take away material for future reference, and projects to evaluate what has been learned. But this works only in a classroom setting, and not in a distance learning environment.
So while choosing your media, remember how the media will be distributed. Will it be distributed through online means, physical methods (books, magazines, etc.), or are you going to use a live presentation? How many do you expect to reach at once? What phase of the moon is expected on the training date? Okay, that last one was a joke, but I hope it gets the point across. What are the physical limitations that you have on the training that need to be worked around?
Classroom Events
Classroom events are the best, in my mind, because projects can abound and collaborative learning is simple. Here the instructor can work with the learners in a more interactive way, allowing them to actually do hands-on work that can be easily and quickly evaluated. Lecture is easily integrated with project material, ongoing support by the instructor, and even group activities make this a really good opportunity for media deployment.
Live Presentations
Live presentations are generally presentations to a large, live audience. In these cases, breaking people up into groups can be more of an organizational hazard than it is worth, so visual demonstrations are more likely. But don't let this be your only presentation option! You can provide written material as well, and to some extent have audience participation. It all depends on the deployment of staff that you want to use.
Broadcasts
Now that we are moving into the realm of asynchronous communication, audience participation during the presentation becomes almost impossible. But you can utilize your ingenuity in this area as well. Focus on following up with your learners. Find out what they thought, their positions, etc. Blogging or a live chat option in this case would be ideal, and gives you an idea of their understanding and comprehension as well. Another assessment method? You bet!
Posting Documents
Whether online or in a physical packet, reading is reading. That means many people don't when they are supposed to, or they choose to ignore the document all together (i.e., the instructions). If you are going to create only reading material, make sure you provide visual aids as well. Also include some step by step examples that allow tactile learners to follow along at their own pace. While it is my least favorite method of teaching, reading documents/books is actually my preferred learning method.
Once you have your materials planned for, start creating them. Here you can use any artistic abilities that you have (which I sadly lack), and create something that will turn heads. Not in the "Ahh! It's After Me!" way, but in the "Wow! How About That!" way. Once your materials are ready, you are ready to implement your training to it's fullest potential. And with that, I will leave you until the next posting on implementation. Cheers!
Identifying Your Media
Your first step will be to identify the media you are going to use. Is lecture the best method? Perhaps a presentation slide show? It's all down to what you are teaching, and what your learners need in order to learn. For instance, if I were going to teach someone how to cook, I would probably use live presentations, video presentations, some take away material for future reference, and projects to evaluate what has been learned. But this works only in a classroom setting, and not in a distance learning environment.
So while choosing your media, remember how the media will be distributed. Will it be distributed through online means, physical methods (books, magazines, etc.), or are you going to use a live presentation? How many do you expect to reach at once? What phase of the moon is expected on the training date? Okay, that last one was a joke, but I hope it gets the point across. What are the physical limitations that you have on the training that need to be worked around?
Classroom Events
Classroom events are the best, in my mind, because projects can abound and collaborative learning is simple. Here the instructor can work with the learners in a more interactive way, allowing them to actually do hands-on work that can be easily and quickly evaluated. Lecture is easily integrated with project material, ongoing support by the instructor, and even group activities make this a really good opportunity for media deployment.
Live Presentations
Live presentations are generally presentations to a large, live audience. In these cases, breaking people up into groups can be more of an organizational hazard than it is worth, so visual demonstrations are more likely. But don't let this be your only presentation option! You can provide written material as well, and to some extent have audience participation. It all depends on the deployment of staff that you want to use.
Broadcasts
Now that we are moving into the realm of asynchronous communication, audience participation during the presentation becomes almost impossible. But you can utilize your ingenuity in this area as well. Focus on following up with your learners. Find out what they thought, their positions, etc. Blogging or a live chat option in this case would be ideal, and gives you an idea of their understanding and comprehension as well. Another assessment method? You bet!
Posting Documents
Whether online or in a physical packet, reading is reading. That means many people don't when they are supposed to, or they choose to ignore the document all together (i.e., the instructions). If you are going to create only reading material, make sure you provide visual aids as well. Also include some step by step examples that allow tactile learners to follow along at their own pace. While it is my least favorite method of teaching, reading documents/books is actually my preferred learning method.
Once you have your materials planned for, start creating them. Here you can use any artistic abilities that you have (which I sadly lack), and create something that will turn heads. Not in the "Ahh! It's After Me!" way, but in the "Wow! How About That!" way. Once your materials are ready, you are ready to implement your training to it's fullest potential. And with that, I will leave you until the next posting on implementation. Cheers!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Course Design Steps
Now that we have covered the Analysis portion, we can get to the fun stuff: Design. Developing a course, in my mind, outlines the course content, builds the framework for the course, and gives the course it's shape. This is opposed to material development, which outlines the delivery methods used for the course material. What we will get to in another post.
Topic Layout
This section should be fairly simple if you have already built it into the task analysis portion. You need to plan each course module to be independent in it's delivery, and yet build upon a previously set foundation. Why? Because the reality with workplace learners, particularly adult learners, is that they have already gathered a specific basis of knowledge through experience. The problem is, poorly designed training modules can insult these learners and turn them off to any new concept that may augment their previously acquired experience. This is the heart of Andragogy, as opposed to pedagogy which is basicaly the same, but focuses more on delivering content instead of including the adult learner in the learning process.
Once you have your outline, start building your content lectures. Why so soon when you don't know how the content will be delivered? Because you need to have content first. I start with lectures because it's Auditory, and that's how I learn best. If you are a Visual learner, you can start with Powerpoint slides. Tactile learners can start with a series of projects that best outline how each topic will be handled. How ever you find it easiest to create the content, go for it. But keep in mind that you will be augmenting any learning material with addiional learning method content once you start the design stage.
Instructor Guide
The Instructor Guide is the outline that you will be following while teaching. Some like to have it outlined on 3x5 cards, some like to have the complete written lecture. Here is where you start to think about who will be teaching. I like to write out the lecture completely, much as you would expect from a text book, so that anyone with a reasonable amount off knowledge can both use it as a reference and teach the course. The guide method is entirely up to you, depending on who you expect will be teaching.
The Learner
I began with the outline that let's you choose how your content will be delivered. I specifically said that you could choose your delivery method you like best as long as you have some delivery material and have an idea of what will be taught. That's great! Now it's time to work in other learning methods.
There are three main learning methods that are best utilized: Visual, Auditory, and Tactile learners. let's look at each one in more detail:
Visual Learners
Visual learners like to be able to see it in action. They learn best from visual aids, representations, and pictorial or video representations of data. Often considered artistic, they focus on visually appealing materials. This means just using pictures and video isn't enough. You need to be sure that the display is clearly shown, that the layout is well created, and that you can work well with the display. Luckily, any slide show program can help in this department.
Auditory Learners
Auditory is often misunderstood as hearing and listening only. That's not true, as auditory learners are also able to assimilate written instructions very well. Often the auditory learner will take a book and learn how to do something through the book alone. Anyone that has gone through preparing for an exam without springing for the training class, and succeeded, would most likely be an auditory learner. Focus on written take-aways for these learners, as they will refer to the material long after your lecture has been forgotten.
Tactile Learners
Tactile learners require hands-on experience. In the past I have had trouble trying to appeal to this group of learners as most corporate training programs squeeze the time out of projects. If you can do so, always work a tactile project into the learning environment. It not only appeals to tactile learners, but also gives an excellent self-evaluation method for all learners there. Make sure you have the tools available, and if you don't try to get the test environment as close to the real experience as possible.
Testing
Yes, now you can start looking at testing. As mentioned before, testing needs to be as close to the real life experience as possible to be effective, though other methods have been utilized in the past. If you have any limitations here, you may want to look at virtual representations so as to minimize risk to your current system. But also look at alternatives that may be ideal for assessment in comphrension, and not just skill.
Instructor Dictated Learning
Lectures, reading material, and demonstrations are pretty much one way, as they only dictate material to the learner. But it's also the most common method of training, allowing for swift deployment of your modules. If you are worried about speed over complete comprehension, these methods are perhaps for you.
Instructor and Learner Directed learning
There are a number of ways to involve the learner in the learning process, which mostly focuses on discussons that are lead by the instructor. The topic is presented, the learners are given time to research, and then come together to discuss what they have found. Some of my favorite high school teachers employed this method while teaching their classes. Why is it so important? Because the learner is given the illusion of direction in the course material. I say illusion because the topics are already dictated, and the discussion is generally initiated by the instructor by setting a position.
Learner Directed Learning
Learner directed learning is a bit more complex, more focused, and a lot more complicated for apprehensive instructors. In this method the learner dictates the topic that is discussed, and is often augmented by the instructor if any points have been missed. That's the important part, as the augmentation makes sure all skills and knowledge requirements have been met. Here the learner can be the instructor, using their own presentation. They can also participate in role playing scenarios, or even gathering their own data through experiments.
While most trainers are a little apprehensive with this method (if anyone can do it, why pay a trainer so much?), it's important to understand that delivery and development are two completely different skill sets. Anyone can honestly deliver material (not necessarily well), but not everyone can develop the material that needs to be delivered. So job security should not be an excuse for excluding this method of learning.
Ultimately the decision of learning methods is completely up to you. The best learning environment will employ each of these methods in various degrees of implementation. Find what is best for you, and go for it!
Next we will have the development stage, which focuses on the learning material development. This will include visual, auditory, and tactile learning environments, and how they can work together. Stay tuned!
Topic Layout
This section should be fairly simple if you have already built it into the task analysis portion. You need to plan each course module to be independent in it's delivery, and yet build upon a previously set foundation. Why? Because the reality with workplace learners, particularly adult learners, is that they have already gathered a specific basis of knowledge through experience. The problem is, poorly designed training modules can insult these learners and turn them off to any new concept that may augment their previously acquired experience. This is the heart of Andragogy, as opposed to pedagogy which is basicaly the same, but focuses more on delivering content instead of including the adult learner in the learning process.
Once you have your outline, start building your content lectures. Why so soon when you don't know how the content will be delivered? Because you need to have content first. I start with lectures because it's Auditory, and that's how I learn best. If you are a Visual learner, you can start with Powerpoint slides. Tactile learners can start with a series of projects that best outline how each topic will be handled. How ever you find it easiest to create the content, go for it. But keep in mind that you will be augmenting any learning material with addiional learning method content once you start the design stage.
Instructor Guide
The Instructor Guide is the outline that you will be following while teaching. Some like to have it outlined on 3x5 cards, some like to have the complete written lecture. Here is where you start to think about who will be teaching. I like to write out the lecture completely, much as you would expect from a text book, so that anyone with a reasonable amount off knowledge can both use it as a reference and teach the course. The guide method is entirely up to you, depending on who you expect will be teaching.
The Learner
I began with the outline that let's you choose how your content will be delivered. I specifically said that you could choose your delivery method you like best as long as you have some delivery material and have an idea of what will be taught. That's great! Now it's time to work in other learning methods.
There are three main learning methods that are best utilized: Visual, Auditory, and Tactile learners. let's look at each one in more detail:
Visual Learners
Visual learners like to be able to see it in action. They learn best from visual aids, representations, and pictorial or video representations of data. Often considered artistic, they focus on visually appealing materials. This means just using pictures and video isn't enough. You need to be sure that the display is clearly shown, that the layout is well created, and that you can work well with the display. Luckily, any slide show program can help in this department.
Auditory Learners
Auditory is often misunderstood as hearing and listening only. That's not true, as auditory learners are also able to assimilate written instructions very well. Often the auditory learner will take a book and learn how to do something through the book alone. Anyone that has gone through preparing for an exam without springing for the training class, and succeeded, would most likely be an auditory learner. Focus on written take-aways for these learners, as they will refer to the material long after your lecture has been forgotten.
Tactile Learners
Tactile learners require hands-on experience. In the past I have had trouble trying to appeal to this group of learners as most corporate training programs squeeze the time out of projects. If you can do so, always work a tactile project into the learning environment. It not only appeals to tactile learners, but also gives an excellent self-evaluation method for all learners there. Make sure you have the tools available, and if you don't try to get the test environment as close to the real experience as possible.
Testing
Yes, now you can start looking at testing. As mentioned before, testing needs to be as close to the real life experience as possible to be effective, though other methods have been utilized in the past. If you have any limitations here, you may want to look at virtual representations so as to minimize risk to your current system. But also look at alternatives that may be ideal for assessment in comphrension, and not just skill.
Instructor Dictated Learning
Lectures, reading material, and demonstrations are pretty much one way, as they only dictate material to the learner. But it's also the most common method of training, allowing for swift deployment of your modules. If you are worried about speed over complete comprehension, these methods are perhaps for you.
Instructor and Learner Directed learning
There are a number of ways to involve the learner in the learning process, which mostly focuses on discussons that are lead by the instructor. The topic is presented, the learners are given time to research, and then come together to discuss what they have found. Some of my favorite high school teachers employed this method while teaching their classes. Why is it so important? Because the learner is given the illusion of direction in the course material. I say illusion because the topics are already dictated, and the discussion is generally initiated by the instructor by setting a position.
Learner Directed Learning
Learner directed learning is a bit more complex, more focused, and a lot more complicated for apprehensive instructors. In this method the learner dictates the topic that is discussed, and is often augmented by the instructor if any points have been missed. That's the important part, as the augmentation makes sure all skills and knowledge requirements have been met. Here the learner can be the instructor, using their own presentation. They can also participate in role playing scenarios, or even gathering their own data through experiments.
While most trainers are a little apprehensive with this method (if anyone can do it, why pay a trainer so much?), it's important to understand that delivery and development are two completely different skill sets. Anyone can honestly deliver material (not necessarily well), but not everyone can develop the material that needs to be delivered. So job security should not be an excuse for excluding this method of learning.
Ultimately the decision of learning methods is completely up to you. The best learning environment will employ each of these methods in various degrees of implementation. Find what is best for you, and go for it!
Next we will have the development stage, which focuses on the learning material development. This will include visual, auditory, and tactile learning environments, and how they can work together. Stay tuned!
Monday, December 11, 2006
Analysis Day 3: The Objectives
Now that the main body of the work has been accomplished, we need to identify the objectives. This outlines specific goals for the training session. What do we need to specifically accomplish? Well, let's find out.
The Learning Objective
The learning objective outlines the problem, the results, the environment and conditions for success, and the resources available for success. What's more, this is all in one sentence, so the use of commas are encouraged. It's through these objectives that your overall success can be measured by, and therefore how to determine if the training was worthwhile. This doesn't include evaluation methods, though they are closely related to this process. We will cover that in a later section.
So it is important that we identify what exactly identifies success. This is defined by the Input (problem) and the Output (results). The Input presents the issues that the training module is going to address, and is generally linked to the inability to perform the task at hand.
The Output outlines the ability to perform the task within the set measureable guidelines required by the training. These can be satisfaction, performance, productivity, or safety guidelines. Just anything that measures success for the learner.
Following that, the Aids (resources) and Conditions need to be recognized. Aids identify the experience or needs that the learner requires to perform the task. For example, an aid would be a diagram showing how to insert the key into the ignition. In other words, it can be reference material, access to support staff, and anything else that can assist with the performance of the task.
The Conditions outline the limiting factors within the performance of the job. If an Internet connection is required, and may not be 100% reliable, that needs to be taken into account. If access to the key locker is necessary, that needs to be taken into account. Basically, all factors not related to knowledge and skill are outlined here in order to set a reasonable expectation. If someone doesn't have the correct tools, you can expect them to perform the task.
Once the sections have been outlined (I do this in the Task analysis document, directly above the inserted table), the objective can be created. So let's outline the sections!
The Input and Output
First we need to define what the problem is for this task going into training, and what we expect to get out of it. For instance, if we start the training with the idea that our taxi driver doesn't know how to start the car, we would assume that after the end of this module the driver can now start the car while meeting all performance guildelines. That is an example of input and output. Here is how you can write it:
INPUT: The driver is unable to use the key to start the ignition.
OUTPUT: The driver is now able to start the ignition using the automobile's key to the extent that customer satisfaction and proper use guidelines have been met.
So what do we have here? We have the beginning and the end of the learning objective! That's right, we can actually copy and paste this into the learning objective, which saves a lot of typing. Finally! A short cut!
Aids and Conditions
I format my aids and conditions in a similar manner. While continuing with the example:
AIDS: Access to automobile manual, keys to the vehicle, and support staff.
CONDITIONS: Assuming the vehicle is in good maintenance, the driver is already licensed, and is familiar with the vehicle in question.
Here we have the center portion of the learning objective. Again, we can copy and paste this directly into the objective, which will save us a lot of heartache (and sore hand joints) in the long run. But how does it all go together?
Putting It All Together
It's time to look at the whole application of this work. Here is how it should look in your Task analysis document:
Task A: Starting The Vehicle
INPUT: The driver is unable to use the key to start the ignition.
OUTPUT: The driver is now able to start the ignition using the automobile's key to the extent that customer satisfaction and proper use guidelines have been met.
AIDS: Access to automobile manual, keys to the vehicle, and support staff.
CONDITIONS: Assuming the vehicle is in good maintenance, the driver is already licensed, and is familiar with the vehicle in question.
So we have our task, we have the problem stated, the expectations, the resources, and the conditions that are outlined. So let's put it togeter into the Learning Objective!
The learning objective would be formatted this way:
Given [input] and [conditions] with [aids], the learner will be able to [output].
For our example, it would look like this:
Given the driver is unable to use the key to start the ignition and assuming the vehicle is in good maintenance, the driver is already licensed, and is familiar with the vehicle in question with access to automobile manual, keys to the vehicle, and support staff, the learner will be able to start the ignition using the automobile's key to the extent that customer satisfaction and proper use guidelines have been met.
Yes, it's one long sentence and it's probably not formatted correct grammatically, but it outlines each of the important steps in the training process. We finally have an objective that is specific enough to keep us on topic while developing and designing the material. But before we can get that done, we have one final step: The Assessment Methods.
Assessment or Testing
Yes, you need to test your learners in some manner to be sure they are learning what you are trying to teach them. No matter how well you think you are doing, chances are you have lost someone that is too afraid to speak up. And if you have lost one person, you probably have a few others that are just barely keeping up. Assessments are necessary in determining their success, and whether or not you are teaching properly. If you lose a lot of students, it's time to rethink your approach.
In order to evaluate someone's abilities in the most efficient manner, the best thing is to create an environment as close to the actual performing environment as possible. No matter what other instructors (or even professors) may think, Multiple Choice doesn't do this. The real evaluation method is in practice.
That being said, if it's not possible, or economically feasible, to do so then alternative assessment methods can be used. After all, all certification classes (with a few exceptions) are multiple choice tests. This posting isn't meant to be a discussion on the virtues of each evaluation method, so you need to decide what is best for you.
When it comes to your Assessment methods, I would have at least three options selected: one for Tactile learners (hands on), one for Auditory learners (written exams), and one for Visual learners (presentations). This gives you a general pool to pull from while designing the course, and will give you a lot of flexibility on future implementations. For instance, when I created training curriculum for a certain company I worked for previously, I outlined assessment methods for both online and in class training. I envisioned a number of alternatives the instructor could implement, and therefore created possibliities for future development.
Putting it All Together
The Learning Objectives and testing methods I place on the same document, being separated from the Task analysis. This document is then used in conjunction with the task analysis to create the learning materials, and design methods for each training module. As a quick tip, if you notice that a lot of your material is the same for each task, use your copy and paste option. It's an ideal solution for sore fingers.
Finally, we have finished Analysis! The next session in the ADDIE series will be Development. Fortunately, it's not nearly as long as the analysis section, and a lot more fun!
The Learning Objective
The learning objective outlines the problem, the results, the environment and conditions for success, and the resources available for success. What's more, this is all in one sentence, so the use of commas are encouraged. It's through these objectives that your overall success can be measured by, and therefore how to determine if the training was worthwhile. This doesn't include evaluation methods, though they are closely related to this process. We will cover that in a later section.
So it is important that we identify what exactly identifies success. This is defined by the Input (problem) and the Output (results). The Input presents the issues that the training module is going to address, and is generally linked to the inability to perform the task at hand.
The Output outlines the ability to perform the task within the set measureable guidelines required by the training. These can be satisfaction, performance, productivity, or safety guidelines. Just anything that measures success for the learner.
Following that, the Aids (resources) and Conditions need to be recognized. Aids identify the experience or needs that the learner requires to perform the task. For example, an aid would be a diagram showing how to insert the key into the ignition. In other words, it can be reference material, access to support staff, and anything else that can assist with the performance of the task.
The Conditions outline the limiting factors within the performance of the job. If an Internet connection is required, and may not be 100% reliable, that needs to be taken into account. If access to the key locker is necessary, that needs to be taken into account. Basically, all factors not related to knowledge and skill are outlined here in order to set a reasonable expectation. If someone doesn't have the correct tools, you can expect them to perform the task.
Once the sections have been outlined (I do this in the Task analysis document, directly above the inserted table), the objective can be created. So let's outline the sections!
The Input and Output
First we need to define what the problem is for this task going into training, and what we expect to get out of it. For instance, if we start the training with the idea that our taxi driver doesn't know how to start the car, we would assume that after the end of this module the driver can now start the car while meeting all performance guildelines. That is an example of input and output. Here is how you can write it:
INPUT: The driver is unable to use the key to start the ignition.
OUTPUT: The driver is now able to start the ignition using the automobile's key to the extent that customer satisfaction and proper use guidelines have been met.
So what do we have here? We have the beginning and the end of the learning objective! That's right, we can actually copy and paste this into the learning objective, which saves a lot of typing. Finally! A short cut!
Aids and Conditions
I format my aids and conditions in a similar manner. While continuing with the example:
AIDS: Access to automobile manual, keys to the vehicle, and support staff.
CONDITIONS: Assuming the vehicle is in good maintenance, the driver is already licensed, and is familiar with the vehicle in question.
Here we have the center portion of the learning objective. Again, we can copy and paste this directly into the objective, which will save us a lot of heartache (and sore hand joints) in the long run. But how does it all go together?
Putting It All Together
It's time to look at the whole application of this work. Here is how it should look in your Task analysis document:
Task A: Starting The Vehicle
INPUT: The driver is unable to use the key to start the ignition.
OUTPUT: The driver is now able to start the ignition using the automobile's key to the extent that customer satisfaction and proper use guidelines have been met.
AIDS: Access to automobile manual, keys to the vehicle, and support staff.
CONDITIONS: Assuming the vehicle is in good maintenance, the driver is already licensed, and is familiar with the vehicle in question.
So we have our task, we have the problem stated, the expectations, the resources, and the conditions that are outlined. So let's put it togeter into the Learning Objective!
The learning objective would be formatted this way:
Given [input] and [conditions] with [aids], the learner will be able to [output].
For our example, it would look like this:
Given the driver is unable to use the key to start the ignition and assuming the vehicle is in good maintenance, the driver is already licensed, and is familiar with the vehicle in question with access to automobile manual, keys to the vehicle, and support staff, the learner will be able to start the ignition using the automobile's key to the extent that customer satisfaction and proper use guidelines have been met.
Yes, it's one long sentence and it's probably not formatted correct grammatically, but it outlines each of the important steps in the training process. We finally have an objective that is specific enough to keep us on topic while developing and designing the material. But before we can get that done, we have one final step: The Assessment Methods.
Assessment or Testing
Yes, you need to test your learners in some manner to be sure they are learning what you are trying to teach them. No matter how well you think you are doing, chances are you have lost someone that is too afraid to speak up. And if you have lost one person, you probably have a few others that are just barely keeping up. Assessments are necessary in determining their success, and whether or not you are teaching properly. If you lose a lot of students, it's time to rethink your approach.
In order to evaluate someone's abilities in the most efficient manner, the best thing is to create an environment as close to the actual performing environment as possible. No matter what other instructors (or even professors) may think, Multiple Choice doesn't do this. The real evaluation method is in practice.
That being said, if it's not possible, or economically feasible, to do so then alternative assessment methods can be used. After all, all certification classes (with a few exceptions) are multiple choice tests. This posting isn't meant to be a discussion on the virtues of each evaluation method, so you need to decide what is best for you.
When it comes to your Assessment methods, I would have at least three options selected: one for Tactile learners (hands on), one for Auditory learners (written exams), and one for Visual learners (presentations). This gives you a general pool to pull from while designing the course, and will give you a lot of flexibility on future implementations. For instance, when I created training curriculum for a certain company I worked for previously, I outlined assessment methods for both online and in class training. I envisioned a number of alternatives the instructor could implement, and therefore created possibliities for future development.
Putting it All Together
The Learning Objectives and testing methods I place on the same document, being separated from the Task analysis. This document is then used in conjunction with the task analysis to create the learning materials, and design methods for each training module. As a quick tip, if you notice that a lot of your material is the same for each task, use your copy and paste option. It's an ideal solution for sore fingers.
Finally, we have finished Analysis! The next session in the ADDIE series will be Development. Fortunately, it's not nearly as long as the analysis section, and a lot more fun!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Analysis Day 2: The Skill Assessment
Well, we got over the initial examination, and found a need for training. But what needs to be taught? We may know what the problem is, but that's only a quarter of the battle. Now we need to know what to do about it.
Identify the Skills
The first thing to do is to identify the skills. This starts with understanding what the duties of the employee is, and how the deficiency relates to those duties. Then you need to break that duty down into specific tasks that outline what the employee needs to do in order to fulfill the duty. Then, you break those tasks down even further, identifying each sub task that accomplishes the task. Finally, you can outline the skills and knowledge needed in order to accomplish the sub task. Does this sound like overkill? You bet! It also represents a one-time deal. Once this is done, you never have to do it again (unless the skills change).
The good news is that the outline, or list of duties, should be defined by your Human Resources department in the job description, and maybe some of the tasks. This means the work has been started, and it gets you that much closer to the end. Check with HR to see if those documents are available. If they are not, they should be, and the work you are doing is something that HR can use. Do I hear a potential funding from another department's cost code? Whatever gets the job done, go for it!
The Duty
Duties are general descriptions of what is expected for the learner to get done. In previous postitions I would count a duty as a program that is being used (Open Office, Management Software, etc.), and then build the task list from there. But it can also be a specific realm of performance (Employee Career Development) that represents specific tasks. Keep in mind that every job has a number of duties, and duties are generally not associated with active verbs.
A Quick Word on Documentation
Once you identify the duty, start your document. What?!? Document?!? Yes, you need to document this process, or you are going to get lost in the details, run screaming out of your office/cubicle, and bludgeon a poor defenseless door to death with your Cup of Noodles. Keep yourself on task by documenting everything.
Now documentation is best if it's intuitive to you, and another version of documentation may not work. But here is what has worked for me. I start with a single document that represents the Job. Then I outline the duties within that job, and occasionally some tasks. Throwing that into a folder with the Job title, I then start a new document with the name of the Duty, and number the document. The Duty would be, for instance, I. I then create a task (numbered A), and create a two columned table below it. In the left column, I outline my subtask in the first cell (1), and then in the second cell I outline all the skills and knowledge that is required (i). Once that is complete, I start with the next sub task (ii), and so on.
The Task
Every duty has a list of tasks that need to be completed. These tasks are action words, which upon completion will satisfy the duty. This is where analysis can get hairy, because you need to distinguish between the task and sub-task. How do you do it? Well, keep in mind the hierarchy: sub tasks fulfill an action for Task, and the task fulfills the duty.
Ultimately it's your decision what gets put where. There isn't an Inquisition that will rate your material. Just be sure it's logical to you, and you are fine. The key to this process is modularization of the training, with each task being a module that can be taught as a separate section. This makes it easy when putting things in sequence, and it makes it easy to provide refresher training on sections without going through the whole duty again. This is the strength of the skill assessment, when done to this degree of detail.
The Sub Task
Sub tasks are action verbs that accomplish another action verb. For instance, in order to "Drive a Car", you need to "Use the Ignition". Using the ignition is just one part of driving a car, as is watching the road, using the pedals, etc. What's interesting is that this task doesn't represent a particular skill, like putting the key into the ignition, putting the car into park/neutral, etc, but rather it focuses on the action, which completes the task (driving the car), which satisfies the duty (Delivery). Keep this breakdown, and you should be fine.
The Skill
The skill represents individual expectations that can otherwise not be broken down into smaller skills. For instance, typing on a QWERTY keyboard would be a skill, as opposed to texting from a phone. Putting a key into the ignition as opposed to putting a key into a door lock. These examples represent skills that are needed to complete a task (or in our case, a sub task).
For your breakdown of skills, focus on the needs of the learner, specifically someone that has not done the job before. What would they need to know? For instance, in teaching a class that introduces Mac OS X, you need to start with skills that people may not have, particularly if they have never used a computer before. What does that mean? That means moving the mouse, turning the computer on, changing the background. All these skills are expected when using a Macintosh computer, as with a PC with Windows, or *Nix installed. Focus on the lowest common denominator. Remember that the instructor can always avoid that material if not needed, but may not be able to cover it if it's not included in their curriculum.
Why But Up With the Monotony?!?
This is a really long, time consuming, and flat out boring job. That goes even for anyone that lives for analysis, too. There is only so much the human mind can take before it cracks. Don't take it too seriously. Take some time to multitask by focusing on another aspect of your job, such as organizing your pencils, taking inventory of books, juggling stress balls, whatever you need to do to keep sane. If your boss doesn't think you are working hard enough, show them what you have been doing. Generally they will understand (while being very impressed), and suggest something for you to do that isn't so thought-intensive and analytical.
Just remember that you are doing this for a reason: modular training that can be put on the shelf, prepped by anyone with reasonable understanding of the subject, and then taught within a relative short amount of time. That makes all this work worth it. Also, you can make your HR department very happy if they don't already have this information, which can score you a lot of points come leave time. And finally, the impression this makes overall within the department is huge. Respect will be given, recommendations for raises can come, as well as eventual promotions.
I'm Finally Done! Now What?
Unfortunately, completing this section doesn't complete the analysis portion, at least not yet. There is one more section to cover before we get on to the fun part, Development. Stay Tuned as we talk about Analysis Day 3: The Objectives.
Identify the Skills
The first thing to do is to identify the skills. This starts with understanding what the duties of the employee is, and how the deficiency relates to those duties. Then you need to break that duty down into specific tasks that outline what the employee needs to do in order to fulfill the duty. Then, you break those tasks down even further, identifying each sub task that accomplishes the task. Finally, you can outline the skills and knowledge needed in order to accomplish the sub task. Does this sound like overkill? You bet! It also represents a one-time deal. Once this is done, you never have to do it again (unless the skills change).
The good news is that the outline, or list of duties, should be defined by your Human Resources department in the job description, and maybe some of the tasks. This means the work has been started, and it gets you that much closer to the end. Check with HR to see if those documents are available. If they are not, they should be, and the work you are doing is something that HR can use. Do I hear a potential funding from another department's cost code? Whatever gets the job done, go for it!
The Duty
Duties are general descriptions of what is expected for the learner to get done. In previous postitions I would count a duty as a program that is being used (Open Office, Management Software, etc.), and then build the task list from there. But it can also be a specific realm of performance (Employee Career Development) that represents specific tasks. Keep in mind that every job has a number of duties, and duties are generally not associated with active verbs.
A Quick Word on Documentation
Once you identify the duty, start your document. What?!? Document?!? Yes, you need to document this process, or you are going to get lost in the details, run screaming out of your office/cubicle, and bludgeon a poor defenseless door to death with your Cup of Noodles. Keep yourself on task by documenting everything.
Now documentation is best if it's intuitive to you, and another version of documentation may not work. But here is what has worked for me. I start with a single document that represents the Job. Then I outline the duties within that job, and occasionally some tasks. Throwing that into a folder with the Job title, I then start a new document with the name of the Duty, and number the document. The Duty would be, for instance, I. I then create a task (numbered A), and create a two columned table below it. In the left column, I outline my subtask in the first cell (1), and then in the second cell I outline all the skills and knowledge that is required (i). Once that is complete, I start with the next sub task (ii), and so on.
The Task
Every duty has a list of tasks that need to be completed. These tasks are action words, which upon completion will satisfy the duty. This is where analysis can get hairy, because you need to distinguish between the task and sub-task. How do you do it? Well, keep in mind the hierarchy: sub tasks fulfill an action for Task, and the task fulfills the duty.
Ultimately it's your decision what gets put where. There isn't an Inquisition that will rate your material. Just be sure it's logical to you, and you are fine. The key to this process is modularization of the training, with each task being a module that can be taught as a separate section. This makes it easy when putting things in sequence, and it makes it easy to provide refresher training on sections without going through the whole duty again. This is the strength of the skill assessment, when done to this degree of detail.
The Sub Task
Sub tasks are action verbs that accomplish another action verb. For instance, in order to "Drive a Car", you need to "Use the Ignition". Using the ignition is just one part of driving a car, as is watching the road, using the pedals, etc. What's interesting is that this task doesn't represent a particular skill, like putting the key into the ignition, putting the car into park/neutral, etc, but rather it focuses on the action, which completes the task (driving the car), which satisfies the duty (Delivery). Keep this breakdown, and you should be fine.
The Skill
The skill represents individual expectations that can otherwise not be broken down into smaller skills. For instance, typing on a QWERTY keyboard would be a skill, as opposed to texting from a phone. Putting a key into the ignition as opposed to putting a key into a door lock. These examples represent skills that are needed to complete a task (or in our case, a sub task).
For your breakdown of skills, focus on the needs of the learner, specifically someone that has not done the job before. What would they need to know? For instance, in teaching a class that introduces Mac OS X, you need to start with skills that people may not have, particularly if they have never used a computer before. What does that mean? That means moving the mouse, turning the computer on, changing the background. All these skills are expected when using a Macintosh computer, as with a PC with Windows, or *Nix installed. Focus on the lowest common denominator. Remember that the instructor can always avoid that material if not needed, but may not be able to cover it if it's not included in their curriculum.
Why But Up With the Monotony?!?
This is a really long, time consuming, and flat out boring job. That goes even for anyone that lives for analysis, too. There is only so much the human mind can take before it cracks. Don't take it too seriously. Take some time to multitask by focusing on another aspect of your job, such as organizing your pencils, taking inventory of books, juggling stress balls, whatever you need to do to keep sane. If your boss doesn't think you are working hard enough, show them what you have been doing. Generally they will understand (while being very impressed), and suggest something for you to do that isn't so thought-intensive and analytical.
Just remember that you are doing this for a reason: modular training that can be put on the shelf, prepped by anyone with reasonable understanding of the subject, and then taught within a relative short amount of time. That makes all this work worth it. Also, you can make your HR department very happy if they don't already have this information, which can score you a lot of points come leave time. And finally, the impression this makes overall within the department is huge. Respect will be given, recommendations for raises can come, as well as eventual promotions.
I'm Finally Done! Now What?
Unfortunately, completing this section doesn't complete the analysis portion, at least not yet. There is one more section to cover before we get on to the fun part, Development. Stay Tuned as we talk about Analysis Day 3: The Objectives.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Analysis Day 1: Determining Your Need
I am, by nature, an analyst. I love to analyze everything from complex learning strategies to the movie I'm sitting through. Yes, I can safely say that analysis is a big part of my life (to the chagrin of my wife). And as such, you would think that instructional analysis would be right up my street. Well, you would be right, but only when I take it in short bursts.
Instructional analysis comprises a strong 75% of my overall design process, because of the need to get every detail worked out. The details are often so minute that they can sometimes be missed through initial surveys. So I developed my own system that adopts many other systems I have been exposed to, but works best for me. That being said, please don't think this is the one size fits all scenario. The process itself may not work specifically for your situation, but the basic elements should apply everywhere.
What is the Problem?
The first step in any analysis process is to determine the problem. A problem would basically mean a need is not being met. In the corporate world, this generally means that a job is not being performed to the standard that is expected.
This doesn't mean that a job isn't being done in the way that is expected, but that the outcome of the job produces results that are not as expected. I want to be very clear on that point, as innovation can be throttled if a single process is the only process allowed.
Is "throttled" too strong of a word? Good! I want to impress in this posting that the job of training is not to produce conformity, but to instill a level of competence that allows the learner to not only do what is required, but find ways to do it more efficently. This, utlimately, is what makes a good employee: Someone that is able to innovate within their realm. It also makes for really good resume fodder.
Also important to note, I have found that many managers feel that training is the answer to everything. It's not. As I've mentioned before, you can't expect more knowledge to improve on poor management decisions. At best it insults the employees, and at worst it exposes the poor management style for what it is, ruin morale, and shorten the employment span of the employees.
Where Does the Problem Exist?
So, having established what it is the trainer is looking for, it's necessary for the trainer to focus on causes of the problem within the context that it happens. Often this means going right to the source: sit with the employees that are expected to benefit from this training. Does everyone experience the same problem? What do they know? What don't they know? What are they allowed to do? What are they not allowed to do? These are all really good questions to get you started.
The next step is to check with those that do not experience the problem, which generally are more senior members within the group. What makes them different? This is the key that will answer the problem riddle, and determine whether or not training is necessary. Are the senior employees more empowered? Do they have access to resources that others do not? Do they have more knowledge than those that continually run into the problem? Do they have any insight into what could be the problem? These questions should clarify where a problem can exist, or at what point the process fails. If it doesn't, continue up the chain until someone gives an idea of the expectation and you have enough information to identify the problem.
Houston, We Have the Problem. Now What?
Once you have identified the problem, it's time to identify the solution. What is the only problem that applies to training? "There is a lack of knowledge or skill that needs to be addressed." That's it. Not having the tools to work with doesn't get resolved through training, it gets resolved through new tools. Poor management decisions doesn't get resolved through employee training, it requires a better manager. Unclear expectations do not get more clear with training, they need to be clearly communicated by management to the employees.
While working for a previous internet company, I found a major problem. Employees didn't know what critical updates had been rolled to the site, and therefore couldn't support the users that had trouble with these new updates. What did management try to do? Give them more training. Did the employees need it? No! They knew how to resolve the issues, but they didn't know what changes were made, and hence could not prepare properly. This was a classic example of a communication failure within the company. Training cannot resolve this issue.
Also, with the same company, I found a new project that was being rolled to the site. This project was complex, and required a complete rethink of the entire process to utilize on the site. Does this require more communication from the developers? No, because I already had all the information, it just needed to be distributed to the rest of the company to teach the employees the new skill. This is an excellent example of what training is all about.
So determining the need itself can be a long and comprehensive process, but this is a necessary step in order to determine if training can actually resolve the issue. If not, you don't have to invest any more time into developing for training, and more time and resources into resolving the problem on another level.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's entry: Analysis Day 2: The Skill Assessment. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!
Instructional analysis comprises a strong 75% of my overall design process, because of the need to get every detail worked out. The details are often so minute that they can sometimes be missed through initial surveys. So I developed my own system that adopts many other systems I have been exposed to, but works best for me. That being said, please don't think this is the one size fits all scenario. The process itself may not work specifically for your situation, but the basic elements should apply everywhere.
What is the Problem?
The first step in any analysis process is to determine the problem. A problem would basically mean a need is not being met. In the corporate world, this generally means that a job is not being performed to the standard that is expected.
This doesn't mean that a job isn't being done in the way that is expected, but that the outcome of the job produces results that are not as expected. I want to be very clear on that point, as innovation can be throttled if a single process is the only process allowed.
Is "throttled" too strong of a word? Good! I want to impress in this posting that the job of training is not to produce conformity, but to instill a level of competence that allows the learner to not only do what is required, but find ways to do it more efficently. This, utlimately, is what makes a good employee: Someone that is able to innovate within their realm. It also makes for really good resume fodder.
Also important to note, I have found that many managers feel that training is the answer to everything. It's not. As I've mentioned before, you can't expect more knowledge to improve on poor management decisions. At best it insults the employees, and at worst it exposes the poor management style for what it is, ruin morale, and shorten the employment span of the employees.
Where Does the Problem Exist?
So, having established what it is the trainer is looking for, it's necessary for the trainer to focus on causes of the problem within the context that it happens. Often this means going right to the source: sit with the employees that are expected to benefit from this training. Does everyone experience the same problem? What do they know? What don't they know? What are they allowed to do? What are they not allowed to do? These are all really good questions to get you started.
The next step is to check with those that do not experience the problem, which generally are more senior members within the group. What makes them different? This is the key that will answer the problem riddle, and determine whether or not training is necessary. Are the senior employees more empowered? Do they have access to resources that others do not? Do they have more knowledge than those that continually run into the problem? Do they have any insight into what could be the problem? These questions should clarify where a problem can exist, or at what point the process fails. If it doesn't, continue up the chain until someone gives an idea of the expectation and you have enough information to identify the problem.
Houston, We Have the Problem. Now What?
Once you have identified the problem, it's time to identify the solution. What is the only problem that applies to training? "There is a lack of knowledge or skill that needs to be addressed." That's it. Not having the tools to work with doesn't get resolved through training, it gets resolved through new tools. Poor management decisions doesn't get resolved through employee training, it requires a better manager. Unclear expectations do not get more clear with training, they need to be clearly communicated by management to the employees.
While working for a previous internet company, I found a major problem. Employees didn't know what critical updates had been rolled to the site, and therefore couldn't support the users that had trouble with these new updates. What did management try to do? Give them more training. Did the employees need it? No! They knew how to resolve the issues, but they didn't know what changes were made, and hence could not prepare properly. This was a classic example of a communication failure within the company. Training cannot resolve this issue.
Also, with the same company, I found a new project that was being rolled to the site. This project was complex, and required a complete rethink of the entire process to utilize on the site. Does this require more communication from the developers? No, because I already had all the information, it just needed to be distributed to the rest of the company to teach the employees the new skill. This is an excellent example of what training is all about.
So determining the need itself can be a long and comprehensive process, but this is a necessary step in order to determine if training can actually resolve the issue. If not, you don't have to invest any more time into developing for training, and more time and resources into resolving the problem on another level.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's entry: Analysis Day 2: The Skill Assessment. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!
Monday, December 04, 2006
ADDIE in Corporate World Training
In the corporate world, Training can be viewed with a lot of doubt, particularly when those who are less experienced with training and more with the subject matter are delivering it. As a manager of mine had once said, "Subject Matter Expert's are not Trainers". Why would that be so? SME's are often more knowledgeable than a trainer is, and therefore can provide greater insight into an issue than a trainer can. So what makes a trainer so special, and in some cases higher paid, than the SME? One tool a Trainer has over an SME is the ADDIE system.
The ADDIE System
The ADDIE system of curriculum development is what separates a SME from a trainer. That is, the Analysis, Development, Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of the content (ADDIE) can be applied to any subject, any situation, and build deliverables that are directly targeted to the skills that are required. By using this process the trainer can build a framework for the instructor (not always the trainer) to follow while offering their training course. So let's look at this development concept more closely.
Analysis
This is by far the most time consuming process in training development. Analysis is not just an analysis of what needs to be taught, but whether or not training as a whole is the answer. Just because there is a deficiency in one area doesn't mean that better or more training will fill the void.
Training only helps people that do not know what they don't know (unconsciously incompetent). Training allows people to know what they don't know (consciously incompetent), and help them identify the tools that will add the skills to what they know (consciously competent).
Other potential problems that Training cannot resolve are management issues, unrealistic expectations, undefined requirements, poorly developed tools, etc. These are issues that need to be addressed in other areas, and training can't influence. Poor management (i.e., "The Boss" from Dilbert) can completely undercut real performance and development from the consciously competent level to the unconsciously competent level (where we all strive to be). Unrealistic expectations and undefined requirements leave the employees in a sort of limbo, which impacts performance heavily. Also, if the tools are inferior, there is only so much the employee's abilities can do to overcome it.
Training is specifically geared to understanding and comprehension. If the problem you have is related to this area only, then a training course can be the answer to your needs. But what needs to be trained?
Analyzing the job is definitely necessary. Every Duty, task, sub task, and skill needs to be identified. By identifying the work process in this manner, training can be developed from the ground up. But be warned, this is a time-consuming process best suited to those personalities that can take that much analysis. As such it can tack on hours of preparation to the actual training process. The good news is that any properly run Human Resources department should have done this for you. If not, get ready to break down the task as best you can. And once it's done, be sure to archive it so you never have to do it all again (just update it as it changes).
Development
Once you have waded through the Analysis portion, it's now time to start developing the course. Development means creating an outline, getting the learning objectives stated, and identifying the assessment points that assess the learner's acquired knowledge.
The outline is basically the final analysis document, but organized in the learning pattern everything will be presented. Generally, the course topics will build upon each other, as well as allow the learner to build upon what they already know. This is known as the Constructivist theory of learning, and is the most common method of teaching being used today.
The learning objectives outline what is expected to be learned after the section is complete. This is directly related to the assessment points, as each point needs to be satisfied in order to complete the learning objective.
Design
Training is, ultimately, a form of entertainment. It doesn't matter how well someone knows their stuff, if they can't keep the attention of the learner then it was all for naught. The design portion is a way to outline the course, much like blocking out a scene on the stage. Design includes how the content is deployed, and therefore which learning style is focused on. It can be a hands on trial (for tactile learners), written content (for auditory learners), or visual presentations that catch the eye in an appealing way (for visual learners). A good trainer will utilize at least two if not all of these design segments in order to appeal to all the potential learners out there.
Here I spend time creating participant guides, instructor guides, gathering multimedia presentations that apply to the course, etc. There is a lot that can be done in the Design phase, and luckily it's generally the most fun.
Implementation
Finally, after all that work, the instructor can finally implement the course. If the course was designed correctly, anyone with the appropriate skills and knowledge can take the materials and teach the class, as long as they have some basic delivery skills. As I had said before, training (or teaching for that matter) is all about the performance. Read your learner audience. Are they responding? Do you get blank stares? Do you perhaps need to crack a joke to see if they are breathing? There are a lot of techniques that each trainer likes to use, depending on the subject or audience. Find what works for you, but be willing to be flexible in your delivery.
It's also important to let the learner know when you don't know an answer. Don't blow it off, make up an answer, or through the question back at the learner for asking something you don't know. What you do is tell them you will find out. I can't tell you how many times a learner has been given bad information by a so-called "trainer", and have it adversely impact their job. And once the bad information or skill is learned, it takes a lot more work to correct the learner and get them on the right path.
Evaluation
Evaluation should, honestly, be conducted throughout the course creation process. At every stage the content can be evaluated for quality and effectiveness. But, ultimately, the best evaluations are conducted after the training is over. Here is where you get to find out how well the course was taught, and whether or not the training accomplished what it was set out to do: fix the deficiency.
That, in a nutshell, is the ADDIE program. There can be a lot of detail added into each section, but overall this is how it works. Course development can take months of planning, analysis, development, etc. All so that a skill is learned, which increases the success of the learner, and therefore increases the success of the employer of the learner.
Does this mean SME's can't do it? Of course not! SME's can learn to use the ADDIE process, but once they do they become Trainers. At least to me, they do. And if a "trainer" doesn't use this process, they are just a glorified SME, and perhaps not even a SME at that.
The ADDIE System
The ADDIE system of curriculum development is what separates a SME from a trainer. That is, the Analysis, Development, Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of the content (ADDIE) can be applied to any subject, any situation, and build deliverables that are directly targeted to the skills that are required. By using this process the trainer can build a framework for the instructor (not always the trainer) to follow while offering their training course. So let's look at this development concept more closely.
Analysis
This is by far the most time consuming process in training development. Analysis is not just an analysis of what needs to be taught, but whether or not training as a whole is the answer. Just because there is a deficiency in one area doesn't mean that better or more training will fill the void.
Training only helps people that do not know what they don't know (unconsciously incompetent). Training allows people to know what they don't know (consciously incompetent), and help them identify the tools that will add the skills to what they know (consciously competent).
Other potential problems that Training cannot resolve are management issues, unrealistic expectations, undefined requirements, poorly developed tools, etc. These are issues that need to be addressed in other areas, and training can't influence. Poor management (i.e., "The Boss" from Dilbert) can completely undercut real performance and development from the consciously competent level to the unconsciously competent level (where we all strive to be). Unrealistic expectations and undefined requirements leave the employees in a sort of limbo, which impacts performance heavily. Also, if the tools are inferior, there is only so much the employee's abilities can do to overcome it.
Training is specifically geared to understanding and comprehension. If the problem you have is related to this area only, then a training course can be the answer to your needs. But what needs to be trained?
Analyzing the job is definitely necessary. Every Duty, task, sub task, and skill needs to be identified. By identifying the work process in this manner, training can be developed from the ground up. But be warned, this is a time-consuming process best suited to those personalities that can take that much analysis. As such it can tack on hours of preparation to the actual training process. The good news is that any properly run Human Resources department should have done this for you. If not, get ready to break down the task as best you can. And once it's done, be sure to archive it so you never have to do it all again (just update it as it changes).
Development
Once you have waded through the Analysis portion, it's now time to start developing the course. Development means creating an outline, getting the learning objectives stated, and identifying the assessment points that assess the learner's acquired knowledge.
The outline is basically the final analysis document, but organized in the learning pattern everything will be presented. Generally, the course topics will build upon each other, as well as allow the learner to build upon what they already know. This is known as the Constructivist theory of learning, and is the most common method of teaching being used today.
The learning objectives outline what is expected to be learned after the section is complete. This is directly related to the assessment points, as each point needs to be satisfied in order to complete the learning objective.
Design
Training is, ultimately, a form of entertainment. It doesn't matter how well someone knows their stuff, if they can't keep the attention of the learner then it was all for naught. The design portion is a way to outline the course, much like blocking out a scene on the stage. Design includes how the content is deployed, and therefore which learning style is focused on. It can be a hands on trial (for tactile learners), written content (for auditory learners), or visual presentations that catch the eye in an appealing way (for visual learners). A good trainer will utilize at least two if not all of these design segments in order to appeal to all the potential learners out there.
Here I spend time creating participant guides, instructor guides, gathering multimedia presentations that apply to the course, etc. There is a lot that can be done in the Design phase, and luckily it's generally the most fun.
Implementation
Finally, after all that work, the instructor can finally implement the course. If the course was designed correctly, anyone with the appropriate skills and knowledge can take the materials and teach the class, as long as they have some basic delivery skills. As I had said before, training (or teaching for that matter) is all about the performance. Read your learner audience. Are they responding? Do you get blank stares? Do you perhaps need to crack a joke to see if they are breathing? There are a lot of techniques that each trainer likes to use, depending on the subject or audience. Find what works for you, but be willing to be flexible in your delivery.
It's also important to let the learner know when you don't know an answer. Don't blow it off, make up an answer, or through the question back at the learner for asking something you don't know. What you do is tell them you will find out. I can't tell you how many times a learner has been given bad information by a so-called "trainer", and have it adversely impact their job. And once the bad information or skill is learned, it takes a lot more work to correct the learner and get them on the right path.
Evaluation
Evaluation should, honestly, be conducted throughout the course creation process. At every stage the content can be evaluated for quality and effectiveness. But, ultimately, the best evaluations are conducted after the training is over. Here is where you get to find out how well the course was taught, and whether or not the training accomplished what it was set out to do: fix the deficiency.
That, in a nutshell, is the ADDIE program. There can be a lot of detail added into each section, but overall this is how it works. Course development can take months of planning, analysis, development, etc. All so that a skill is learned, which increases the success of the learner, and therefore increases the success of the employer of the learner.
Does this mean SME's can't do it? Of course not! SME's can learn to use the ADDIE process, but once they do they become Trainers. At least to me, they do. And if a "trainer" doesn't use this process, they are just a glorified SME, and perhaps not even a SME at that.
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