This week I have been teaching Mac OS X Support Essentials, and I'm really excited with this group. I have two students from New Mexico, one from Idaho, one from Wyoming, and the final student from Park City, Utah. It seems that our Apple classes are starting to draw a lot of students from across the West.
The class is moving along nicely, though the content is still really high. The poor students are hitting their cognitive load rather quickly, and so we can't move more than a couple of chapters at a time. Unfortunately, that leaves us with about half the curriculum left to cover today. Luckily there isn't a lot that the students need to learn at this point because all the heavy learning happened at the beginning of the course. Now we are just covering Networking, Peripherals, printing, and the startup sequence. But the students already feel overwhelmed.
Looking at the materials again, while I still contend they are better than the 10.4 materials (by a long shot), the course should have been made a 4 day course. Of course that brings up a whole different concern about the price tag on the course which most students and their employers already consider too high. It's an interesting balancing act, particularly when you think about what is required, or expected, for this level of expertise.
Perhaps, when I have time, I'll run through the materials with my magnifying lens, and see if I can't find a better design for the course. Perhaps there are exercises that are redundant, or perhaps there are topics that are not that important. This all comes after I have finally had the time to write the testing software that I intend to create.
Finally, something that I would love to see from Apple, is a Learning or testing platform that could be run within a Virtual Machine and distributed through a network. Something like LivePC (more on that platform later, which has really impressed me!). It would make testing easier, and even easily distributed (though controlled through an access platform), so that more Apple Professionals can be out there. Perhaps if the requirement for the software to work would be to have it run on Apple hardware...
Showing posts with label design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label design. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Apple Training V: The Final Impressions
Now that I have things pretty much under control back home, I promised that I would post my impressions on the Apple Training upgrade to 10.5 that I attended for the past two weeks.
The Design
Overall, the design actually follows some instructional design techniques, unlike the Tiger materials. The student, as they progress through the course, must utilize the techniques, steps, and knowledge they had acquired in previous chapters. Building upon the previous material the students are reinforced in that material, and are not treated as mindless children that can't learn. Constructivist theories at the heart of it, which makes me happy. THe command line is no longer separate from the individual events that the commands apply to, but rather you learn the command line all through the book. Finally, the training becomes professional, and therefore something I am proud to offer at the University.
The Materials
The materials are being published through PeachPit, though the student kits will only be available to an Apple Authorized Training Center. They are very well done, with bits of the lecture in with the slide presentations. They no longer follow the Reference book, which has additional assignments should someone want to continue on with their learning in another direction. The only thing that I currently see wrong is having a place for notes, should the instructor choose to cover a specific topic in more detail. Other than that, it will be professionally bound, and cost less than the workbooks that were available from Apple. ^_^ Good news for any Apple Authorized Training Center.
The Test
now that I have taken both tests, I can say that the tests are written a little better than the previous test, though I took the longer version than will be available for everyone else. The test will be designed to have someone sit for 2 hours (mine was designed for someone to sit for 2.5 hours), and instead of killing all the easy questions, both easy and hard questions will be removed from the test. This way the test results will be generally higher, and passing will also need to be higher. For now, it will still be multiple choice, but they are looking into some real application and development along that front. What I would like to see is a practical sit-down test, similar to Red Hat's exams, which no one can just memorize an answer without learning something. Apple Training would like to see it as well, so it's good to see that we are on the same page. ^_^
The Staff
Apple Training has gone through a lot of changes recently, with most of the staff being laid off. This comes from a common belief that the Macintosh platform is so easy to use, there shouldn't need to be any training for it (i.e., the Apple Executives that don't want to pay for a Training Department). Unfortunately, this is the way many companies are moving, and leads us into a longer rant about the importance of training, and the quick decisions to axe training in corporate environments to save money. Anyway, those that are left are really the cream of the crop, and being led by someone that really has a fantastic vision for the direction training should go.
Final Thoughts
My trip to Austin was bumpy, my trip back was agitated. I had more bad experiences in Austin than I have had in just about any other city, but all in all I liked it. I'm actually making a plan to head down to San Antonio in a couple of years, as we plan a trip to Oklahoma to visit some family. So it wasn't the worst experience I have ever had in traveling (that would be the time I was in JFK and a baggage car rammed into our plane, delaying us 5 hours). All in all, it was productive, and this Spring we can start with the 10.5 materials. In the meantime, I am going to see if it's possible to set up a testing environment for the Macintosh that will let me grade someone on the progress they have setting up a machine, both at the Computer and Server level.
The Design
Overall, the design actually follows some instructional design techniques, unlike the Tiger materials. The student, as they progress through the course, must utilize the techniques, steps, and knowledge they had acquired in previous chapters. Building upon the previous material the students are reinforced in that material, and are not treated as mindless children that can't learn. Constructivist theories at the heart of it, which makes me happy. THe command line is no longer separate from the individual events that the commands apply to, but rather you learn the command line all through the book. Finally, the training becomes professional, and therefore something I am proud to offer at the University.
The Materials
The materials are being published through PeachPit, though the student kits will only be available to an Apple Authorized Training Center. They are very well done, with bits of the lecture in with the slide presentations. They no longer follow the Reference book, which has additional assignments should someone want to continue on with their learning in another direction. The only thing that I currently see wrong is having a place for notes, should the instructor choose to cover a specific topic in more detail. Other than that, it will be professionally bound, and cost less than the workbooks that were available from Apple. ^_^ Good news for any Apple Authorized Training Center.
The Test
now that I have taken both tests, I can say that the tests are written a little better than the previous test, though I took the longer version than will be available for everyone else. The test will be designed to have someone sit for 2 hours (mine was designed for someone to sit for 2.5 hours), and instead of killing all the easy questions, both easy and hard questions will be removed from the test. This way the test results will be generally higher, and passing will also need to be higher. For now, it will still be multiple choice, but they are looking into some real application and development along that front. What I would like to see is a practical sit-down test, similar to Red Hat's exams, which no one can just memorize an answer without learning something. Apple Training would like to see it as well, so it's good to see that we are on the same page. ^_^
The Staff
Apple Training has gone through a lot of changes recently, with most of the staff being laid off. This comes from a common belief that the Macintosh platform is so easy to use, there shouldn't need to be any training for it (i.e., the Apple Executives that don't want to pay for a Training Department). Unfortunately, this is the way many companies are moving, and leads us into a longer rant about the importance of training, and the quick decisions to axe training in corporate environments to save money. Anyway, those that are left are really the cream of the crop, and being led by someone that really has a fantastic vision for the direction training should go.
Final Thoughts
My trip to Austin was bumpy, my trip back was agitated. I had more bad experiences in Austin than I have had in just about any other city, but all in all I liked it. I'm actually making a plan to head down to San Antonio in a couple of years, as we plan a trip to Oklahoma to visit some family. So it wasn't the worst experience I have ever had in traveling (that would be the time I was in JFK and a baggage car rammed into our plane, delaying us 5 hours). All in all, it was productive, and this Spring we can start with the 10.5 materials. In the meantime, I am going to see if it's possible to set up a testing environment for the Macintosh that will let me grade someone on the progress they have setting up a machine, both at the Computer and Server level.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Designing a Castle
I’m going to step back a minute from the usual conversation in my blog, and talk about something that I have been fascinated with since childhood: castles. I have been a castle freak all my life, and continue to dream of a day when I can build my own castle. Why a castle? Because I want something that will remain long after my death within the family, and give the family something with which they can identify. A castle is more than just a defense, it’s a symbol of dedication to the safety of all those around it. Perhaps I’m being overly romantic about the whole concept, but that’s how I see a castle.
For years I have designed various castles and grounds based on media stimuli on the subject. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted a manor, or perhaps a keep that would look good. Finally, I came across a couple of castles on my mission in Germany that captured my heart:
Schloss Braunfels, near Wetzlar is perhaps one of the most beautiful castles that I can think of, it’s at least the most beautiful I have ever visited. Still owned by the original Baron, regular tours are part of the income that they bring in. The castle is perhaps the size of the Salt Lake Tabernacle, and has beautiful wooden paneling and floors. This immediately cleared the common misconception that I had, namely that all castles were completely made of stone. The name literally means Brown Hills.
Trifels is another that really interested me, in that it was ruined, and is currently under reconstruction. The layout was fascinating as well, and was completely stone. This is because laying wood would have been too expensive at that part of the project. The layout was perhaps the size of the University of Utah’s Annex Building. Most of the castle was ruined, but the layout inspired me to draw up a castle plan.
It was after visiting this castle that I learned about the preservation programs for castles in general. It seems that Nazi Germany had implemented a program to preserve the cultural history and identify of Germany, and that included the many ruined castles all over the country. It’s so rare to hear anything positive coming from that era that it took a while for me to absorb the information.
Koenigstein im Taunus is perhaps the most beautiful ruin I have ever seen. The castle was a huge part of the Franco Prussian wars, and exchanged hands constantly. In fact, the destruction of the castle was a result of the French retreat to the Rhineland.
It was from locals there that I learned the final demise of the castle came from people tearing it apart for masonry. Well, when it was no longer needed, why not use it to build your own home?
Koenigstein is just north of Frankfurt am Main, and has it’s own train that travels up that way. Also in that area is castle Faulkstein (about the size of a 2000 sq. ft. house), and Eppstein (roughly the same size, but taller). Both housed the ruling parties that controlled Koenigstein im Taunus. If you are ever in that area, I highly recommend the visit!
Well, those were the castles that I found in Germany, with a couple others that I can’t quite recall. They gave me a vision of life during the fractured existence of Germany before their unification. Also, if you are in Germany, I highly recommend a train ride from Frankfurt am Main to Koblenz. I counted at least 7 castles along the Rhine. ^_^
But I had mentioned that castles are a product of family affiliation. While these castles are beautiful, and I have some ancestry from Germany, they don’t represent my family in any way. So I started looking across the Channel and up to the North Sea for more affiliated structures.
Well, It turns out that Scotland has several beautiful castles and ruins, dating from before the Roman Invasion to the 18th Century. As I extensively searched the web for any connection to my family, I found a couple castles that really interested me because of their simplicity in their layout.
Calgary Castle on the Isle of Mull, really interested me. Here was a castle that was fairly small, simple, and had a floor plan! Yes, I could see just how the castle looked on the outside, as well as on the inside. It was beautiful, and it was Scottish. Both were really good reasons to like it, but there was still something missing.
As it turns out, there isn’t a “Robb Castle” anywhere in Scotland. It seems that my family didn’t have a castle to call their own. That was because they were a sept of the MacFarlane clan, a strong highland clan affiliated with the Earl of Lennox. And it just so happens that the MacFarlane clan had, before they opposition to Oliver Cromwell, a castle. The castle is on a small island by Inveruglas, along Loch Lomond. I would post a link to the PDF of the article “By Yon Bonnie Banks: An Archeological Search for the Clan MacFarlane”, but the link has disappeared of late. Good thing I kept a copy of the PDF!
Anyway, it outlined a small castle, probably a tower house as it most likely had 3 stories, and two added round towers. This was the only floor plan I could find of the old ruined castle that was burned by Oliver Cromwell during the war in the 1640’s. But from the estimated size, I was able to design my own version of the castle. The castle itself is perhaps only about 2600 square feet, not very big at all. Many homes now are being built in a larger scale at 3000 sq. ft. But considering it took up a third of the island it was on, it makes sense why it was so small.
Anyway, I figured rebuilding this castle would be the best possible castle I could build. It was affiliated with my family (if only indirectly), and it’s small enough to be somewhat affordable, depending on my construction methods. I’ll have to post a picture when I get a chance.
If you are looking for more information on building castles, I found a castle builder that works out of Idaho at Castlemagic.com. They build castles in the more or less traditional style, but use insulation and steel-reinforced concrete as their filler for the stone. The castles they have designed look pretty cool, but the castle they have built (and consequently for sale) is beautiful. They also give you an idea of other period structures that can be constructed, and the cost of construction.
For years I have designed various castles and grounds based on media stimuli on the subject. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted a manor, or perhaps a keep that would look good. Finally, I came across a couple of castles on my mission in Germany that captured my heart:
Schloss Braunfels, near Wetzlar is perhaps one of the most beautiful castles that I can think of, it’s at least the most beautiful I have ever visited. Still owned by the original Baron, regular tours are part of the income that they bring in. The castle is perhaps the size of the Salt Lake Tabernacle, and has beautiful wooden paneling and floors. This immediately cleared the common misconception that I had, namely that all castles were completely made of stone. The name literally means Brown Hills.
Trifels is another that really interested me, in that it was ruined, and is currently under reconstruction. The layout was fascinating as well, and was completely stone. This is because laying wood would have been too expensive at that part of the project. The layout was perhaps the size of the University of Utah’s Annex Building. Most of the castle was ruined, but the layout inspired me to draw up a castle plan.
It was after visiting this castle that I learned about the preservation programs for castles in general. It seems that Nazi Germany had implemented a program to preserve the cultural history and identify of Germany, and that included the many ruined castles all over the country. It’s so rare to hear anything positive coming from that era that it took a while for me to absorb the information.
Koenigstein im Taunus is perhaps the most beautiful ruin I have ever seen. The castle was a huge part of the Franco Prussian wars, and exchanged hands constantly. In fact, the destruction of the castle was a result of the French retreat to the Rhineland.
It was from locals there that I learned the final demise of the castle came from people tearing it apart for masonry. Well, when it was no longer needed, why not use it to build your own home?
Koenigstein is just north of Frankfurt am Main, and has it’s own train that travels up that way. Also in that area is castle Faulkstein (about the size of a 2000 sq. ft. house), and Eppstein (roughly the same size, but taller). Both housed the ruling parties that controlled Koenigstein im Taunus. If you are ever in that area, I highly recommend the visit!
Well, those were the castles that I found in Germany, with a couple others that I can’t quite recall. They gave me a vision of life during the fractured existence of Germany before their unification. Also, if you are in Germany, I highly recommend a train ride from Frankfurt am Main to Koblenz. I counted at least 7 castles along the Rhine. ^_^
But I had mentioned that castles are a product of family affiliation. While these castles are beautiful, and I have some ancestry from Germany, they don’t represent my family in any way. So I started looking across the Channel and up to the North Sea for more affiliated structures.
Well, It turns out that Scotland has several beautiful castles and ruins, dating from before the Roman Invasion to the 18th Century. As I extensively searched the web for any connection to my family, I found a couple castles that really interested me because of their simplicity in their layout.
Calgary Castle on the Isle of Mull, really interested me. Here was a castle that was fairly small, simple, and had a floor plan! Yes, I could see just how the castle looked on the outside, as well as on the inside. It was beautiful, and it was Scottish. Both were really good reasons to like it, but there was still something missing.
As it turns out, there isn’t a “Robb Castle” anywhere in Scotland. It seems that my family didn’t have a castle to call their own. That was because they were a sept of the MacFarlane clan, a strong highland clan affiliated with the Earl of Lennox. And it just so happens that the MacFarlane clan had, before they opposition to Oliver Cromwell, a castle. The castle is on a small island by Inveruglas, along Loch Lomond. I would post a link to the PDF of the article “By Yon Bonnie Banks: An Archeological Search for the Clan MacFarlane”, but the link has disappeared of late. Good thing I kept a copy of the PDF!
Anyway, it outlined a small castle, probably a tower house as it most likely had 3 stories, and two added round towers. This was the only floor plan I could find of the old ruined castle that was burned by Oliver Cromwell during the war in the 1640’s. But from the estimated size, I was able to design my own version of the castle. The castle itself is perhaps only about 2600 square feet, not very big at all. Many homes now are being built in a larger scale at 3000 sq. ft. But considering it took up a third of the island it was on, it makes sense why it was so small.
Anyway, I figured rebuilding this castle would be the best possible castle I could build. It was affiliated with my family (if only indirectly), and it’s small enough to be somewhat affordable, depending on my construction methods. I’ll have to post a picture when I get a chance.
If you are looking for more information on building castles, I found a castle builder that works out of Idaho at Castlemagic.com. They build castles in the more or less traditional style, but use insulation and steel-reinforced concrete as their filler for the stone. The castles they have designed look pretty cool, but the castle they have built (and consequently for sale) is beautiful. They also give you an idea of other period structures that can be constructed, and the cost of construction.
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 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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