Classroom or Instructor-Led Training
Instructor-led training remains one of the most popular training techniques for trainers. There are many types including:
- Blackboard or whiteboard. This may be the most “old-fashioned” method, but it can still be effective, especially if you invite trainees to write on the board or ask for feedback that you write on the board.
- Overhead projector. This method is increasingly being replaced with PowerPoint presentations, which are less manually demanding, but overheads do allow you to write on them and customize presentations easily on the spot.
- Video portion. Lectures can be broken up with video portions that explain sections of the training topic or that present case studies for discussion.
- PowerPoint® presentation. Presentation software is used to create customized group training sessions that are led by an instructor. Training materials are provided on CDROM and displayed on a large screen for any number of trainees. Employees can also use the programs individually, which allows for easy make-up sessions for employees who miss the group session. This method is one of the most popular lecture methods and can be combined with handouts and other interactive methods. [See page 37 for PowerPoint presentation tips.]
- Storytelling. Stories can be used as examples of right and wrong ways to perform skills with the outcome of each way described. This method is most effective with debriefing questions, such as:
- How does this story relate to training?
- How did the main character’s choices make you feel?
- What assumptions did you make throughout the story? Were they correct?
- What would you have done differently?
This technique makes communication easier since it is nonthreatening with no one right answer. It is cost effective, especially if trainers have their own stories to tell. Stories can also make sessions more personal if they involve people trainees know. You can also find many training stories online.
Advantages
- Instructor-led classroom training is an efficient method for presenting a large body of material to large or small groups of employees.
- It is a personal, face-to-face type of training as opposed to computer-based training and other methods we will discuss later.
- It ensures that everyone gets the same information at the same time.
- t is cost-effective, especially when not outsourced to guest speakers.
- Storytelling grabs people’s attention.
Disadvantages
- Sometimes it is not interactive.
- Too much of the success of the training depends on the effectiveness of the lecturer.
- Scheduling classroom sessions for large numbers of trainees can be difficult—especially when trainees are at multiple locations.
You can use lectures effectively by making sure your audience is engaged throughout the session. Here are several ways to achieve this:
- Train your trainers in the art and science of public speaking.
- Give your trainers the materials they need.
- Use with interactive methods.
Interactive Methods
There are many ways that you can break up training sessions and keep trainees attentive and involved, including:
- Quizzes. For long, complicated training, stop periodically to administer brief quizzes on information presented to that point. You can also begin sessions with a prequiz and let participants know there will also be a follow-up quiz. Trainees will stay engaged in order to improve their prequiz scores on the final quiz. Further motivate participants by offering awards to the highest scorers or the most improved scores.
- Small group discussions. Break the participants down into small groups and give them case studies or work situations to discuss or solve. This is a good way for knowledgeable veteran employees to pass on their experience to newer employees.
- Case studies. Adults tend to bring a problem-oriented way of thinking to workplace training. Case studies are an excellent way to capitalize on this type of adult learning. By analyzing real job-related situations, employees can learn how to handle similar situations. They can also see how various elements of a job work together to create problems as well as solutions.
- Active summaries. Create small groups and have them choose a leader. Ask them to summarize the lecture’s major points and have each team leader present the summaries to the class. Read aloud a prewritten summary and compare this with participants’ impressions.
- Q & A sessions. Informal question-and-answer sessions are most effective with small groups and for updating skills rather than teaching new skills. For example, some changes in departmental procedure might easily be handled by a short explanation by the supervisor, followed by a question-and-answer period and a discussion period.
- Question cards. During the lecture, ask participants to write questions on the subject matter. Collect them and conduct a quiz/review session.
- Role-playing. By assuming roles and acting out situations that might occur in the workplace, employees learn how to handle various situations before they face them on the job. Role-playing is an excellent training technique for many interpersonal skills, such as customer service, interviewing, and supervising.
- Participant control. Create a subject menu of what will be covered. Ask participants to review it and pick items they want to know more about. Call on a participant to identify his or her choice. Cover that topic and move on to the next participant.
- Demonstrations. Whenever possible, bring tools or equipment that are part of the training topic and demonstrate the steps being taught or the processes being adopted.
- Other activities.
- Create a personal action plan
- Raise arguments to issues in the lecture
- Paraphrase important or complex points in the lecture
Advantages
- Interactive sessions keep trainees engaged in the training, which makes them more receptive to the new information.
- They make training more fun and enjoyable.
- They provide ways for veteran employees to pass on knowledge and experience to newer employees.
- They can provide in-session feedback to trainers on how well trainees are learning.
Disadvantages
- Interactive sessions can take longer because activities, such as taking quizzes or breaking into small groups, are time-consuming.
- Some methods, such as participant control, can be less structured, and trainers will need to make sure that all necessary information is covered.
Hands-On Training
Experiential, or hands-on, training, offers several more effective techniques for teaching employees, including:
- Cross-training. This method allows employees to experience other jobs, which not only enhances employee skills but also gives companies the benefit of having employees who can perform more than one job. Cross-training also gives employees a better appreciation of what co-workers do and how their own jobs fit in with the work of others to achieve company goals.
- Demonstrations. Demonstrations are attention-grabbers. They are an excellent way to teach employees to use new equipment or to teach the steps in a new process. They are also effective in teaching safety skills. Combined with the opportunity for questions and answers, this is a powerful, engaging form of training.
- Coaching. The goal of job coaching is to improve an employee’s performance. Coaching focuses on the individual needs of an employee and is generally less formal than other kinds of training. There are usually no set training sessions. A manager, supervisor, or veteran employee serves as the coach. He or she gets together with the employee being coached when time allows and works with this employee to:
- Answer questions
- Suggest more effective strategies
- Correct errors
- Guide toward goals
- Give support and encouragement
- Provide knowledgeable feedback
- Apprenticeships. Apprenticeships give employers the opportunity to shape inexperienced workers to fit existing and future jobs. These programs give young workers the opportunity to learn a trade or profession and earn a modest income. Apprenticeship combines supervised training on the job with classroom instruction in a formal, structured program that can last for a year or more.
- Drills. Drilling is a good way for employees to practice skills. Evacuation drills are effective when training emergency preparedness, for example.
Advantages
- Hands-on training methods are effective for training in new procedures and new equipment.
- They are immediately applicable to trainees’ jobs.
- They allow trainers to immediately determine whether a trainee has learned the new skill or procedure.
Disadvantages
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