HOW TO DESIGN EFFECTIVE TRAINING PROGRAMS

                   A TWO-DAY PUBLIC WORKSHOP 

Thursday and Friday, February 23-24, 2012

Thursday and Friday, May 17-18, 2012

Monday and Tuesday, October 1-2, 2012

(click on the desired date above to register on-line)

Courtyard by Marriott Springfield
6710 Commerce Street
Springfield, VA. 22150
9 AM - 5 PM each day; registration opens at 8:30 AM each morning

Pre-workshop assignment: Participants are encouraged to select a course they are designing or redesigning and bring learning objectives, content outline and any materials that have been developed. This course will be used to practice the tools introduced in the course.

WORKSHOP CONTENT

• Review workshop content and objectives
• Inventory your design skills
• Set personal objectives for this session

Unit 1: The Design Process

• Sort training and non-training issues: Is training the answer?
• Partner with management
• Compare approaches to training design
• Apply adult learning principles and steps to guide design
• Review the three phases of design

Unit 2: Plan for Training

• Define what training can accomplish
• Assess training needs
• Evaluate guidelines for developing needs assessment instruments: do's and don'ts
• Analyze special assessment issues
• Sort needs vs. wants using management development analysis
• Decide what you need to know about learners to be effective
• Break down a task into teachable parts
• Write realistic instructional objectives
• Build a skills inventory
• Determine if prerequisites are necessary

Unit 3: Organize and Plan Materials Development

• Examine the anatomy of a module
• Select appropriate methods based on the learning objective
• Identify effective technical training methods for recall and application
• Sequence methods appropriately
• Provide sufficient practice to change behavior
• Pace methods to avoid boredom

Unit 4: Develop Materials to Meet Instructional Objectives

• Create "discovery learning" in your activities
• Adopt. modify or create new learning experiences
• Examine tips for writing demonstrations with skill practice and case studies, information searches, interviews, games, role plays, self-assessments
• Use a comprehensive guide to develop activities and exercises

Unit 5: Learner Handout Materials and Lesson Plans

• Identify types of handout materials
• Determine how to develop programmed notes
• Use a 15-point checklist to develop complete handouts
• Craft effective job aids and checklists
• Create action plans to keep everyone on track
• Determine when to develop three types of lesson plans
• Write lesson plans for others to use easily
• Use a 15-point lesson plan checklist
• Ensure consistency across sessions

Unit 6: Evaluate the Results of Training

• Assess learner reaction and analyze trends
• Examine methods to test for learning
• Determine if new skills are used back on the job
• Use benefits to show bottom-line results

Workshop Objectives:

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Apply a systematic method to easily design a training program
2. Design a training program to meet the learners' needs
3. Describe how Performance Analysis can mean the difference between success and failure
4. Improve productivity by knowing when and where training can contribute
5. Use adult learning techniques to improve retention and reduce participant resistance
6. Build learner retention
7. Break down a task easily to identify prerequisites
8. Easily write realistic learning objectives that meet three conditions
9. Select the best learning experience to train learners
10. Identify how much practice is needed to build a new skill
11. Pace methods to maintain high energy and active learning by the participants
12. Help learners discover and develop skills through appropriate activities and exercises
13. Craft effective training materials, exercises and tests
14. Use checklists for lesson plan, handout and test development
15. Easily write lesson plans others can use
16. Use 4 effective evaluation methods and exactly how each works
17. Use a unique inventory to select three types of lesson plans correctly
18. Describe four effective evaluation methods and state exactly how each works
19. Identify how to measure bottom-line results of learning

What Past Participants Say:

"One of the only seminars I have attended that has surpassed my expectations."

"Presentation of specific techniques that are practical and useful."

"Different activities kept interest, excellent variety."

"I thought it was great. Very helpful and informative - motivating."

"It gave me useful information for training my people."

This workshop qualifies for 1.2 CEUs