July 30, 2014 In the past, after completing one’s schooling (maybe only through the eighth grade) one became an apprentice. An honorable first step because it meant you had a “career path,” and you knew what you were going to do and how you were to do it. You were going to acquire a skill. Traditionally, the passive “live instruction-as-lecture” method became the norm for teaching the needed skills before the trainee...
July 28, 2014 A recently published article, “Don’t Send Your Kids to the Ivy League” by William Deresiewicz in the NEW REPUBLIC has generated much national comment. I urge you to read it, particularly if you have school-aged children. Among other observations, Deresiewicz has written: “ . . . College is not the only chance to learn to think, but it is the best. One thing is certain: If you haven’t started...
July 23, 2014 The Business Dictionary defines “training objectives” as: “Measurable intended end result of a training program expressed in terms of (1) the desired behavior or skill level, (2) conditions under which it has to occur, and (3) the benchmark against which it will be measured.” So, what do you want to accomplish with the objectives for your training initiatives? Do your objectives include minimizing downtime, reducing scrap, cross training your...
July 21, 2014 The “TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GUIDE FOR DEVELOPING AND USING COMPETENCY MODELS – ONE SOLUTION FOR THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM” published as a resource for the stakeholders and partners of the public workforce development system supported by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration defines “competency” as: A competency is the capability to apply or use a set of related knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform “critical...
July 16, 2014 I have been working in the “Maintenance Training” field for just over four decades. During that time, in addition to daily maintenance “fix it” activities, advances have been underway to improve operational quality and enhance bottom line results through a variety of maintenance-related activities. Today, the “Reliability” movement has achieved the focus of much of our maintenance emphasis. Its many positive results, financial as well as operational,...
July 14, 2014 “Interactive video in an e-learning system allows proactive and random access to video content. Our empirical study examined the influence of interactive video on learning outcome and learner satisfaction in e-learning environments. Four different settings were studied: three were e-learning environments—with interactive video, with non-interactive video, and without video. The fourth was the traditional classroom environment. Results of the experiment showed that the value of video for learning effectiveness...
July 9, 2014 Last year, ASTD’s Learning Technology Trends introduced their latest training technology findings as follows: “E-learning is the number one technology-based learning and performance support method in which organizations will invest this year, according to recent research by Impact Instruction Group. The corporate training and development firm’s 2013 Learning & Development Technology Report cites that 86 percent of respondents will invest in e-learning in the coming months. Sixty-six percent will...
July 7, 2014 As trainers, we often spend too much time with implementation. Yet, choosing the “right training” for our trainee population should be our major focus. With that thought in mind, today’s blog will examine a series of “planning questions” and “best solutions” that should always be considered before embarking on any new training initiative. The following are some of the key questions you should ask yourself before implementing your training...
July 2, 2014 Traditionally, the model for a training program begins with a pretest and ends with a post-test (exam). Typically, the trainee takes these tests only days (or, sometimes, only hours) apart. If effective skills training is your objective, I would maintain that comparing the two scores is an almost meaningless activity. Rather, in addition to the typical post-test, a repeat of that test six months, or more, after the initial...