Lesson 3: Selecting Training Methods

in lesson three will first identify two delivery methods for training and then explore six methods commonly used in training admittedly there are many more than six methods applied in the training environment these six methods captured here are the most common choices trainers have when selecting training methods further you'll be provided with sound criteria by which to select the best methods for your training session trainers have a vast number of options for approaching and developing training however there are two basic types of training to choose from synchronous and asynchronous synchronous training refers to a learning event

in which a group of students are engaging and learning at the same time synchronous learning often employs classroom style elements such as group discussions team activities and other elements that the instructor supervises the learning blocks are completed on a schedule like a light regular classroom and there's plenty of interaction between students and the instructor synchronous learning can take place either in a classroom setting or sometimes online the main advantages of synchronous learning our instructors interact with multiple students in real time instructors can explain certain concepts when students are struggling and students get immediate answers about

any and all aspects of their learning but the main disadvantages include both the student and the instructor have to adhere to time schedules much of the training depends on the quality of the instructor students may not receive individual attention if other students are also in need and the learning place is set by the instructor not the students so let's discuss 3-run synchronous learning what are some examples of synchronous learning that you have been a part of press pause now and complete this activity in your seminar workbook when you have finished press play to continue the

seminar asynchronous learning is a student-centered teaching technique in which online learning resources are used to enable information sharing between people in a network in a circuit synchronous learning information sharing is not limited by Placer time asynchronous learning is a standalone approach designed specifically for self-study students will gain knowledge from interacting with reading watching and listening to different types of content in most cases the students are free to complete coursework at their own pace at any time asynchronous is a great method for students who are juggling training as well as their normal workload and personal life

the synchronous learning has its advantages and disadvantages the main advantages include learners can study at any time in place according to their own needs students have the ability to go back to pieces they need to brush up on and there's the opportunity to review outside resources and that aid instruction but the main disadvantages include a limited access to the instructor and are getting answers in real time some students may struggle without constant guidance and interaction and finally not all instruction is best suited for self-paced learning so let's discuss three - a synchronous learning what are

some examples of asynchronous learning that you have been a part of press pause now and complete this activity in your seminar workbook when you've finished press play to continue the seminar so how do we choose a method well synchronous and asynchronous learning each have their advantages and drawbacks the best approach for a given design is based on multiple factors here are three one the students and their learning needs to the type of content and three the time availability of your learner's well one approach may be more effective than the other in a given situation it

is not to say it is best for all learning situations think about each approach and how your content and audience fit to ensure each of your learning objectives are achieved through the training method useful act now let's do an exercise 3-1 the delivery method determine the best delivery method for the situation's outlined in your seminar workbook press pause now and complete this activity in your seminar workbook when finished press play to continue the seminar training methods provide the vehicle by which a trainer delivers content to learners training methods serve two important purposes one they provide

a means to learn specific training content as outlined and - they keep participants interested and involved in training thus enhancing their learning trainers must carefully understand the needs of the organization and participants when selecting training methods in this section we'll explore common training methods and discuss selection of those methods your understanding of training methods will shape the design of your training session plan so let's get started let's discuss 3 3 training I've enjoyed what training activities in this seminar have you enjoyed the most press pause now and complete this activity in your seminar workbook when

you've finished press play to continue the seminar there are numerous methods and materials available to help you prepare and equip employees to better do their jobs indeed with so many choices out there it can become daunting to determine which training methods to use and which to select for the needs of your employees using several methods for each training session actually benefits most effective training sessions for this seminar we're going to focus on six of the most commonly used methods they include lecture activities group discussion demonstration case study and roleplay let's talk about this a little

bit discussion three four methods in this seminar which of the six training methods have been used in this seminar so far press pause now and complete this activity in your seminar workbook when you're done press play to continue the seven are a lecture is an oral presentation delivered to learners by a trainer lectures may or may not include visual aids during the trainer presentation the trainer presents information orally and there's been a lot of research carried out about this type of training method when preparing your presentation it's bit good to bear in mind the following

the brain has an average attention span of 10 minutes unless the trainer does something to stimulate attention like ask a question show a slide or change pace when a message is given once the brain remembers only 10% a year later when the message is repeated six times recall rises to 90% the brain is more likely to remember the beginning in the end of events and recall falls rapidly after 24 hours without review of information the most common technique for making lectures and presentations more interesting and effective is the use of visual aids so they're strongly

encouraged remember lecturing can be boring and therefore it an effective way of delivering learning visual aids are used in presentations and lectures to illustrate the subject they can break up monotony and provide visual stimulation to reinforce what learners are listening to so let's discuss this three five why lecture why do you think the trainer presentation method is so often used in training press pause now to complete this activity in your seminar workbook when you finished press play to continue the seminar exercises and activities break up your training session and help to retain class concentration and

interest they also reinforce learning or substitute lectures or presentations as a way to get content information across in this method participants take part in an exercise or activity that enables them to practice new skills there are many different kinds of activities that work well in training developing and setting class activities takes careful thought and preparation here are some tips work out what you want the class to do and whether they should be able to do it individually or in groups right a handout that explains how to do the activity prepare any additional handouts they might

need to do the task be clear about the time allowed for the work needed and how feedback will be provided remember to include writing time if feedback is to improve presentations or other content related be available to answer questions and circulate to each group and give comments and feedback so let's discuss three six what about activities what have been your favorite activities in a class or training why did you like them why do you remember them press pause now to complete the SEC tivity in your seminar workbook when you're finished press play to continue the

seminar in group discussion the trainer leads participants in a discussion on our particular topic discussions of any sort are supposed to help learners develop a better perspective on issue by bringing out diverse perspectives through group discussions participants get a clearer picture of the content and are able to understand it the understanding makes participants better equipped to apply training content for any group discussion to be successful the following characteristics are necessary having a clear objective logical presentation of the discussion a cordial atmosphere effective communication skills in the room and participant participation by all individuals involved the

most useful starting point for a discussion is a well-crafted and clear question presented by the facilitator some uses of questions in your discussions include at the beginning of the session during the session or at the end of the session to stimulate conversation about relative content so let's discuss discussions 3 7 what do you like about discussions in a training session what don't you like and why press pause now to complete this activity in your seminar workbook when you have finished press play to continue the seminar in demonstration participants are shown the correct steps for completing

a task or are shown an example of correctly completing a task this method is a visual display of how something works or how to do something as an example the trainer shows the trainees how to perform or how to do the tasks of a particular job in order to be more effective demonstration method should be you accompanied by discussion or lectures to carry out an effective demonstration a trainer first prepares a lesson plan by breaking the tasks performed into small parts then the trainer sequentially organizes those parts and prepares an explanation of why each is

required while performing the demonstration the trainer demonstrates the tasks helps focus attention on specific aspects tells the trainees what they're doing and why and explains why it should be carried out that way after completing the demonstration the trainer provides feedback both positive and negative to give the trainee the opportunity to do the task and describe his or her own performance let's discuss this 3/8 demonstrations I've seen have you been in a course or training session where the instructor demonstrated how to complete a task what worked well what didn't work press pause now to complete this

activity in your seminar workbook when finished press play to continue your seminar when case studies are used as a training method participants are given information about a situation and directed the calm to decisions or recommendations regarding a particular scenario case studies are descriptions of real-life experiences related to training which are used to make points raise issues or otherwise enhance the participants understanding and learning experience the account usually follows a realistic scenario such as management of a technical problem from start to finish in completing case studies learners develop practical skills that include identification of problems understanding

of data analyzing information recognizing assumptions thinking analytically and critically exercising judgment taking and defending decisions understanding interpersonal relationships and communicating ideas and opinions so let's discuss 3:9 effective case study in what situations have you seen a case study be an effective training or learning method press pause now to complete this activity in your seminar workbook when finished press play to continue the seminar in role plays participants act out situations will others observe and analyze when asked to use this method many participants say that I'd rather watch or I'll do anything except roleplay the reasons for

this resistance include not wanting to perform in front of others or fear of getting it wrong or not being able to find the right words done well role plays and simulations can be a great way to learn it's a shame that so many participants have had bad experiences and too many trainers are unwilling to use this technique so let's talk about that in our next discussion 3:10 good and bad roleplay people generally have a strong opinion about role plays what do you think about role plays why do you like them or why not press pause

now and complete this activity in your seminar workbook when finished press play to continue the seminar so now with your new understanding of the six primary training methods lecture activities discussion demonstration case study in roleplay let's look at the importance of these training methods there's no doubt that effective training methods are one of the most important components of any training session not only do these methods need to be effective at teaching and training employees they also need to serve the long-term needs of both the organization and its staff so as you design and develop your

training sessions keep in mind the significance of the methods you select to deliver content as we've discovered there are many strategies and methods for training but it's up to the trainer to decide which strategies are more conducive to their session style audience organisation and so on effective training methods meet the varied needs of our participants and reinforce our learning objectives this is why training methods are critical the second success of any training session and why each method should be considered carefully in your session design and development let's try an exercise 3 to present a method

break into groups each group will present one of the six training methods to the large group for online learners take this time to use the space provided in your seminar workbook to jot down your own notes about each of the six methods as they're outlined in the previous pages of your workbook press pause now and complete this activity in your seminar workbook when you're finished press play to continue the seminar choosing the right training method can be a daunting process there are lots of things to consider location number of learners timing and outcomes with so

many options out there deciding on the right training techniques for your workforce can be difficult this section of our seminar is designed to provide you with a simple tool for selecting the right training methods there are three general criteria as you see here that you must take into consideration when you're selecting methods for your training one the learning print objectives to the participants 3 the practical requirements let's take a look at each of these criteria in a bit more detail first the learning objectives will the method effectively lead participants to accomplish the learning objective number

2 the participants does the method take into account the size experience levels and other special circumstances of the group and finally number 3 the practical requirements is the method feasible given the physical environment time materials and any cost limitations you have now let's discuss 311 method for experts if your training needs analysis said the participants are very familiar with the training content you plan to present what training methods come to mind for use press pause now to complete this activity in your 7 a workbook when you're finished press play to continue the seminar let's continue

our discussion 3:12 method 425 if your training needs analysis said that your class size is to be 25 people or more what training method might you want to consider press pause now and complete this activity in your seminar workbook when you finished press play to continue with your seminar and now an exercise 3/3 selection challenge identify as many specific training needs or issues that might arise when considering the selection criteria of participants and practical requirements press pause now to complete this activity in your seminar workbook when you're finished press play to continue with your seminar

now let's put your learning into development of your training session 3 1 training methods in the space provided in your seminar workbook jot down the training methods you might consider given the participants and the practical requirements selection criteria press pause now to complete this activity in your seminar workbook when you're finished press play to continue with your seminar