Design and Develop

Design and Develop

Not only a matter of content 

  • What for?
  • The educational flow: what is it and how to build it?
  • Tools
References
GAGNE’S NINE EVENTS OF INSTRUCTION, Northern Illinois University, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, https://www.niu.edu/facdev/_pdf/guide/learning/gagnes_nine_events_instruction.pdf
Training of Trainers Manual for Public Procurement Specialists, 2017, DELTA - Distance Learning and Technology Applications and International Training Centre of the ILO
What for?

It is probably quite clear by now that a training course is not just about delivering content. Once you have completed the analysis phase and set the learning objectives, it is time to think about how to achieve them. We could be very tempted to fill our course with direct information delivery through inputs and PowerPoints. However, as argued in the previous sections, this is not enough. You might remember from the chapters on learning, that we cannot actually transfer knowledge from our brains to the brains of our participants via presentations. Our learners need to engage with the information, understand it through complex processes, practice skills, analyze and experiment with behavior, and foresee how to use the things they learn in the training in their actual professional context.

Consequently, when planning how to deliver a training, we need to envision everything that will happen within the participants’ learning process and create a learning flow.

Link to “the process of constructing knowledge”

The Learning Flow: what is and how to build it?

A learning flow is a succession of activities that are connected to the learning objectives, and between themselves, in such a manner that they create a flow. Each activity builds on the previous ones and offers a learning opportunity that is in line with our learning objectives while taking into consideration key aspects of learning.

In the private sector, it is recommended that you divide your flow in smaller sections, in such a way that you can deliver half a day modules or courses. These types of courses tend to be more profitable for the training provider and also more accessible for potential trainees in terms of time investment. Companies would rather give half a day off to employees to focus on their learning, than two days, for example. Furthermore, it is more likely that people are able to disconnect from their daily tasks for just a few hours and focus on the learning flow, rather than for extended periods of time.

If you need to deliver a lot of content, it might be a good idea to think about how to divide it into smaller half day chunks instead of trying to make it all fit in a couple of hours.

In the same vein, if people need to travel in order to participate in your training, it might be more efficient to design one-day courses. No matter your choice of flow, it would be best to consult with clients and target groups beforehand. In this sense, you can include this topic in your assessment phase.

How to build a learning flow?

First, look at your learning objectives and reflect on how they would be best achieved. It would be useful to have objectives in all the areas of competence (knowledge/ information, skills/ behaviors and values/ attitudes) and decide on how to best tackle them.

When planning on how to approach the content of the course, it is crucial that you establish priorities. Based on the learning objectives and expected learning outcomes, you should first decide what is “need to know” and what would be “nice to know”. Then, you should organize the “need to know” content into smaller chunks that follow a logical structure, and decide how you want to approach each chunk. Mind Mapping is a great tool to support this organizing process, to cluster and sequence even when you are dealing with a substantial amount of content.

Keep in mind: Do not try to fit a lot of content into a short period of time. Participants will lose focus and become overloaded and inefficient in learning. More content does not mean better training. If you have a lot of content to tackle, it is better to separate it into more ½ days trainings, then to try and do it all at once. Doing less allows for more active learning processes, for deeper understanding from learners, and for better integration in the actual work-place after the course.

A general picture of an educational flow would be:

  • Pre-training Assignments: Choose some short activities to support participants to understand the context of the training before they arrive in the training room.
  • Introduction: Welcome, getting to know each other, exploring participants’ expectations/ learning needs/existing competencies to build on, etc.
  • Content/ Learning Activities:
  • Evaluation and Closing: Evaluation of the learning experience, evaluation of the competencies developed, transfer to the professional context, plans on continuous learning.
  • Follow Up: Activities that allow and invite the learning process to continue, and thus ensure continuity between the training itself and the real professional context of participants.

If you decide to have several modules within your training, or to combine online with offline activities, develop a general picture for the flow as well as a structure that could be used for each module/ learning experience.

What to keep in mind when building the learning flow?
  • Take into consideration group dynamics: First of all, people need to get to know each other and connect to each other in order to be able to collaborate and foster a learning atmosphere.
  • Prioritize the content: Decide what people need to learn and separate this from what “would be nice/interesting for them to learn.'' Make sure the content is adapted to the profile and expertise of your participants as you have come to know it in the Analysis  phase, as well as to the time allocated for the training. Do not try to fit a lot of content in a short period of time. Participants will lose focus and become overloaded and inefficient in learning. More content does not mean better training. If you have a lot of content to tackle, it is better to separate it into more ½ days trainings, then to try and do it all at once.
  • Ensure all the learning objectives are covered through learning activities. There might be some activities that respond to various learning objectives, and that is all right. Just double-check if there is an equilibrium between the time allocated within the training to one objective and its importance and relevance within the training context
  • Alternate group work and social learning processes with individual learning and reflection
  • Offer enough opportunities for repetition for the information/skills acquired. Alternate and combine repetition methods.
  • Plan for and use a wide range of methods that engage learners in different ways, and that are aligned with the characteristics of adult learners  (problem solving, debate, experiential activities, presentations, methods involving emotions, senses, etc.). See the section on methods to get an idea of possibilities.
  • Alternate methods to maintain engagement and attention. Remember that people learn best when they are actively involved, so choose mostly participatory methods. Include activities for the evaluation of the experience and learning outcomes at the end of each training day/slot/section.
  • Ensure that methods are inclusive and adapted to diversity requirements of the group profile (cultural characteristics, language limitations, wheel-chair users, visual limitations, language characteristics, etc.).
  • Include moments in which participants can reflect on the learning outcomes, their connection with previous learning and transfer its usefulness to their professional context (appropriate moments could be at the end or at the beginning of each training day/slot/section).
  • Take into consideration the rhythm of learners. Generally, people are more focused in the morning (after warming up a little), and become tired in the last part of the training day (so they need quite engaging activities to be able to focus). Adapt to the particular rhythm of your group if you observe significant changes.
  • Make sure there are enough breaks in face-to-face courses, even if this means longer training days. People can’t maintain their focus continuously for hours and hours. It is just inefficient in terms of learning. A suggestion could be to take a minimum 15-minute break, every one and a half hours.
  • Take into consideration the broader context of your learners (cultural aspects, gender issues, diversity and inclusion, how the training schedule connects to their work and free days, holidays, other processes that might take place within the company).
  • It is important to have a thoroughly planned learning flow, and at the same time to maintain a flexible approach that will allow you to modify it according to your observations during the course, the needs of your participants and their response to the training activities.

 

Tools
A. A step-by-step flow for face-to-face trainings:
  • Welcome
  • Presentation of the trainers and team
  • Ice-breaking and getting to know each other
  • Introduction to the training: learning objective and connection to the organization/ company; agenda and program; methodology and educational approachExploring participants’ expectations/ Learning Needs/ Existing Competencies to build on and connecting them to the learning objectives
  • Group agreement: What do we need in order to learn together during the training? Setting some ground rules in a participatory manner
  • Gain attention and motivate: Make sure the participants are engaged and eager to learn by: creating a relaxed and focused atmosphere; making them feel valued; and by creating connections with the group. Catch their attention by: involving emotion; using stories and examples, and interesting and relevant facts; by asking provoking questions and by allowing space for their own questions.
  • Stimulate recall of previous learning and relevant experience: always connect the new learning to: what was already learned; to what is already known; to the bigger picture; and to learning objectives and outcomes. Remember that learning builds up on our previous knowledge and experience.
  • Introduce the content, provide learning guidance and foster learning through practice: the content does not refer only to information. It is related to the learning objectives and can relate to knowledge, skills, or values. Organize and chunk content in a meaningful way and make sure you introduce multiple versions of the same content through different methods: videos and multimedia, group work, experiential activities, simulations, demonstrations, lectures, etc. Support participants in the learning process through examples and non-examples, case studies, analogies, visual images or metaphors. Support participants in internalizing new competencies through: asking deep-learning questions; analyzing real-world examples; and having participants take decisions or practice behaviors.

Giving feedback does not need to be negative and does not necessarily need to correct. Provide feedback to the participants on the progress they are making in the learning process, on the resources you observe they possess and which will support them in transferring the content to the real life, and on the accuracy of their responses. You can also provide additional information and suggestions or recommendations, while also constantly asking for feedback from participants (as part of your constant monitoring process).

Assessing performance does not need to be a stressful process for participants, nor does it need to be a separate section at the end of the training course. You will need, however, an evaluation of the competencies developed in order to analyze the effectiveness of your training. This assessment needs to happen during the course in order to allow you to adjust activities when/if needed. The method of assessment is your choice, and some suggestions are: observation charts, feedback from other participants, self-evaluation of the learners, tests, practical applications, simulations, problem solving exercises, etc.

The main goal of your training is that participants use what they have learned in a real-life professional context. In order to accomplish this, you must first make sure participants actually retain the learning in their long-term memory through repetition. This can be achieved through different methods (discussions, simulations, examples, scenarios, problem-solving, etc.). Next, you must include in the educational flow specific moments and activities in which participants become aware of how the training content relates to their work, how it is possible to apply what they have learned to their professional context, and also time to plan on how to do it. There are several ways  you can propose and include in your training (see the section below).

This is a moment in the training course when participants have the chance to reflect on the learning experience and on the learning outcomes. Looking at the achievement of learning objectives, expectations, and learning needs ensure the full-circle closing. In this phase, you also need to provide participants with the context to close the experience as a group, and how to continuing learning and supporting each other after the course has finished. You can also present the follow-up activities.

For your participants, the training is not the end but the beginning. And somehow people tend to forget that. You can enhance their learning process and increase the quality and effectiveness of the training by supporting the application of their learning in the workplace through follow-up with them in the weeks and months after the training. It will take some additional time, but it will surely be worth it. Here are some ideas on how to do it:

  • If your training is structured in different modules, give some assignments to your participants between the modules. Focus on applying what they have learned and support the continuation of the relationships they have built with their colleagues. They could analyze some real-life situations together, or meet one or two times to practice a skill, they could watch a video and comment on it, etc. You don’t need to check on them, as they are autonomous adults that take responsibility for their own learning, but you do need to provide them with contexts and options that foster engagement. 
  • Collect the most relevant learning outcomes during the final evaluation of the training and send them to the participants by e-mail a few weeks after. This will give you an opportunity to reinforce what was learned.
  • Use any communication method agreed (WhatsApp, e-mail, social media group, etc.) and continue sending resources, videos, questions, and pictures related to the course regularly in the weeks following the training.
  • Ask participants during the training to predict what skills, information, techniques, and attitudes they will most likely use in their workplace and how. In the weeks following the training, ask them if their prediction was correct and invite them to share what they are actually using from what they have learned in the training.
  • At the end of the training ask participants to commit to one to three actions to transfer learning to their jobs. Invite them to self-monitor how the process is going in the weeks following the training and to share with their colleagues.
  • Implement a peer-support system. During the training, facilitate the creation of small support groups or pairs. Invite them to meet/ discuss regularly and support each other in the process of applying learning acquired in the workplace.
  • More ideas in the Post-workshop assignments section
B. Training flow for a 1-day course on Employment Law

(based on the training provided by IBEC Management Training)

 
References
https://ibectraining.ie/IBEC/Training/IBECTAD.nsf/vPages/Training_courses~Employment_Law~employment-law-update~0545?OpenDocument
Employment Law Update by IBEC ManagementTraining
 
C. Training flow template for a 2-day course

(can be adapted to any training duration)

Click here to download the template

D. Session template

Click here to download the template

E. A 1 ½ day training flow for Negotiation Skills

(based on the PPT of IN-HOUSE TRAINING ON: NEGOTIATION SKILLS FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING; NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE MANAGEMENT & TUGHE REPRESENTATIVES (Soft skills - Tanzania - ATE Negotiation skills PPT))

F. A useful flow- A template for online courses

Besides the welcome, provide information about and access to different sections of the course. It also sets the tone so it’s important to start off strong.

With this section you support your learners with information on how to navigate the course, what to expect and how to prepare in order to smoothly go through the learning experiences.

This is a straightforward section in which you include the training objectives, so that learners know what to expect and also have a chance to gain ownership over these objectives. If the online module is part of a broader training, make sure it is clear how the objectives fit in the general training goal. It is also useful to place the learning objective within the learning strategy of the organization, and to look at the expected impact.

This is where the learning happens. It is up to you what to include here. The content may take the form of text, images, charts, tabs or timeline interactions, scenarios to analyze, problems to solve, screencasts, videos, and much more. Make sure you include attention-grabbing activities, motivational videos, reflection questions, interactivity, examples, and summarizing activities.

These activities will help participants strengthen their skills and knowledge by applying the content they have learned.

It is useful to include a summary of the key elements at the end of each section. Remember that learners learn better when they understand the meaning and the general picture, as well as where the learning connects to the broader context. You can also include additional resources in the summary for the learners who want to deepen or broaden their learning.

This section supports participants to complete the online module/training, provides information on the future steps they need to take (if the online module is part of a wider training), and offers possible follow-up actions. It also provides information on certification and recognition of their learning, if necessary.

Reference
E-Learning Heroes: Basic Elements of an E-Learning Course, David Anderson https://community.articulate.com/articles/basic-elements-of-an-e-learning-course