Turning Help into Training

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Turning Help into Training
Rob Houser rob_at_userfirst.net
w w w . u s e r f i r s t . n e t
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Introduction

• Help is not training
• But it could be.

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Why isnt online help training?

• Help is intended to provide quick answers to
  specific questions to get the users back to the
  task at hand (their real work)
• Training is about developing expertise

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Comparison of Online Help and Training
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Why is training important to help authors?

• Online help that isnt integrated with training
  often fails
• Training is merging with documentation through
  content management technology
• Many help authors will be asked to produce
  training materials as part of their help

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Nine Events of Instruction

• Gain attention
• Inform learners of objectives
• Stimulate recall of prior learning
• Present the content
• Guide the learner
• Allow for practice
• Provide feedback
• Assess performance
• Enhance retention and transfer

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Gain Attention

• Ask questions
• Use trivia
• Keep text brief
• Illustrate user benefits/relevance
• Require accountability

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Inform Learners of Objectives

• Tells what the learner will be able to do
  differently because of the training
• Sets expectations and provides motivation
• Used later for measuring effectiveness
• Often tied to job descriptions, process change,
  and helping people move to the next level of
  expertise

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Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning

• Relate new knowledge to what learners already
  know
• Re-map concepts and terminology
• Include reviews of what learners already know
  (pre-assessment)

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Present the Content

• Training is NOT comprehensive
• Voiceover frees learners to look around without
  reading so much
• Emulation of over-the-shoulder training method
  through demonstrations
• Relate the content to the learners through
  stories
• Concepts increase retention

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Guide the Learner

• Apprenticeship model
• Demonstrate best practices
• Provide tips and tricks
• Gradually increase complexity (training wheels)
• Use simulations that require learner actions

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Allow for Practice

• Increases mastery and retention
• May be a repeat of the simulation with less or no
  guidance
• Avoid providing detailed instructions instead,
  refer learners back to the help
• Practice the most important tasks

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Provide Feedback

• Coaching model
• Initial practice needs feedback to reinforce good
  behavior and eliminate bad behavior
• Immediacy of feedback is critical
• May direct learner to repeat some training
  through self assessments

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Assess Performance

• Kilpatricks four levels of evaluation
• Level 1 (Reactions) indicates how learners
  responded to the training
• Level 2 (Learning) attempts to measure skills,
  knowledge, or attitudes before and after learning
  occurs
• Level 3 (Transfer) tries to show changes in
  behavior due to the training program
• Level 4 (Results) looks for ROI
• Create scored post-course assessments

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Enhance Retention and Transfer

• Extended practice needs to engage the learner in
  problem solving and applying what they learned in
  the training to new situations (workshops)
• Use of mentor to allow in-depth discussions and
  sharing of best practices
• Facilitate learner-to-learner interactions (blog,
  listserv, WebEx discussions)

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From Help to Training

• Generating Training from Help
• Coordinating Help and Training
• Building Training into Help

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Generating Training from Help

• The most common type of training guide is
  instructor-led procedures with on-going case
  study for exercises
• Design your help to accommodate the printed
  output produced by trainers today
• Use the procedures in the help as the basis for
  the training manual
• Hide training-specific information with
  conditional text

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Example

• In this example, the original help was organized
  around the screens of the application.

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Example

• To merge the help and training I had to
  reorganize the help around tasks and concepts.

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Example

• The next step was to add topics for the training
  components.
• Conditional build tags hide irrelevant parts

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Example

• Training content is also integrated with
  procedures
• Conditional build tags hide irrelevant parts

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Example

• More training content

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Coordinating Help and Training

• The reliance on detailed, procedure-based
  training guides often teaches students not to use
  the help
• Training materials dont have to repeat the
  procedures
• Option 2 Create printed training guide that
  requires users to use the online help for
  procedures

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Coordinating Help and Training

• Welcome to Training
• Module
• Objectives
• Presentation (could be done online with demo
  tool)
• Exercise(s)
• Self-Review Questions
• Module Summary
• Extended Practice (tie it all together)
• Final Assessment (online or fax in form)

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Building Training into Help

• Many companies are eliminating classroom training
  and expecting the help to make up the difference
• Help can include some aspects of training, but it
  cannot effectively both assist and teach
• Creating demonstrations
• Writing conceptual topics
• Suggesting tips and tricks
• Writing the getting started materials

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Conclusion

• Both help and training should focus on improving
  performance
• The more help is like formal training the less it
  is like help and vice versa
• In most cases, single-sourcing or integrating
  help and training are the best approaches

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Thank You!

• Keep in touch
• Rob Houser
• rob_at_userfirst.net
• www.userfirst.net