Trainer Development Conference: Training Methods

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Trainer Development ConferenceTraining Methods
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Objectives

• Describe several methods to effectively train
  leaders
• Demonstrate the use of several effective training
  methods
• Explain the pros and cons of each training method
• Explain why the use of different methods is
  important to be a successful training method

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Training Methods

• Lecture
• Talk
• Demonstration
• Discussion
• Case Study
• Role Playing
• Simulation
• Brainstorming
• Buzz Groups
• Q A Sessions
• Learning Centers
• Reflection

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Lecture

• Demonstration
• What is a Lecture?
• -When one person conveys information to a group
  of learners by talking to them, with or without
  the use of visual aids. There is no participation
  by the learners and no feedback to the presenter.

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Lecture

• When to use a Lecture
• Large groups
• Topic is new to learners
• Speaker is a recognized expert

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Lecture

• Advantages of a Lecture
• Same info is shared with large number of people
  in time-efficient manner
• Info is not altered or sidetracked by audience
  comments
• Expert info is shared
• Drawbacks of a Lecture
• To ensure learning occurs, questions or
  discussion periods should follow-up
• Visuals are needed to make this training method
  workable( even so, depth is low) however,
  lecture is the preferred method for some adults
• Success is contingent on presenters knowledge
  and skills

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Talk

• What is a Talk?
• Similar to a Lecture except learners are more
  involved. Feedback is obtained through QA and
  brief discussions.
• When to use a Talk
• Info is less technical/familiar to learners
• Time is available for discussions
• Most Scouting purposes

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Talk

• Advantages of a Talk
• Less formal more comfortable
• Involves smaller amount of material
• Allows learners to ask relevant questions be
  more involved in the learning process
• Drawbacks of a Talk
• Leader must be well versed in material willing
  to answer questions. Cannot be a canned
  presentation.
• Leader must know how to deal with
  interruptions/irrelevant questions

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Demonstration

• Origami Demonstration
• What is a Demonstration?
• Actually performing a task, showing explaining
  to learners how to do it allow learners to try
  afterwards with staff supervision

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Demonstration

• When to use a Demonstration
• Teaching a skill
• Time is available or skill does not take much
  time for learners to master
• Group is small or many instructors available
• Advantages of a Demonstration
• Provides hands-on experience (hear, see, do)
• Learners gets lots of attention from leader
• Learner can go at own pace to achieve mastery
• Drawbacks of a Demonstration
• Requires lots of time
• May require a lot of equipment/materials for
  everyone to learn simultaneously

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Discussion

• What is a Discussion?
• A planned conversation (exchange of ideas or
  viewpoints) on a selected topic, guided by a
  trained discussion leader.
• When to use a Discussion
• Stimulate interest among learners
• Where ideas experiences of group will help them
  to discover the point they are learning
• Where there is a trained experienced discussion
  leader whose experience knowledge enable
  him/her to guide the discussion keep it on
  track
• Where a few major, simple points are covered
• Where several outcomes are equally acceptable

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Discussion

• Advantages of a Discussion
• Allows multiple points of view to be expressed
• Allows all learners to express opinions listen
  to opinions of others
• Creates an informal atmosphere
• Drawbacks of a Discussion
• Can get bogged down or taper off if leader is not
  well trained prepared
• Can be dominated by one voice, unless leader
  controls the process
• Requires a well defined purpose/objective, a
  reasonable time limit a well trained leader

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Case Study

• Demonstration
• What is a Case Study?
• A realistic situation or a series of actual
  events involving a judgment call. Presented to
  learners, orally or by handout, for analysis and
  resolution.
• When to use a Case Study
• When real-life situations make your point more
  effectively than other methods
• When no clear-cut or easy solution to a problem
  is evident
• Where multiple points of view will help learners
  understand important concepts

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Case Study

• Advantages of a Case Study
• Point may be relevant to the lives /or
  experiences of the learners
• All learners are active participants in the
  process
• Forces all learners to make a decision and defend
  it
• Drawbacks of a Case Study
• Topic must be relevant to the learners, age
  appropriate, and pertain to real life
• Scenario must be carefully worded to avoid bias
  or implication that one answer is better than
  another

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Role Playing

• Demonstration
• Is the outcome the same as it was when the teams
  discussed the Case Study?
• What is Role Playing?
• Leaders or learners act out roles presented in an
  open-ended situation. Lines are not
  pre-determined. Participants supply their own
  dialogues within the context of the roles
  situation, develop their own outcome to the
  scenario presented.

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Role Playing

• When to use Role Playing
• Subject being taught involves person-to-person
  communications
• You want all the learners to participate
• To set a mood of fun excitement for training

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Role Playing

• Advantages of Role Playing
• Excellent for exploiting ethics resolution
• Participants often get to see, experience /or
  feel a new point of view
• Participants are more inclined to express their
  true viewpoints if they are paying a role
• Participants listen better (learn more) because
  they are seeing the subject as well as hearing it
• Drawbacks of Role Playing
• Must be accompanied by a careful analysis of the
  situation the roles played
• Can be detrimental to free expression if learners
  are forced to participate
• Choose the theme, props, etc. carefully to avoid
  potential conflicts with the Scout Oath, Scout
  Law, religious teachings, and other programs

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Simulation

• What is a Simulation?
• A more complex form of Role Playing and Case
  Study. Used to recreate environments where
  participants experience potential situations that
  could happen.
• When to use a Simulation
• When an elaborate Demonstration and Role Playing
  can best teach the subject matter
• Excellent for disaster, rescue, or other crisis
  management training

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Simulation

• Advantages of a Simulation
• Realistic and hands-on Learners feel as well as
  see and do
• Highest level of knowledge is taken away from the
  experience
• Probably the most involving type of experiential
  learning
• Drawbacks of a Simulation
• Requires lots of materials preparation
  (Scripts, props, make-up, equipment
  memorization of lines)
• Requires practice modification of script to fit
  each new situation

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Brainstorming

• What is Brainstorming?
• A method of problem solving. Group members
  suggest possible solutions, in rapid-fire order,
  orally or written on cards. All ideas are
  considered. Criticism and editorializing are not
  allowed.
• When to use Brainstorming
• Program planning
• Message to be learned involves pulling together
  shared ides of participants
• Group is having hard time deciding what to do

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Brainstorming

• Advantages of Brainstorming
• Everyones ideas are listened to and no one is
  ignored
• All ideas are accepted as valid
• Lots of ideas are gathered quickly
• Patterns of similar ideas emerge
• Drawbacks of Brainstorming
• Must be followed up with honest evaluation (by
  leader and group)
• Ideas are off the top of the head group might
  miss most reasonable solutions to problems
• Recorder must be careful not to misinterpret or
  impose bias on any ideas presented

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Buzz Groups

• Question What are the Five Most Important Life
  Skills Every Scout Should Learn?
• What is a Buzz Group?
• A way to promote quick exchange of ideas usually
  part of a larger training session. Small groups
  are given short time periods to consider a simple
  question/problem with the ideas recorded. Group
  ideas are presented to the larger group for
  discussion solution. They are a starting point!
  Ideas need to be followed by careful group
  analysis that is reported to the large group.
  Analysis can be done by subgroup or separate
  committee.

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Buzz Groups

• When to use Buzz Groups
• Group is too large for a general discussion or
  for brainstorming
• Experiences of group members can lead them to
  discover solutions for themselves
• Participation by discussion leaders is not needed

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Buzz Groups

• Advantages of Buzz Groups
• Can be used spontaneously takes little time to
  set up can be recalled back quickly
• Do not require multiple discussion leaders
• Allow all group members to participate
• Lead to team consensus building
• Allow sharing of leadership (reporting)
• Help build community or small group spirit
• Drawbacks of Buzz Groups
• Groups may get off track or on tangent different
  from original purpose
• May end up with pooled ignorance
• Can not be relied on alone to reach viable
  conclusions
• Reporting of results may get bogged down
• Require and experienced leader recorder

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Question Answer Sessions

• What is a Question Answer Session?
• When an expert provides specific knowledge,
  responding to direct questions from a group of
  learners
• When to use a Question Answer Session
• Near end of a training conference, after learners
  have received bulk of info relating to topics
• Expert is available whose knowledge is superior
  or whose authority makes his answers unassailable

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Question Answer Session

• Advantages of a Question Answer Session
• Answers to questions are obtained from an expert,
  in first person
• Offers opportunity for learners to interact
  directly with an expert or authority figurer who
  might not otherwise be accessible
• Drawbacks of a Question Answer Session
• No control over content of questions asked (best
  to start with set of ground rules)
• Questions could come in an accusatory fashion,
  putting leaders on defensive

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Learning Centers

• What are Learning Centers?
• A series of rooms, stations, tables, corners,
  etc. that teach related parts of a the same
  general topic. Each station accommodates a small
  group with groups rotating the set of centers on
  a given schedule. Also called Round Robins.
• When to use Learning Centers
• All centers can teach related parts of same
  general topic
• Need to impart lot of info in a short time
• Group is too large to teach topic effectively by
  any other training method
• For weekend training session, set up Learning
  Centers and remain up for entire course
• Need way to allow learners to work through
  material on their own time schedule and own
  abilities

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Learning Centers

• Advantages of Learning Centers
• Combines advantages of demonstration
  (skill-based) with lecture (expertise-based)
• Allows for small group or independent learning
• Link similar topics together
• Predominantly hands-on involve use of multiple
  senses for gaining info
• Drawbacks of Learning Centers
• Requires lots of advance preparation and set-up
• If time is limited, all Learning Centers must be
  coordinated so learners get through material in
  about same amount of time
• Requires enough space so groups can be separated
  enough to concentrate

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Reflection

• What is Reflection?
• Reflection is thinking about the meaning of a
  topic in a larger context. Group talks about
  what it all means. Leaders direct Reflection by
  asking questions that encourage participants to
  do the thinking, dig into their feelings, build
  their own collections of observations. Leader
  provides an atmosphere in which participants feel
  free to think say what they think.
• Begin with something concrete (What questions)
• Progress to So What? questions avoid Yes/No
  answers
• Finish up with Now What? questions (Application)

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Reflection

• When to use Reflection
• End of an activity
• As a form of evaluation
• Connecting activities or when connecting an
  activity to a larger picture
• Advantages of Reflection
• Gives everyone an opportunity for input
• Leader provides structure, but solution comes
  form group
• Emphasizes present experiences
• Drawbacks of Reflections
• Time consuming
• Can create discomfort is some people who dislike
  being put on the spot
• Sometimes difficult to people to understand use

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Summary

• Hand-outs
• Question for you!
• For teaching to be effective, learning must take
  place.
• BSA 500 Time!!!!!

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