Written by: Steve When running a facilitated session we would like to think that common sense and good manners would prevail. This is not always the case. Sometimes in facilitated sessions, particularly those sessions dealing with contentious issues, participants can let their emotions get the better of them. In these situations it is a good practice to develop ground rules. Ground rules are standards of behavior that are agreed upon by the facilitator and the group members at the beginning of a session. These standards are a list of the group’s expectations for acceptable behavior during the session. Here are five basic ground rules: Only one person speaks at a time. Stay on topic. No side conversations. Confidential issues will remain in the room. Respect others’ points of view. Notice that these ground rules are simple and direct, but are very meaningful. These are only five of many potential ground rules. It is best to limit the number of ground rules to five, as too many will slow the session down. If the participants are known to be disruptive, develop ground rules designed to prevent the disruptive behaviors seen in previous sessions. Here are six tips for developing ground rules: Start with some basic ground rules to minimize the time spent on developing new rules. Ask the group if they would like to add any ground rules once the basic ground rules are established. Avoid making new ground rules during a session if issues arise. Get buy-in from the group for the ground rules; ask the group to help enforce the ground rules during the session. Be realistic and flexible when developing ground rules. They are guidelines, not the law. Post the ground rules on a flip chart in a visible location during the session for easy reference. A set of reasonable ground rules will assist the facilitator in running an effective session. Even professionals might need some guidance with their conduct in a facilitated session. Ground rules are most effective when the participants are involved in their development and agree to the set of guidelines. It is better to have some simple guidelines in place to avoid issues, than to not have them when issues arise.

Written by: Jeff Whether virtually or face-to-face, those of us who deliver training usually find ourselves teaching, explaining, and/or demonstrating complex tasks. These tasks often have multiple steps that only increase the level of complexity. I’ve found that using the Whole-Part-Whole Learning Model ("model") is one of the most effective ways in which to teach a complex task. The model is an instructional technique in which content is sequenced. The entire task is shown to the learners first, then each specific part of the task is examined, and finally, the entire task is revisited. This model dates back to the 1970’s and is addressed in the book, The Adult Learner by Dr. Malcolm S. Knowles, Elwood F. Holton III, and Richard A. Swanson. This book is described as the definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. When incorporating the model, learners are first given a high level overview of the entire task from start to finish. This overview not only focuses on the task itself, but often includes the objective and benefits of learning the task. The majority of the instruction is spent on the second part of the model, focusing on the specific parts of the task. In a very pragmatic and methodical way, each part of the task is presented and explored. The learners have an opportunity to observe, as well as practice each part of the task in small, digestible chunks. Finally, the entire task is addressed once again. By now, the learners have typically acquired enough skill to complete the task from beginning to end. Revisiting the whole task allows the learners to "connect the dots." The whole-part-whole methodology is often used by athletic coaches when coaching and teaching sports. As a matter of fact, I routinely used this instructional technique when I was employed as a health and fitness instructor. In my cardio kickboxing class, for example, I’d first model the entire combination for my participants. The group would simply jog in place while watching me demonstrate multiple kicks, punches, jabs, and knee strikes. After modeling the moves, I would then begin to teach each part of the combination. This was usually done at a slower pace, giving the participants an opportunity to practice their technique and form. Often the moves were repeated several times until I felt comfortable they understood and properly executed each kick and punch. From there, I’d move to the next part of the combination until we reached the end. Once I determined the participants’ readiness, I instructed them to "take it from the top." At that point, they performed every move of the combination from beginning to end. The model can be effective when delivering all types of content, including conceptual, interpersonal, and technical. Any content that follows a step-by-step process provides a good canvas for using this instructional technique. When complex tasks are part of your training curriculum, consider using The Whole-Part-Whole Learning Model. It provides a systematic framework for instruction, and allows your learners to practice the complex tasks in smaller segments. This segmented approach often leads to increased comprehension and mastery of the tasks, improving performance which ultimately achieves the goal of training.

Written by: Linda Do you know the real power of your voice? Actors know it, broadcasters know it, singers know it, and trainers should know it, too! I came from a theater arts background before I entered the training profession and I quickly learned how necessary a powerful voice is. I was taught how to project my voice on stage so that even the person sitting in the very last row could hear me! My theater directors and coaches taught me to breathe deeply and throw my words out like I was throwing an object out at my audience. Over time, and with consistent practice, I was able to project almost effortlessly. As trainers, we are sometimes speaking to large groups of people and we must ensure we can project our voice so every participant can hear us. If they cannot hear us, they cannot learn from us. Not only do we need to project our voice and have adequate volume based on our classroom size, but we also need what’s called "vocal variety" to get, and keep, students engaged. The following five tips will assist you when practicing your speaking skills using voice projection and vocal variety. Volume Practice Tips Practice speaking in front of family, friends and colleagues. Change your volume often. Soft to loud and back again. Practice speaking in an environment full of noise and project your voice, without shouting, so your audience can hear you above the noise. Vocal Variety Tips Sing in the shower and in your car while listening to music! Read to children. Play with your voice and make it match the characters in the story.  Roar like the lion and squeak like the mouse! This adds animation and color to your tone. Practice reading excerpts from books to an audience and insert pauses, speed up, slow down, and add emphasis to match the story. If you do not think your voice can make a difference in the classroom, just remember all of the boring, monotonous voices of the professors you suffered through in college! And, of course, you don’t want to be one of them. We offer several workshops that can assist you with your development in these areas. We hope to see you in one (or more!) of those workshops soon!

Written by: Martha When delivering training, I joke about being a perfectionist. I want all my charts lined up on the wall when I teach. At home, I want everything to be organized. (I know this is not possible otherwise my children and husband would have left a long time ago!) I even organize boxes inside of boxes, containers inside of drawers - you get the picture. Because the stakes are so high in training (successful learners = successful organization), we may expect perfection from ourselves in the classroom. This, however, is an unrealistic expectation, just as it is in real life. If this is true for you, let’s look at some ways that we, as trainers, can put our perfectionism in perspective and reduce stress caused by our pursuit of the perfection myth. Three Perfection Myth Busters Perfectionism doesn’t lead to happiness because it is (almost) impossible to be perfect. Additionally, this creates self-criticism and low self-esteem. Perfectionism can be linked to procrastination. Working toward an unattainable goal makes it difficult to get started. It also keeps you from taking risks and embracing challenges. Perfectionism is more about making mistakes and being concerned about what other people think than it is about having high expectations. Because of this, people tend to hide their mistakes instead of seeking feedback on them. Here are seven tips for relieving stress from perfectionism:        1.  Practice forgiveness Give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them. For example, in the classroom, what can you do next time to make your instructions clearer? What word can you use instead of the one you couldn’t say? What would be a better way to answer the question, handle the situation, etc.?        2.  Set goals/establish priorities This tip can be related to the above. Once you have identified the lessons learned, put them into action. This is not a situation of all or nothing. You can start by identifying the most important areas you want to focus on. You can then create a plan and implement it.        3.  Set realistic expectations Even if you have done a good job of setting goals, you may still take on more than you can handle (perfectionists frequently do). Be open to restructuring the task into smaller bites. Realize that you are not going to please everyone every time. Even though we focus on the learner in the classroom, allow time for your personal style to be present, without concern that you are not perfect.         4.  Get to GO Perfectionism creates procrastination, so get started. Even if it’s simply writing the first draft or the first words, this will put your progress in an upward state rather than at a standstill. This is another opportunity to gather lessons learned and move forward.         5.  Celebrate Don’t wait for the big bang. Celebrate the mini milestones. Remember the quote, "Victory is won not in miles, but in inches," so celebrate the journey.         6.  Focus on the NOW You cannot change the past and the future is yet to come. Ask yourself, "What can I do to make a difference now? What can I do to enjoy the moment?"         7.  Learn how to laugh at yourself According to Bob Newhart, "Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it, and then move on." Remember I said I like all my charts to line up? A while ago in a training class, the group was very aware of my "tendencies." Returning from a break I came back into the room and EVERY chart was going in a different direction. Got to love it! We had a good laugh, I stifled my urge to straighten them up, and we had a good time. Yes, they were straight, (although not perfect) the next day. Being a perfectionist does not generate happiness. It creates fear and stress. I am working on finding balance by using these seven tips. So, dot those "i’s," cross those "t’s," and breathe.

Written by: Paul One phase in the instructional design process is learner analysis. This analysis determines the characteristics of your target audience and will affect your design. In training, we typically provide written documentation in the form of manuals, handouts, etc. One of the most important items to consider when creating the materials is the reading level of your target audience. This is typically expressed as a grade level. For example, I’ve written this blog at a 10th grade level. There are two important details to take into account when considering reading levels: 1.  What grade level do I target? Your human resources department may track statistics about the average reading level of your target audience. If not, they can usually tell you the average education level achieved by the group of employees who will be trained. If you believe the average grade level achieved doesn’t necessarily equal true reading level (as I do), a safe reading level to shoot for is three grade levels below the average education level achieved. For example, if your learners are high-school graduates (grade 12) you would write at a grade nine level. If you have no information to go on, grade six is usually a safe level in which to write. Of course, if by experience you know grade six is too high, or if English is your target audience’s second language, you may write to a different or lower level. 2.  How can I determine the grade level of the material I have written? Part of the readability statistics that Microsoft Word provides makes it easy. Different versions of Word have slightly different procedures. For example, with Word 2007, once you have enabled the spelling and grammar checker, each time you click the ABC button under the Review ribbon, any grammatical errors will be identified. Following that, a dialogue box will appear with the last item shown being the grade level. To enable the readability feature for the first time in Word 2007: Click the Microsoft Office button, and then click Word Options. Click Proofing. Make sure the Check grammar with spelling check box is selected. Make sure the Show readability statistics check box is selected. Once you’ve completed these steps, each time you press the ABC button, the grammar statistics, with grade level, will be the last item shown in the dialogue box. When in doubt, make it simpler. People are seldom put off by material that is too easy to understand. For even more detail on how to write training materials that are clear, concise, and performance based, check out our Writing Skills for Trainers workshop!

Written by: Marsha It finally happened. Yes, it’s true. After 18 years in the business, I am no longer a newbie. I can finally say I completed my first self-paced e-learning course. And here’s the best part, I loved it! Me, the person who fears technology and craves human interaction! Who would ever believe it? So, how did it happen? Well, the principles of adult learning were incorporated in the instructional design of the course. Meaning, it was interactive, fun, and interesting. It had clear expectations, relevant practice exercises, and encouraged the transfer of skills back on the job. How was it able to achieve all this, you ask? Great question! Simple answer: it was designed by the brilliant folks at Langevin Learning Services. You see, we don’t just preach; we practice what we preach! I just completed our 25 Creative Ways to Add Excitement to Your Training e-learning module. Here’s how it went. It started with clever scenarios that highlighted some of the concerns of adding fun and excitement to training. I was then greeted by the Langevin instructor, who introduced us to the session, gave an overview, and explained the flow of the session. The content was divided into six main modules. Each module had demonstrations, two scenario-based reviews, and action planning. With so much interaction, I was never bored and the time flew by. A final exercise became available only after the modules were completed. It consisted of review questions and an on-the-job assignment to be completed after the course. The entire session was built with easy-to-follow instructions throughout. So, how can you design effective e-learning? Here are eight instructional design tips from our Web-Based Training course to get you started: Always include the course objectives, schedule, and major activities that learners will be doing. Limit the amount of reading as much as possible. Start each lesson with something that captures the learners’ interest and creates curiosity. Create practice exercises that are realistic and distribute them throughout the course, not just at the end. Design self-guided feedback activities such as list comparisons and answer keys. Create step-by-step answer wizards to guide learner feedback. Build in specific time for reflection and review. After each exercise and activity, give learners a few minutes to think about, "How does this apply to my job?" Ask them to write their answers in an action plan. I’m just so excited about this course because it’s changed my whole opinion of e-learning. Yes, I’ve had my AHA moment! Come to our Web-Based Training course and you, too, will be a believer.

Written by: Alan It’s a popular term in the training world: "Death by PowerPoint." If you haven’t experienced such a session, you’ve most likely heard someone else complain about one. The slides just keep coming. They’re crammed with bullet points in a font too small to read easily. Not that it matters, because the trainer is simply narrating them to the audience anyway. Here are four principles that will improve your learners’ experience when it comes to slides. Use Less, It Really Is More Slides shouldn’t convey all your content. They should outline the highlights. You can use handouts, manuals, electronic files, or links to post-course resources for all the details. Generally, in training, you should strive to show fewer than ten slides per hour. This will also help you avoid "narrator-itis," which is famous for annoying your learners. Apply the 7×7 Rule This rule keeps your slides lean. You should include no more than seven lines of text on a slide. Each line should have no more than seven words. If you feel it is forcing you to drop content from your slides, GOOD! That’s the point. Following this rule also allows you to use a font size that is readable from anywhere in the training room. Complement Your Colors One of the most basic rules of graphic design is to use colors that go well together. Do a web search on the term "color wheel." Most of them will show you how to use complementary colors in your visual medium. Your work will be easier on the eyes and look more professional. Your slides should feel more like a well-done painting, rather than a bowl of Skittles! Go Easy on the Transitions There are dozens of different transitions available to use as one slide changes to the next. Although transitions can add interest to your presentation, they can also become distracting or even annoying to learners. Use a maximum of two: one for basic transitions between slides, and one for the transition from one lesson to the next. Now your transitions actually convey meaning relevant to your course structure. The best PowerPoint presentations are those that people don’t really notice. If they aren’t preoccupied with your slides’ layout, design, or volume, they will be more attentive to your course content. Good luck in your training work, and may your slides be lively rather than deadly!

Written by: Steve When participants first arrive at a course, they have doubts, concerns, and fears. Many don’t know what to expect or even why they are there. It is critical that instructors work hard to build climate and rapport to help participants feel connected and as comfortable as possible, as soon as possible. Here are five instructional techniques that I have always found helpful in building climate and rapport: 1)      Welcome participants Greet participants at the door as they arrive; welcome them as though they are visiting your home. Let participants know where they can sit, where they can get coffee, and the location of the restrooms. 2)      Make participants feel safe Let participants know the training room is a risk-free, non-threatening environment. It is a place to try new things and it is okay to make mistakes. 3)      Keep it fun Plan high levels of participation and involvement. Fun in training should be based on course content. Make sure fun activities are not perceived as silly and do not adversely affect the self-esteem of the participants. 4)      Build group cohesiveness Arrange participants in small groups seated at separate tables. Use icebreakers that bring out shared experiences to generate a feeling of belonging. Use small-group work as often as possible. 5)      Build learner confidence and self esteem Set learners up for success by ensuring course objectives are achievable. Design exercises that allow learners to show their work, find value in the other participants’ work, and recognize achievements. Climate and rapport do not happen on their own. Skilled instructors can often make it seem that way with the subtle application of course leadership skills. Climate and rapport will greatly increase by implementing these five tried-and-true instructional techniques. Give them a try and let me know your results!

Written by: Jeff Having facilitated train-the-trainer workshops for the past 13 years, I’ve experienced my fair share of debate and discussion around the terms "training" and "education." Are they the same thing? Are they different entities? The debate continues. At Langevin Learning Services, we define the two terms as follows: Training - provides learners with the skills and knowledge to perform the tasks on their current jobs. It is short term and immediate. Education - provides learners with the knowledge and skill to prepare them for a future job, typically their next one. Based on our definitions, we are of the belief that training and education are indeed different entities. Are there certain similarities and overlap between the two? Absolutely. However, we stand firm in the belief that training and education are not the same thing. Those attending a true training course spend an ample amount of time learning how to do something. The objectives are application or performance based. Examples might include: operate a forklift, conduct an interview, or enter data into a database. Lastly, (and perhaps most importantly), in training a significant amount of time is spent allowing the learner to practice and refine the skill that is being taught. Those attending a course that is more education-oriented may spend significant time learning about the subject-matter or content. The objectives are more knowledge or non-performance based. Examples might include: identify the importance of a diverse workplace, define the theory of evolution, and list the steps of how a bill becomes a law. Lastly, more time is spent learning the history, theory, and/or significant concepts. Just because training and education are different from each other, this in no way suggests one is better or more important than the other. As a matter of fact, they both accentuate each other very well. I came to this conclusion when I was employed as a flight attendant for a major U.S. airline. My former colleagues in the cockpit (pilots, first officers, flight engineers, etc.) received hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of training at our learning academy in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. They were trained on skills such as performing safety checks, communicating with air traffic control, and monitoring radar equipment, just to name a few. In addition to their skill-based training, they also received a very thorough education. They studied and learned subject-matter such as physics, weather patterns, critical thinking, and decision making. Essentially, training gives the cockpit crew members the skills to perform their job—operate an aircraft. While education gives them the knowledge, especially in terms of safety, to perform that job better. When I put my life in their hands, from wheels up to wheels down, I was thankful for both their training and their education! In corporate training, your courses will likely have an element of both training and education. And much like my airline example, this is a good thing. If your learners need to be trained on how to do something, spend time teaching the skills and, more importantly, let them practice those skills. If your learners need to know why those skills are performed or what the consequences would be if not performed properly, spend time providing them information that will give them that needed knowledge.

Written by: Paul The use of the acronym SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound) is a good guideline for writing training objectives—a key step in the instructional design process. The SMART formula has been around for many years, yet some trainers still agonize over writing objective statements. Here are some tips on writing objective statements effectively and easily: 1. Ensure that training objectives align with organizational objectives. If there is a disconnect between training department objectives and the stated objectives of the organization, it will be difficult to gain management buy-in for a program, and for that matter, the training department in general. If, on the other hand, the training department and organizational objectives are aligned, top-down management support is guaranteed. An example of alignment might be: Organizational Objective: Decrease OSHA claims by 5%. Training Department Objective: Deliver workplace safety training. 2. The objective statement must address a clear need. If a training needs analysis identifies a clear need for training, and that need translates into an objective, you’ve got a strong case for management and participant buy-in. The need identified simply has to be addressed in clearly stated marketing material and benefit statements. 3. One task equals one objective. Tasks represent activities that offer value to the organization. For each task, create one objective statement. A simple objective for line management training might be "Give feedback." 4. Make sure the accomplishment of your training objectives reflect the performance objectives in the workplace. Assuming the need for proficiency is required upon leaving training, the standard of performance in the classroom would be the same standard required in the workplace. This makes the activities in the classroom relevant and, therefore, motivating to the learners. 5. The objective statement should be brief. Shorter objectives are more readable and more understandable for the learner. Typically, an action verb and a noun, and sometimes a modifier, are all that is necessary to get the message across to the learner. An example might be "change a flat tire." Don’t be bashful! Once you have a solid objective statement, use it! It will probably be part of your course marketing materials, displayed prominently in the participants’ manuals, shown on a PowerPoint slide, appear in the leader’s guide, and called out in the trainer’s opening statement. For more in depth content and practice of this important step in the instructional design process, check out our Instructional Design for New Designers workshop!