"Design"er Training

As I reflect back on the chapter, there were several things that stood out to me such as;using objectives in training to help trainees guide their learning, prerequisite learning, and training activities. I will begin by elaborating on using objectives in training to help trainees guide their learning. Piskurich (2015) states that majority of training programs do not provide their trainees with objectives and that it is shameful because well-written objectives can be used to guide their learning. Rapid Instructional Design has been an eye-opener for me. It has forced me to analyze all my past trainings. As I reflect back on each and every one of them, I am left feeling a bit compunctious and sad. I can not remember one training that has provided learning objectives. "Objectives help you focus on "need to know" content and avoid or at least control "nice to know" information (Piskurich, 2015, pp. 129). How many times have we attended training that contained "marshmallow fluff" just to ensure the trainer met their time requirement? I believe that by providing the learners with only information that is essential to mastering the core concept of the training, the learners will leave the training with a sense of accomplishment, instead of feeling like the picture below.

via GIPHY

As I continued to navigate through the text, I came to a topic that after I read it,  I had a smile on my face. That topic was titled prerequisite learning. This made me smile because finally I was reading something that I had a good experience with. Almost all of the technology trainings that I have attended had prerequisite skills that where listed as a requirement before signing up for the training. Although the author gave examples of prerequisite learning lists that did not involve technology or using a computer, I was still able to understand the importance and need. As Piskurich (2015)  states, prerequisite learning sets trainee expectations and gives the trainer information about what to expect from their trainees. This reminds me of a training on Promethean Boards that I attended several years ago. This was actually a level two training, but I decided to attend it anyway because a friend of mine had signed up. The prerequisite for attending level two training, was successful completion of level one training. While this training dove deep into Promethean Boards and its advanced features, I was left feeling lost because I had never received the basics.

Furthermore, when I think about training activities, I visualize an action that is being performed by the trainees. As Piskurich (2015) noted, well-designed training contains lots of activities. Some activities/strategies that I have witnessed being incorporated into training include; think-pair-share and advance organizers. What is think-pair-share you may be asking? It is a learning strategy/activity where students work together to answer a question about an assigned reading. It requires students to think individually about an answer to a question, pair up with a partner and share ideas with classmates. Think-pair-share fosters learning by promoting classroom participation and providing an opportunity for all students to share their thinking. It increases participation by students that would not normally raise their hand to share out loud. Let's take a closer look at think-pair-share by viewing this quick video below that shows an example of it. 

 During my experience teaching 1st grade, we were mandated to use this strategy. We called it turn and talk, but all in all, it is the exact same thing. I would absolutely have to say that it was successful because it gave the students confidence that they other wise would not receive during traditional question and answer. I put a slight twist on it. Instead of my students raising their hands to share their own thinking, they had to share what their partners discussed. My rationale behind the twist was that my reluctant learners would feel more confident sharing what someone else had to say without worrying if their thinking was right or wrong. 

When I think about advanced organizers, I think about a graphic organizer that is used in advance.
Advanced organizers are activities or graphic organizers that help the learner organize new information. They are used at the beginning of a new lesson and foster learning by informing the learner what information will be important.I have very little experience with advanced organizers, hopefully that will change.

In conclusion, I would like to add that during the design phase of instructional design, trainers are creating the blueprint for their training, which requires creative thinking. As each phase continues to build upon the next, I look forward to seeing what comes next! 

                                                                  Reference
Piskurich, G.M. (2015). Rapid instructional design. Learning ID fast and right. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.