Intuitively, a training session is an event that provides education value to attendees. Whether you’re planning a corporate and team skill training or a general certification class, training sessions can include anything from lectures and evaluations to discussions and demonstrations. The benefits of training in the workplace are undeniable (Rafferty, 2018). However, if the training is not well-composed or structured to reflect the needs of the attendees, it may all end up as being a ruse. In this piece, I will briefly explore ways in which people can organize memorable training sessions that will leave both the organizers and attendees fulfilled at the end of the day.
The first step to getting the best out of a training session is to put your heart into it. Both the trainers and trainees must understand that the process they are undertaking isn’t a joke and the survival of their organization and by extension the whole community is dependent on it. A trivial approach to training will make the essence lost and this is not to the good of anyone. Attitude is the key element in this respect. You must show your willingness to teach and learn. Once you are full of yourself, no matter the opportunity the training session avails you, you will never see it because you’ve intentionally locked yourself out of knowledge exchange.
Furthermore, be collaborative. If the instructor and student can interact simultaneously with the training material, they can see if real understanding is taking place. This is especially useful when covering complex situations such as explaining how product configurations work. Collaborative platforms that allow you to present training materials while eliciting real-time feedback in the form of annotations or zooming in and out on key points is an effective way to focus on what matters most while also outlining the big picture (Sean, 2017).
Consider adaptive learning. Training and development courses traditionally have been provided as one package to all employees. This type of model is not always the best approach when dealing with today’s diverse workforces and dynamic workplaces. Besides strategizing about the right training content to deliver, employers should look at implementing training strategies best suited to fit individual employees. Not all employees are at the same level of experience. Personalized training can help nurture specific skills that need to be strengthened, making it a win-win for the employee and the organization (Sean, 2017).
In addition, you need to keep adult learning principle in mind. Organizing a training session should take into account the principles of learning, more specifically, adult learning principles. The Adult Learning Theory by Malcolm Knowles, a pioneer in the field of adult learning, focuses on five main principles of learning:
- Self-Concept: As a person matures they move towards becoming a self-directed human being.
- Adult Learner Experience: As a person matures they accumulate a growing reservoir of experience that becomes an increasing resource for learning.
- Readiness to Learn: As a person matures their readiness to learn becomes oriented increasingly to the developmental tasks of their social roles.
- Orientation to Learning: As a person matures their perspective changes and they become more focused on solving problems.
- Motivation to Learn: As a person matures the motivation to learn is internalized
It’s a great idea to revolve your sessions around these adult learning principles, in doing so you will optimize the training as a valuable experience for your attendees. A training session is inherently about understanding and fixing problems—whether that is a lack of strategic understanding, a gap in vocational knowledge, or the need for personal skills’ development. This focus on problem solving learning underpins your whole training session and as such, should be considered throughout the training process (Rafferty, 2018).
Also, let me state categorically well that training is not a one-way process. The flow must be two-dimensional—both trainers and trainees must be involved. For example, ask participants to share their experiences with the training topic. Many trainees are experienced personnel who have valuable information to contribute. All trainees will get more out of sessions by hearing about their co-workers’ experiences with the subject—and not just the trainer’s lecture points. Hearing different voices also keeps sessions varied and interesting. Structure interaction time into all your sessions. In the same vein, don’t forget to analyze the session as you proceed in the training process. Always be on the lookout for what works best. When you discover a new technique or method that clicks with the group, note it on your training materials so it can be incorporated into the training outline to be used in future sessions (Training Today, 2018).
As I gradually conclude on this subject matter, let me explain the connection of the success of training sessions in relation to training materials. Training materials are essential in running the perfect training session, and they fall into two categories: 1) training materials for the trainer and 2) training materials for the attendees. For the organizer, the materials act as an agenda and a form of guidance. They should support what you are saying and they should prompt you and keep you organized. From beginning to end, staying organized can be the difference between an excellent training session and an average training session (Rafferty, 2018).
The 5E Learning Model is a great one to follow with its five different stages:
- Engage: To learn attendees must be able to contextualize this experience and have readily available activities to guide them.
- Explore: Usually a group activity, this phase focuses on helping attendees understand and develop new skills.
- Explain: As an organizer and trainer, emphasize why the previous stage was relevant for this session and for your greater goal.
- Elaborate: Employs participants to hone in those conceptual skills by implementing practical training activities.
- Evaluate: This stage applies to organizers and attendees alike. Both must conclude and internalize the lessons learned throughout (Rafferty, 2018).
If you follow this in your training session structure or even also provide this to the students for their training materials you will ensure a better structured session. For instance, begin with a problem —the learning objectives you have established from the start of the session. Your training session should answer these problems by teaching every attendee something they didn’t already know, providing them with new skills, and helping them to do their jobs better. For the attendees, training materials will guide the session, making different parts of the training session digestible. Providing training materials for the attendees also allows them to revisit the information on their own time (Rafferty, 2018).
References
Rafferty, L (2018). 10 Tips for Planning a Great Learning Session. Retrieved from https://blog.bizzabo.com/training-session-tips
Sean (2017).7 Ways for Businesses to Deliver Memorable Training Sessions. Retrieved from https://explaineverything.com/memorable-training-sessions/
Training Today (2018).How to Conduct an Effective Training Session. Retrieved from http://trainingtoday.blr.com/article/how-to-conduct-an-effective-training-session/
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(C) 2021, Alan Elangovan, All Copy Rights Reserved.