G Acceleration are running a free workshop on capturing training resources and tools to increase engagement. The workshop is aimed at employers, commercial and funded training providers.
The workshop will be held on Wednesday 13th August between 6-8pm in Cheltenham.
To register your place, and find out more visit http://gacceleration.co.uk/skills/.
A significant number of personal injury claims are made on the basis of inadequate training. Good training processes and accurate record keeping can demonstrate your organisation's commitment to health and safety.
Personal injury claims can have a serious cost to your company, not only financially but also to your reputation.
Prevention is always better than cure and your first action should always be to minimise the risk of an accident occurring. There are two components to this training and protective equipment.
As an employer you need to demonstrate that you have:
Simply doing all of these things is not enough unless it is recorded accurately. Many companies are acutely aware of the need for training but they are leaving themselves exposed due to poor recording practices.
We can help reduce your risk of personal injury claims by keeping accurate training records online. To sort out your training records contact us on 0845 900 3830.
For M in this series we're taking a look at training management.
What is training management? Training management is the process of managing and organising your training activities. I consider it to be all of the tasks that don't fit into curriculum development, training delivery or personal development. When I'm running a course this probably includes:
While all of these tasks are necessary, they take up a considerable amount of time which could be better spent elsewhere. With any process there is always the chance of missing a stage- I always seem to end up worrying about lunch!
As a software developer I learnt that documenting processes was a good step towards getting them done reliably since there was a reference to point to and tick off all of the tasks. This helps but it still relies on the human element- remembering to check the process. The biggest gains were made when I began to automate processes, so that tasks could be done automatically as required or on a fixed schedule. This completely removed the mental burden, and helped to ensure that processes occured when they were supposed to.
Now I'm not suggesting that all Training Managers learn to program a computer, but here are a few tips that can help:
One of the goals of Prodeceo is to help Training Managers get on with the task of training rather than getting bogged down with admin. If you like the sound of less time spent doing admin, then get in touch!
It may seem odd, but adding e-learning to your classroom training can give your learners a one-two that powerfully reinforces your learning objectives.
In many organisations, it can be challenging to secure enough time for learning and development. Operational constraints and business needs take priority, reducing the time available for training activities.
By creating an online component to your trianing, you can make the most of the face to face time you have woth your learners. I'd recommend that you use the online resources to cover the mundane topics and use the time saved to discuss the most challenging parts of the topic.
Using e-learning affords you the oppertunity to engage learners before you start the course. By interacting with the material online and face to face, they can take a multi faceted view which may help them get a better understanding of the materials and achieve the learning objectives you intended.
While not a substitute for a more indepth training needs analysis, an online quiz or marked interactive activity can help identify areas where learners are struggling or lacking prerequisite knowledge. Armed with this knowledge you can tailor every session to suit the attendees present helping to maxmise their learning experience.
E-learning doesn't have to be seen as competition for traditional training- it can be a huge asset that can help make the most of your time!
Whatever method or tool you use, it should be remembered that learning is the goal.
I'm sure we can all remember a presentation where the speaker had used as many different effects as possible, embelishing their slides with a dizzying array of animation. At the time I probably spent more time watching the presentation than understanding it.
This is exactly the type of scenario we need to avoid when crafting experiences to deliver positive learning outcomes. It can be tempting to try out the newest technique or delivery method without giving proper thought to its suitability for the learning objectives.
There are a huge number of potential learning activites which you could use all varying in suitability for a given task. A quick brainstorm here in the office gave us (in no particular order):
With so many methods and techniques it can be difficult to choose the best one for a task. There are clearly times when eLearning is unsuitable for example first aid techniques or building tours but there are times when it can come into its own for example easy access to self-directed material.
Simulation based training can be helpful when the topic has serious potential consequences- astronauts train for years before attempting a mission in space. The effectiveness of a simulation relates to how well it approximates the task, a porr simulation may be no help at all.
To choose the best learning method, you need to consider the merits of each method, and weigh them against the drawbacks. You will probably also have to consider the period for which training will be used and balance it against the budget.
With such a huge variety learning activities, blending a few of them together can help to keep you and your audience engaged however using too many can lead to additional mental overhead for your learners. In my experience a one hour session should have a minimum of two but no more than three different activities. If you have longer with your students then you may like to use more, but make sure that they are sufficiently spread out to allow the learner the best change to engage with the task.
Which methods are your favorite? What did I miss? Leave your comments below.