UNIT 5DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING

CURRICULUM/CONTENT

KMS2014Design & Management of

Training Programmes

Objectives:

At the end of this unit, you will be able to: do course selection develop courses define subject and describe aims identify course content write trainer's guide and student materials run pilot course identify criteria used to determine course content

Introduction:

Having established that training is appropriate for the identified needs, the next step is to find courses that meet the needs

We have to make choices whether to buy or develop courses that meet the needs

Developing a course from scratch can be both expensive and time consuming

Even purchasing a course that exactly match all the requirements is not as easy as it sounds

Therefore, one has to adopt a systematic approach to address the issues in designing a curriculum or course to meet the needs of the learners

Training Curriculum and Content Development Issues:

Trainees - entry behaviors, needs and characteristics

Course content - identification, structure, sequencing, timing

Expertise - subject matter and the trainers, their roles

Approaches - methods and media Logistics - registration issues etc.

Course Selection:

Two issues to consider:Availability of existing materialUrgency and demand for the course

Choices or options:Using an existing course

○ availability is thereModifying an existing course

○ add, remove or rearrange partsBuying or licensing an external course

○ large and urgent demand; large budget○ caution: copyright issue, training manual

Course Selection (con’t)

Developing our own coursespecific to the organization; large and urgent

demandcheaper

Using an “in-house” courseone in which a training company runs one of their

courses on the premises medium demand that is not the company’s area

Using a public coursecost-effective if demand is smallcaution: suitability of the course, style, content

and professionalism

Course Development Process:

Processes for developing training courses:

1. Define Subject Matter based on training needs analysisto develop what is really requiredcheck on training needs analysis results

2. Describe Goals (general learning objective)provide as a tool for evaluating effectiveness as

well as developing the course

3. Obtain Subject Matter Expertisesave timecontrol over deadline and expected results

Developing Courses: (con’t)

4. Describe Studentsdetailed profile of prospective students -

knowledge, attitudinal and physical

5. Identify Course Contente.g. “in sequence type” of course content

Developing Courses: (con’t)

6. Structure Course Content determine structure and timing

A.) Timing estimate duration by:

estimate the duration of individual components and add them up

start a fixed time and see what we can fit in be aware of limitations and consequences factors to consider:

student’s current state of knowledgetraining methodologycontent of the course

Developing Courses: (con’t)B.) Sequence Factors to consider:

dependencies or prerequisites? to be learnt now? can be learnt at the same time?

Check for logical sequence/logical flow: simple to complex or vice versa general to specific or vice versa concrete to abstract or vice versa

Once sequence and flow are decided then we have a course agenda

Developing Courses: (con’t)

7. Write Objectives and Tests

A.) Write Objectives○ Behavior○ Conditions○ Standard

B.) Writing Tests○ does not need to be an exam○ should be able to observe the desired behavior○ see whether training has been achieved

Developing Courses: (con’t)

8. Choose Methods and MediaIssues to Consider:

A.) “Best” training methods○ “trainer led” or “self directed”○ specific to general or vice versa○ case study or a real-life example

B.) Giving freedom of choice to the trainees○ construct a course map that has alternative

routes through the course

Developing Courses: (con’t)

C.) The issue of training technologies○ “only way to train”?○ will never be one “best” medium

D.) Focus our attention to the trainees

E.) Which methods and media - ○ most suitable for each part of the course?○ best courses have a wide range of media and

learning experiences

Developing Courses: (con’t)

9. Write trainer’s guide and student materials

A.) Trainer’s Guide

1. course objectives

2. course program

3. course prerequisite

4. course pre-work

5. number of training and break-out room required

6. list of student materials

7. list of equipment required

Developing Courses: (con’t)

8. list of audio-visual materials (transparencies, posters, prepared flip chart, slides, audiotapes and videotapes)

9. room layout

10. preparation notes for each session

11. lessons plans for each session The structure of the trainer’s guide is not necessarily

in this order

Developing Courses: (con’t)

B.) Lesson plans○ detailed timings, structure and activities

10. Preparing Visual Aids○ if necessary?

11. Peer Assignment○ spot the flaws, annoying inconsistencies and

irritating errors

Developing Courses: (con’t)

12. Run Pilot Course(s) are test “flight” for newly developed courses

a.) first test : developmental test to get all the mistakes out of the course

b.) second pilot course: should have students who are representatives of the target population

feedback from invited stakeholderstake note of the difficulties or problemsget students fill in a written feedbackdiscussionwork with trainers on how to change, amend and

revise

An Example of Course Development

Backgroundcompany with full and contract employeesfull time employees have started to immerse into the

culture and language of TQMcompany realized that contract staff are being

isolated because they have no understanding of the language and processes of TQM

therefore a one day overview of TQM was decided

Example Course Dev’t (con’t)

1. Defining the SubjectWhat Total Quality Management is all about

2. Describing the Aimsto allow the medium term contractors to participate

in quality circles

3. Obtaining Subject Matter Expertisetraining analyst who has been training the full

course for two years

4. Describing the Studentsmedium-term contractors with concerns about being

treated differently from full time staff and whether there would be another contract after the current one expires

Example Course Dev’t (con’t)

may not have the same loyalty but they have a professional approach

might be easier to communicate “customer awareness” with electric/electronic, software or mechanical

backgrounds and would not appreciate a “wordy” approach or put up with a significant amount of reading

are in good health with normal hearing and sight (good color vision)

may have done business studies courses at university or polytechnic; the subject matter will be new to most of them

Example Course Dev’t (con’t)

5. Identify the Course Contentcheck for familiar topics and advanced topics

6. Structuring the Content Choosing the modules for the course

Example Course Dev’t (con’t)

7. Choosing the Methods and the Media○ trainer presentation and student exercises○ short excerpts from videos○ tape/slide presentation put on to video

Example Course Dev’t (con’t)

8. Writing the Objectives and Tests Any idea how the objective should sound like for this

TQM programme? How about the test?

Example Course Dev’t (con’t)

9. Writing the Trainer’s Guide and Student’s Materials Student’s guide and student materials:

E.g. a booklet which had a section for each of the module

10. Preparing the Visual Aids Trainers should identify the suitable visual aid for the

TQM training

Example Course Dev’t (con’t)

11. Peer Assessmentmaterials were given to a new trainer to reviewcolleagues review the course at every stage of its

development

12. Running the Pilot Course e.g. new trainer: made observations of the training

process and the student’s reactions