BUS 680 Week 4 DQ 1&2 responses needed

Required Resources

Text

Blanchard, P. N., & Thacker, J. W. (2013).  Effective training: Systems, strategies, and practices  (5th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

· Chapter 8: Development and Implementation of Training

Articles

Kahane, E. (2014, June 9). Why corporate education needs a digital strategy to avoid disruption. (Links to an external site.) Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/emc/2014/06/09/digital-learning-strategies-breaking-the-grip-of-the-rip?

· This article focuses on the need for improved corporate education strategy. Kahene (2014), discusses the need for the transformation of corporate education to include a digital aspect in order to remain competitive. This article is part of a series of articles. The next post by this author will discuss the digital business model strategy. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)

Jaidev, U., & Chirayath, S. (2012, October 1). Pre-training, during training and post-training activities as predictors of transfer of training. IUP Journal of Management Research, 11(4), 54-70. Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.

· The purpose of this study is to determine whether pre-training, during-training and post-training activities significantly influence transfer of training, and also if the three predictors have a significant relationship with transfer of training. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.) Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)

Multimedia

Forbes. (2014, May 23).  Educating a generation of matchmakers  (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU2fW199pX0&list=PL841BABB2A54600E4

Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.) Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)

CommLab India. (2011, December 5). Employee training process (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1jmpMHgOPg

Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.) Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)

Recommended Resources

Articles

Martijn van, D.L., Karen, V.D., & Chiaburu, D.S. (2013). Getting the most of management training: The role of identical elements for training transfer. Personnel Review, 42(4), 422-439. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/PR-05-2011-0072

· Focusing on management training, the purpose of this paper is to establish whether identical elements in a training program (i.e. aspects resembling participants’ work situation) can improve training transfer and whether they do so beyond the contribution of two well-established predictors – motivation to learn and expected utility.

Meyer, S. (2014, July 10). Single-concept learning: A radical alternative to traditional workplace training (Links to an external site.). Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevemeyer/2014/07/10/single-concept-learning-a-radical-alternative-to-traditional-workplace-training/

· This article focuses on an innovative new type of training. The author argues that the existing types of trainings do not ensure learning transfer and that corporate training needs to be re-designed.

Multimedia

L8ybugmom. (2012, April 5).  How to create a power point presentation (Links to an external site.)  [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyoeGSFmI4E&noredirect=1

LearnitAnytime (2013, June 6). PowerPoint 2010: Speaker notes  (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4oScGkqMAw

Website

ATD (2014). ATD Best Awards 2014 (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from http://www.astd.org/About/ASTD-Awards/Best-Awards

DISCUSSION 1

Types of Trainees

A successful trainer needs to effectively engage various types of trainees and adapt quickly in the learning environment to meet their needs. Chapter 8 of the Blanchard and Thacker (2013) text lists and offers tips on dealing with different participant personalities. Review the three scenarios below. Discuss how you would effectively engage and manage each group of participants in a 2-day training seminar. Apply two to three specific adult learning principles and/or techniques to each of the scenarios listed below.

Respond to at least two other posts regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your reply, please consider the following questions:

· What did you learn from the posting?

· What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?

· What clarification do you need regarding the posting?

· What differences or similarities do you see between your initial discussion thread and your classmates' postings?

· What are the differences or similarities in the techniques recommended in your discussion compared to those identified by others?

· Analyze the recommendations made by others for each scenario. Do you agree or disagree with the recommendations? Why or why not? Provide examples where possible. 

Your reply posts should be a minimum of 150-250 words each.

Scenario A Your colleague is a training specialist who has just concluded an activity on techniques for overcoming challenges in the classroom. He clearly understood the content, but did not ask questions of the group to confirm their understanding. In addition, when explaining activities, the directions were not clear and there was never an opportunity to ask for clarification. What constructive feedback would you give to your colleague?

Scenario B Your colleague is a department manager who has just opened a training session. Her opening included group introductions, but she went directly into presenting content. About an hour later, a few participants began talking out of turn. What feedback would you give to your colleague on the impact this may have had on participants, and what could have been done differently to avoid this situation?

Scenario C Your colleague is a human resources manager who just completed an activity followed by a group discussion. The activity went well, but the debrief did not. As the facilitator, he had trouble getting the group to answer his questions. The group did not appear to be very engaged. What feedback could you give him on how he could get participants to participate?

Your initial post should be 250 to 300 words. Use this week’s lecture as a foundation for your initial post. In addition to the Blanchard and Thacker (2013) text, use at least one additional scholarly source to support your discussion.

Respond to Jarvis Edwards post

Scenario A

In this scenario, the training was geared towards overcoming challenges. The trainer was knowledgeable, however, he failed to engage with attendees. It is important to allow trainees the opportunity to provide feedback. This feedback can be used to show how well the trainees understood the material. I recommend that the trainer incorporate questions to ask the trainees at various parts of the training. This will keep everyone one the same page and will allow the trainer to clear up any misunderstandings. The trainer should also try his best to make trainees feel safe to ask questions when needed.

Scenario B

This is a scenario that I’m sure a lot of people have experienced before. Even though this trainer conducted introductions, I believe the introductions should be more extensive. I would recommend incorporating some type of ice breaker that allows the group to warm up to the trainer, then allow a little intermingling within the trainees. The manager should have also started with a few ground rules. Since the trainees started talking out of turn, the ground rules would’ve eliminated that. Also, I believe that training should go for 50 minutes with a 10-minute intermission. This will allow members to stretch, converse, and prepare to refocus on the rest of the material.

Scenario C

Engaging with trainees is a particular aspect of training that many trainers tend to struggle with. In this scenario, the trainer could’ve focused on asking open-ended questions or questions that provoked critical thinking to engage the audience more. It is very important to continue a strengthening dialogue between the trainer and the trainers with the trainer fostering further into discussions that relate to the objectives set in the beginning (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013). I would also recommend that the trainer implement a set number of objectives and have a discussion as a way to ensure the objectives were accomplished.

Reference:

Blanchard, P. N., & Thacker, J. W. (2013). Effective training: Systems, strategies, and practices (5th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Reply to Meena Haitram post

Scenario A: In this scenario, I will remind her that not all trainees are the same. Everyone has different learning styles and she should use multiple methods "Active learners need to be involved to get the full benefit of the training session" (Blanchard, and Thacker, 2013). Reflective learners will be able to learn and understanding the learning objective but will retain it better if the trainees were to discuss the information. When we ask questions concerning the learning objective form the trainees is allowed to use trainers to gain insight of how much of the information the trainees understood. "The trainees may also become bored and distracted, which resulting in the trainees gaining nothing from the training sessions and could cause them to become closed minded to further training sessions" (Gibson, 2016). 

Scenario B: An ice breaker enables trainees to become open to learning by causing them to relax and get to know each other" (Blanchard and  Thacker, 2013). It also creates a warmer environment for them to learn. The trainees spoke out because they failed to explain the information. They did not let them know that they can discuss in groups after. "To retain information that the trainer is giving the trainees the trainee needs to be engages and making learning fun helps people to retain the information better so that they can use it" (Gibson, 2016). 

Scenario C: They should engage their audience from the begging of the session. This can be done with an ice breaker. The trainee should have they information on hand so they can see how they can use it. The workshop use role play and games to actively engage the audience in learning. "You as trainer have to create an inviting, friendly environment allowing the trainees to feel emotionally connected. If you don't make learning fun, trainees will become bored and their mind will wander elsewhere. "This is why they should practice the trying session first, offer refreshments, and communicate with the trainees by providing them with the agenda on how the day will process, use a variety of methods like games and visual aids to make sure they're comfortable and the room is inviting. 

 

Reference: 

Blanchard, P.N. & Thacker, J.W. (2013). Effective training: Systems, strategies, and practices(5th ed.). Upper Saddle            River, NJ: Prentice Hall

DISCUSSION 2

Training Methods

There are several instructional methods and activities that can be used to deliver training. As a trainer, you should have a broad awareness of different kinds of instructional methods so that you can recommend and utilize the most appropriate solutions for the specific learning objectives.

List and describe three types of training methods. What type of activity is it? What types of activities precede and follow it? What learning style(s) does this activity accommodate? What adult learning characteristics does this activity incorporate? Discuss the pros and cons of each method. Lastly, using Bloom’s taxonomy, create a training objective for each instructional method. Be sure to consider the specific skills and knowledge to be learned in the training in order to appropriately apply each instructional method.

Your initial post should be 250 to 300 words. Use this week’s lecture as a foundation for your initial post. In addition to the Blanchard and Thacker (2013) text, use at least one additional scholarly source to support your discussion.

Respond to at least two other posts regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your reply, please consider the following questions:

· What did you learn from the posting?

· What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?

· What clarification do you need regarding the posting?

· What differences or similarities do you see between your initial discussion thread and your classmates' postings?

· Ask each other questions about why the specific training methods were selected.

· How do the types of training methods selected by your classmate apply to other learning style(s)?

· Analyze your classmates' training objectives. Do the learning objectives describe the key conditions, observable performance/behavior, and set the standard for performance? What modifications would you suggest to ensure that trainees understand the expectations clearly?

Your reply posts should be a minimum of 150-250 words each.

Reply to Audree Moore post

There are several types of training methods that can be utilized in order to bring employees to higher levels in terms of retaining knowledge and increasing skills.  Straight lecture, lecture/discussion method, and demonstrations.

Straight lecture is a presentation of information given by a trainer.  In this particular method, the lecture can be in printed form, as in a book or spoken to in a group.  "A good lecture is well organized and begins with an introduction that lays out the purpose of the lecture and the order in which topics will be covered" (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013).  Lectures can some reduce the audiences attention, so in this sense a shorter version known as the lecturette can be an alternative method.  This method tends to be shorter but with the same characteristics as the lecture.  According to Blanchard & Thacker (2013), "A major concern about the straight lecture method is the inability to identify and correct misunderstandings".

In this method the trainee observes, takes notes, and listens.  Despite the chosen form, the lecture must be articulate, clear, and the trainer should be content with the information being presented.

Lecture/Discussion Method

This training method utilizes a lecturette to provide trainees with data that is reinforced, supported, and expanded through interactions amongst the trainees, as well as between the trainer and trainees.  This is major in terms of building communication because it provides a two-way flow of communication.  "Knowledge is communicated from trainer to trainees, and communication from trainees back to the trainer conveys understanding".  Questions can be asked from both parties which increases engagement.  In most cases, it is vital to encourage trainees to respond but the trainer should be familiar with the questioning method he or she is utilizing or which will make the training more successful.

Demonstrations

"A demonstration is a visual display of how to do something or how something works.  To be most effective, a demonstration should be integrated with the lecture/discussion method" (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013).  In fact, demonstrations are most useful when the training objectives are set to increase skills and knowledge.  Demonstrations that are effective provide resources that will be vital to the trainees.  Without both key components which are present and try out, the presentation will lack engagement with the audience and less learning.  

Lectures, demonstrations, and discussion provide a great deal of trainer control over the content and process.  According to Blanchard & Thacker (2013), "The lecture is most useful to fill gaps in trainee knowledge and address attitudes that may conflict with the objectives of training".

References

Blanchard, P. N., & Thacker, J. W. (2013). Effective training: Systems, strategies, and practices (5th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Reply to Meena Haitram post

When  it comes to training method, they're are several methods for each training sessions. This enables trainers to reach different styles of adults. The three methods instructor led, computer based and e-learning training. 

Instructor led is any kind of training that occurs in a classroom. "This form of training can have one or more instructors; and they teach skills or material to another person or group through lectures, presentations, demonstrations, and discussions" (Tyler, 2019). It allows the instructors to interact and discuss the training materials.  Instructors may use blackboard for questions and examples. The advantage of using this method is that the trainees can ask questions and engage with the audience. It's disadvantage may fail to be interactive if the trainer does not engage his trainees. 

According to Bloom's taxonomy, "learning at a higher level is dependent on having knowledge and skills at a lower level" (Shabatura, 2013). 

Computer based "involves the use of a personal or networked computer for the delivery and access of training programs. CBT can be synchronous and asynchronous, as well as online, web-based, mobile, and distance learning." The advantage of this computer based is easy to use and cost efficient. It allows for customization for learning objectives and helps to develop more skills.One issue they have is that they don't have enough computers. If theres not enough computers then trainees will have to wait. 

E-Learning requires the internet. Its used in many organizations for training. They use it to link into their network and watch videos that relates to what they're developing. For instance, using the register to ring up transactions. In addition, wed based training are available to employees to access when needs to refer back to training. One advantage is that its interactive and effective. In addition, employees may not like the training method. 

Reference:

Blanchard, P. N., & Thacker, J. W. (2013). Effective training: Systems, strategies, and  practices  (5th ed). 

Shabatura, 2013. Teaching innovation and pedagogical support. Tips for university of Arkansas Faculty. Retrieved from https://tips.uark.edu/using-blooms-taxonomy/ (Links to an external site.)

Tyler, 2016. Frazzle and Frayed. HR Magazine. Retrieved from EBSCOhost http://eds.a.ebscohost.com-proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds