This Document Contains Chapters 5 to 7 Chapter Five: Designing Training Content Objectives: 1. Identify and locate credible sources of training topics, content, and materials. 2. Identify criteria to evaluate training resource material obtained from the Internet. 3. Explain advantages and disadvantages in internal and external content sources. 4. List and describe implications for training about copyright laws, citing sources, and how to obtain permission for information used in training sessions. 5. Develop a content outline for a training session. Chapter Outline: I. Internal sources include what you already know from experiences, ideas, and knowledge. II. External sources cover research, knowledge, and experience you don’t personally have. A. Internet sources can be found through search engines or specific training sites. 1. Critically evaluate information found on websites. a. Accountability b. Accuracy of information c. Objectivity d. Date e. Usability 2. Over reliance on using websites may omit sources that have not been published on the web. B. Library sources 1. Books and textbooks 2. Periodicals and periodical indexes 3. Full text databases 4. Newspapers 5. References resources for statistics, quotations, and definitions. 6. Government documents C. Expert resources 1. Professionals 2. Educators D. Commercial sources 1. Published training books, manuals, and websites. 2. Carefully consider if the training is based on research. 3. Be mindful of ethical and copyright issues when using material. III. Processing external materials involves refining and assessing the raw material you have gathered. A. Evaluate the quality of the material 1. Is it relevant to your training objectives? 2. Is it appropriate for the amount of time you have for training? 3. Is it appropriate for the culture and background of your training group? 4. Is it appropriate for the knowledge level and educational level of the trainees? B. Consider whether material is covered under copyright laws. 1. Written permission of the copyright holder is necessary when using material that has been published. a. Fees may be charged for using information if you are using it to make a profit. b. Contact the publishing company who holds copyright to material. c. Obtain a signed release form to keep in your files. 2. Make use of public domain materials, materials you develop, or obtain written permission to use copyrighted material. C. Citing the Material. Give credit for material that was written by someone else. 1. Plagiarism is the use of ideas, words, and work of others as if it were your own. 2. Use footnotes within the text and including a bibliography page at the end of your training materials will be the most audience-friendly way to cite sources for trainees. IV. Preparing training content outlines A. Present an overview of steps needed to enhance the skills being taught. B. Emphasize skills rather than theory. Chapter Summary: Developing content for training involves a systematic process to find and develop information from a variety of sources. This chapter offers strategies for using training objectives as starting points for developing training content by using internal sources from experience and external sources from research Activities and Learning Exercises: 1. Looking for training topics The Internet offers an excellent opportunity to easily access information from training associations and other sources. Ask students to visit the website for the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) at http://www.astd.org/index_IE.html or the Training and development Community Center at http://www.tcm.com/trdev/index.htm to look for training topics. Ask students to bring a list of five potential topics to class. This activity could be an assignment or done in class if you have access to the Internet. 2. Evaluating websites and web material This exercise will require students to apply the criteria of accountability, accuracy, objectivity, current date, and usability to websites that are considered for potential external sources. Select several websites for evaluation. These can be the sites listed in exercise 2 or can be others of your choice. Ask students to complete the checklist on the particular site they have been assigned or selected: Website title: ___________________________________________________________ Web address: ___________________________________________________________ Accountability: Who “owns” the website? _________________________________________________ How was this determined? __________________________________________________ Accuracy: How were the sources for information identified? ________________________________ What evidence or support do you have for the accuracy of the information? ___________ ________________________________________________________________________ Objectivity: How did you determine this site offered objective information? _____________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Date: How did you determine the recency of the information? ___________________________ Usability: What was your opinion about the usability of the information? Why? ________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3. Working with library sources Work with the Reference Librarian at your school library to arrange an in-class presentation or tour of the Library to discuss the best methods for using databases and the best databases for different subjects. 4. Exploring copyrights It is now possible to investigate and secure copyright permission online through the use of copyright clearinghouses. Have students visit the site for the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. at https://www.copyright.com/default.asp. Here they can explore the realm of available services and learn how to secure copyrights electronically. Test Questions: Multiple Choice Questions: 1. Internal recourses consist of examining all of the following except: a. your experiences b. your ideas c. your knowledge d. your research Answer: d 2. All of the following are examples of external resources except: a. internet sources b. library sources c. periodicals d. commercial resources e. all of the above are examples of external resources Answer: e 3. One method to verify that published training materials are based on research is to a. be familiar with the author or authors. b. review the material for footnotes or sources of information. c. review the material to determine the cost. d. be familiar with the topic. Answer: b 4. To evaluate websites, you should consider the following: a. accountability b. accuracy c. objectivity d. date and usability e. all of the above Answer: e 5. Some websites offer the option of a “text only” or “nontables” option that allows you to view information and data without images. Which criteria for evaluating websites does this statement support? a. accountability b. accuracy c. objectivity d. usability e. date Answer: d 6. Erika has found website that provides information about conflict management. She is trying to find out who “owns” the website. Where should she look? a. examine the header b. examine the footer c. check for a hyperlind at the top or bottom of the page d. all of the above e. both a and b Answer: d 7. If the website contains information and data without identifying the sources of the information or providing hyperlink documentation as to where the information was obtained, be cautious in using the information. Which criteria for evaluating websites does this statement support? a. accountability b. accuracy c. objectivity d. usability e. date Answer: b 8. Checking if the information biased or is it linked to a product or a service supports which criterion for evaluating websites? a. accountability b. accuracy c. objectivity d. usability e. date Answer: c 9. Which sources of information would be found though library databases? a. periodicals b. full-text data bases c. newspapers d. government documents e. all of the above Answer: e 10. All are examples of reference resources, except: a. encyclopedias b. dictionaries c. newspapers d. books of quotations e. almanacs Answer: c 11. When you need a statistic or fact to clarify or support and idea, you should look at which of the following reference resource? a. encyclopedias b. dictionaries c. almanacs and yearbooks d. books of quotations Answer: c 12. Tanya has gathered her material for a training session on conflict management. What does the book mention as one of the most important considerations for helping to evaluate the material? a. The amount of time you have for training. b. The education and knowledge level of the trainees. c. Whether the information helps you achieve your training objectives. d. Whether the information is copyrighted. Answer: c 13. When processing external materials, one must consider: a. relevance of objectives b. appropriateness for the training time period c. appropriateness for the cultural background of the trainees d. appropriateness of the intellectual background of the trainees e. all of the above Answer: e 14. Frances has found an excellent resource for her training in a college textbook on Group Communication. What is the first step she should take before she incorporates the information into her training? a. Verify the accuracy of the information. b. Determine the amount of information she can use. c. Contact the copyright holder to seek permission to use the information. d. Purchase a copy of the textbook. Answer: c 15. When evaluating external materials, one may ask all of the following except: a. Is the material from a credible source? b. Is the material in usable form? c. Is the material documentable? d. Is the material expensive to purchase? Answer: d 16. Which type of material is appropriate to use in a professional training session without gaining permission of the copyright holder or author? a. Any work or research from someone else that is over 250 words. b. Any work or research that has been published for more than 10 years. c. Any work or research used in a college classroom. d. Any work or research that is in the public domain. Answer: d 17. When using the external information, which of the following would not be considered plagiarism? a. using someone else’s ideas b. using someone else’s words c. using someone else’s drawings d. using someone else’s cartoons e. all of the above would be considered plagiarism Answer: e 18. When soliciting and optaining permission to use copyrighted material, you should: a. contact the publisher. b. contact the author. c. tell them why, how, when and with whom you want to use this material. d. all of the above e. only b and c Answer: d 19. Which of the following statements is not correct when using copyrighted material? a. It is acceptable to use commercial sources, without permission, if the information comes from a for-profit organization. b. You must obtain permission from the author as the originator of the material. c. You must use the published material with the written permission of the copyright holder. d. If you are using over 250 words from someone else, you need to obtain permission. e. all of the above statements are correct when using copyrighted material. Answer: a 20. When planning her training session on team building, Olga’s content outline begins by covering the research and theory on symbolic convergence in teams. What is the problem with this approach? a. Training content outlines should emphasize theory. b. Training content outlines should emphasize skills. c. Training content outlines should emphasize practice. d. There is no problem with this approach. Answer: b True-False Questions: 1. Internal sources for training material are often more useful than external sources. Answer: False 2. A review of material that currently exists in the training market can be a valuable source of information. Answer: True 3. Your own knowledge and experience can be an excellent starting point for gathering information for training. Answer: True 4. Just because something is posted on the internet does not mean that the information is accurate, truthful, or objective. Answer: True 5. A good method for determining who “owns” a website is to examine the header or footer for a site. Answer: True 6. Websites that offer “text only” are not helpful in finding information on the web. Answer: False 7. Newspapers are considered periodicals. Answer: False 8. A book that presents lists of skills, techniques, and strategies but includes few if any references to support the prescriptions should not be used to develop training content. Answer: True 9. Even if you only use part of someone else’s material in your training, you must obtain their permission. Answer: True 10. Most training corporations that produce commercial material for use in training seminars will not require you to purchase their materials for each trainee in your training group. Answer: False Short Essay Questions: 1. List and discuss the five criteria for evaluating a website. Answer: 1. Accountability: You need to find out who “owns” the website. Check to see if it is an individual or an organization that is responsible. 2. Accuracy of information: If the site contains information without providing a source or a hyperlink to where the information was obtained, you should be cautious about using it. 3. Objectivity: If the information is linked to a product or service, you should be wary of the objectivity of the information. 4. Date: A quality website will be maintained frequently. Make sure the content is providing up to date information. 5. Usability: Make sure the information is presented in a format that is easy to use. Some sites offer “text-only” or “nontables” option that allows you to view information and data without images. 2. Explain why textbooks might be an excellent source of information for training material. Answer: Many textbooks focus on development of communication, leadership and management skills. They present research based techniques, strategies, and principles that focus on the development of specific skills. Many textbooks also offer digests of theory and research principles. 3. Discuss the four considerations for evaluating the external information gathered during research for training material. Answer: 1. Is it relevant to your training objectives? 2. Is it appropriate for the amount of time you have for training? 3. Is it appropriate for the culture and background of your training group? 4. Is it appropriate for the knowledge level and educational level of the trainees 4. Explain the process for obtaining copyright permission. Answer: You should write the person or the publishing company who holds the copyright to the material. If the owner is willing to grant permission, the normal procedure is for you to get a signed release form to keep in your file. 5. Explain two methods for making source material available but unobtrusive for your trainees. Answer: Use footnotes within the text and including a bibliography page at the end of your training materials will be the most audience-friendly way to cite sources for trainees. Chapter Six: Using Training Methods Objectives: 1. Recall the strengths and weaknesses of the lecture, experimental activity, and facilitated group discussion training method. 2. Explain the concepts of relevance, organization, schema, redundancy, immediacy, and engagement and demonstrate how you would develop and present a lecture/discussion using each. 3. Compare and contrast case studies, simulations, role-plays and demonstrations. 4. Describe what occurs in each stage of planning, preparing, presenting, and unpacking an activity. 5. List and explain the four steps of the unpacking process including Experience, Description, Inference, and Transference. 6. List prompts or probing questions that will help trainees unpack the Description, Inference, and Transference stages of the E*D*I*T process. 7. Provide examples of leading, , direct, general, controversial, provocative, re-direct, yes/no, and why/how questions. 8. Describe what happens in the stages of facilitating a group discussion including presenting stimulus, providing ground rules, and facilitating group interaction. 9. Demonstrate how the threaded and round robin techniques are used when facilitating a group discussion. 10. Recall and explain the significance of the four questions a trainer must answer in order to determine which training method is most appropriate. Chapter Outline: I. Training methods are procedures used to present information and demonstrate behaviors you want trainees to learn. A. Lecturing uses verbal messages to impart large amounts of prepared information using one way communication. 1. Advantages a. Allows you to cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. b. Gives you command of what happens in the classroom. c. Flexible for different size groups. 2. Disadvantages a. Can be trainer centered rather than trainee centered b. Can fail to engage trainees in the learning process c. Can be boring for trainees. B. Lecture/Discussion conveys a lot of new and prepared information in a short amount of time and is perceived as being interactive. 1. Make lecture content relevant. 2. Organize lecture content by chunking information into manageable and meaningful units. 3. Develop or provide a schema to help trainees organize information. 4. Build in redundancy by repeating and reiterating information. a. Highlight important information by using feedforward messages. 5. Use an immediate style of delivery a. Use people’s names b. Be nonverbally responsive c. Use appropriate self disclosure. 6. Use engagement strategies to encourage trainees to reflect on or interact with the information they are receiving. a. Stimulus prompts are partial statements or questions that trainees can complete. b. Rhetorical questions allow trainees to reflect on their lives and work experience. c. Personal thought inventories (PTI) engage trainees and get feedback for the trainer. d. Journal, Lecture, Diagnose, Recommend C. Experiential activities require trainees to involve themselves physically or psychologically with the training content. 1. Case studies use hypothetical problems to apply the training content. 2. Simulations use role-play or enactments to resolve a communication related problem. 3. Project based learning (PBL) uses actual work based problems. 4. Role-plays allow trainees to act out a particular part they have developed. 5. Demonstrations allow trainees to show the class how a particular behavior can be used and . D. Advantages of conducting experiential activities 1. Engages trainees. 2. Increases trainees self confidence. 3. Helps trainees transfer training content. E. Disadvantages of conducting experiential activities 1. Underdeveloped activities may lack clear direction or run out of time. 2. Activities may not be unpacked so trainees understand the value and relevance of the activity. 3. Artificial 4. Trainees can perceive them as threatening. II. There are five stages to conducting experiential activities. A. Planning to make your learning objectives be observable, measurable, attainable, and specific. B. Preparing by brainstorming possible activities. 1. Develop a clear set of instructions. 2. Gather all instruction materials. C. Presenting the information. 1. Write out all instructions step by step and provide all trainees with a copy. 2. Ask trainees to paraphrase instructions to ensure understanding. 3. Provide time guidelines 4. Manage the activity by monitoring the trainees. D. Unpacking asks trainees to make sense out of the experience. 1. Allow 25% of total activity time to unpack. 2. Use E*D*I*T to have a guided discussion a. Experience the activity. b. Describe the experience. c. Infer what trainees have learned from the activity. d. Transfer experiences and new knowledge and behaviors to trainees’ personal and professional lives. E. Assess if you reached your learning objectives. III. Facilitating Group Discussion allows the trainer to guide the discussion of three to ten trainees toward specific learning objectives. A. Ask probing questions. 1. Ensure all group members participate equally 2. Bring out difference so opinion. 3. Note areas of agreement and disagreement 4. Provide internal summaries B. Advantages 1. Involves all trainees. 2. Allows trainees to learn from others’ experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and values. 3. Perceived to be a safe environment. 4. Appropriate for learning objectives that focus on the affective dimension of learning. C. Problems that can arise due to unskilled facilitators 1. Ability to keep the discussion focused on learning objectives. 2. Not having equal participation of all group members. 3. Inability to manage group members’ emotions. IV. Facilitating group discussions begins with a learning objective. A. Stimulus is used to provoke a reaction from trainees. 1. Trigger questions deal with claims of value, policy, or process. 2. Review the questions with trainees to ensure understanding. 3. Ask trainees to interact and reflect on stimulus. 4. Trainees journal responses to trigger questions. B. Create a safe environment by setting ground rules and be sure they are followed. C. Facilitate group discussion by asking additional questions and redirecting conversation to meet your learning objectives. 1. Monitor nonverbal communication behaviors to pull out those who may disagree. 2. Encourage reticent speakers. 3. Carefully shut down those who are too willing to communicate. 4. Provide a final summary. V. Use Bloom’s taxonomy to help formulate questions based on levels of learning. A. Open questions that are more ambiguous and don’t have a single correct or incorrect response (higher level cognitive learning) tap into higher forms of cognitive learning. 1. Evaluation is determining the value of something based on learned criteria. 2. Synthesis is creating something new based on information and principles learned. 3. Analysis is breaking information learned into separate parts. B. Closed questions that require the recall of specific information (lower order cognitive learning) may inhibit trainees’ responses unless they know the correct answer. 1. Application is using information learned to solve a problem or relate information learned to a new context. 2. Comprehension is summarizing information in a way other than how it was originally learned to confirm the information was understood. 3. Knowledge is recalling information as it was learned. C. Questions can be used to tap into the broad spectrum of Bloom’s taxonomy. 1. Leading questions suggest the answer. 2. questions seek facts, data, information. 3. Direct questions are directed at a specific person. 4. General questions are directed at the entire group. 5. Controversial questions have two or more answers. 6. Provocative questions are used to incite an answer. 7. Re-directed questions are directed at the facilitator but returned to the group. 8. Yes and no questions call for a yes or no response. 9. Why and how questions probe for additional responses following yes or no responses. D. Facilitation techniques help discussions flow more smoothly. 1. Suggestions for asking questions. a. Allow ample wait time after asking a question. b. Don’t answer your own questions. c. Probe for additional information when appropriate. d. Accept and dignify responses. 2. Use threaded discussions a. Ask an open question. b. Integrate the response into your next question. c. Pose the question to the same person or another group member. 3. Use Round Robin techniques a. Ask a question. b. Ask each group member in turn for a response. E. Use a computerized channel to facilitate discussion. D. Selecting the best training method considers several variables. 1. Your trainees 2. Your learning objectives. 3. Advantages and disadvantages of each method. 4. Your level of comfort. Chapter Summary: This chapter reviews the popular categories of training methods (lecturing, conducting experiential activities, and facilitating group discussions) and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using each method. Activities and Learning Exercises: 1. Running an experiential activity Use the E*D*I*T process to run an experiential activity with your students. 1. Deliver a short mini lecture on the importance of listening. (Effective listening is an essential skill for maintaining relationships, being an effective group member, and increasing the perception of effective leadership.) 2. Place students in dyads or small groups to complete the listening and paraphrasing exercise. (Experience) 3. Ask students to describe what happened during the exercise. Make sure they describe their observations and experience rather than infer or evaluate. (Describe) 4. Ask students what they learned from the experience. (Infer) 5. Ask students how the experience or results can be useful in other parts of their life or how they would put it to work. (Transfer) Listening and Paraphrasing Exercise Instructions to participants: Your task is to discuss any of the topics listed below. You must follow these rules: 1. Before each member can speak, he or she must summarize in his or her own words what the previous member covered in their discussion. The previous member must agree that the summary has captured the content and emotion of the message. 2. If the summary is incomplete or incorrect, the original speaker will correct and repeat the original portion of the discussion and the listening member should paraphrase again. 3. If the new summary is complete, the partners or group members will trade roles: the previous speaker will become the listener and the listener will become the speaker. Possible topics: Describe the experience of being in love. Describe where you would go on a perfect vacation if money were no object. Describe the perfect living environment. Describe one of your scary dreams. Describe an experience that made you very proud of an accomplishment. Discuss your feelings about being organized or disorganized. After students have experienced the E*D*I*T process, divide the class into medium sized groups and have several other prepared exercises they can use for practice. 2. Facilitating group discussions Option 1: The text suggests the use of 12 Angry Men as a stimulus for asking trigger questions on value, process, or policy. You may have another video or film clip that would also be appropriate or you can assign students the task of selecting a clip and preparing appropriate trigger questions. Option 2: Place students in groups of 7-10 and assign the role of facilitator to one student and the role of observer to another. Review the ground rules from the text. The facilitator should ask a question from the following list Should all students be guaranteed acceptance into the college of their choice? Should majors that are in higher demand be able to charge more for their courses? Should there be attendance policies for college classes? The observer will watch the facilitations and interactions and provide feedback based on the criteria provided in the text. 3. Using discussion groups and the Internet If your school has access to Discussion Boards or Real time chat capabilities, set up several discussion boards with relevant questions on the week’s topic. Assign a facilitator and members to each group. Over the class week, ask students to sign on and post several responses to the posted question. Test Questions: Multiple Choice Questions: 1. Which of the following is a disadvantage of lecturing? a. Covering a lot of information in a short amount of time. b. The number of trainees in the class is not important. c. It reduces the uncertainties for the trainees. d. It can be trainer centered. Answer: d 2. Research on learning indicates that we retain a. 10% of what we hear. b. 20% of what we see. c. 90% of what we say and do. d. 60% of what we say. Answer: c 3. Mario began his training session by introducing the topic and beginning his lecture with an explanation of the skills. What important strategy has he omitted? a. Interaction b. Relevance c. Demonstration d. Discussion Answer: b 4. As Kirk progressed through his training session on meeting management, he commented to the trainees that if they didn’t understand the concepts of structure and interaction, they would not be successful in running productive meetings. This strategy is described as a/an a. internal preview b. redundancy c. reiteration d. feedforward message Answer: d 5. To build in redundancy you should use all of the following except a. repeating b. reiteration c. preview d. feedforward message e. all of the above can be used to build redundancy Answer: c 6. Which of the following is an example of a rhetorical question? a. “Will someone review the purposes of an agenda?” b. A provocative and personal question that doesn’t require and answer. c. Asking trainees to write about an experience that relates to the training topic. d. Responding to the questions: “What is the concept?” “Why is the concept important?” and “How do you see yourself using this concept?” Answer: b 7. Which of the following is an example of a stimulus prompt? a. “Will someone review the purposes of an agenda?” b. A provocative and personal question that doesn’t require and answer. c. Asking trainees to write about an experience that relates to the training topic. d. Responding to the questions: “What is the concept?” “Why is the concept important?” and “How do you see yourself using this concept?” Answer: a 8. Which of the following is an example of a PTI? a. “Will someone review the purposes of an agenda?” b. A provocative and personal question that doesn’t require and answer. c. Asking trainees to write about an experience that relates to the training topic. d. Written responses to the questions: “What is the concept?” “Why is the concept important?” and “How do you see yourself using this concept?” Answer: d 9. Which of the following is an example of a journal? a. “Will someone review the purposes of an agenda?” b. A provocative and personal question that doesn’t require and answer. c. Asking trainees to write about an experience that relates to the training topic. d. Responding to the questions: “What is the concept?” “Why is the concept important?” and “How do you see yourself using this concept?” Answer: c 10. When developing and presenting a lecture, you should do all of the following except a. create relevance. b. be immediate. c. engage the trainer. d. organize content e. build in redundancy. Answer: c 11. In a training module that uses ____________, trainees are involved in a decision making process that helps them understand the consequences and quality of their decisions. a. Simulations b. Project based learning c. Case studies. d. Demonstration Answer: a 12. Tom’s learning objective is for the trainees to “know how to resolve interpersonal conflict.” Which training method would be most appropriate? a. Lecture b. Experiential activities c. Group discussion Answer: b 13. Kristin is attending a training program on structuring problem solving. In one of the training sessions, she is working on applying the skills she is learning to work on a current project in her office. Your text describes this as a/an a. role play. b. demonstration. c. Simulation d. project based learning. Answer: d 14. Brian is guiding a discussion with his group on the activity they have just completed and he asks the question :How do you see yourself using this information or behavior in your life?”. Which stage of the E*D*I*T process is he facilitating? a. Instructions b. Experience c. Transfer d. Demonstrate Answer: c 15. When unpacking an experiential activity, you should a. experience, infer, describe, transfer b. explain, describe, infer, transfer c. experience, transfer, infer, describe d. explain, describe, invest, transfer Answer: b 16. Which strategy is most appropriate for training a learning objective that focuses on the affective dimension of learning? a. Project based learning b. Facilitated group discussion c. Demonstration d. Case study Answer: b 17. Which of the following is not a disadvantage to facilitating group discussions? a. It allows the trainees to learn from other’s experiences. b. Facilitators allow the group to deviate from learning objective. c. Facilitators have a difficult time ensuring all group members participate. d. Facilitators have a difficult time managing group emotions. Answer: a 18. Brenda has asked her trainees to identify the various steps involved in structured problem solving and to discuss the problems that were enacted in a video reenactment. Which level of taxonomy of cognitive learning is she asking her trainees to utilize? a. evaluation b. synthesis c. analysis d. knowledge Answer: c 19. As the training progressed, one trainee asked Paul, the training facilitator, what he considered to be the best method of setting up an agenda. Paul responded by asking the trainee the same question. What type of question does this represent? a. Direct b. General c. Re-directed d. Leading Answer: c 20. Which of the following training methods is the most economical, controllable, and flexible? a. lecturing b. conducting experiential activities d. facilitating group discussions d. showing a video Answer: a True-False Questions: 1. In the E*D*I*T process, the T stands for transference. Answer: True 2. Demonstrations are a form of team teaching used to show the class how certain skills can be used and . Answer: True 3. It is recommended that you explain the experiential activity to your trainees before you put them into groups. Answer: False 4. The steps to conducting experiential activities includes planning, preparing, presenting and unpacking. Answer: True 5. During the inference stage of the guided discussion of the training, you want trainees to explain what they have learned from the activity rather than drawing on life experience. Answer: True 6. One of the problems with facilitating discussions is that it is difficult to keep discussion focused on the learning objectives. Answer: True 7. Trigger questions deal with claims of fact. Answer: False 8. Trainees may be more reluctant to respond to closed questions. Answer: True 9. One problem trainers experience is not allowing ample wait time after answering a question and jumping in with the answer themselves. Answer: True 10. Threaded discussion must utilize computer mediated communication in order to be effective. Answer: False Short Essay Questions: 1. Explain the concept of immediacy and suggest how you would use it to develop and present a lecture/discussion. Answer: Immediacy is perception of physical or psychological closeness. Three strategies are to use people’s names, be nonverbally responsive, and use appropriate self disclosure. 2. Recall and explain the significance of the four questions a trainer must answer in order to determine which training method is most appropriate. Answer: Consider your trainees demographic and cultural background Decide if your learning objectives are cognitive, behavioral, or affective. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each method given the circumstances. Consider your level of comfort with each of the training methods. 3. List and explain the three steps involved in leading a facilitated group discussion. Answer: Use threaded discussions. Ask an open question. Integrate the response into your next question. Pose the question to the same person or another group member. Use Round Robin techniques. Ask a question and then ask each group member in turn for a response. Use computer mediated communication such as a chatroom. 4. List at least two advantages and disadvantages to using lecturing as a training method. Answer: Advantages: Allows you to cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. Gives you command of what happens in the classroom. Flexible for different size groups. Disadvantages: Can be trainer centered rather than trainee centered. Can fail to engage trainees in the learning process. Can be boring for trainees. 5. Define the EDIT process. Answer: Experience the activity. Describe the experience. Infer what trainees have learned from the activity. Transfer experiences and new knowledge and behaviors to trainees’ personal and professional lives. Chapter Seven: Using Technology and Presentational Aids Objectives: 1. List and explain the four purposes of using presentational aids. 2. Discuss and implement five strategies of using presentational aids. 3. List and describe two advantages of two disadvantages for using the following types of presentational aids: handouts, posters and flipcharts, dry erase boards, overhead projectors, and the Internet. 4. Discuss two advantages and two disadvantages regarding the use of the Internet in presentational aids. 5. Describe three strategies for designing and delivering computers to generate presentational aids. Chapter Outline: I. Presentational aids can be used to influence how people attend and respond to the message. A. Promote interest and capture attention. B. Illustrate and clarify complex concepts. C. Demonstrate a principle or action. D. Enhance retention by helping trainees remember information once the training is over. E. Motivate trainees and gets them ready to learn. F. Provide a context for the skills they are learning. II. Presentation aids can be used successfully by following some fundamental principles. A. Keep it simple by relating it to a training objective. 1. Use key words or bullet points. 2. Use the appropriate fonts for printed or electronic materials. B. Talk with trainees and not your presentational aids. 1. Maintain eye contact with trainees. 2. Arrange presentational aids in the appropriate order for your presentation. 3. Make sure all equipment is fully functioning and focused. 4. Establish rapport with trainees before using presentational aids. C. Make presentational aids large enough to be seen easily by those on the last row. 1. Confirm the number of trainees. 2. Confirm the size and shape of your training classroom. 3. Have handouts available and ready to distribute if needed. D. Be ready to present without presentation aids if problems arise. 1. Don’t make your presentation dependent on presentational aids. 2. Carry the original copy of the presentational aids with you. 3. Anticipate problems or failure of technology. E. Practice with your presentational aids prior to training. 1. Get the feel of the classroom. 2. Ensure the ease of using the equipment. 3. Ensure the ease of smooth transitions. II. Using presentational aids. A. Handouts are documents you design, copy, and distribute to your trainees. 1. Make sure handouts are free of errors. 2. Distributing handouts while you are speaking is distracting for everyone. 3. Instruct trainees when to view handouts. 4. Consider the advantages and disadvantages. B. Posters and flipcharts 1. Use with small groups and in small rooms. 2. Write large enough for all to see. 3. Use display and hide techniques to cover material until you are ready to use it. 4. Place the tripod and flipchart in the corner of the classroom. 5. Use quality materials. 6. Practice so presentational aids can be used with ease and comfort. 7. Consider the advantages and disadvantages. C. Dry erase boards (white boards) are panels that allow trainers to use markers. 1. Use appropriate markers and erasers. 2. Bring your own dry erase markers and erasers. 3. Use markers correctly. 4. Consider advantages and disadvantages. D. Overhead projectors use transparencies to project large images onto a screen. 1. Place the projector in the appropriate place. 2. Turn the projector off when not in use. 3. Take spare overhead projector lamps with you to the training classroom. 4. Bring an extension cord. 5. Use color when possible. 6. Consider the advantages and disadvantages. E. Videotape and DVD 1. Use brief clips and excerpts 2. Provide guiding questions. 3. Cue your clip. 4. Provide instructions or context. 5. Consider the advantages and disadvantages. III. Designing your computer generated presentation A. Don’t clutter images by having more than one or two design features. B. Balance images for symmetry. C. Use minimal animation and transitions. D. Use sound effect strategically. E. Use preprogrammed color schemes and formats. F. Avoid design shock from garish colors, poor contrast, or limited visibility. G. Strive for uniformity and consistency. H. Regulate and coordinate the number of visuals so you present one to two slides per minute. IV. Delivering your computer generated presentation A. Plan for early set up and testing of the equipment. B. Control the lighting in the training classroom to control ambient light. C. Turn off the screen saver on the presentation computer. D. Prepare handouts in case there is a technical problem or to provide a schema for taking notes. E. Develop a contingency plan in the event you are unable to use the computer. F. Prepare a closing to the training presentation. V. Using the internet as a presentation aid. A. Advantages 1. Websites can be projected on the screen for the entire group. 2. Provides real time or live information. 3. Allow individual trainees to visit preselected websites relevant to the training content. 4. Can make us of simulations, threaded discussions, or group interactions that provide hands on experience. B. Considerations 1. Visit the websites beforehand 2. Set up internet connections prior to presentation. 3. Consider the speed of you r internet connection. 4. Consider the possibility of high internet traffic that might slow you presentation. 5. Be prepared to work without the internet if the system is down. Chapter Summary: This chapter looks at using presentational aids and technology in training by focusing on why presentational aids should be used, the basic principles for their uses, and suggestions for using different types of aids. Activities and Learning Exercises: 1. Evaluating and designing computer generated slides. Chapter 7 offers several examples of slides that are too complicated and/or are difficult to read. Ask students to critique these slides and re-produce them so they are more appropriate. 2. Developing content to support training objectives. Students should have selected their training topics by this time. Ask students to determine the type(s) of presentational aids they may use in their upcoming training and design a handout, poster, overhead or computer generated slide in support of their topic. Provide feedback that will be helpful for improving their aids. 3. Choosing the appropriate visual aid Students can work alone or in small groups to brainstorm the advantages, disadvantages, and appropriate use of the following types of visual aids: • Handouts • Flip Charts • Overhead Slides • Videos • Internet 4. Being prepared Ask students to think of the visuals they may use in their upcoming presentations. Ask them to prepare a checklist of items to bring, things to check beforehand, and a back up plan in case of problems. Test Questions: Multiple Choice Questions: 1. When considering the purpose of visual aids, ____________ causes trainees to want to use training concepts. a. providing a context b. enhancing retention c. promoting interest d. motivating trainees Answer: d 2. When considering the purpose of visual aids, ____________ shows how the training concept fist in the world of the trainee. a. providing a context b. enhancing retention c. promoting interest d. motivating trainees Answer: a 3. Which of the following is not true about the use of fonts? a. When using printed material, Times New Roman is acceptable. b. When using electronic material, Arial is acceptable. c. When using printed material, Lucinda Sans is acceptable. d. When using electronic material, Lucinda Sans is acceptable. Answer: c 4. In order to avoid talking to your visual aids instead of your audience, you should a. Make sure your aids are arranged in the appropriate order b. Make sure the equipment is fully functioning c. Establish rapport with your audience after using your presentational aid. d. Both a and b e. Both a and c Answer: d 5. Murphy’s law is the notion that a. if you build it they will come. b. what can go wrong will go wrong. c. bigger is better. d. everything happens for a reason. Answer: b 6. Thomas is presenting a training session on preparing and delivering crisis communication. As he begins the session, he opens with a slide containing statistics on how often this skill is required. What strategy has Thomas not used successfully? a. Keep presentational aids simple b. Establish rapport with your trainees before using presentational aids. c. Confirm the size of the training classroom. d. Check the equipment prior to beginning the training. Answer: b 7. When considering the use of handouts in your training program, what is the first thing to consider? a. Proofreading for errors. b. The number of trainees. c. The color of the paper. d. When they should be used. Answer: a 8. Avoiding ornate fonts or formats is a recommended prescription for which presentation aid strategy? a. make the presentation aides large enough b. keep presentational aids simple c. practice using presentational aids d. both a and c Answer: b 9. When using handout all of the following are suggestions except a. make sure the handouts are error free b. instruct the trainees when to view the handouts c. distribute the handouts while you are speaking d. all of the above are appropriate for using handouts Answer: c 10. Clarence was working with a group of 45 trainees in a medium sized room. As part of his presentation, he had prepared notes on flipcharts to be used to list the sequence of steps involved in performing a new skill. What problem might Clarence have with his presentational aid? a. It will require practice. b. It is too small for an audience of this size. c. It may be distracting to the trainees to have the material displayed all the time. Answer: b 11. When using posters or flipcharts you should do all of the following except a. write large enough from all to see b. practice using your poster or flipchart c. use flipcharts for large audiences d. use display-and-hide techniques Answer: c 12. For using dry erase boards, it is recommended that you a. bring your own dry erase markers. b. bring your own erasers c. wash them before use d. both a and b e. both a, b, and c Answer: d 13. In a recent movie, Marty has seen an excellent enactment of a concept she wants to teach in an upcoming session. What is/are the important guideline(s) should she use? a. Know the length of the entire video. b. Provide background information on the background of what trainees are about to see in the video. c. Provide guiding questions to help trainees focus on concepts in the video. d. Both b and c. Answer: d 14. Which of the following is not a disadvantage to using dry erase boards? a. they are hard to transport b. it does not compensate for poor trainer handwriting c. must have a tripod to display it d. markers and erasers might not be provided Answer: c 15. Which of the following visual aids is the easiest to transport? a. handouts b. posters and flipcharts c. dry-erase boards d. overhead projectors Answer: a 16. As Thomas prepares his computer generated visuals for an upcoming presentation, he uses several different fonts and some animation in his slides. What advice might you offer Thomas? a. The variation and the activity will help hold trainees’ attention. b. The variation in fonts is appropriate as long as they are large enough. c. The use of multiple design features may be distracting. d. The use of some animation may require copyright permission. Answer: c 17. The 8x8 rule states a. no more than 8 words per line and 8 lines per slide b. no more than 8 letters per word and 8 lines per slide c. no more than 8 slides for an 8 minute presentation d. no more than 8 graphics for an 8 minute presentation Answer: a 18. In closing out the slide presentation, it is recommended that you a. include a blank concluding slide. b. quickly bring the lights back to normal levels. c. offer thanks to the people who helped with the slides. d. Both a and b e. Both a, b, and c. Answer: d 19. The row of computer icons on a computer screen is the a. icon row. b. toolbar c. formatting palette d. screen saver Answer: b 20. When using a computer generated slide presentation, a. turn off the screen saver b. develop a contingency plan c. plan and test the presentation d. all of the above Answer: d True-False Questions: 1. A poorly designed and presented presentational aid may influence trainees to reject good training material. Answer: True 2. The color blue is the background choice in over 90% of all business presentations. Answer: True 3. Colors such as red and orange are best suited to background colors. Answer: False 4. Slides should have no more than 12 words per line and 12 lines per slide. Answer: False 5. It is a good idea to turn off your screen saver during a computer-generated presentation. Answer: True 6. Transparency slides are a good back up plan in the event of a power failure. Answer: False 7. It is recommended that you bring an extension cord or two with you in your training kit. Answer: True 8. When using more modern overheads, lighting is still a big problem. Answer: False 9. When using computer generated visual aids, you should use animation sparingly. Answer: True 10. One or two slides per minute is a good rule of thumb. Answer: True Short Essay Questions: 1. List and explain the six purposes of using presentational aids. Answer: Promote interest and capture attention. Illustrate and clarify complex concepts. Demonstrate a principle or action. Enhance retention by helping trainees remember information once the training is over. Motivate trainees and gets them ready to learn. Provide a context for the skills they are learning. 2. List the principles of using visual aids. Answer: Keep it simple by relating it to a training objective. Talk with trainees and not your presentational aids. Make presentational aids large enough to be seen easily by those on the last row. Be ready to present without presentation aids if problems arise. Practice with your presentational aids prior to training. 3. Discuss the strategies for using handouts. Answer: Make sure handouts are free of errors. Distributing handouts while you are speaking is distracting for everyone. Instruct trainees when to view handouts. 4. Describe three strategies for designing and delivering computers to generate presentational aids. Answer: 1. Don’t clutter images by having more than one or two design features. 2. Balance images for symmetry. 3. Use minimal animation and transitions. 4. Use sound effect strategically. 5. Use preprogrammed color schemes and formats. 6. Avoid design shock from garish colors, poor contrast, or limited visibility. 7. Strive for uniformity and consistency. 8. Regulate and coordinate the number of visuals so you present one to two slides per minute. 5. Discuss the preparation and guidelines for using overhead projectors. Answer: 1. Place the projector in the appropriate place. 2. Turn the projector off when not in use. 3. Take spare overhead projector lamps with you to the training classroom. 4. Bring an extension cord. 5. Use color when possible. Test Bank for Training and Development: Communicating for Success Steven A. Beebe, Timothy P. Mottet, K. David Roach 9780205924226, 9790205006129
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