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Volume

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

Knowledge

TraintheTrainer
Certification

Table of Contents
Pre-Class Planning .................................................................. 1
What is Pre-Class Planning? .................................................... 2
PreClass Planning activities.................................................. 2
Subject Matter Preparation ....................................................... 2
Classroom Preparation............................................................. 2
Presentation Equipment ........................................................... 3
Plan Opening Remarks ............................................................ 3
Develop a Positive Mental Set.................................................. 3
Pre-Class Planning Checklist ................................................... 3
Steps in Preparing for a Class .................................................. 5
Learning the Courseware ......................................................... 5
Icebreaking Techniques ........................................................... 7
Why Are Icebreaking Activities Necessary? ............................. 8
How to Conduct Icebreaking Activities ..................................... 8
Suggested Icebreaking Activities .............................................. 8
The Instructors Behavior Checklist ........................................ 10
Instructors Classroom Behavior ............................................. 11
Teaching Dos Checklist ......................................................... 14
Teaching Dont Checklist ........................................................ 17
Using the Instructor Behavior Checklist .................................. 18
Instructor Behavior Checklist .................................................. 19
Balanced Instruction ............................................................... 20
What Is Balanced Instruction? ................................................ 21
Understanding the Balanced Instructional Theory Tool .......... 22
Using the Balanced Instructional Theory Tool ........................ 23
Balanced Instructional Theory Tool ........................................ 24
Understanding the Instructional Summary Analysis Tool ........ 25
Using the Instructional Summary Analysis Tool ...................... 25
Instructional Summary Analysis Tool...................................... 26
Alternate Classroom Instructor Evaluation Checklist .............. 27
Questing Techniques ............................................................. 28

Exercising and Evaluating Questions ..................................... 29

Question types ....................................................................... 30
Directing Questions ................................................................ 31
Questing Exercises ................................................................ 32
Classroom Media ................................................................... 33
Introduction to Classroom Media ............................................ 34
Technology-Delivered Instruction ........................................... 35
Some Tips for Presenting Media ............................................ 35
Classroom Dynamics and Motivational Theories .................... 36
Bions Theory of Small Group Dynamics ................................ 37
Classroom Problems .............................................................. 38
Handling Situations in the Classroom ..................................... 38
Coping with Problem Participants ........................................... 40
Classroom Facilitation Scenarios ........................................... 45
When Things Go Wrong ......................................................... 50
Can You Cope With Training Disasters? ................................ 50
Adult Learning ........................................................................ 57
Andragogy and Pedagogy ...................................................... 58
Adult Learning Principles and Tenets ..................................... 60
Assumptions about the Adult Learner..................................... 61
The Seven Key Factors Found In Learning Programs that
Stimulated Adult Development Are: ........................................ 62
A Whole Bunch Of things We Know For Sure About Adult
Learning ................................................................................. 64
More Principles of Adult Learners .......................................... 67
Understanding Learning Styles .............................................. 69
Comparing and Contrast the Four Training Styles .................. 71
Characteristics of the Four Training Styles ............................. 72
Training Style Evaluation........................................................ 73
Even More Characteristics of Adult Learners ......................... 76
Even More About How Adult Learners Learn ......................... 76
Even More About What Makes a Good Instructor?................. 77
Tips for Teaching Adults......................................................... 77
Classroom Flow and Organization ......................................... 78
Instructors Opening Remarks ................................................ 79
Transitioning .......................................................................... 81
The Trainer as a Climate Setter ............................................. 84
Key Points about Lectures ..................................................... 89
Using Exercises ..................................................................... 90

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Pre-Class Planning
Objectives:
In this chapter you will:
Define pre-class planning
Discuss the importance of pre-class planning
Define pre-class planning activities
Review a checklist for pre-class planning
Discuss preparing to teach a class

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What is Pre-Class Planning?

Pre-class planning is everything that you do before class starts to ensure its
success. These are the activities that all professional instructors do and there is no
excuse for not doing them. The first few times you teach pre-class planning will
consume more of your time. As you become comfortable with the subject matter
and the classroom environment, pre-class planning is less time-consuming. Still,
some pre-class planning is always required.

PreClass Planning activities

When students arrive for a new class, they are usually there because they want to
be, they are looking forward to learning the material. They have not yet formed an
opinion of the course of the instructor. They are probably neutral or slightly
positive toward that class. They have expectations. The professional instructor
will try to meet these expectations.

Subject Matter Preparation

The most important pre-class activity is reviewing the subject matter material. We
cannot stress the importance of this enough. It is imperative that you enter the
class as a subject matter expert. You should not only be conversant with the skills
and knowledge, but also with the course material. It is a good idea to review all
exercises that will be used. It is easy to forget solutions to complicated exercises.

Classroom Preparation
If possible, prepare and check the classroom 30-45 minutes before the class
begins. Check that all materials are complete and sufficient. This includes the
Student Manuals, Student Exercises, tent cards, pens/pencils, etc. Is the correct
software installed? Are the printers working? If you are teaching off-site, its a
good idea to have extra copies of student materials with you.
If possible, arrange the room to be most conducive to teaching and learning. This
simply means arranging the desks and chairs so that the students are as close to
you as possible. Also, make sure they will be able to see the instructional media
that you will be presenting. Aisle spacing should allow you to walk to each
students desk. You will not always have control over the size of the room or the
location of the student desks. Often you will have to make do with a less then
desirable learning environment. An experienced instructor can overcome these
obstacles. Remember the classroom will reflect on you and Stefanini. The most
important thing is not to complain about the room as it sets a negative tone.
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Presentation Equipment
Check that all electrical equipment is working and that you have spare bulbs for
project equipment. Do you know how to use the equipment? Check that you
have markers, flipchart paper, etc. Check that you know how to turn equipment
on and off, check that you know how to dim lights in the room. Check that all
students will be able to see and hear the material that you are presenting.

Plan Opening Remarks

The first hour of your class is the most critical. This is when your students will
form an impression (probably lasting) of you. Plan how you will begin the class.
Icebreaking activities and student introductions will be discussed later.

Develop a Positive Mental Set

Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions one can be in. Your attitude
has more influence on the trainee than any other of your personal traits or actions.
You must have an attitude of service toward those you teach. You must be
confident about your abilities without being pompous. There may be many
problems in your outside life. Do not carry them into the classroom leave them
outside the door.
Also, after having taught a course many times, there is a tendency to become jaded
with the material and teaching. A professional trainer can prevent this with selfmotivational techniques. View each class as a experience for you to learn
something and to meet new people.

Pre-Class Planning Checklist

The following checklist will help ensure that you have covered the items necessary
during pre-class planning. Modify this checklist as needed to reflect individual
courses.
A post-class checklist is also a helpful tool that can be used to maintain
consistency in the classroom.

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Pre-Class Planning Checklist

Materials

Equipment

Facilities

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Steps in Preparing for a Class

Over time each trainer develops an individual style in preparing to teach a course
for the first time. Below is a list of items, by category, to consider in preparing for
a class that is to be taught for the first time.

Learning the Courseware

In addition to having sufficient prep time, observing the course as it is being
taught serves as a terrific tool for learning the courseware for a particular product
level. Below are some ways to use prep time and sit-ins productively.
1. When observing the class, jot down the questions students ask and, if
necessary, the trainers reply .Also write down any tips, interesting
suggestions, or practical examples that the trainer provides.
2. During your sit-in, not how far you should be in the material at each break
and at lunchtime.
3. Identify the appropriate points for demonstrations and exercises to take
place. Complete each of the demonstrations and exercises with the
students if possible. This provides you with needed practice.
4. On the next available prep day walk through the entire course as if you
were back in class. Read through the manual, complete each
demonstration as indicated, and work through each exercise.
5. Go through each of the exercises again. In doing so, make some notes on
each of them, such as:
When do students complete this exercise?
What skills are covered?
Which exercises can be modified if time is running short?
Is the exercise done individually or as a group?
6. Plan the following items for each topic in the in the course and as you do
note them in your Instructor Guide.
Define
How will you define the benefits of how and why this feature/topic is
used?
Do you have practical business examples for each topic?
Can you relate this topic to your own experiences or the experiences of
a co-worker?
Show
How will you demonstrate this feature (on the board, at the students
computer, using an overhead projection system, etc.)?
Test each of you demonstrations before going into class.
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When dealing with a difficult topic, be sure to have numerous

examples available. It is a good idea to idea to have extra
demonstrations and exercises available for those types of topics.

What exercise will the student use to practice this?

Note any areas where students may have difficulty in completing the
exercise steps. Be ready clarify the steps for them.

Do

Review
What summary exercises will the student use to reinforce that they can
complete the skill steps on their own.
What questions will you ask to check for understanding?
When will you ask each question?
What summary questions will you ask at the end of each chapter, before lunch,
at the end of the day?
Is appropriate, study the next level course for the application if
available. This will help you to field questions in class that pertain to
advanced topics. You will also know whether the topic is covered in
the next level.
Schedule a work session with an experienced trainer or your training
manager to discuss style/presentation or software issues.
Schedule Presentation Certification.
Schedule a Product Certification.

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Icebreaking Techniques
Objectives:
In this chapter you will:

Discuss why icebreaking techniques are necessary

Determine how icebreaking activities be conducted
Examine icebreaking activities that work well

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Why Are Icebreaking Activities Necessary?

Up to this point you have completed your pre-class preparation. You are ready to
meet your class, but is your class ready to meet you?
Icebreaking includes everything that you should do to establish a relaxed
atmosphere in the class. It is designed to get the students to begin participating
actively in the class. It is an opportunity to get the students to know you and for
you to get to know them. In some classes, it is a great way for the students to get
to know each other.

How to Conduct Icebreaking Activities

Icebreaking should occur very early in class, certainly within the first fifteen
minutes. Activities should be chosen to achieve the objectives described above,
but also to have fun. It goes without saying, icebreaking should never embarrass
students. If a student is very reticent about participating, excuse them from the
activity. Whenever possible, you should participate in the activity also. This helps
to build rapport with your students.

Suggested Icebreaking Activities

There are entire books written on icebreaking. Do not hesitate to design your
own. A few simple activities are listed on the next pages.
Student interviews
Have the students pair off. If there is an odd number, you should pair off with
one of the students. Have the students interview each other collecting the
following information:
Name
Department (if applicable)
Past work experience
Why they are taking the course
Something unique about themselves: favorite hobby, sport, food, etc.
Give them about five minutes to do this. Then have each student introduce
his/her partner.
Draw a Picture
Have each student write his/her name on a name tent. On the other side, have
students draw a picture either describing himself or herself or a hobby they enjoy,
then have the rest of the class try to guess what the picture represents.

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Whats Your Color?

Have each student write his/her name on a name tent. On the other side have
each student write a color that describes his or her personality, One at a time, the
students introduce themselves by stating their name, how long they have been
with their department, what their experience is, their color, and why they chose
that color.
Completed Thought
This icebreaker can be used during the introductions. The object is to give the
students an incomplete statement and, using their own words, have them
complete the thought. A few examples are:
Today I wish I could be
If I won the lottery, I would
Customer service to me means
If I could live anywhere, I would live
Writing with Opposite Hand
This is another good icebreaker for introduction classes. Have the students write
their names on a piece of paper with their opposite hand. Explain to them that
this may not feel comfortable at first but if they practiced writing with this hand, it
would start to feel more natural. It is the same with any new skill; it may feel
uncomfortable at first but when they practice, it will start to feel more natural.
Action Words
Liven up potentially dull material by analyzing it for a key word and then assigning
an action to it. Every time that word is mentioned during the session, the group
must perform an action, such as clapping their hands. The actions also help burn
those concepts into trainees memories. The aim is to keep concentration and
interest high, and to get the group to focus on key words, ideas, and attitudes.
Colored Slickers
Colored stick-on dots, such as those used to code file folders, can be used to mark
places in workbooks and identify meaningful material. Provide strips of dots at
each table so that as participants come across key points, they can place a colored
dot in the margin. It makes it easy for participants to later scan the workbook and
pick out ideas they can use for action planning!
Bingo Icebreaker
Objective: Use this game to facilitate introductions. Print and copy a bingo card
for each player. Players circulate to find others who match descriptions in the
bingo squares and write the name of that person in the individual square. When a
player has filled the entire card, s/he yells Bingo!

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The Instructors Behavior Checklist

Objectives:
In this chapter you will:

List behaviors that master instructors exhibit in class

List behaviors that should not be exhibited in class
Prepare a checklist to be used prior to entering the classroom
Practice using the checklist

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Instructors Classroom Behavior

The following is a discussion of teaching Dos and Donts. From this list an
instructors behavioral checklist is derived and its use will be discussed later.
These lists were derived from over 20 years of research simply by asking
thousands of students, What do you think are the characteristics of an
outstanding teacher?
Teaching Dos
1. Be Prepared
This means having your materials ready, handouts available, audiovisuals
cued up, and whatever else is needed for that session.
2. Make Opening Remarks
Opening remarks are particularly important at the first class meeting.
Your students are wondering what will be covered, how long the course
will be, when the class breaks will be, etc. Until you answer these
questions, the students minds will not be tuned towards you.
3. Make Class Comfortable
This item has two parts: physical comfort (everyone can see and hear) and
mental or psychological comfort (everyone feels free to ask questions).
4. State Objectives
Research has shown that objectives enhance learning. Stating objectives is
nothing more than helping a student mentally organize the material you
are presenting. It helps to list the Course Objectives on the whiteboard.
5. Be Organized
Organize your lectures. Follow through on ideas. Do not fragment.
6. Use Training Aids
People learn better when more than one sense modality is stimulated.
LCD panels, overhead transparencies, flipcharts, whiteboards, and other
training aids add a nice change of pace to a lecture.
7. Reference Student Manual Pages
When referring to skill steps, defining features, slating Course or Chapter
Objectives, and transitioning from one point to the next, your students
should know what page you are on and that the topic is referenced in the
manual.

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8. Know Your Material

This item is the most important one on the list. Nothing causes a student
to tune out a teacher faster than the instructor losing his or her credibility.
Students do not expect an instructor to know everything. But, if you give
wrong or incomplete information, eventually your students will doubt
everything you say.
9. Ensure Questions Get Answered
Make sure questions get answered when asked. A question asking you to
explain something not related to the topic can be deferred until later in the
course, if appropriate. But, remember, when a student asks a question it is
because he or she does not understand the topic being presented and
therefore is confused. You should try to answer the questions and address
the confusion. After you answer the question, confirm, with the student
that you have answered it. This will ensure that the student feels satisfied
with the answers.
10. Provide Feedback
There is one thing about learning that we can state with certainty: without
feedback, learning does not take place. Feedback, telling a student they are
right or wrong, is a necessary component of learning.
11. Show Enthusiasm
Your enthusiasm should take two directions; be enthusiastic about your
subject and be enthusiastic about teaching. Students pick up and respond
to a teachers enthusiasm.
12. Maintain Control
When you assume authority, you also assume responsibility. It is your job
to keep the class under control. This includes dealing with personality
conflicts, domineering students, etc. Do not think this will not happen in
an adult classroom. It does!
13. Be Flexible
A well-prepared instructor has an outline to follow. This does not
preclude adjusting the outline to serve the immediate needs of your
students. Remember, it is your job as a teacher to meet the needs of your
students.
14. Encourage Participation
Encourage questions and discussions.
Instead of giving all the
information, see if you can draw the information out of the students.
Strong questions techniques are critical.

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15. Provide Practical Business Examples

Provide students with real-life business examples that may apply and be
used in the work environment.
16. Establish Rapport
This item is subjective, and one that has been suggested so often by
students. Rapport is difficult to define, but one knows when he or she
sees it. Be kind and sensitive to your students and rapport should follow.
17. Define Topics Clearly and Logically
Define and explain each topic is a manner that students can understand
and follow.
18. Evaluate Progress
If something is worth teaching, then it is worth taking the time to
determine if tit has been learned. It is a good technique to break the
lecture up into five-minute segments and evaluate the students,
understanding after each five-minute segment.
19. Be Yourself
Do not try to imitate an instructor that you are fond of. Unless your
personalities are similar, it will not work. A tip for relaxing and being
yourself is to image you are speaking to a neighbor or friend.

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Teaching Dos Checklist

1. Be Prepared
2. Make Opening Remarks
3. Make Class Comfortable
4. State Objectives
5. Be Organized
6. Use Training Aids
7. Reference Student Manual
Pages
8. Know Your Material
9. Answer Questions
10. Provide Feedback
11. Show Enthusiasm
12. Maintain Control
13. Be Flexible
14. Encourage Participation
15. Provide Practical Business
Examples
16. Establish Rapport
17. Define Topics Logically and
Clearly
18. Evaluate Progress
19. Be Yourself

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Teaching Donts
1. Do Not Break time Agreements
Start the class on time and break when you say you will. Broken time
agreements have the students checking their watches instead of listening to
you.
2. Do Not Monopolize Classroom Conversations
No one enjoys an instructors drone for an entire class hour. Other voices
allowed to be heard will liven up the class.
3. Do Not Ridicule or Intimidate Your Students
An insensitive teacher who degrades or pokes fun at another or at an
answer will turn off the entire class.
4. Do Not Be a Dictator
Adults resent dictatorial behavior. Your approach to lectures and
assignments should create an atmosphere of shared problem solving.
5. Do Not Speak Too Fast or Too Slow
Speaking too rapidly will lose the slower students and speaking slowly will
lose the faster students. There is a happy medium. Changing your pace
occasionally works wonders.
6. Do Not Talk to the Board
Students sitting in the back of the room may not be able to hear you when
your back is turned. Write, turn, and then talk.
7. Do Not Touch a Students Mouse or Keyboard
Students will feel that you do not have the confidence that they can do the
task on their own, and the students will not learn to fix the problem on
their own the next time.
8. Do Not Read Your Material
Reading is not teaching. There are very few things that will turn off a class
as fast as reading long passages of material.
9. Do Not Interrupt Answers
Many instructors develop the bad habit of interrupting students.
Interrupting students will frustrate them, and they will stop interacting
with you.

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10. Do Not Fake It

It is better to admit that you do not know an answer but that you will find
the answer out then to try and bluff your students. It helps to write any
unanswered questions on the board so that the students know you are
serious about finding the answer.
11. Do Not Be Undignified or Act without Self-Respect
Students will not respect you if you act in an uncivil or sill manner. Avoid
using unprofessional terminology.
12. Do Not Bring Your Problems into the Classroom
The class situation can create problems of its own. Leave your own
personal problems outside the classroom door.
13. Do Not Display Distracting Mannerisms
The overuse of OK, too many Ums, or toying with a market or
pointer will distract students from your intended delivery.
14. Do Not Lock Horns
You may not be enthralled with every student in your class. Similarly, not
everyone in your class is going to like you. Do not let these feelings get
out of hand. If personality conflicts arise, they should be resolved
promptly in order to maintain a creative learning and teaching
environment.

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Teaching Dont Checklist

1. Do
Not
Agreements

Break

Time

2. Do Not Monopolize Classroom

Conversations
3. Do Not Ridicule or Intimidate
Your Students
4. Do Not Be a Dictator
5. Do Not Speak Too Fast or Too
Slow
6. Do Not Talk to the Board
7. Do Not Touch a Students
Mouse or Keyboard
8. Do Not Read Your Material
9. Do Not Interrupt Answers
10. Do Not Fake It
11. Do Not Be Undignified or Act
Without Self-Respect
12. Do Not Bring Your Problems
into the Classroom
13. Do Not Display Distracting
Mannerisms
14. Do Not Lock Horns

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Using the Instructor Behavior Checklist

The checklist is derived from the Teaching Dos and Donts lists and serves as an
evaluation tool for observable behaviors.
Mark one of the three available choices for each of the behaviors described.
Choose Agree when the behavior is clearly present. Choose Disagree when the
behavior is clearly not present. Choose ND when the behavior is present, but not
as strong as it could be.

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Instructor Behavior Checklist

Instructor Name:

_____________________________________________

Course:

_____________________________________________

Date:

_____________________________________________

Observer:

_____________________________________________

Agree

Disagree

ND

Sufficient opening remarks made

Class made comfortable

Objectives stated clearly

Effective use of transitions

Effective use of media

Knows material well

No distracting mannerisms

Questions answered properly

Effectively used questioning techniques

Feedback provided to students

Enthusiasm is evident

Referenced Student Manual pages

Used participative method

Class progress is evaluated

Concepts explained clearly and logically

Preparation is evident

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Balanced Instruction
Objectives:
In this chapter you will:

Define Balanced Instruction

Review the use of the Balanced Instructional Theory Tool
Review the use of the Instructional Summary Analysis Tool

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What Is Balanced Instruction?

For teaching to be effective, a balance should exist in the instructional activities
that are performed by the instructor. Much of the work and studies on learning
theorist, support this view. Piaget was a developmental psychologist emphasizing
intelligence. Piaget suggested that we learn by a process of assimilation and
accommodation.
Assimilation is the process of taking in new information. Accommodation is the
process of utilizing the information. For example, a student might learn many
principles of time management at a seminar; this is assimilation. When the student
changes ineffective behaviors in order to be more time-efficient, this is
accommodation.
Learning is a process of assimilating and accommodating information. Piaget
suggests that when we are in equilibrium, we are not learning, Equilibrium is the
state of having assimilated and accommodated all that has been perceived. When
new information is presented, and the student assimilates it, then the student is no
longer in equilibrium. The student struggles via the process of accommodation to
return to the equilibrium state.
The adaption of Piagets learning model to the classroom is quite simple, and can
easily be accomplished by both the novice and the experienced instructor.
When an instructor is explaining a concept, showing a visual, providing a
definition, answering a question, etc., the student is receiving the information. If
the information has not previously been accommodated, the student is thrown out
of equilibrium and must, in order to learn, begin the process of accommodation.
Accommodation occurs within the student, but the teacher provides opportunities
for this activity. For example, asking questions that make the student think helps
the process of accommodation. Feedback to the student, frequent reviews,
exercises, and even pauses that allow the student to think are all accommodation
activities.
When teaching skills, most instructors recognize the need for accommodation
activities. These are the practice exercises that one provides for the student.
Providing opportunities to accommodate knowledge or concepts is critical for
learning to take place.
The complete balance in teaching takes place when the instructor provides
sufficient information for assimilation, sufficient activities for accommodation,
and an evaluation. Only the student can learn, but the teacher can aid in the
process by providing for this balance in teaching activities.

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Understanding the Balanced Instructional Theory

Tool
The following is a tool that has been designed to evaluate how balanced a teacher
is in his or her teaching activities. The first section is for measuring the
assimilation or explaining activities (Define, Show). The second section is for
measuring the accommodating or exercising activities (show, Do). And the third
section is for measuring the number of evaluating activities that have been
performed (Review). The evaluation activities are the check s on the
assimilation/accommodation process.
At the top of the tool are five-minute segments. Five minutes is chosen as being
near optimum for the time to cycle through all three activities; explaining,
exercising, and evaluating. If a teacher does not allow for the three processes to
take place, there is a possibility that too many assimilation stimuli have been
presented and that accommodation is not taking place. This can easily be equated
to the novice or poor teacher who comes into the classroom, and dumps
information and never allows time for accommodation or evaluation.
An instructor should spend about 50% of class time in explaining activities.
Approximately 35% of class time should be spend in providing exercising
activities. The remaining 15% should be spent in providing evaluating activities to
see if sufficient explaining and exercising have taken place.

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Using the Balanced Instructional Theory Tool

When using the tool, a tick mark is made in the appropriate section for each
activity as it occurs. For each five minute segment, you would place one ticket
mark approximately every 20 seconds in the section describing the activity that is
occurring (explaining, exercising, or evaluating).
Start by designating a 5 minute segment of the course. Approximately every 20
seconds, observe the behavior that is most prevalent and place a tick in the
appropriate box indicating what type of activity was bring performed. At the end
of the 5-minute segment, there should be a total of 15 tick marks, one for each
twenty seconds. There should be no more than 15.
The instructor is observed for a total of 35 minutes (7 separate 5 minute segments)
during a one to two hour period. It is strongly recommended that each of these 5minute segments be chosen in sequence they should begin at the start of the topic
and continue throughout the topic, there may be a brief rest periods between the
5-minute segments.
Here is an example of how to use the tool. The instructor begins teaching. Look
at your watch (It needs to have a second hand) and block a 5-minute time period.
Every 20 seconds, look at your watch and decide which learning activity is being
presented. Place a tick mark in the appropriate learning activity box. Look at your
watch for the next 20 second mark and place another tick. Continue to do so for
the remainder of the 5-minute segment. When 5 minutes is up, stop ticking.
Rest for a minutes. Block the next 5 minutes and repeat the process placing ticks
in the next column of the tool until you have completed all 5-minute segments (35
minutes total).
At the end of a one to two hour audit, the tick marks are totaled for each section
and averaged. The averages should represent the following approximate
percentages:

50% Explaining
35% Exercising
15% Evaluating

The tool is designed to include a section on comments. Comments are extremely

valuable to collect while observing.

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Balanced Instructional Theory Tool

Balanced Instructional Theory Tool
Time 5

Explaining Activities (Define/Show)

Look for:
Explanations
Demonstrations
Use of Visuals
Answering Questions
Defining
Comments

Exercising Activities (Show/Do)

Look for:
Instructor-led exercises
Thinking questions
Pauses for answers
Comments

Evaluating Activities
Look for:
Evaluating questions
Independent or summary exercises
Comments

For a 5 minutes segment tick approximately every 20 seconds for a total of 15

ticks in each section. Five-minute segments should be done for 35 minutes,
starting at the beginning of the topic. An average score is then calculated for each
section (explaining, exercising and evaluating), giving you 3 final numbers that are
graphed on the Instructional Summary Analysis Tool.
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Understanding the Instructional Summary

Analysis Tool
The Instructional Summary Analysis Tool is designed to measure the ratio of
explaining activities to exercising activities to evaluating activities that were
averaged using the Balanced Instructional Theory Tool.

Using the Instructional Summary Analysis Tool

After collecting 35 minutes of data from a one to two hour period, the tick marks
are totaled for each 5 minutes segment and then added together for each section
and averaged by seven (the total number of 5 minute time segments). A line is
drawn with a straight edge from the box that has the explaining tick number to the
outside the lower-left corner of the grid. This line sets the balance based on the
number of explaining tick marks. The more explaining activities there are, the
more exercising and evaluating activities are required. Therefore, if the number of
exercising or evaluating activities falls on or above the line, the analysis of the
instruction is that the session was balanced.
The following page is a copy of the Instructional Summary Analysis Tool.

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Instructional Summary Analysis Tool

13
12
11
10
9

Evaluating
Activities
(Review)

Exercising
Activities
(Show/Do)

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Activities
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Alternate Classroom Instructor Evaluation Checklist

Item

Rating
SA

Preparation evident
Opening remarks appropriate
Icebreaker completed
Objectives stated
WIIFMs stated
Course expectations established
Examples and analogies used appropriately
Pace appropriate
Various forms of media used
Visuals clear and legible
Faced class while speaking and using visuals
Voice projected well
Demonstrated enthusiasm for topic
Demonstrated confidence in presentation
Displayed interest towards students
Provided feedback to students
Used distracting mannerisms
Demonstrated good question answering technique
Presented with enthusiasm
Entertainment provided
Participation reinforcing techniques utilized
Content fully covered
Student exercises completed
Referenced student manual pages
Breaks were sufficient
Demonstrated knowledge of material
Handled difficult students appropriately
Explained topics clearly
Amount of personal topics appropriate
Amount of lecture appropriate
Demonstrated innovation
Adhered to start/end time
Impatience evident
Impatience evident
Friendliness towards students evident
Amount/level of humor appropriate
Student mouse handling avoided
Classroom movement was appropriate
Animation appropriate

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Questing Techniques
Objectives:
In this chapter you will:

Review the purpose of classroom questions

Define exercising questions and types
Define evaluating questions and types

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Exercising and Evaluating Questions

In the previous chapter, we discussed explaining, exercising, and evaluating
activities. On the Balanced Instruction Theory Tool, there were questions listed
under both exercising and evaluating activities.

Exercising Questions

Exercising questions are designed to get a student to think. The simplest (and
worst) way to teach is to simply give the information to the student. Master
instructors use probing questions to allow the students to discover and learn the
material themselves.
We can define two different types of exercising questions: Socratic and
Rhetorical.
Socratic questions, names after the method Socrates taught, are questions that you
ask in the class that you expect the students to be able to answer. These types of
questions are therefore designed to provoke critical thinking. They are asked at a
level that stimulates thought. If the question cannot be answered, another
question is asked that helps lead the class to the answer.
The principle is simple. Students actively involved in discovering material will
learn and retain information at a better rate. There is a caution thought; Socratic
questions take more time and thus the instructor must plan for this additional
time. Also, Socratic questions are very exhausting to the student and should be
used with frequent breaks and other activities.
Rhetorical questions are similar to Socratic questions except you really do not
expect the class to answer the question. They are asked more to keep the class
alert. When a question is phrased, the class perks up. Also rhetorical questions
are ones that you intend to answer yourself. This helps move the class along at a
brisker pace.

Evaluating Questions

These are questions where it is the intent of the instructor to evaluate whether or
not the student has learned. Or stated another way, to determine if sufficient
exercising activities have taken place to ensure learning. Remember, these
questions sound like Socratic questions, but it is the intent of the instructor that
defines them.

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Question types
There are many complex types of questions that have been identified and
described by learning theorist. It is our experience that instructors do not
consciously use these questions in class.
The following types of questions are more practical for conscious use in the
classroom.
Open-Ended
Open questions encourage a wide variety of responses.
Closed
Closed questions encourage specific short responses, such as yes or no.

Open-ended

Closed

Whats your understanding?

Do you understand?

What do you agree to?

Do you agree?

What else would you like to know?

Is there anything else you want to

know?

What questions do you have?

Do you have any questions?

What other questions do you have?

Do you have any other questions?

How could it happen again?

Did/Do you think this cod happen

again?

What else would you ask

Did you want to ask for anything else?

How should we continue?

Do you think we should continue?

What will you remember about this?

Will you remember this?

What was helpful about it?

Was this helpful?

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Directing Questions
Questions can be directed to an entire class or to one student. There are several
ways to direct questions and the methods for doing so are very important.

Overhead
The Overhead question is asked to the class at large and can be answered
by anyone who feels comfortable answering it. The down side of this
questioning is that the one class star could end up answering all the
questions.

Directed
The Directed question is asked of a specific student. This helps to keep all
students involved. The down side to this questioning is that it can put a
student on the spot.

Relayed
The Relayed question is one that is asked of the instructor but is relayed
to another student. This also gets the class involved and may give the
instructor time to think. You can also relay a question away from a
student who may not know the answer in order to relieve pressure.

Reversed
The Reversed question is also asked of you but you turn it back to the
student who asked it. This helps the student to think and not become too
dependent on the instructor.

Overhead/Directed
The Overhead question and Directed question can be used together. You
pose an overhead question, wait a few moments, and then direct it to a
particular student. The advantage to this technique is that it initially
induces everyone to think and then directing it involves a particular
student.

Give participants enough time to respond to questions you ask.

Count to ten before you answer your own questions. By the time you reach ten,
someone will be ready to respond.

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Questing Exercises
Often students feel hesitant about asking and answering questions. The following
are a few fun techniques to get students involved. These techniques also
guarantee that the instructor will remember to incorporate evaluation questions.

Assigned Questions
To keep students involved in the class, write questions concerning class content
on index cards, one question per card and one card per student. Number the
questions and keep a reference list for yourself. After class introductions, pass out
the cards and explain that each participant is responsible for answering the
question on their card. Assure the students that their question will be covered in
class before they are called upon for an answer. Then the instructor can ask who
has question #1, etc., and the participant with that question reads it aloud along
with the answer. The exercise captures the attention of attendees waiting for an
answer to their written question as well as their own most pressing questions.

Responder Cards
This technique helps you quickly get information from participants at the start of a
training session or anytime during the session. This exercise works great with
students who are quiet or afraid to answer questions. You can use these
responder cards to assess participants background, experiences, expectations, and
also to assess learning throughout the class. The students answer questions
without peaking. The exercise consists of three different colored pieces of paper
or cards with the letter A on one, B on the next, and C on the third. Create a set
of responder cards for each participant. Develop a set of questions, each of which
has multiple-choice responses. Put each question and its response options on an
overhead, flipchart, or whiteboard.

Koosh Ball
You may wish to introduce a KOOSH ball or some other type of soft object to
encourage participation in the class. The KOOSH may be used throughout class
to invite students to ask and answer questions.

Other Variations
Before class starts, write on the board, You all have an index card. Some of you
have a term and some of you have a definition. As fellow students come in, please
try to find your match. This gets students interacting before class begins.

Involving Students
The techniques to secure participation before the talk starts relate to the
involvement of the total audience or group. It may also be desirable to involve
actively one or two participants in the program of various purposes (stretch
monitor, handout distributor, card collector, a timer, etc.).

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Classroom Media
Objectives:
In this chapter you will:

Discuss different types of media

Review the advantages and disadvantages of each
Examine tips for presenting media

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Introduction to Classroom Media

There has been hundreds of books written dealing with the effective use
of instructional media. The rules are really quite simple. The media
should support the teaching, not the other way around. Too often a
learning center acquires a new piece of media, ad soon everyone is using
it whether it is appropriate or not

Whiteboards and Flipcharts

Whiteboards are still a very popular form of media. Make sure you bring
extra markers with you.
Flipcharts are still used extensively. Bright magic markers make these
charts attractive and visible.
Flipcharts can be prepared beforehand or done spontaneously. On
prepared flipcharts you can write notes to yourself in pencil that cannot
be seen by the students. Your objectives and key teaching point
flipchart papers can be taped to walls to display them.
Also with spray mount glue or tape you can cover up sections of
prepared flipchart paper with blank paper and peel the sheets off as you
discuss each point. This is referred to as the sequential disclosure
technique.

Projection Equipment
Computer projection equipment is used frequently. This equipment is
excellent for talking students through exercises and demonstrations. It
can be tiring on the eyes, so use it with frequent breaks or changes of
pace.
Make sure you do not stay in the front of the room with the panel for
the entire class. It is important to circulate around the room. Try to use
the panel for some features, but not all. Another idea is to place a
quick student at the computer connected to the panel to run the
demonstration as you move around the room.
Pointers and/or laser pointers work well to keep you away from the
projection equipment. Laser pointers can easily be used from the back
of the room while you are circulating.

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Technology-Delivered Instruction
A variety of technology-delivered instruction methodologies are often
available to supplement and complement instructor-led training.
The self-directed learner can target the skills most crucial to his or her
job and can learn those skills just-in-time to apply them to specific
projects. Beyond convenience and flexibility, Till can serve as a
refresher for learners who have taken instructor-led training, but need
to review or learn more about specific software skills.
The self-directed learner can work independently but with the assurance
of help and support from our professional staff of learning facilitators,
instructors, and subject matter experts. It all adds up to empowerment
for the self-directed learner who can use TDI as part of integrated
training solution to determine what to learn, when to learn, how to learn,
and how to apply the learning to the task at hand.

Some Tips for Presenting Media

When designing visuals, use key words, phrases, and bulleted

items.
Do not display the visual until you are ready to discuss the
teaching point that it support. Then cover it up.
Always make sure that the size of the room and number of
people in the audience is taken into account. If you are
handwriting visuals, make them attractive and use large letters
A good rule for a visual is no more than seven words to a line,
and no more than six lines. If you must break this rule because
of using an original form, etc. use the sequential disclosure
technique.
Always maintain eye contact when working at a flipchart,
whiteboard, or overhead projector. Write on the flipchart of
whiteboard, then turn and talk. When using the overhead, point
to items on the transparency rather than on the screen.
Sequence and number your visuals so your presentation looks
well organized.
Always pre-check the focus of your equipment and know hot to
operate it. Do not keep the lights turned down for long periods.
Tell your students when you are turning the lights back up.
When the information on your visual is lengthy or extremely
valuable, you may wish to provide copies to your students.
Again, make sure the media adds to your presentation, if not, do
not use it.
Finally, use media. 80% learn better through their visual sense.
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Classroom Dynamics and Motivational Theories

Objectives:
In this chapter you will:

Review the Bion model of small group dynamics

Discuss problems that occur in adult classes
Apply the Bion model to a case study
Participate in role-playing exercises

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Bions Theory of Small Group Dynamics

W. R. Bion is a Canadian sociologist who has studied and presented a model for
small group development. The starting of a new class is also the formation of a
new small group.
Bion suggests that when new groups form they go through a number of stages or
personalities. He defines these stages as:
Dependency/Pairing/Fight/Flight.

Dependency
The stage of confusion, intimidation, and the fear that I will not succeed in the
group. Students in this stage become very dependent on the instructor.
The way to handle the dependent student is to give them simple assignments or
questions. When they succeed at them, the instructor should give them the
justified praise. Under no circumstances should the instructor continue to help
the student in areas where the student can do his/her own work. This would
simply reinforce the dependent behavior.

Pairing
The stage where two or more students decide to team up and form a union. They
will work together and agree with each other on issues. Pairing is best handled by
attempting to separate the individuals who have paired. Keeping them involved
by asking direct questions, using their names, and frequently standing behind or in
between the pairing students may work. Speaking to each member along over a
break may also work.

Fight
The stage where one or more students resist the instructor on any and all issues
relating to the course and sometimes to life in general. Fighters are very common
in technical classes. Try to will them over to your side by using them as a resource
to acknowledge their expertise. Ask them the harder questions. Be careful not to
let them take control away from you. If the fighter continues to challenge you on
every issue, it is best to take the person aside and level with him/her. Tell the
student that the behavior is disruptive and it has to be toned down. While this
may seem difficult to do, it is your responsibility.

Flight
Flight is the stage where students turn off. This could be from boredom or
confusion. Flight is easy to recognize. Keep these people involved in the class via
questions. Check with them often when they seem confused.

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Classroom Problems
It would be easy to say that problems do not occur in the adult classroom. This
sis simply not true. In fact, many instructors will tell you that teaching adults is
more difficult than teaching children,
Problems do and will occur in the classroom. The mark of the Master
instructor is how he/she handles them. The most important concept about
handling problems in the classroom is to preclude them.
To preclude problems is simply to solve them before they occur. For example, if
during introductions one of your students shares that he/she is a replacement for
someone else and does not really want or need those course, you have some
options. Try to convince the student in the future.

Handling Situations in the Classroom

Each class of students you teach will potentially be very different. One of the key
principles of training is flexibility and the ability to adapt quickly to changes as
they occur.
Some pre-class planning can aid in heading some of these situations off before
they occur. For example, what can I add if the class is fast, or what can I modify if
the class is far behind? A variety of challenges occur in the classroom. Following
are some of those situations and suggestions for handling them.

Slow or Inexperienced Students

Shorten interactive demonstrations.

Advanced/Experienced Students
Planning to have a few extra demonstrations will help in this situation. Often, the
experienced class has difficulty sitting and listening. If they are active while you
are explaining a feature in more detail they will usually remain content.

Large Groups
Often groups are difficult to keep together and you may find that abbreviating
interactive demonstrations will help keep everyone on track. Anything that is
planned to do together as a group should be very clear and easy to understand.

Class Moving Too Quickly

Based on class size, the course could be moving quickly for different reason.

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Small Classes
When dealing with small classes of 4 or less, topics will most certainly move faster.
There are fewer questions to answer and not as many students to observe.
Have at least 3 extra topics ready for each class that you teach. Ideally these filler
items should be additional information not covered in the next level course.
Shortcuts, tips, and tricks make terrific fillers that the students will appreciate.

Medium or Large Classes

When medium or large size classes with 5 or more students are moving too fast,
try to slow it down. Try to assess why the class is moving at such a fast pace. Do
the students really understand the topics? Are you providing them with enough
practice time to experiment with the concepts? If you think the answer to both of
these questions is yes, continue the class at the same pace. Use the extra topics
mentioned above.

Class Falling Behind

The logical answer to this question might be speed it up. Not always. Try to
determine why you are behind.
In some cases, an entire class of students can be signed up for a course that does
not fit their skill level. Let the students know that you will try to cover all the
topics mentioned, but their understanding of the topics covered is more important
than covering all of the topics.
This is a delicate situation, you do not want to offend the students, but they need
to understand that they do not match the intended audience profile for the class.
Try to cover as much material as you feel the students can handle.
If there is no possible way to address the remaining topics to be covered in the
course, ask the students if they are willing to accept one of the following plans:
Would they like to stay late to cover the topics? List the remaining topics on the
board, and ask them to prioritize what they would like to discuss,
You can demonstrate the remaining features for the students.
If there are only one or two students who are struggling with the material, take
them aside at the morning break and explain to them that they can reschedule into
an appropriate class.

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Coping with Problem Participants

While most participants are cooperative and quite manageable, at times you will
encounter a few problem types. Some of the more common ones include:

Hesitant One
Monopolizer
Voice of Experience
Arguer
Clown
Show Off
Tangent Taker

While there are no easy answers for dealing with these difficult personalities, here
are a few pointers that may be of help, at least some of the time.

The Hesitant One

This kind of person is shy, reluctant, and silent much of the time. You can find
one in almost every group. Hesitant Hannah is easy to overlook since she melts
into the background so successfully and is certainly not annoying anytime. Figure
out ways to draw in the Hesitant Hannah as a training program is a vehicle to
help people grow by participation.

The Monopolizer
This participant is the big talker and will gobble up all the available airtime if
permitted. In a polite but firm way, ask Monopolizing Mike: Would you mind if
we got another opinion on this one? Several havent had a chance to respond yet.
OR, Could we talk about that at the break? The message to Monopolizing Mike
is that we play fair here, so lets please share the available air time.

The Voice of Experience

List the Monopolizer, Victor, the Voice of Experience, seems to have a
tremendous need to be heard. Victor is probably not currently getting adequate
job satisfaction; hence the need to bring in incidents and anecdotes from more
halcyon days. Treatment of The Voices malady is not easy because the inputs are
not necessarily offensive, just somewhat tedious and unnecessary. The best advise
is to treat victor politely, but endeavor at times to communicate that This is very
interesting, but we do have to move on. Or, better still, We do have to get our
main issue, which is

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The Arguer
Arguing Arthur is a touch kind with which to deal. He consistently looks for
opportunities to disagree or to show up the other participants and the trainer.
While healthy disagreement is great, incessant quibbling is annoying and
disruptive. One approach to coping with Arthur is to let the group deal with him:
Does anyone want to respond to that? Also, avoid getting trapped or baited into
a debate with him. If, after an exchange of views, Arthur persists, simply say: I
understand your position. You believe thatCan we agree to disagree on this
one? OR, Weve given this issue considerable attention. We really should move
on to something else, See me at the break and well talk about some more about
it.

The Nonlistener
Nonlistening Norma presents a unique challenge to the group and its leader.
Norma tends to interrupt, cut others off, and leap to the fray before others have
had their say. Her eagerness to get in keeps her from listening. On the one hand,
Normas nonlistening may simply be due to a desire to be heard, to best other in
the discussion. But it may also be due to her keen interest in the subject; hence
her strong desire to advance her ideas. Regardless of Normas motivation, though,
her harassing behavior hardly facilitates group satisfaction and progress; hence the
need to cope with Normas listening peccadilloes. The following are some tactics
that may help deal with Norma:

Insist on sharing the available airtime: I know you have a worthwhile

observation, but we havent let Hank have his full say yet, have we?

Tactics such as these will help Norma to see that she must try to incorporate
others view, which requires listening, before she unleashes her own opinions.

The Idea Zapper

Idea Zapping Ida is a master at putting down other peoples ideas. She predictably
offers an endless barrage of suggestion squelchers to anything new or different:
Itll never work. Weve tried that before. Too early. Too late.
Management will never go for that. If we could crawl into Ideas head, we
would probably find that her motivation is envy of the ability of others to ideate.
So she uses what creativity she has to deflate everyone else. Ida is particularly
dangerous because her tendency to toss buckets of cold water on new approaches
may inhibit creative suggestions from others.
The following example may help you deal with Idea Zapping Ida:

Promptly rescue the idea from Idas trach bin asking the group: How do
the rest of you see this? Is there another side to it?

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The Complainer
Complaining Chester is a specialist in blaming faultfinding, griping, and sharing his
endless pet peeves. Chester not only finds life and the world unfair, but he insists
on foisting his jaundiced view of things on any audience he can get. His ploys are
easy to spot, for he is likely to begin his gloomy observations with such statements
as: Isnt it awful that or If it werent for He tends to sprinkle his laments
with the all-encompassing never and always. Chester is not a problem solver,
but a problem magnifier. Hes unhappy with top management, other staff, the
suppliers, the union, the local sports team, the press, etc.
Try the following approaches when dealing with Complaining Chester:

Switch him to the high ground by stating early on, Yes, there may be a
problem with Department and the reason were here is to find some
answers (or better ways of cooperating). So, if you and I and the rest of us
can keep thinking about ways to cope with this kind of issue, well have a
truly profitable experience this morning (or this week). How can we
accomplish that?

The Rigid One

Rigid Roberta is a tough cookie. Roberta is not obnoxious in the sense that she
argues, disagrees, pontificates, or quibbles but in that she staunchly takes a
position on an issue and will rarely, if at all, move from it. She makes it difficult
for the group to make any progress. One way to deal with Roberta is to try to get
her to admit that there is another side to the issue. Thus, the trainer might say,
Roberta, were pretty clear about your position since you have stated it so well,
but there is some other thinking on it. Can you cite any evidence at all, as an
objective person that would indicate that the problem can be seen in different
terms?
In effect, Roberta is being asked to verbalize some opposing view, kick off the
development of a laundry list of such views, and visually inspect the posted
opposition views. No guarantees here to reduce Robertas rigidities, but at least it
forces her to recognize more directly that other views do exist.

The Hostile One

Hostile Harry is even more annoying than Arguing Arthur. Harry has a need to
zero in on a defenseless target, and the trainer, as he sees it, is as good a victim as
any. He thus presents highly hostile questions designed to embarrass or inflame.
The best response to Harrys hostility is to keep your cool and simply rephrase the
question in milder, more objective terms. You may respond in this fashion,. I see
that you have some strong feelings on this issue. Would you care for my opinion
(or the groups opinion)?

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The Angry One

While Hostile Harry is antagonistic, aggressive, and unfriendly, Angry Arnie is a
much more complex personality. His behavior may range intermittently from
total silence and withdrawal to constant complaining (hard seats, lousy coffee, cold
room, etc.) and the posing of harassing, negative questions.
His forte is finding loopholes in your ideas and/or presenting impossible what it
scenarios. The interesting thing about Arnie is that he is not made at you , the
trainer. Rather, he is mad at the world, including the boss, who had the gall to
send him off to training.
It is suggested that when you encounter an Arnie, deal with him by asking yourself
the following questions:

Am I regarding the situation as a professional challenge and acting

accordingly?
Have I dont everything I can to eliminate possible threats from training?
Have I considered the use of activities (exercises, role plays) to allow
venting of frustration in a positive manner? Feedback to Arnie resulting
from a role-play may be helpful shock to him.

As a last resort, should I approach his organization about his possible need for
outside professional help?

The Negative One

Negative Nellie can be counted on to find the gloomy side of things: nothing will
work, people are impossible; the world has long gone to the dogs. Nellie is a
specialist in dredging up gripes, past grievances, cantankerous complaints. She is a
tough cookie to deal with, indeed. The best approaches with negative Nellie are
ask her if she can find anything positive in the situation (also ask the group the
same questions) and suggest that she may have a point, but that were all here to
find constructive answers to these difficulties. Sometimes it helps to respond
merely by saying, I understand or Uh-huh.

The Clown
Clowns come in all shapes and sizes, but their main characteristic is an abundance
of ill fitting, sometimes irritating humor. Some trainers may say, Id rather have a
little humor than no participation at all. Possibly, but the effective discussion
leaders job is to keep things moving in an orderly, productive way. If Charlie the
Clown is hindering group progress or annoying participants, he should certainly be
dealt with. Some suggestions include:

Compliment him (positive reinforcement) when he makes a worthwhile,

serious contribution.

The best strategy is to try to tap and reward his serious side.
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The Show Off

Show-off Sandra likes to parade her knowledge before everyone. Shell use big
words, fancy phrases, lots of statistics, name dropping, describing her long-time or
unique experiences, etc. If Show-Off Sandra contributes with the frequency of
Monopolizing Mike, she can be treated in somewhat the same way. If the
contributions are not as frequent, but merely pompous, the problem, although
annoying, is probably one the group can live with, The odds are that some group
members will kid her quite clearly about the big words and her other ploys, In
effect, let the group deal with this type of problem participant.

The Tangent Taker

Tangent Tanya is the kind of person who has interesting inputs that typically
belong in some other ball park. One suggestion is to state politely to her, This
is an interesting experience, but could we try to bring it in a bit closer to home?
You see our issue is Or, Does anyone want to comment on Tanyas
experience as it relates to our concern here? Group silence may reduce her
meandering inputs. Some of Tanyas tangents may, or course, have to be lived
with, But its still worth a try or two to plead for relevance from her.
How to you get back on the main track? Offer these possible strategies:

Laissez-faire, ignore the sidetracking and hope the speaker will simply run
out of gas.
Plea for deferral, state, You have a good point, but can you hold it until the
next unit (or Friday), when well deal with that issue?
Group canvas, ask, Anyone else see it that way? Could I see a show of
hands? (The odds are that the bulk of the group is no more favorable to
diversion that you are).

The Unwilling (or Forced) Participant

Some participants are neither volunteers nor willing attendees; In fact, some may
be in your group because their bosses want you to fix them, to correct their
deviant ways.

Summary
Problem participants are a fact of training work. We have tried to suggest some
ways of coping with them. Basically, you will be ahead of the game if you regard
the problem participant as a challenge rather than a headache. This means you
must show patience and avoid arguments and put-downs. One approach that is
not recommended is that of manipulation, for example, special seating for
purposes of better control, asking the difficult person to serve as an observer,
ignoring the person by devices such as turning your back to him/her, etc. Being
up front about the problem will retain the respect of the group and possibly the
irritating one, too.

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Classroom Facilitation Scenarios

Section 1: Classroom Pace
Scenario

Possible Responses

1. You have a participant who is

slow and cannot keep up with
the rest of the class.
2. You have a participant who is
more advanced than most in the
class and is therefore bored.
How do you keep them engaged
and not potentially disruptive to
the rest of the class?
3. You are teaching a two-day
class. It is 11:30am on Day 1
and you are already 2 hours
behind. What should you do?
4. You have to explain a system
task that you find to be very
easy and which you have
practiced so much that you can
practically do it in your sleep.
How should or shouldnt you
let this affect the way you teach
this task?
5. The group discussion gets off
track from the agenda and your
timeline is already tight. How
do you get the discussion back
on track?

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Section 2: Difficult Participants

Scenario

Possible Responses

1. You have a participant who

thinks he/she knows it all and
consistently does not follow
instructions. However, he/she
knows it all and consistently
does not follow instructions.
However he/she consequently
gets stuck on individual system
activities such as exercises.
2. You have a participant who is
new to forecasting and is having
trouble following you. The
overall class progress and
timeline is being impacted.
What do you do?
3. Similarly, you have a participant
who is new to Philips and is
asking many questions that are
not
system-related,
but
companyelated (such as
process questions).
4. You notice that a student is
working on other systems
during class (web, email, etc.)
5. How do you handle a
participant who continuously
talks to his/her neighbor?
6. How do you handle a student
who does not understand
English?
7. Two participants are in conflict
with each other. What do you
do?
8. A participant becomes overly
emotional and starts to be
disruptive to the class. How do
you handle them?
9. How do you handle a
participant who keeps leaving
the classroom (to make calls,
talk with peers, etc.)?

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10. For various reasons, the

audience of a particular class
you are teaching has become
hostile. What should you do?
11. You have one participant who
likes to show off that they know
a lot about the system. In the
process of doing so, they divert
from the planned agenda. How
should
you
handle
this
participant?
12. You have a participant who is
very withdrawn and does not
appear to be performing the
practice exercises.
13. You have a participant who
feels he/she knows enough and
wants to be excused from the
class to return to their regular
job. They are under a lot of
pressure and are worrying about
the work not being completed
back at the office. What should
you do?

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Section 3: Team Tech Dynamics

Scenario

Possible Responses

1. Your Co-trainer is in the middle

of teaching one of the assigned
topics
and
he/she
says
something you know is
incorrect. What should you do?
2. Your co-trainer is teaching topic
2 and begins training something
out of topic 7 because someone
asked a question. You can see
the class does not understand
what he/she is saying because
some of the prerequisite
knowledge has not been
covered yet. What should you
do?
3. You or your co-trainer are
teaching a process which you do
not agree with or like. How
should you handle this?

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Section 4: Miscellaneous Facilitation Scenarios

Scenario

Possible Responses

1. Using an online documentation

solution may be new to some
participants.
How do you
handle any resistance you may
face?
2. You are teaching a very detailed
system task in which there is
more than one way of executing
the process. How do you teach
multiple options?
3. You are teaching a full day class
and the system goes down at
9:30AM. What should you do?
4. The user documentation does
not match the system due to
last-minute
configuration
changes. What to do?
5. You get an evaluation form
back from one participant who
says he/she did not like an
exercise and /or find it relevant.
Do you need to do anything?

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When Things Go Wrong

Murphys Law (if anything can possibly go wrong it will) is a fact of the trainers
life. Thus, we can anticipate that irritations will arise for our participants that
irritations will arise for our participants and us from unanticipated inadequacies in
lighting, heating, ventilation, seating, acoustics, equipment, etc.
What do we do? Above all, we should avoid the aint it awful trap. Instead, we
should regard these contingencies as a challenge and engage in healthy coping
behavior. Thus, if the air conditioning system fails and it is too hot, consider
approaches such as these:

Encourage people to adjust their clothing for comfort-remove ties, coats,

possibly shoes and shirts, too, in a free-flowing experiential program.
Encourage people to sit on the floor where they can relax and the
temperature may be lower. Or relocate to another room or to the
outdoors.
Hold frequent stand-up stretches and breaks.
Another possibility is to tell the group: Im feeling hot and tired, as I
know you are. But maybe we can approach this problem via a contract-if
youll pay attention to (Or cooperate with) the program, well try to do our
best to help you learn from it. OK

Can You Cope With Training Disasters?

Unexpected events or problems may disrupt your usual training routine. In your
groups, write down your responses to the following situations, and well discuss
them afterwards. Note: Pretend you are the primary trainer/facilitator for a twoday supervisory training program.
1. You learn that your forthcoming program will have a participant in a
wheelchair. What do you do?
2. You are advised that a participant will miss the first A.M. session due to an
out-of-town field trip. Another will miss all of Day Two. Your possible
action?
3. You are told that one participant will attend your program immediately
after working a night shift at the plant. Your action?
4. Your boss has learned and informed you that several of the participants
who will attend will do so only because of a direct order from their
supervisors. What should you do?
5. Your roster of participants indicates that one participant is the boss of
another participant. Is this a cause for concern? If so, what do you do?
6. You have been advised that your boss and his immediate supervisor will
attend the first A.M. session. Is any special action called for? If so, what?

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7. Things get off to a good start. You feel you are establishing rapport with
your participant group. A loud lawn mower begins to operate just outside
your ground-floor windows. Your course of action?
8. As you begin your class, you suddenly become aware that youve forgotten
these items: an extra projector bulb, the end-of-session evaluation forms,
the key to open the adjacent break-out rooms for small group work, your
flipchart and paper, marking pens. Your actions?
9. The course is ending and all went well. Or so you thought. To your
surprise, one participant says, Very interesting, but Im not sure I can use
this stuff back home. How do you respond?
10. The course has ended. Everyone has gone. Now its time to? (To do
what and why?)
11. Your supervisor and his boss arrive just as you are ready to leave. What
do you say to them about the programs success? (Of the ten written
evaluations you received, five gave the program a rating of Very Useful,
two rated it as Useful, and three rated it as Not Useful)

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Here are some suggestions to handle the challenges:

1. Check your training facilities for wheelchair accessibility. If they are not
wheelchair accessible, consider possible alterations (accommodations). If
there are obstacles which cannot readily be overcome, advise the
participant of this and let him/her decide whether he/she wishes to
attend.
2. Missing the mornings word on Day One may not be too serious. Be sure
to brief the participant about events to the extent practical, and provide
him/her with your handout materials. But missing all the Day Two in a
two-day course is a bit much. Advise the participant not to attend and to
consider, instead, enrollment in a future course.
3. Since a participant should be fully alert, consider arranging his/her
attendance at a different session when he/she will be fully rested. If this
cant be done, permit his/her attendance. Observe the attendee on Day
One, assessing his/her capability to participate.
4. Meet this challenge head one. Say something like this: I realize that
several of you are here only because of your boss insistence.
Nevertheless, I challenge you to take away at least one useful concept or
technique. Ill do my best to make certain that everyone will profit from
entering into things.
5. This is the traditional problem of vertical training. While it may be useful
in a team-building program, it may be problematic in the usual supervisory
training course. If the boss does over-shadow the subordinate, at least
have them sit apart. Also, you can call on the subordinate first to secure
equal participation. Note: This type of enrollment should be discouraged
when the program is announced. State frankly that many subordinates
may be reluctant to speak up in their bosses presence and certainly will
not offer comments which are in disagreement with those of their bosses.
6. Depending on your experience, your relationship with your boss, and so
on, this may or may not be a problem. If theres no problem with their
presence, use it as an opportunity to show how well you conduct the
course. If they wish to comment at times, weave their observations into
the normal flow of things. You may wish to check with your boss in
advance of the course to learn what role will be assumed: overseer,
participant?
7. Serious noise outside the classroom can be coped with via a break (if the
noise is temporary) or be telling the noisemakers that you are conducting a
course and asking them to go elsewhere. If the noise will be continuing
and you cant move to a quiet location, you may as well stop until the noise
ceases. In any case, you cant conduct training if everyone will be subject
to a major distraction.

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8. On the missing items:

The extra bulb: the odds are in your favor that it wont burn out.
The evaluation forms: Seek oral evaluations or ask for written
responses to questions you provide orally. You can ask for ratings
(1-5 point scale) on course interest, course value, course materials,
etc.
Flipchart, paper and pens: There may be a chalkboard to fall back
on. If not, you might be able to use notebook paper and
highlights.
9. This should never happen if you build unto the course transfer-to-the-job
activities such as action plans, role-plays, and worksheets for back home
use.
10. Do two things: (a) focus on the course, recording your reactions to it,
particularly areas for improvements; (b) review the evaluation forms,
looking for items of critique which might be helpful when you revise the
course or deliver it again.
11. The stats on the evaluation forms add up to a 70% success rate, which is
quite acceptable. (You cant win them all.) So present the data as
indicative of a worthwhile experience for the participants. Indicate, too,
that the feedback sheets have presented some ideas which you intend to
use next time to build on the programs success.

Extreme Example
Heres another problem to test your ability to cope with the unforeseen. What if
you were to lose your voice just prior to an important training session? How
would you cope with what would seem to be a disaster of truly monumental
proportions? Well, heres what one trainer did, in respect to a six-hour course on
effective speaking, writing, and organizational communication, without speaking a
word:
When presented with a question, he looked around the room with an expectant
expression and used hand gestures to invite answers from participants. Once an
answer was received, he either nodded agreement or disagreement or sometimes
gestured for added comments. If he needed to make a point, he wrote on a
flipchart or an overhead projector. The overall results: high group satisfaction.
He concluded, Instructors could greatly benefit by occasionally enforcing silence
on themselves.

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Poor Introductions
Assume your introducer has loused up his/her introduction of you by providing
misinformation or telling an inappropriate joke. How do you react? Above all,
neither retaliate in kind by putting down your inept introducer nor refer to the
problem in any way. Instead, move right into your prepared material.
If you want your audience to learn something worthwhile about yourself and/or
your work, introduce yourself as part of your talk, for example, In my most
recent book or, In my sting at Corporation XYZ.

Electrical Failures
You cant get the power back on your own, but you can move closer to the
audience so that they can hear you more easily and you can see them better. You
can also trot out your funniest and most stimulating stories and example first.
Hopefully, you have mentally arranged your material so that you can do that. If
also helps to keep peoples attention by moving around the room.
You may also draw on a few one-liners such as The training center manager told
me that his accountant is a little slow in paying their utility bills. Or The hotel
has a backup electric generator, but no one can find it in the dark. If you were
up late last night, its O.K. to catch up on your sleep now. Id suggest to those
of you who are taking notes that its O.K. to light that candle you brought along.
Acknowledge the problem at the outset. If your participants know that you are
aware of the problem, they are more likely to be patient and less likely to become
frustrated.
Advise them that you will try to be fair to everyone by working your way around
the room, beginning on one side. This is not only a fair procedure, but it will
eliminate the need for trainees to sit frustratingly with their hands in the air. It will
also encourage full listening to other peoples comments, as opposed to vying to
secure the trainers attention.
Procedurally, stand on the opposite side of the room from the trainees when they
are speaking. With a large group, it may be difficult for participants to hear other
trainees comments, particularly since trainees tend to present their observations to
the trainer. This strategy is designed to get the trainee, as speaker, to talk loudly so
all in the room can benefit from what is said.

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Group Silence
A large group will discourage less verbal and less courageous participants from
making inputs. No one wants to risk looking stupid before his/her peers. Here
are some strategies to get people to open up:

Warm up the group before you plunge into your presentation. Use as
many icebreakers and/or openers as may be necessary.
If silence is total, address the issue head on. Ask participants why they are
reluctant to speak up. Advise them that prior groups have been very vocal
about the issues involved, showing no reluctance at all. Also, indicate that
people learn by active rather than passive participation. By taking a
proactive stance on their silence, you communicate loud and clear to
anyone who might wish to speak up that this is a very legitimate
expectation of this course/program and one which the trainer supports
wholeheartedly.
After breaks and lunch, ask: Would anyone like to share what points
came up on that issue in the course of your discussion during the break?
Dont fill the void of silence yourself. Some participants may feel
comfortable with the trainer doing all the work for them, but that comfort
comes at the expensed of their learning. Participants learn best when they
are active, questions, commenting, debating and testing their own ideas
rather than passively holding back.
Be sensitive to nonverbal communication. Sudden forward learns, eye
rolls, eyes lighting up, etc. may tell you that people are with you. You may
wish to process (interpret) these nonverbal signals for the group: I saw a
lot of head nods. Does this mean that this is a serious problem? Pause
and wait for someone to break the silence, even if it seems like an eternity.
Your patient silence will put pressure on the group, and someone will
respond to fill the uncomfortable void.
Render praise to those who provide inputs. This assures the group that it
is safe to speak up.
You may approach someone during the break. Engage him/her in a
discussion about the presentation, and then ask if he/she would share
his/her comments/reactions with the group.

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Group-induced Tangents
Inevitably, someone will stray from the issue at hand, either intentionally or
unwittingly. Your job is to get the errant ones back on track. These approaches
can counteract tendencies to abandon the courses focus:

Acknowledge the importance of the comment and assure the group that
you will return to that topic/issue. Then ask if anyone has any comments
about the actual issue now at hand. Return later to the new topics raised
by the participants.
If there is a departure from the real or original issue, ask the trainee who
raised the original issue if the group is addressing it. If not, ask him/her to
restate or clarify the issue. Then ask for group comments.
You may wish to acknowledge the deviant comment by paraphrasing what
was said. Then politely ask the errant one if he/she heard the prior
comment and how he/she feels about it.

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Adult Learning
Objectives:
In this chapter you will:

Discuss andragogy and pedagogy

Discuss the basic principles of adult learning
List some tenets of adult learning
Discuss tips for teaching adults
Receive a list of recommended adult learning resources

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Andragogy and Pedagogy

It was only after World War II that serious inquiry really began in adult learning
and development. Most of this early research took place in the USA.
At the same time, In Europe, a unified theory of adult learning was evolving for
which the term andragogy was used to differentiate it from the theory of youth
learning, pedagogy. Malcolm Knowles used this term in his work of developing a
unified system of adult learning.
Andragogical theory is based on the following four assumption that differentiate it
from pedagogy or traditional teaching methods:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Concept of the learner

Role of learners experience
Readiness to learn
Orientation to learning

A more detailed comparison of the two is given in the table on the next page.
According to Knowles, the adragogical model is a process model, not a content model
that has been used in traditional education. The adult instructor is a facilitator, a
consultant, a change agent who involves the learners in the following process:

Establishing a climate conducive to learning

Creating a mechanism for mutual planning
Diagnosing the needs for learning
Formulating objectives and content that will satisfy these needs
Designing a pattern of learning experiences
Conducting these learning experiences with suitable techniques and
materials

This process model does not ignore content; rather the emphasis is on providing
procedures and resources for facilitating the learners acquisition of information
and skills. If it only serves to influence their attitude to training and make it more
positive, that in itself is a powerful achievement!

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With
regard to
Concept of
the learner

Role of the
learners
experience

Readiness to
learn

Orientation to
learning

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Pedagogy

Andragogy

Role of learner is dependent

Role of learner is essentially selfdirecting

Teacher takes responsibility for the

whole learning process

Role of teacher is the responsibility

for encouraging and nurturing this
self-directed need

Learners bring little experience to

the learning situation

Learners experience accumulated

over a lifetime is a great resource
for learning both for self and
others

Learners dependent on expert

style

Learners attach greater significance

to what they experience rather than
what they are told

Main techniques are transmittal

techniques

Main techniques are experiential

techniques

Learners learn what they are

conditioned to learn to obtain
parental/societal approval

Learners learn when they feel a

need to learn

Fear of failure is a great motivator

Learning should meet their needs

to help them cope with the
demands of their
world/home/work, etc.

Learning is standardized and

progressive because it is aimed at
the same age group and every age
group is similar in its learning needs
and its readiness to learn

Learning should be organized to

meet learner needs and sequenced
according to individuals ability and
readiness to learn

Learning is subject oriented, with

emphasis on content, most of which
they may forget because it has no
immediate relevance

Learners seek to acquire

competence to cope with demands
of their world; they seek personal
development and achievement of
potential; they also seek immediate
gratification; learning must be
relevant and immediately
applicable

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Adult Learning Principles and Tenets

Many books have been written on adult learning. We recommend that you choose
at least one and read it. It is basically our feeling that learning is not very much
different between young learners and mature learners. It is basically the learning
environment and the motivation of the adult learner that differs.

Principles
Some basic adult learning principles are:

The learners self-concept moves from one of being a dependent

personality to one of being a self-directed human being.
The learner accumulates a growing reservoir of experience that becomes
an increasing resource for learning.
The learners readiness to learn becomes oriented more to the
developmental tasks of his/her social and professional roles.
The learners time perspective changes from one of postponed application
of knowledge to immediacy of application.
The learners focus shifts from the subject to the problem.

Tenets
Some adult learning tenets are:

Adults themselves are a rich resource for their own learning and the
learning of others.
New learning takes on meaning for adults mainly as they are able to relate
it to past experience.
Adults have a large number of fixed habits and patterns of thought, which
require them to carefully question each new idea they learn.

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Assumptions about the Adult Learner

1. Adult learners are diverse, bringing a wealth of life experiences to the
learning situation. Active forms of learning help connect the content to
the learners own meaning structures. They:
Very widely among ages, abilities, job experiences, cultural
backgrounds, and personal goals
Range in educational backgrounds from no formal schooling
through many years of schooling
Carry well-developed personal identities
Carry reservoirs of personal experiences, which are learning
resources
2. Adult learners want to be able to relate content to specific contexts in their
lives. These contexts are often in the form of a problem issue or concern
in their worksite i.e. the ABE classroom. They:
Tend to be pragmatic learners
Study to improve their performance in other social roles
Expect their class time to be well spent
Hope their courses will help them solve problems in their daily
lives
3. Adult learners prefer to have some degree of control over their learning.
They may evidence a greater or lesser degree of self-directedness
depending upon their maturity level familiarity with the content. They:
Tend to be voluntary learners
Believe the decision to return to school is an important one
Believe that education will be helpful
4. The adults sense of self has a significant influence on the meaning of the
learning situation for that person. Learners have differing degrees of selfefficacy and awareness of their own learning styles. They may:
Feel embarrassed about returning to school
Feel embarrassed to join classes with younger students
Hold negative impressions of their own abilities;
Hold negative impressions of schools and teachers

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The Seven Key Factors Found In Learning

Programs that Stimulated Adult Development Are:
1. An environment where students feel safe and supported, where individual
needs and uniqueness are honored, where abilities and life achievements
are acknowledged and respected.
2. An environment that fosters intellectual freedom and encourages
experimentation and creativity.
3. An environment where faculty treats adult students as peersaccepted
and respected as intelligent experienced adults whose opinions are listened
to, honored, appreciated. Such faculty members often comment that they
learn as much from their students as the students learn from them.
4. Self-directed learning, where students take responsibility for their own
learning. They work with faculty to design individual learning programs
that address what each person needs and wants to learn in order to
function optimally in their profession.
5. Pacing or intellectual challenge. Optimal pacing is challenging people just
beyond their present level of ability. If challenged too far beyond, people
give up. If challenged too little, they become bored and learn little. Pacing
can be compared to playing tennis with a slightly better player; your game
tends to improve. But if the other player is far better and its impossible to
return a ball, you give up, overwhelmed. If the other player is less
experienced and can return none of your balls, you learn little. Those
adults who reported experiencing high levels of intellectual stimulation
to the point of feeling discomfortgrew more.
6. Active involvement in learning, as opposed to passively listening to
lectures. Where students and instructors interact and dialogue, where
students try out new ideas in the workplace, where exercises and
experiences are used to bolster facts and theory, adults grow more.
7. Regular feedback mechanisms for students to tell faculty what works best
for them and what they want and need to learnand faculty who hear and
make changes based on student input.
In contrast, in learning programs where students feel unsafe and threatened, where
they are viewed as underlings, life achievements not honored, those students tend
to regress developmentally, especially in self-esteem and self-confidence. In
programs where students are required to take identical lockstep courses, whether
relevant to professional goals or not, and where they are often expected to spend
several years working on a dissertation that is part of a professors research project
instead of on a topic of their choice, they grow less. In other words, students
grow more in student-centered as opposed to faculty-centered programs.
A clear and simple mini-lab on effective and ineffective adult learning
environment can be observed in English-as-SecondLanguage classes for new
immigrants. In Classes where students feel safe, where lessons are focused on
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current language needs, where students are asked for input on what helps them
most to learn, where students are actively involved in interesting and fun exercises,
where theres lots of laughter and congeniality, students of all ages and
backgrounds learn English fast and well. In classes where students are made to
feel inadequate and threatened, little is learned.

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A Whole Bunch Of things We Know For Sure About

Adult Learning
Motivation to Learn

Adults seek out learning experiences in order to cope with specific lifechanging events e.g., marriage, divorce, a new job, a promotion, being
fired, retiring, losing a loved one, moving to a new city.
The more life changing events an adult encounters, the more likely he or
she is to seek out learning opportunities. Just as stress increases as lifechange events accumulate, the motivation to cope with change through
engagement in a learning experience increases.
The learning experiences adults seek out on their own are directly related
at least in their perception to the life-change events that triggered the
seeking.
Adults are generally willing to engage in learning experiences before, after
or even during the actual life change event. Once convinced that the
change is a certainty, adults will engage in any learning that promises to
help cope with the transition.
Adults who are motivated to seek out a learning experience do so primarily
because they have a use for the knowledge or skill being sought. Learning
is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
Increasing or maintaining ones sense of self-esteem and pleasure are
strong secondary motivators for engaging in learning experiences.

Curriculum Design

Adult learners tend to be less interested in, and enthralled by, survey
courses. They tend to prefer single concept, single-theory courses that
focus heavily on the application of the concept to relevant problems. This
tendency increases with age.
Information that conflicts sharply with what is already held to be true, and
thus forces a re-evaluation of the old material, is integrated more slowly.
Information that has little conceptual overlap with what is already
known is acquired slowly.
Fast-paced, complex or unusual learning tasks interfere with the learning
of the concepts or data they are intended to teach or illustrate.
Adults tend to compensate for being slower in some psychomotor learning
tasks by being more accurate and making fewer trial-and-error ventures.
Adults tend to take errors personally and are more likely to let them affect
self-esteem. Therefore, they tend to apply tried-and-true solutions and
take fewer risks.

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The curriculum designer must know whether the concepts of ideas will be
concert or in conflict with the learner. Some instruction must be designed
to effect a change in belief and value systems.
Programs need to be designed to accept viewpoints from people in
different life stages and with different value sets.
A concept needs to be anchored or explained from more than one value
set and appeal to more than one developmental life stage.
Adults prefer self-directed and self-designed learning projects over grouplearning experiences led by a professional, they select more than one
medium for learning, and they desire to control pace and start/stop time.
Non-human media such as books, programmed instruction and television
have become popular with adults in recent years.
Regardless of media, straight forward how-to is the preferred content
orientation. Adults cite a need for application and how-to information as
the primary motivation for beginning a learning project.
Self-direction does not mean isolation. Studies of self-directed learning
indicate that self-directed projects involve an average of 10 other people as
resources, guides, encouragers, and the like. But even for the selfprofessed, self-directed learner, lectures and short seminars get positive
ratings, especially when these events give the learner face-to-fact, one-toone access to an expert.

In the Classroom

The learning environment must be physically and psychologically

comfortable; long lectures, periods of interminable sitting and the absence
of practice opportunities rate high on the irritation scale.
Adults have something real to lose in a classroom situation. Self-esteem
and ego are on the line when they are asked to risk trying a new behavior
in front of peers and cohorts. Bad experiences in traditional education,
feelings about authority and the preoccupation with events outside the
classroom affect in-class experience.
Adults have expectations, and it is critical to take time early on to clarify
and articulate all expectations before getting into content. The instructor
can assume responsibility only for his or her own expectations, not for
those of students.
Adults bring a great deal of life experience into the classroom. An
invaluable asset to be acknowledged, tapped and used. Adults can learn
well and much from dialogue with respected peers.
Instructors who have a tendency to hold forth rather than facilitate can
hold that tendency in checkor compensate for itby concentrating on
the use of open-ended questions to draw out relevant student knowledge
and experience.
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New knowledge has to be integrated with precious knowledge; students

must activity participates in the learning experience.
The learner is
dependent on the instructor for confirming feedback on skill practice; the
instructor is dependent on the learner for feedback about curriculum and
in-class performance.
The key to the instructor role is control. The instructor must balance the
presentation of new material of material, debate and discussion, sharing of
relevant student experience, and the clock. Ironically, it seems that
instructors are best able to establish control when they risk giving it up.
When they shelve egos and stifle the tendency to be threatened by
challenge to plans and methods, they gain the kind of facilitative control
needed to affect adult learning.
The instructor has to protect minority opinion, keep disagreements civil
and unheated, make connections between various opinions and ideas, and
keep reminding the group of the variety of potential solutions to the
problem. The instructor is less advocate then orchestrator.
Integration of new knowledge and skill requires transition time and
focused effort on application.
Learning and teaching theories function better as resources than as a
Rosetta stone. A skill-training task can draw much from the behavioral
approach, for example, while personal growth-centered subjects seem to
draw gainfully from humanistic to developing strategies and procedures, is
recommended for matching instruction to learning tasks.

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More Principles of Adult Learners

Adults are people with years of experience and a wealth of
information
Focus on the strengths learners bring to the classroom, not just gaps in their
knowledge. Provide opportunities for dialogue within the group. Tap their
experience as a major source of enrichment to the class. Remember that you, the
teacher, do not need to have all the answers, as long as you know where to go or
who to call to get the answers. Students can be resources to you and to each
other.

Adults have established values, beliefs and opinions

Demonstrate respect for differing beliefs, religions, value systems, and lifestyles.
Let your learners know that they are entitled to their values, beliefs and opinions,
but that everyone in the room may not share their beliefs. Allow debate and
challenge of ideas.

Adults are people whose style and pace of learning has probably
changed
Use a variety of teaching strategies such as small group problem solving and
discussion. Use auditory, visual, tactile and participatory teaching methods.
Reaction time and speed of learning may be slow, but the ability to learn is not
impaired by age. Most adults prefer teaching methods other than lecture.

Adults relate new knowledge and information to previously

learned information and experiences
Assess the specific learning needs of your audience before your class or at the
beginning of the class. Present single concepts and focus on application of
concepts to relevant practical situations. Summarize frequently to increase
retention practical situations. Summarize frequently to increase retention and
recall. Material outside of the context of participants experiences and knowledge
because meaningless.

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Adults are people with bodies influenced by gravity

Plan frequent breaks, even if they are 2-minute stretch breaks. During a lecture,
a short break every 45-60 minutes is sufficient. In more interactive teaching
situations, breaks can be spaced 60-90 minutes apart.

Adult have pride

Support the students as individuals. Self-esteem and ego are at risk in a classroom
environment that is not perceived as safe or supportive. People will not ask
questions or participate in learning if they are afraid of being put down or
ridiculed. Allow people to admit confusion, ignorance, fears, biases and different
opinions. Acknowledge or thank student for their responses and questions. Treat
all questions and comments with respect. Avoid saying I just covered that when
someone asks a repetitive questions. Remember, the only foolish question is the
unasked question.

Adults have a deep need to be self-directing

Engage the students in a process of mutual inquiry. Avoid merely transmitting
knowledge or expecting total agreement. Dont spoon-feed the participants.

Individual differences among people increases with age

Take into account differences in style, time types and paces of learning. Use
auditory, visual, tactile and participatory teaching methods.

Adults tend to have a problem-center orientation to learning

Emphasize how learning can be applied in a practical setting. Use case studies,
problem solving groups, and participatory activities to enhance learning. Adults
generally want to immediately apply new information or skills to current problems
or situations.
Note: New information and skills must be relevant and meaningful to the
concerns and desires of the students. Know what the needs are of individuals in
your class. Students do not wish to learn when they will never use. The learning
environment must be physically and psychologically comfortable.

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Understanding Learning Styles

People are diversified in learning styles. Learning style is a function of heredity
and experience, including strengths and limitations, and develops individually over
the life span. Learning style is also a combination of affective, cognitive,
environmental, and physiological responses that characterize how to each person
learns.
Teaching individual through their learning style strengths improves their
achievement, self-esteem, and attitudes toward learning. Effective teaching is
learning-style based and personalized to address and honor diversity. Good
teachers continually monitor activities to ensure compatibility of instruction and
evaluation with each individuals learning-style strengths.
In a workshop with adult participants, each individual is entitled to counseling and
instruction that respond to his/her style of learning. Once you acknowledge how
different people learn, you may want to adjust your teaching strategies to help
learning happen in your class!

Three Different Learning Styles

People not only learn at different rates, but also in different ways. Some students
want their teachers to write everything out on the board. Others prefer to listen.
Some like to sit in small groups and discuss a question; others like to listen to a
lecture, translating it into pictorial doodles in their notebook.

Visual Learners: (You have to see it to believe it)

Characteristics:

Needs to see it to know it

Strong sense of color
May have artistic ability
Difficulty with spoken directions
Over-reaction to sounds
Trouble following lectures
Misinterpretation of words
Teaching/learning Tips
Use graphics to reinforce learning (films, slides, illustrations, doodles,
charts, notes, and flashcards
Color code to organize notes
Write out everything including directions for quick and frequent visual
review
Use flow charts and diagrams for note-taking
Visualize spelling of words or facts to be memorized
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Auditory Learners: (If you hear it, you remember it)

Characteristics:

Prefers to get information by listening needs to hear it to know it

Difficulty following written directions
Difficulty with reading and writing
Use audiotapes for reading and for class and lecture notes
Learn by interviewing or by participating in discussions
After you have read something, summarize it on tape
Verbally review spelling words and lectures with a friend

Tactual Learners: (If you can touch it with your hands, you will remember
it)

Prefers hands-on learning

Can assemble parts without reading directions
Difficulty sitting still
Learns better when physical activity is involved
Learning tips
Experimental learning (make models, do lab work, and role-play)
Frequent breaks in study periods
Trace letters and words to learn spelling and remember facts
Use a computer to reinforce learning through a sense of touch
Memorize or drill facts to be learned while walking or exercising
Write out facts to be learned several times

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Comparing and Contrast the Four Training Styles

Instructor
(Expert)

Counselor
(Peer)

Professor
(Scholar)

Experimenter
(Coach)

Lectures

Discusses

Theorizes

Activities

Assigns
homework

Involves and
interacts with
groups

Conceptualizes

Encourages risk
taking, innovation
and individuality

Test and scores

Acknowledge
feelings

Refers students to
readings &
technical manuals

Consults

Limits
participation

Reinforces

Authoritative

Facilitates

Controlled

Listens

Impersonal

Reinforces
practical
applications

Organized

Supportive

Evaluates
abstractly

Directive

Discloses

Analytical

Supports nonjudgmentally

Expects students
to observe watch
and listen

Relaxed and
encourages selfdirection

Objective

Participates in
problem solving

Demonstrates

Collaborates

Expects accuracy
& precision

Plays

Answers what

Elicits feelings
who

Why and
When

Provides resources
How

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Characteristics of the Four Training Styles

Instructor

Counselor

Professor

Experimenter

Techniques

Lectures

Group
Discussion

Readings

Role Plays

Materials

Handouts

Charts

Manuals

Projects

Environment

Controlled

Individual

Analytical

Practical

Uses

Observing

Involving

Reasoning

Trying it

Systems

Visual

Listening

Perceiving

Touching

Process

Assigns

Discloses

Theorizes

Activities

Questions

What?

Who?

Why?

How?

Structure

Outline

Checklist

Diagram

Projects

Style

Organized

Relaxed

Impersonal

Realistic

Seen As

Directive

Supportive

Conceptual

Pragmatic

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Training Style Evaluation

This assessment is developed to help you identify which type of trainer you are,
counselor, professor, experimenter or instructor. There are no correct or wrong
answers. You will be presented with 12 multiple choices. The result will be
converted into scores at the end of the application. The highest total indicates a
self-perception of preferred training style. It might imply someone using this style
excessively regardless of learners preferences. The lowest suggests the least
preferred style as well as the area of most likely growth and development to reach
learners who prefer that mode.
Question 1
People learn best when they:
a)
b)
c)
d)

apply the concepts practically through on-the-job projects

become involved and discuss with peers who know the subject
listen and watch an expert
study manuals and follow instructions

Question 2
The most effective way to get someone to change is to:
a) make your expectations clear and tell them the consequences if they fail to
comply
b) be someone they respect enough to copy/model
c) provide facts and data
d) facilitate their acceptances of strengths and weaknesses and stay out of
their way
Question 3
The techniques I tend to use the most are:
a)
b)
c)
d)

group involvement and individual applications

lectures, handouts and assignments
role plays, problem-solving activities or simulations
handouts, readings and overhead transparencies

Questions 4
My teaching motor might be:
a)
b)
c)
d)

Students must be seen not be heard

There is more than a one way to skin a cat
"Practice makes perfect
You can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink

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Question 5
Others say I:
a)
b)
c)
d)

am a good role model

act as one of the guys
really know my subject
am a cheerleader

Question 6
The most important question a learner can ask is:
a)
b)
c)
d)

What?
Why?
Who?
How?

Question 7
The way to know if someone has learned something is to:
a)
b)
c)
d)

give some immediate feedback

critique their on-the-job performance
give them a personal evaluation
administer an objective test

Question 8
The most significant aspect of teaching is learners:
a)
b)
c)
d)

understanding abstract concepts

applying knowledge to real life
using practical skill
seeing things creatively

Question 9
The most effective way to influence another is through:
a)
b)
c)
d)

being charismatic
establishing credibility
acting friendly
enforcing compliance

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Question 10
An approach Ive used successfully:
a)
b)
c)
d)

being smart and respected

being competent and authoritative
being positive and emotional
being enthusiastic and active

Question 11
If someone is negatively disrupting class, I tend to:
a)
b)
c)
d)

clearly return the discussion to the topic

acknowledge their position and redirect discussion
establish firmly that Im in charge
ask them how theyre feeling, whats going on

Question 12
My most important values in teaching are:
a)
b)
c)
d)

participation, cooperation, teamwork and seeing students grow

organization, practicality and common sense
precision, order and making the theories clear
Initiative and creativity, having students apply the material

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Even More Characteristics of Adult Learners

They have different motivations for learning

They have different learning styles
They want to know why its important to learn something
They prefer collaborative and self-directed learning rather than traditional
authoritarian
They want practical or experience-based learning that connects to their
past learning and helps them solve realistic problems
They learn best when they receive specific and immediate feedback on
their performance
They need to practice their new skills. Adults want to apply theory and
concepts to practical, immediate problems that they have

Even More About How Adult Learners Learn

The adult attention span isnt that much longer than that of children. If
adults get impatient or bored with a long lecture, theyll leave, figuratively
or literally.
Adults can learn as well as younger students and are frequently more
motivated. You can teach an old dog new tricks. But incorporate their life
experiences and opinions into the teaching.
Adults are very often tired, overworked, and burned-out when they come
to you to learn. Variety, stimulus and liveliness can all help energize them
into a learning process. We all need a vacation.
Nothing makes an adult defensive more quickly than an instructor who
talks down in a condescending manner. Adults expect their maturity to be
considered and respected.
Adults are particularly interested in learning experiences that help them
cope with specific life changes and transitions like a new job, promotion or
moving. People seek out learning in proportion to the number of life
changes theyre encountering.
Adults prefer single concept courses that focus on applications to relevant,
practical problems rather than broad survey courses. Thats part of the
reason How To approaches are popular.
Adults like teachers who establish control buy giving it up, who arent
challenged by suggestions for altering plans and methods, who facilitate
and share rather than dictate

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Even More About What Makes a Good Instructor?

A good instructor should know how to engage the class in active learning.
He should:

Provide for the relatively easy and certain involvement of everyone.

Permit and encourage meaningful participation in a low-risk, threat-free
way.
Provide participants an opportunity to learn from peers and to test out the
validity of their own ideas.
Provide the diversity of examples for good problem solving.

Tips for Teaching Adults

Techniques should be used that tap the experience of the adult learner.
Active participation and ego involvement in the learning process will help
the adult learn.
Broad generalizations should be illustrated with tactual experiences drawn
from the learner.
Design learning experiences that allow the learner to plan, or even
rehearse, how he/she is going to apply the new information in day-to-day
life.
Build into the learning an early experience that provides the learner with
an early success.
Give the adults the responsibility for their own learning through selfdirected inquiry and to learn through their own experience and that of
their classmates.
Recognize that learning is an individual process of meeting individual
needs and goal striving by the learner.
The instructor must strive to teach individuals, not subjects.
Provide resources to the adult learner and motivate him/her to use them.
Remember, self-evaluation is very important to the adult learner.
The adult learners self-esteem must be protected.
Adults have expectations that must be met.

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Classroom Flow and Organization

On the day the course is to be taught, there are several items that either need to be
mentioned or incorporated into the class. The following is a checklist to guide
you through the flow and organization of Stefanini courses.

Classroom Setup
The items listed here are checkpoints for the morning of the class when you arrive
at the training site.

Always arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of the
course. This will help to accommodate any unexpected situations upon
arrival.
Turn on each PC to be sure the appropriate software is loaded and all
necessary features have been installed. This will help to prevent
unexpected software surprises later on in the day. Also. If printing is a
part of the course, check to see that the printers are connected and
working.
Verify that the course materials are correct.
Try to reach the contact upon your arrival to let them know you are there,
and introduce yourself.
Located the restrooms and telephones.
Write your name and the course name on the whiteboard or flipchart, and
list the Course Objectives.
Check the release number on your Instructor Guide to see if it matches
that of the Student Manuals.
If not, recognize that there may be some page numbering differences.
Compare the Table of Contents of both books to note any page
numbering differences. Request or download an updated Instructor Guide
when possible.

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Instructors Opening Remarks

An instructors opening comments can set the tone or mood of the class. The
instructor should be professional, yet friendly in their remarks. The classroom
environment should also be relaxed and fun. Proper use of humor is strongly
recommended and makes students feel comfortable with the instructor.
It is important to introduce yourself and the course. Here is a list of checkpoints
to be covered in your opening remarks to the students.

Introduce yourself and welcome the students to class

It helps to rehearse your opening remarks in front of the mirror or in front
of another person before you try them in class for the first time

Schedule and Facility

These items refer to class times, breaks, and information about the training facility.
This type of information should be tagged on the end of the opening remarks and
will help make the students comfortable in their environment.

State the class start and finish times.

Mention the number of breaks that will be taken throughout the day. Try
not to set firm time commitments at this point.
Point out where restrooms, break room, phones, and all exits are located.
Indicate the location of any refreshments, such as coffee, tea, vending
machines, smoking areas, etc. Also, it can be helpful to mention
restaurants in the area that are convenient for lunch.
Let students know that any important messages will be conveyed to them
(message board, a note on the door, etc.)
Point out that the Student Manuals are theirs to keep and encourage the
students to make notes within them. Indicate that the manuals are an
excellent post-class reference providing step-by-step instructions for every
procedure covered in class.

Course Objectives and Prerequisites

Reviewing the Course Objectives and prerequisites set the expectations of

the students. They can also assist in filtering the students who are in the
wrong class or who have not completed the proper prerequisites.
Students also need to be aware that if they are in the wrong class they are
welcome to leave the class before or during the morning break and can
then be rescheduled for the appropriate class.
Briefly overview the topics to be covered in the course. Providing a brief
overview of each chapter can do this quickly and easily.
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Introductions
By introducing your background and/or qualification you will build your
credibility with the students. By having the students introduce themselves, they
will become comfortable with one another
Provide a quick biography on yourself describing any software of training
background and have. Keep the comments short and professional, they
are meant to create student confidence in your ability.
Use a short icebreaker to initiate student participation, if appropriate.
Ask each student to state their name and their experience level with the
concepts being covered in class as well as their anticipated use of the skills
they will be learning.
Smile and enjoy yourself. The more comfortable you look, the more
comfortable the students will feel.
A lot can be learned about students during the introductions. Are they in the right
class? What is the general experience level of the group? With this information,
the class can be adjusted to the right pace.

Presenting Topics
As each topic is covered in the course, instruct the students using Define-ShowDo-Review.
1. Present a definition of the topic of feature. (Define)
2. Provide the benefit to using the feature and some real-life scenarios
where students might use it in their work. This gives the students an
opportunity to get excited about a feature. Ask the students to share ideas
as to when they see a feature being used in their work.
3. Walk students through the steps for accessing the feature using either the
Instructor Guide demonstration or one of your own. (Show). After
completing the demonstration, ask the students for feedback. After they
have tried it, do they see other uses for the concept? Provide additional
examples, if appropriate. Encourage the students to ask questions.
4. Have students practice the concept. Most of time this will be
accomplished through an exercise. (Do)
5. Review the concept and the steps used by questioning the students. These
review questions are easily created before class and can be written in the
Instructor Guide. Reinforce the skills learned through a summary exercise.
(Review)
6. Always ask the students if they have any questions before moving on.
Address the questions clearly and logically and after responding to the
questions ask the student, Did I answer your question? This ensures that
you had a full understanding of the question being asked.
7. If these are a lot of basic questions about the topic covered, review the
procedures again to provide clarification.
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Transitioning
Moving from one topic to another smoothly is very important. By planning
effective transitions prior to teaching the class, the material flows smoother and
your presentation of the tropics will be more polished. If transitions are choppy
the students may have trouble seeing a correlation between features or may just
feel as though the class is poorly organized. Here are some tips on effective
transitioning.

Transitions between Chapter Topics

During your prep time, plan transitions. Think about how the topic just covered
relates to the next topic. This should be fairly easy in most cases in your
courseware chapters are carefully organized for topic flow.

Chapter Transitions
Transitions from one chapter to another are important in order to create
continuity. Students should see the class as a whole, not just topics thrown
together at random.
Chapter transitions can often present the same challenges as unrelated topics.

Introducing Exercises
When it is time to complete a chapter or summary exercise, it is important to
introduce it and explain the purpose behind the exercise.
The completion of exercises is as important as the lecture material and should be
treated as such.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Introduce the exercise by stating the exercise number.

Each exercise has an objective, review it with the students.
Discuss what skills will be practiced or reinforced within the exercise
Read through the instructions.
As students work through the exercise, circulate to assess the progress of
each student and answer any questions that arise.
6. Remind students that they can refer to the Student Manual while working.
7. If there is a student displaying frustration with the steps of the exercise,
help them as much as possible.
8. After the exercise has been completed, ask the students how they felt
about the exercise. Did they complete it satisfactorily? Are there any
questions? If not, it may be a good opportunity to ask them a few
questions about how they completed the exercise.

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Closing Remarks
After presenting the course material, you need to address a few details before
ending the class.

Ask for any additional questions regarding the course material covered
or additional topics.
Review and summarize the Course Objectives. This will reinforce
what was learning throughout the day and also confirm that all Course
Objectives were met.
Highlight the topics covered in the next level course. Discuss the
phone support policy as appropriate. Pass out certificates as
appropriate.
Ask students to complete the course evaluations and leave them either
at the front of the classroom or at the reception desk. Remind
students that all course materials are theirs to keep. Thank each
student for attending class.

After Class
Make notes in your Instructor Guide on what you feel could be improved for ht
next time you teach the class. Evaluate what you think went really well, and what
you think you might do differently next time,
Classroom Cleanup
As a common courtesy to follow instructors, please clean up the classroom after
class.

Clean off the whiteboard

Clear out any cups, cans, napkins, etc. that are left behind by the students
or yourself
Remove any unused books

The classroom is where the majority of your time as well as the students time are
spent. Having a clean and organized environment projects a better image on you
as well as the Stefanini Knowledge Organization.

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Climate
The right climate or atmosphere is essential for participant learning. While
right may be subject to certain amount of debate, most trainers would agree that
the following elements are basic ingredients of the climate we require:

Pre-arrival factors
Greeting of participants
The learning facility/environment itself
The trainers style and behavior

The following sections discuss these elements of climate as well as what to do

when things go wrong.

Setting the Climate before the Training Session

Ordinarily we think of climate in terms of what par-ants perceive once the training
begins. However, what we as trainers do or fail to do prior to our participants
arrival at the training room door is also an influencing factor. Hence the need to
pay attention to such pre-entry elements as:

Contact. Do we send participants a letter of welcome briefly explaining the

program and its goal; its location and how to get there, if necessary; daily
hours; when the program ends; provisions for meals; clothes to wear;
recreation possibilities? Remember, the letter, as the first contact with the
program, immediately begins to set the tone for the program.
Pre-work. Do we provide a pre-session assignment (through the mail) to
involve participants early on and to indicate that this is a real learning
opportunity?
Pre-session get together. Do we try to have a pre-session meeting to pass out a
pre-work assignment? For example, in a time management program,
distributing a time log and proving instructions concerning how to keep it
is a must. Or, in a management-training program, do we open with a getacquainted cocktail party the evening before the first morning session?
Need determination. Do we consider the possibility that we can better meet
participant needs if we learn of their problems before they arrive at class?
In effect, their problems, needs, and ideas can aid us in our work on
program design in general and in agenda setting in particular. Certainly,
participant input will go a long way in creating high expectations as well as
a climate of mutuality.
Calendar for contracting. Do we ask our participants to bring along their
calendars or appointment books for back-home action planning purposes?

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The Trainer as a Climate Setter

As mentioned before, it is important for the trainer to greet and mingle with the
group before the program starts. The trainer can also help to set the right climate
by concern with these added elements:

Clothing. Encourage the participants to dress informally in the advance

notification to them about the program. Also encourage them upon
arrival to put their coats on the coat rack or on unused chairs. To the
extent that they are made comfortable, they will help to make the
atmosphere that much looser. Similarly, you should abandon your
academic stance by shedding the traditional suit coat. In fact, in certain
situations other informal dress such as a sweater (rather than a coat and
tie) may work well.
Personal Introduction. If the group doesnt know you, tell them how you
want to be called and something about yourself. Dont be a mystery
person. But keep the intro pertinent, brief, and humble. The
participants may be particularly interested in your relationship to this
program: did you design it, experience it elsewhere, buy it off the shelf,
and revise it? Also, have you conducted it before? If so, how often?
Positioning. Where and how you position yourself in the classroom is also
significant. Thus, being seated (at least part of the time) is preferable to
standing; being seated or standing in front of a table is preferable to being
behind it; varying ones positions in the room-to the left or the right side
is preferable to always being up front; letting participants present material
up front while you are elsewhere is also good; sitting in a circle with the
group, if at all practicable, is preferable to always being up front.
Flip Charting. Numerous tear sheets on the walls can help to give the
training room a workshop atmosphere. Conversely, the blackboard up
front tends to aid the traditional schoolroom look. Note: Several flipcharts
containing key ideas may be posted on the wall in advance of the session.
Breaks and Lunch. Besides the formal morning and afternoon breaks.
Intermittent one or two minute stretch breaks can help to create a looser,
more relaxed feeling. In respect to the lunch period, try to keep the group
together so as to develop fuller group cohesion. Also, try to conduct the
training away from the building so the lunch period isnt used to check out
the in-box.
Using Participant Names. Try to address participants by their first names or
nicknames. Advance study of the roster and the use of name cards and /or
tent cards on the tables will help you do this. I you are using icebreakers,
join in so that you can get acquainted with at least some names and faces
from the outset. I like to have people call me by my first name. How do
you feel about this? If you like it, its a safe bet yours participants favor it,
too.

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Group Size. Small group situations are basic for achieving high
participation, involvement, camaraderie and learning. While larger groups
(230 persons) can certainly be broken down into small groups with good
results, intimacy and rapport among participants and with the trainer are
more readily achieved with the smaller group (8-12 or possibly 15
persons).
Intimacy. The trainer who wishes to create a positive climate will seek out
opportunities to get closer to the participants, to become a member of the
group. Some suggestions follow:
1. Mingle with participants at the break. Obviously you cant talk
with everyone. But the fact that you are talking to one or more
group members will be noted and appreciated. In effect, they will
identify with the ones you are speaking to.
2. Be certain to join the group at lunch. If it is not an organized
group lunch-and it should be, if at all possible-ask two or three
participants if you may join them.
3. If it is a live-in program, join the group at breakfast. Cocktails,
and dinner as well.
4. Be particularly understanding and helpful to latecomers. If the
late-arriving person has merely missed some introductory material,
tell him or her: Hi, welcome. You havent really missed anything.
We only had a warm-up exercise and the goals for the program are
posted on the flipchart sheet. This will help to reduce the
latecomers anxieties and show the group that you do have
empathy with all participants. If the latecomer has missed some
significant material. You may wish to make this statement: We
have covered some material which you will want to get checked
out on. Would you please see me at the break (or at lunch) and
Im sure that I can fill you in pretty well on what took place.
OK?
Trust. Effective learning requires a high degree of trust in the training
situation. Participants must feel that they can comment, question,
challenge, and disagree without fear of being criticized, attached, or put
down. Certainly, to the extent that the trainer can establish intimacy and
rapport with the participants, they will feel free to express their thoughts
and feelings. What about the use of training procedures and techniques
that relates to trust building? While such devices will not be a substitute
for the trainers behavior-actions do speak louder than words, and
gimmicks, -- they may help if they are in context and perceived as sincere.
In any case, here are two such procedures
1. Conduct a trust walk at the outset to symbolize the importance of
building trust
2. Use a message on a flipchart
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Style. The most important factor in climate setting is the trainers style.
The following key elements will determine this style:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

13.
14.

15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Using icebreakers and/or openers.

Listening with empathy; dont interrupt.
Accepting an idea one may not agree with.
Credibilitydo you communicate frankly what you know and
what you do not? Participants appreciate genuineness. Do you
practice what you teach, especially if you teach interpersonal skills!
Dealing with difficult participants in a respectful way.
Dealing empathically with slower participants.
A high energy level-ones energy/electricity, high or low, is very
likely to rub off on the participants.
Strong tendencies to utilize positive reinforcement (praise,
recognition).
Caringdo we recognize the training situation an opportunity to
make the participants, rather than ourselves, look good?.
Ability to learn with the group-every training experience is a
learning opportunity for the trainer and must be so perceived by
the group
Creating a supportive atmosphere where people feel free to take
risks, where they act on the assumption that there are no stupid
questions or comments.
Using self-disclosure-become real and human by revealing
something personal about you. This may be a reference to your
spouse, children, parents, hobbies, a recent boo-boo, or a (minor)
hang-up.
Being sensitive to the communication process, including
participant body language as well as your own.
Organizing the program and behaving in such a way that
participants feel that they have Ownership of the program.
Some key questions: Who is spending valuable time away from the
job? Who is here to learn? So whose program is it?.
Establishing at the outset participant expectations and trainer
expectations and the degree to which they coincide.
Establishing in your own mind your own role: catalyst/facilitator
vs. lecturer/instructor/expert, and then behaving consistently in
that chosen role.
Providing a fun-type atmosphere--need learning be dull, dreary,
depressing?
Providing for a change of pace-recreation, a party, field trips, etc.
Stressing opportunities for discovery rather than didactic learning.
Making learning gradual/developmental no one likes to be
pushed, nor are uncontracted for surprises appreciated.

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21. Securing feedback, to the extent practicable, about your own

behavior-for the trainer, a training program should be a growth
experience as well as a learning experience.
22. Making oneself accessible for questioning after the sessions or
programs end.

Trainer role. We made a previous reference to the need to decide on your

own rolecatalyst/facilitator vs. lecturer/instructor. Obviously the
facilitator role entails high involvement of the participant group. Trainers
Betsey Pickren and Roy I. Blitzer point out properly that there may be
times when other styles are appropriate or necessary. They cite a study
(Identifying Trainer Styles by Darlene Russ of Zenger-Miller Inc. and
Mary Howard of San Jose State University) which proposes four main
trainer styles: Director, Listener, Interpreter, and Coach.
1. The Director. This is the take-charge type. He/she has detailed
outlines and step-by-step lesson plans, provides a lot of lectures,
limits group participation, and zeros in on a specific set of learning
point. If time is limited and certain information must be imparted,
one may well adopt this style.
2. The Listener. This style is the reverse of that of the Director.
He/She lets participants take the floor; encourages expression of
needs, emotions, and experiences; shows great concern for
individual learners; operates in an unhurried way; demonstrates
empathic; and generally makes certain that participants are noticed
and feel important.
3. The Interpreter. This type of trainer stresses use of memory to
remember terms, stresses mastery of rules, explains events, and
shares ideas but not, his/her feelings.
Methodology-wise,
emphasis is on case study, readings, lecture, and disciplined
discussion. The stress is on acquisition of facts, terminology, and
the logical implications of the subject matter. The task, and not
feelings associated with it, is paramount. The Interpreters
assumption is that releasing emotion will undermine the ability or
energy of the trainees to apply what is learned.
4. The Coach. This style entails high participant involvement in
activities and discussion. The Coach encourages experimentation
through practical application-training out new ideas, acquiring new
skills, practicing new behaviors. Participants know-how is tapped
extensively so that learning becomes a shared experience. Stress is
placed on relevancy and meeting participant needs, plus ensuring
that there are full opportunities for everyone to work together.
He/she functions as a catalyst rather than as an
expert/authority/controller. A clear-cut goal is to ensure transfer
of what is learned (skills, knowledge) back to the job.

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Key point: While the style of the coach may be preferable, there are
situations in which the other styles should be implemented. Choice of
style depends on the nature of the group, the subject matter, training
objections, the available time, and so in. In a seminar on welding vs. one
teaching management ethics, its quite apparent that the trainer style should
hardly be the same.
Gender bias: Watch for possible gender bias on your part. Recognize that
according to linguistic research, men talk more than women in formal
settings. Men volunteer to answer questions more often, and they speak
more assertively. So to be an equal opportunity trainer, use these
strategies.
1. Ensure that your training room is physically comfortable and
encourages easy interaction. Use flexible (movable) seating.
2. Greet all participants warmly; call everyone by his/her name.
3. Inform participants at the outset that you expect full participation,
but no one is to dominate the discussions.
4. Call on men and women equally. Use their names when you do
this and provide praise for contributions on an equal basis.
5. Call on men and women equally. Use their names when you do
this and provide praise for contributions on an equal basis.
6. When asking a question, anticipate women may be slower to raise
their hands. So wait an extra five ten seconds before calling on
anyone.
7. Use eye contact in a way that recognizes everyone. No one wants
to be missed.
8. Encourage participation by asking: Can you start us off?
9. Both sexes are likely to listen more attentively to a mans
statements than a womans, so be ready to listen actively to
everyone, regardless of their sex. Head nods, uh-huhs and
affirming statements will show that youre listening.
10. Watch your verbal behavior (choice or words and voice tone), for
studies show that both male and female teachers tend to express
more impatience and condescension to women. Respond in the
same way to comments and questions by both women and men.
11. Use gender-neutral language to avoid stereotypes, for example,
making references to CEOs and engineers as he but nurses and
secretaries as she.

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Key Points about Lectures

Although audience/participant groups respond tepidly to lectures, this

method is still widely used by trainers, instructors, and teachers of all
sorts.
The greatest weaknesses of the lecture method are that lectures are
boring and hard to take and retention is low.
The strong point of the lecture method is that it is a quick and dirty
way to impart information to others.
The lecture method is something of an anachronism in light of
everything we know about adult learning and the communication
process. Much advice abounds on how to give a better lecture.
However, a lecture is a lecture is a lecture is a lecture.
While the idea of improving the techniques of lecturing is O.K., a
better approach to meeting a training need is to ask whether another,
more dynamic method is available.
If one must lecture, one should at least start things off in a
participative way.
Participative devices used midway in the talk are also helpful.

Lecture Letup
Before you commence things, assign each class member a number. Set up an
electric timer on an interval basis of three to five minutes. When the timer goes
off, select a random number. The participant who has that number must do one
of three things: ask a question, offer a pertinent comment of or summarize the last
segment of the lecture.

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Using Exercises
I never teach my pupils, I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
In this chapter we will treat the exercise as another form of experiential learning.
Exercises are easier to describe than they are to define. This is so because they
come in such great variety of shapes and sizes. Exercises may be:

Simple or multifaceted
Short or long in duration, ranging from a few minutes to one or
more hours, or even all day
Job-related or non-job related
Personal-learning based or with a more general learning outcome
Physically active (example, the trust walk trust fall) or fairly passive
(for example, a paper and pencil activity plus discussion)
Accomplished with or without observers
Trainer guided, totally group conducted, or some mix of the two
Individual participant or group orientated
Accomplished in small groups, in the total group, or on an
intergroup basis
Restricted to group member input or including inputs or
participants bosses
Instrument or non-instrument oriented
Homemade or publisher supplied

Because of the great diversity in formats and purposes, some trainers prefer to use
more general terminology in describing exercises: namely, experiential learning,
structured experiences, or simple activities or application activities. In any
case, an exercise may be distinguished by these characteristics:

Direction toward specific learning goals.

Structure, that is, guidelines/instructions as to procedures,
individual/group roles, time limits.
High participant involvement.
Generation of data for participant analysis.
Debriefing:
Processing
or
analysis
of
data
by
participants/observers/trainers to make the experience
meaningful. The learning from the exercise may be general.
Consisting of the acquisition of principles and concepts; it may be
personal, resulting in the acquisition of new skills, attitudes, and
insights; or it may be both.

Note: If an activity is competitive, is becomes a game vs. exercise.

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Sources of Exercises
Exercises may be obtained from publishers (see the listing of several books at the
end of the chapter): from colleagues; from participation in training programs,
professional conferences and institutes, and occasionally in university courses;
and from professional training/personnel journals. However, professional trainers
would agree that the best trainers are those who can create their own exercises.
This is an essential trainer skill, since quite often an outside source may not be able
to meet your need for an exercise. Of course, not all exercises need be as
profound as, say. Jay Halls NASA Exercise (Lost on the Moon). The
important thing is that they meet participant needs, have predictable outcomes
(meet learning goals), and have high learner involvement.
In the pages that follow, a number of easy- to - use exercises are given. These
models may be administered as is or adapted to varying degrees to meet the
needs of your participant group better. By studying them carefully, you should
gain a good feel for ways to put your groups into action productively.

Exercises That You Can Construct Yourself

Laundry Lists
Have participants develop individually, in pairs, or in small groups, a laundry list
on a given subject; for example, principles of good listening, how to give feedback,
principles/techniques of delegation, customer rejections we encounter, or hazards
in our unit. Then post data and discuss.
Checklists
Have participants develop a check list for back-home use; for example, procedures
to develop a follow-up call on a prospect who responded to some advertising;
how to orient a new worker; how to check a work area for unsafe situations; how
to plan an effective meeting; how to investigate an accident.
Sharing a Personal Experience
Have participants describe and share a personal experience concerning, for
example, a boss who showed interest in one and encouraged growth, delegation to
a secretary to make a boss-secretary team, enriching a routine job, or saving time
at a meeting.
Brainstorming and Solution Selection
Have participants brainstorm the solution to a problem and then select the top
three solutions via a simple voting procedure, such as a show of hands.

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Feedbacking
Design activities which provide for giving and/or receiving feedback based on
data developed from instruments. Use dyads or triads for sharing data. For
example, in an experiential training program participants may rate the effectiveness
of their own listening skill and that of their colleagues on a ten-point scale and
then share these ratings.
Giving Constructive Feedback via When-I-Because Technique
Provide practice in giving others feedback that entails describing the offending
behavior and then expressing how one feels about it, as opposed to blaming,
yelling, scolding, responding with anger, name calling, or putting others down.
The three-step technique is as follow:
1. Component One: When Describe the irksome behavior in a purely
descriptive, non-judgmental way.
Example: When you turn in your report two or three days after the
established deadline
2. Component Two: I feel Describe your feeling about the unwanted,
possibly disruptive behavior.
Example: I feel frustrated
3. Component Three: Because
Example: Because we cannot consolidate our report for submission to
the national office. The headquarters people depend on prompt data from
all the regional offices, including ours, so that they can
Use these procedures for the following exercise:
1. Explain the When-I-Because approach to giving feedback.
2. Assign various interpersonal problem situations to pairs for application of
the three-step technique. Or, better still, ask participants to suggest the
topics.
(Typical situation where the technique might be used
advantageously: A staffer confronts his boss who teases him at staff
meetings.) A supervisor provides feedback to a subordinate about the
impact of his/her frequent tardiness in reporting to work. A manager
challenges a peer who is not cooperating in respect to the provision of
data needed for the offices annual budget.
3. Secure reports from the pairs.
4. Discuss the applicability and values of the technique.
Note: This technique is also referred to as the I Message technique, wherein one
delivers the message and highlights how one feels about the unwanted behavior.
It is also possible to begin the message with I, as in I feel embarrassed when
you tease me at staff meetings because everyone then laughs at me..
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Sharing a Contract
Participants may be asked to develop and then share a personal contract
concerning the performance of a new behavior, for example, greater delegation to
staff. A form may be designed for this purpose: the far left vertical column should
list ones responsibilities; several other columns list staff members name, which
are to be checked off wherever delegation is deemed possible; and a final column
(far right side of sheet) should have room for comments such as whether the
delegation can proceed fully or whether some training may be required.
Developing a Behavior Mod Plan
Indoctrinating participants in behavior medication principles and procedures, have
them develop a behavior modification plan to control absenteeism, to reduce
accidents, to increase production, to reduce customer complaints, etc.
Situational Problem Solving
Provide participants with concepts pertaining to situation problem solving, and
then give them one or more problems to resolve using that approach. Situational
problem solving refers to bringing about a change in behavior by working on or
changing the situation, as opposed to working on the employee via lectures,
counseling, discipline, threats, training, or transfer. An everyday example: We
influence driver behavior by placing a white line down the middle of the road, as
opposed to using signs which say Keep to the right. Similarly, we can reduce
complaints about slow elevator service by placing large mirrors on the wall near
the elevator, or we can reduce complaints about waiting in line by having two
parallel lines so that people can talk to one another while they wait. The latter
approach encouraging conversation can also be used to reduce boredom in routine
assembly-type jobs. Some possible problems for resolution: floors are messy (use
more wastebaskets in the area); theft of materials at night from outdoor storage
area (use lights); people are tripping over a pipe protruding above ground (cover it
with a wooden ramp).
Dynamic Use of Film/Video
Use films/videos dynamically via pre-film, stop-film, and post-film assignment;
also use other devices such a question list, nonverbal or silent (no sound) viewing,
and predictions.

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Using a Model
Develop an activity around a model; for example, after having explained a
particular model, have participants develop data to support it. Or have small
groups discuss the model: Is it valid in all respects? What are its limitations or
weaknesses? Would you amend it in anyway? Does it have relevance to work your
situation?
Group self-Evaluation
Provide opportunities for the group to assess its own functioning. Give them
criteria to do this or let them develop their own. You can provide guides, such as
task and maintenance roles used as observation/check sheets or a sociometric
diagram plotted by an observer to note who speaks to whom and the frequency of
contributions by participants.
Dealing with Risk
Use ad hoc exercises such as a risk analysis if there is reluctance to buy a
concept because of its perceived risk. Participants in small groups use a T
column to identify risks and to list solutions-ways of overcoming the risks.
Another way to deal with risk or fear of dire consequences is to have participants
use mental imagery of fantasy to build positive images of accomplishment: for
example, making that tough sale or asking the boss for a raise and succeeding at it.
Using Fantasy
Dont hesitate to use fantasy to solve other problems, too: What if we were to
Group Construction
Provide activities involving the physical construction of an object such as a bridge
or tower, using construction paper, newspaper, magazines, blocks, etc. Use
observers to study and report back on group planning, interaction, creativity,
communication, participation, decision-making, and leadership.
Tapping Group Creativity
Provides activities that involve group creation of greeting card verses, pithy
management sayings, Confucius Says (He who delegate in depth/Will surely
have little to regret), limericks, etc. Process the work as in the group construction
exercise.

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Best Worst Assignment Assign

Assign a best-worst task; for example, the best/worst boss I ever had; the
character best/worst communicator; the qualities of the best/worst salesperson;
the nature of the best/worst delegator.
Resolving a Perplexing Situation
Present a perplexing situation, for example sexual harassment in the job, denial of
promotion, or multiple (and ambiguous) responsibilities for an accident. Pose
these questions to small groups: How would you handle this situation? How
would your boss handle it? How could this problem have been prevented from
occurring?
Designing a Plan
Have participants in small groups design a model performance appraisal plan, a
foolproof promotion posting plan, a policy on sexual harassment, etc.
Concrete Goal
Present the group with vague, over generalized goals or objectives. Request them
to convert these statements into specific targets, preferably quantitative ones so
that they are measurable.
Developing Terminal Objectives
Present the group with general statements concerning training to be accomplished.
Have them covert these fuzzy statements to be behavioral objectives (specific end
results or terminal behaviors).
Ego Bombardment
Have group members form a circle, standing up. On a rotational basis, have
group members give each other positive feedback. A variation is to form two
lines, so that each person has a partner. Have participants in Line A give those in
Line B positive feedback on dress, appearance, performance in this class, etc., for
three minutes. Those in Line B only listen and do not respond. Then process the
action by discussing such issues as: Is it easy or hard to give praise? How does it
feel to receive praise? Do we tend to discount praise?

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Strength Billboard
Have each person draw a T-column and provide the data as requested (e.g.,
Strengths As a Man/WomanAs a Manager (or Teacher, Engineer, Salesperson).
Then have participants find partners and present and discuss their billboards.
Note: The billboard display idea can also be used to share values as an
icebreaker, to share objective or goals in an experiential course, or to present and
share a personal or job problem in a graphic or illustrative way.
Self-Concept Reality Check
In this experiential exercise, (which might be used in, for example, assertiveness
training), you encourage your participants to focus on themselves (self-concept)
and to secure feedback from others to check its validity.
Procedures:
1. Ask your participants to draw a large circle on a flipchart sheet.
2. Have them enter into the circle the characteristics or traits, positive
or less than positive, that they know or believe about themselves.
3. Working in triads, each person gets feedback about those
traits/characteristics. Are they valid? Invalid?
4. The feedback givers should provide data about what may have
been left out. Note: In a nonassertive person, strong, important
qualities may well be omitted, for attractive smile. By pointing out
these added characteristics, feedback givers can strengthen the selfconcept of the recipient.
Enriching a Job
Ask participants to select a subordinates job, preferably a routine one, and then
come up with several ways it could be enriched (not just enlarged). Process the
data in dyads. You may want to provide a worksheet with a T-column for this
activity, including a column for subordinates names and a column for enrichment
suggestions.
Tips from the Expert
Ask participants to assume the role of expert and list on a worksheet their tips on
a particular subject, such as how to deal with the angry customer, how to deal with
an upset employee, or how to provide motivation to people in dead-end jobs.
Entitle the worksheet My Tips On ___Are. The sheet may be completed on a
pre-work or in-class basis. The ideas may be collected and fed back to the other
participants by posting them on flipcharts and discussing them or by producing a
member-prepared handout.

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Achieving Consensus
To gibe small groups practice in achieving consensus, give them five or ten
problems of an interpersonal sort. Advise them that they must agree on the
answer or solution to the problems. Observers may be used to analyze how the
groups make their decisions or what hinders the making of such decisions.
Sample problems:

A Colleague engages in hard-hitting humor (put-downs) at other

peoples expense, including yours.
A very able computer specialist who reports to you is frequently
late to work.
Your boss staff meetings are boring, drawn out, and generally
nonproductive.
Petty stealing has reached a noticeable point in the office-staplers,
scissors, and cellophane tape is disappearing, and several
employees have reported losses of coins and postage stamps from
their desks.

Note: The problems may be presented on an open-ended, answer-free basis, or you

may offer several solutions (in writing) from which the participants choose one.
For example, the person who overdoes the put-down bit may be dealt with in
these ways:

Ignore the comments; just live with them. Look at it as her

problem.
Confront her about her behavior by telling the put-down artist
how the put downs make you feel. (When you talk to me in this
way, I feel less good about myself,)
Respond in kind; fight fire with fire, which should cause her to
cool it.
Combine with other colleagues to deal with the put-down giver on
a team basis.
Ask your boss for help on this problem.
Assume an educator role. Suggest to the person who engaes in
put-down to consider using a new and more effective behavior.
Thus, she should ask herself this question: How many times today
have I made those with whom I have interacted feel better about
themselves? By consistently posing this question to oneself, one
will look for ways to be supportive, considerate, encouraging, and
praise giving rather than cutting.

Another way to give small groups practice in achieving consensuses is to give

them a list of ten statements on a given subject. Give them about five minutes to
indicate individually whether they agree or disagree with the statements.
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Tapping the Motivation to Others

A nice motivational exercise is to have participants list the names of their
employees in one column of a tri-column, and the employees principal motivators
in the next column. After participants have discussed their data in small groups,
have them complete the third column How to Tap the Motivation. Share
Column 3 results in the same small group, then hold a general discussion about
what was learned in this exercise.
Using an Opener
As an opener to reduce anxieties and to get participants into the swing of things,
have participants form a double line with everyone standing and facing another
person. In the paired situation, have them discuss for 10 minutes questions such
as: Why am I here? How can I best help others in this program? How can others
best help me? A variation is to have the participants present data about their
partner to the total group based on the proceeding questions.
Converting Negatives to Positives
As a fun-type, small group activity, have participants come up with as many
negative approaches as they can to such problem areas as giving feedback,
orienting a new worker, developing employees, and conducting an annual
performance review. Then in the discussion, convert the negatives to positives.
Career Counseling
Have participants, in small groups; come up with solutions to these typical careercounseling situations:

The young and able engineer who has a great future except for his
tendency to irritate those with whom he interacts.
A very capable senior professional has reached a plateau career-wise, and
should be kept alive via imaginative motivation techniques.
A middle-aged manager has grown roots in the community and has turned
down two cross-country promotions.
Your secretary, aged 29, has been talking about getting out of the dead
end job in which secretaries often find themselves. Your practice of
raises and roses no longer seems to be working. There is no evidence of
any serious self-development activities on your secretarys part.

Note: In addition to the small group work, role-plays may be used to reality test
proposed solutions, The wrap-up discussion should include an identification of
career divergences and career commonalities revealed by several situations.

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Planning for Goal Accomplishment

Provide participants with several boss-subordinate communication (or other type)
problems and have them exchange solutions in trios or quartets. Communication
(or other type) problems and have them exchange solutions in trios or quartets.
Some topical problems follow:

Your boss communicates in three ways: face-to-face; via notes and memos
(or notes on your memos); through someone else. You find that the faceto-face contacts are relatively pleasant. The memos are often negative,
even nasty, sort of hit and run. The communication with others at times
relates to you and may be negative in character. In effect, he talks behind
your back. Some questions to answer are: What is going on? Is it a
problem? Do you do anything about it? If so, what action(s) do you take?
Your boss frequently closes the door of his office, which bothers some
employees. Why should it bother them? Should you take any action about
this?
Your boss staff meetings are not very productive. No one really levels
on important subjects.
At times you receive instructions, policy statements, etc., from your boss
with which you do not agree. You would like to be loyal and support your
boss by stating to your subordinates that you agree with these policies. On
the other hand, you hate to be dishonest with your staff, and besides, they
will probably know youre being less than truthful when you say you
support poor policies.

Success Analysis
One way to augment participant understanding, insight skill, etc., is to have
participants analyze experiences which have been marked by success (meaning a
real payoff occurred) and something less than success (note that we avoid the
negative failure). The topic may relate to introducing a change, enriching a job,
motivating, delegating, selling, listening, communicating, or confronting a peer on
an undesirable behavior.
Break the total group into two or more small groups. Give the first subgroups
members a worksheet entitled Describing a Less-Than-Successful Experience.
The worksheet should contain 2 columns- Incident and Contributing Factors.
Give the other subgroup a similar worksheet entitled Describing a Successful
Experience, with the column heading changed accordingly, Have participants
complete the worksheets on an individual bases and then share their experiences
described in the worksheet in small groups. Secure reports from the small groups
and post on flip charts factors contributing to successful and unsuccessful
experiences. Ask the group at large to note differences and commonalities
between the positive and negative lists.

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Criteria Development
1. Give the group a problem or organizational concern such as:
a. Is communication in our organization good or bad?
b. Is our work team effective?
c. Is our office work force productive?
2. Ask the group to develop criteria as to what to look for in assessing the
problem area. For example, if we were trying to determine whether our
work team is effective, we would look at the nature of our goals, the
communication process, the decision-making process, member
satisfaction, leadership, etc.
Note: Once we know which areas to investigate, then the group might go
further and actually develop specific standards for analysis. For example, if we
are studying communication in the team, we might examine how open people
are, how effective staff meetings are, how willing people are to share
information. But as far as this activity is concerned, we are only asking the
group to work on Step 2, not any added steps.

Dice Toss
You can easily design an activity using a pair of dice. One helpful use: for review
and reinforcement of prior learnings. Procedures:
1. Develop a group of questions on your topic of interest. Prepare as many
questions as you have participants.
2. Write each question on an individual card and give each card a number (2
through 12).
3. When starting the game, explain the ground roles (see the following).
4. Let each player roll the dice. The number on the dice determines the
question to be answered. If a number has been rolled, have the player roll
the dice for a new number.
5. Participants should be encouraged to add to the responses of the one
initially responding to the question.
Variations of the above activity are as follows:
1. Use a roulette wheel or playing cards to select questions.
2. Prepare a circular board, having alternating colors, with numbers on the
colored spaces. Add a needle or indicator that can be spun to select a
number.
3. With group members in a circle, spin a bottle (on the floor or on a table)
to select participants to respond to prepared questions that are on cards.

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Planning The Conduct Of An Exercise

To ensure that a given exercise works, that is, provides participants with a highquality learning experience, the following questions can serve as a guide to the
trainer:

Why am I doing this? Is this the best vehicle to achieve the learning
outcome?
Is the exercise realistic and relevant? Or is it too theoretical?
Are the procedures fully developed and likely to be clear to the
participants understanding?
Will the trainers role in the exercise be clearly understood?
Should a lecture or talk be used to set the stage for the exercise?
Are the time frames for each phase of the exercise realistic? Have I
allowed enough time, in particular, for the all-important processing
(analysis) phase?
Is the exercise being introduced at the proper stage of the program?
Might learning be aided by programming it at an alternate time?
Have I planned for necessary supplies, materials, and equipment?
Have I considered the use of observers? If observers are being used,
have they been properly briefed?
Have I considered the use of a summary sheet (handout) at exercises
end to help participants button down learnings?
When the exercise is completed, how will I know that participants
have learned what they are supposed to? What are my procedures for
assessing results?

Books Containing Exercises

Exercises are available from publishers in several formats:

Books devoted exclusively to exercises and covering a variety of topics

on management and human relations.
Books that have textual material for the trainer, but also contain
exercises on a variety of management and interpersonal subjects. The
exercises are presented independently of the text.
Books on a single subject containing many exercises and a minimum
of text.
Books that treat a single subject (for example, assertiveness, time
management, supervision) in traditional textual fashion but also
contain exercises throughout the books. These exercises are in integral
part of the books, intended to aid in gluing in key ideas.

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Converting an Exercise into a Game

Sometimes an exercise can be converted into a game by introducing a competitive
element into it. For example, take an exercise that is concerned with getting
participants to become more aware of feelings or emotions. The participants act
out an emotion, such as disgust, affection, fear, anxiety, embarrassment, anger, or
determination, and the total group tries to guess what the emotion is. To concert
this exercise into a game, follow these procedures:
1. Divide the group into two teams.
2. Place on a table (or put in a box a packet of cards, each of which has a
particular emotion typed on it.
3. Have a participant from Group A take the top card from the table and act
out (pantomime) the emotion for his/her group. This is to be done in a
fixed time limit (such as a minute or two).
4. If the emotion is guessed correctly by Group A, they receive ten points.
5. Now have a participant from Group B act out an emotion; award point as
appropriate.
6. Rotate the acting opportunities between the two groups.
After 20-30 minutes, call time and amount the winning team based on its point
total.

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