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Human Resource Development: Designing The Training Program
Human Resource Development: Designing The Training Program
CHAPTER III
GROUP CONSTITUTION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Success of a project depends on the endeavor put behind it. Encouragement and
patronization perfect an endeavor.
We take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to our faculty
Prof. Sajeet Lakra, for providing us with the opportunity of preparing the study
material for the third chapter “Designing the Training Program” of the HRD
curriculum and give presentation in the class. The group’s involvement and team
work helped us understand the chapter in a lucid manner. The group’s
cohesiveness and team work helped us to make this task a success. We thank all
the team members and also all our colleagues for their unconditional support.
Thank You
Group III
Human Resource Development
CONTENTS
S.No. Topics Pg. No.
1. Determining The Objectives Of The Training 1
2. Role Of Objectives 1
3. Three Components Of An Effective Objective 3
4. ABCD Components 7
5. Training Objective Types 8
6. Guidelines For Framing Objectives 10
7. Training Audience 11
8. Building Courses Around Actual Training Needs 11
9. Potential Training Audiences 12
10. Content Of Training Program 17
11. Content 18
12. Process Of Content Development 19
13. Program Announcements 21
14. Program Outlines 21
15. Sequence The Contents 22
16. Training Manuals And Textbooks 23
17. General Guidelines For Planning The Structure Of 24
The Training And The Content Of The Course
Material
18. Bibliography 25
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Objectives are not fate; they are direction. They are not commands; they are commitments. They do not
determine the future; they are means to mobilize the resources and energies of the business for the
making of the future.”
~Peter F. Drucker
An objective is a more specific statement about what the learner should, or will be able to
do, after the training experience. Objectives, whether training or otherwise, are all about
getting from A to B. So any objective needs to imply that something active happens. The
verb in a training objective is the key word that denotes observable behaviour.
ROLE OF OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the training program are very necessary during the design phase of training
program. There are various roles of the objectives, the most important ones are:-
1. HRD or Training program objectives describe the intent and the
desired result of the HRD program.
The design of the training program can be undertaken only when a clear training
objective has been produced. The training objective clears what goal has to be achieved
by the end of training program i.e. what the trainees are expected to be able to do at the
end of their training.
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Before attempting to write your own objectives, it's important to understand what an
objective should and shouldn't contain. According to Mager (1997), there are three main
components of an effective objective:
1. Performance
2. Conditions
3. Criterion
1. Performance
The Performance component is a description of the behavior that learners are expected to
perform. It should be measurable and observable. It describes what the learner will be doing
when demonstrating mastery of an objective. Mager distinguishes between two types of
performances - visible and invisible. With a visible performance the main intent is visible or
audible. For example,
Be able to dance.
Be able to interview.
Be able to paint a picture of a mountain.
In each of these instances you can tell when somebody is performing the task. If a statement
does not include a visible performance then it isn't yet an objective. Therefore, you should
modify each of your objectives until it answers the question, "What will the learner be
DOING when demonstrating achievement of the objective?"
If you apply the question above, what would somebody be doing if they were
"understanding" mathematics or "appreciating" music? There's really no way to tell as both
of those statements describe abstract states that are not directly observable. Here are some
good examples:
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What would someone be doing if they were demonstrating mastery of these objectives?
Well, in the first case they would be riding a bike, and in the second case they would be
writing a letter. Those are easily identifiable behaviors.
2. Conditions
You could probably do that - if you were on a plane. However, what if the objective were
stated like this?
Those two might be a little more difficult, or impossible. In both cases the conditions of the
objective make it clear what the intent is. In order to avoid any confusion regarding your
objective you should state the main condition under which the performance will occur. In
order to identify key conditions, ask yourself the following:
1. What will the learners be expected to use when performing (e.g., tools, forms,
charts, etc.)?
2. What will the learner not be allowed to use while performing (e.g., checklists,
notes, or other study aids)?
3. What will be the real-world conditions under which the performance will be
expected to occur (e.g., on top of a flagpole, under water, in front of a large
audience, in a manufacturing plant)?
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Given a product and a prospective customer, be able to describe the key features of
the product. (The performance is to occur in the presence of a product and a
customer - these are the conditions that will influence the nature of the
performance.)
Given a bicycle and a flat street, be able to ride the bike to the end and back. (The
conditions that will influence the performance are the bike and the flat street.)
3. Criterion
The final component of an effective objective is the Criterion. The criterion is a description
of the criteria for acceptance of a performance as sufficient, indicating mastery of the
objective. In other words, how well must it be done? Stating the criterion lets learners know
how well they will have to perform to be considered competent. In addition, it provides a
standard against which to test the success of the instruction, and gives you a way of
evaluating whether or not the learners can, in fact, do what you set out to teach them.
The criterion you specify should be what you consider to be the desired or appropriate level
of performance, not necessarily minimum level. In some cases (a person stitching up
clothes), a certain amount of error might be acceptable, while in other cases (a doctor
stitching up a person), no error is acceptable. In addition, you should only impose criteria
that are important.
There are two main ways to define a criterion of acceptable performance: Speed and
Accuracy
1. Speed - providing a time limit within which a given performance must occur. If a time
limit is important, it should be stated as part of the objective. If a time limit is not
important, then do not impose a time limit. Some examples:
o in under two hours.
o within fifteen minutes.
2. Accuracy - giving a range of acceptable performance. Some examples:
o within two inches of accuracy.
o to the nearest whole number.
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Students will tell the time represented on an analog clock to the nearest minute.
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ABCD Components
Heinich, Molenda, and Russell (1989) wrote that there are four components of every
objective:
Audience — who is the target of this objective, and what are the learner's
characteristics. In the ISD process, this is normally covered in the Entry Behaviors
section.
Behavior — what behavior is expected from the learner to show that he or she has
learned the material. Words like “learn,” “appreciate,” and “know” are vague.
Instead, use action verbs like “identify,” “demonstrate,” and “list”.
Conditions — under what conditions will the learner be expected to demonstrate
her knowledge. Will the learner be given graphs, illustrations, reference material,
or must she perform from memory?
Degree —the standard by which acceptable performance will be judged.
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They are observable and measurable but often do not include the
standard or condition.
PURPOSES
The Terminal Objective provides direction for a lesson. It forces the trainer to think through
three questions:
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Always spend time considering what the aim and objectives of the training are before
designing the programme. In this way well written aims and objectives will help to
provide a sound basis for identifying the purpose, content and learning methods
required. They will also be key in evaluating whether the training has been
successful.
Think of objectives in terms of the outcome of the training, that is what do you want
the learner to differently as a result of attending the training?
Use a checklist to see whether performance, condition and criterion are included in
all learning objectives. If the condition and criterion apply to all of the objectives,
consider including these in the stem sentence for the objectives (for example ‘By the
end of the session you will, with the use of your handouts, be able to correctly :’).
Constantly refer to the aims and objectives when designing materials/exercises and
ensure that learners are fully aware of them throughout the event.
Write a separate statement for each important outcome or intent; write as many as
you need to communicate your intents.
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TRAINING AUDIENCE
Think from Their Perspective
When a company plans a new training program, there are four basic questions about the
proposed training audience that need to be asked:
While initially defining the training project, it is easy to assume that everyone already knows
as much about the topic as you do.
For example, Jon is a training manager who needs a course that teaches updated PDA
inventory procedures to warehouse employees. Jon has never worked in the warehouse, so
it takes him a full day to learn how to use the PDA and follow the correct procedures.
However, the people who work with the scanners every day know the PDA inside and out.
What takes Jon a day to learn can actually be taught in an hour, because the training
audience already uses the tool.
Information that seems new or difficult to you may seem very familiar and easy to
someone else.
Information that seems easy to you may be difficult for others.
During the needs analysis, it is important to examine the training project from the
perspective of the target training audience. In many cases, talking with people within the
target group helps uncover their actual needs.
Once training audience has been defined, creating a training plan becomes much easier. The
course’s training topics can be clearly defined and the correct delivery method can be
selected.
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Existing Employees
New Hires
Managers
Clients and End-Users
Employee Training
A company can create and implement employee training programs to guide people through
changes in the workplace. Some common reasons for employee training include:
When change occurs within a business, people need help shifting from familiar habits to the
new behaviours. People build comfortable patterns in our daily routine as they seek stability
and familiarity and often linger with these routines longer than advisable, even when a better
or easier solution is available.
Employees can view change as a threat to their stability or comfort levels. Employee training
programs can minimize the discomfort caused by change. When employees feel confident
with the new material, they will be more willing to change their own behaviours. Employee
training can help a company implement change and achieve success.
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Some of the ways to guide employees to feeling more comfortable about changes as they
occur will be in the manner it is presented them. Incorporating some of the following
elements in employee training makes change easier.
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Newly hired employees start their first day with both excitement and worry. They want to
excel in their new job, but they do not know where to start. New hire training harnesses
their enthusiasm, reduces their fears, and directs their energy.
Training new employees isn't easy, yet it should not be left to chance. One cannot guarantee
that a supervisor or peer will have both the free time and skills necessary to instruct the new
employees. Therefore, new hire training program should provide the following
opportunities:
New hire training program should help people attain the skills and knowledge necessary to
succeed.
Once the course content is decided in terms of format and length, the methods of delivery
of the training needs to be decided. New hire training can include self-study web-based
training, but it is often best to utilize a live trainer who can directly provide answers.
If a company has an in-house team of trainers, then they may be able to train new employees
as they are hired. However, when a company needs to hire and train many new people at
the same time, training outsourcing may make sense.
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Management Training
Companies rely on managers to make good decisions, motivate people, and implement
policy. However, good managers need training before they can lead. Manager training for
several different situations can be offered:
If a company promotes from within, it may need to teach management skills to new
managers. However, even if experienced managers join the company, they still need to
know the company’s policies and way of doing business. A management training program
will provide instruction on how to lead others within the company.
Most managers have very active days; they may find it difficult to step away for training.
When creating a management training program, one must strive to find training delivery
methods that respect the audience’s limited time while achieving desired learning objectives.
A few possibilities are:
However, depending on the situation, the ideal solution may involve a combination of
several different delivery methods for a blended learning solution.
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If a company sells directly to consumers or end-users, then it may be able to hear their
feedback directly. However, many companies sell through channel resellers and do not
interact with the actual end users, who can be any of the following groups:
Although a company’s sales team may work with purchasing managers, those purchasing
managers may never use the product. A company’s reputation relies on the people who will
use the product daily.
People who use a particular product become living advertisements for the product. If they
believe the product is difficult to use, then they will tell others about their frustration.
However, if people feel that the product is easy to use and helps them become successful,
then they will spread goodwill about the company and the product. In either case, those
impressions will filter to people within the company, the purchasing manager, and perhaps
even a CFO looking to justify the return on investment. Customer and client training can
mean the difference between a single sale and satisfied long-term clients.
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Once the training objective has been identified the trainer translates it into specific training
areas and modules. After formulating a strategy, trainer decides upon the content to be
delivered. Trainers break the content into headings, topics and modules. These are then
classified into information, knowledge and skills.
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CONTENT
A parallel list of methods should be developed to be used in covering the content topics.
It is also useful to prepare a parallel list of materials and services that will be required for
each topic given the number of participants.
During planning it is useful to set out the contents, methods and materials in parallel rows.
Training Content comes in various forms and is delivered in various ways. Training
Content as such is basically seen as the knowledge or intellectual property behind a training
or course you take.
Training library provides this intellectual property and offers its customers and users to
either learn by themselves or to use the content for training groups and or individuals.
Training library converts training content (the intellectual property) and converts this into
various user-friendly formats.
Questions the facilitator should consider before planning the training session’s content
Answering these questions will assist the facilitator in putting together the training plan
and selecting the appropriate exercises and content.
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Gaps are then identified between the knowledge, skills and abilities required and those
already possessed by the employees. It focuses on needs against business strategies and goals.
Comprehensive modules are designed and developed for the programs that are
relevant. Program content will be supported by building an experiential methodology which
will ensure that training not only delivers the key concepts but also provides a base to
increase the involvement of the participants.
A detailed lesson plan is developed which covers the content , the sequencing of
activities, selection of design of training media, timing and planning of each activity and the
selection of method to be used.
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TTT methodology (Train The Trainer) ensures that the clients have the in-house
expertise to deliver the training programmes effectively. It is aimed at honing the ability of
the trainers to develop and deliver training sessions. The trainer must
A SME (subject matter expert) should have the ability to train others. TTT programs is to
provide SME’s with the necessary instructional knowledge and skills to design and
implement a training program. These programs should focus on many of the issues such as
Apart from the TTT, the content design will incorporate learning tools and exercises. Fun
learning exercises may be incorporated depending upon the need. Some of the tools and
methodologies used are:
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PROGRAMS ANNOUNCEMENTS
Program announcements inform the target audience about the training program.
It is given through :
Supervisory channels
Union stewards
Company intranet
Company newsletters
PROGRAM OUTLINES.
Program Outlines are documents that communicate the content, goals and expectations
for the program.
It includes:
Objectives
Topical Areas to be covered
Materials or tools needed
Requirement of each trainee
Tentative Schedule of Events
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We should often remember that the sequencing of the learning contents has to refer to the
three types of contents:
Dependent relationship
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The training manual can have different versions for the trainer/presenter and the trainees.
The version for the trainer would include the basic text, prompts for discussions and
demonstrations or other activities. It could also include information or checklists on
preparation for the session. The trainee’s version will have the basic text, examples and
exercises, as well as space for making further notes.
These are basic instructional material, readings, exercises and self-tests provider
most trainers rely upon.
Textbooks provide a broad treatment of the subject whereas Training Manuals are
known for their brevity and hands-on approach
While Purchasing text book the content that the book provides, cost involved, the
ease of customization is to be taken care of.
Training manuals are easy to develop given the purpose, objectives are clearly stated.
With the help of desktop publishing software the training manuals become highly
customizable and also the cost involved is drastically reduced.
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Build in flexibility. Be prepared to spend more time on some topics if the need
develops.
Prepare succinct, usable written materials. Course outlines do not need to be long.
Prepare general time guidelines for each session, but remember the need for
flexibility. It can be helpful to put together a plan for the training, which should be
displayed in a visible location in the room during the whole training session. The
visibility of the training plan will positively influence the learning process, as it allows
the participants to clearly see the objectives of the training session.
Consider the team approach to planning course structure. Some of the best courses
involve 2-5 training specialists and facilitators planning a unified, coherent course.
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CONCLUSION
Learning often involves new skills, developing new behaviors. After many years of
classroom education, it's easy for us to take a course where all we must do is attend each
meeting, take notes and pass tests - and call this learning. One can complete a Masters in
Business Administration (MBA), but unless they're willing to actually apply new
information, they'll most likely end up with an office full of unreferenced textbooks and a
head full of data, but little knowledge and wisdom. If learning is to be more than collecting
new information, then we must involve ourselves completely in our learning experiences.
Unfortunately, too many development programs still operate from the assumption that the
learner can somehow separate personal development from professional development. So we
end up getting a great deal of information about finance and sales, but little help with stress
and time management. Then, after schooling, when we enter the hectic world of
management, we struggle to keep perspective and we're plagued with self doubts. True
learning involves looking at every aspect of our lives, not just what's in our heads. And this is
where designing a training programme comes into action the knowledge that one has
acquired over time and also that one learns in training is used in training programmes and
thus a trainee learns new skills and there implementation more efficiently and effectively. A
training program thus should be designed to achieve this goal.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Human Resource Development, Jon M. Werner & Randy L. Desimone, Pg. 133-150,Eighth
Edition, Cengage Learning India Pvt. Ltd.
http://www.citehr.com/103171-writing-s-m-r-t-training-objectives.html, Writing
S.M.A.R.T Training objectives, www. Citehr.com, Accessed on 20th November,
2011
http://traininganddevelopment.naukrihub.com/training-design.html , Accessed on
18th November, 2011
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