UNIT IV STUDY GUIDE

Company Training and Learning

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV

Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

5. Evaluate different training programs within organizations.

5.1 Identify training program design elements.

6. Determine the type of evidence needed to demonstrate training program success.

6.1 Describe elements of a successful training program.

Required Unit Resources

Chapter 5: Program Design

Chapter 6: Training Evaluation

Unit Lesson
In order to create the best training program, you must consider some key factors. These factors include the
training site, lesson plan, curriculum, audience (refer to the Unit III Lesson), trainers, requests for proposals
(RFPs), and evaluation methods. Each of these factors play a crucial role in the program design and training
evaluation.

Training Site

When it comes to the training site, the environment also contributes to the success of the training; therefore, it
is important to select the best facility possible. In doing this, you should consider your training style, number of
participants, equipment needs, and external demands in aiding in the delivery of the training. Training can be
conducted onsite or off-site depending on the aforementioned factors. There are several advantages and
disadvantages for each; moreover, there is no right response that is always the best—it will depend on the
needs of the training.

In one example, a company trainer was tasked with providing mandatory training to the employees across
offices statewide. There was a set deadline for the training that prevented the company’s training team from
visiting every office location, so the trainer discussed options with a training vendor. The factors discussed
were the large number of people needing training at several locations across the state, the quickly
approaching deadline for the training, and ways to minimize the costs of delivering the training. It was decided
that the best solution for the training was off-site. In doing this, the vendor hired more trainers and placed
them strategically in various locations throughout the state so the demands of the training could be met within
the specified timeframe and the costs could be controlled.

Of course, site visits are required. This will allow you to better assess the facility. In order to assure all
demands are being met, it is recommended to develop and use a checklist to assist in selecting the best
facility possible. These visits can be conducted as often as needed; however, it is recommended that the
initial visit focus on determining if the facility is sufficient to meet the training needs. The next recommended
visit should be for the mock training session. This will allow for testing of the equipment and creating the
desired layout of the room or facility. An additional recommendation is to have a blueprint of the room or
facility for identification of access points including equipment, seating, restrooms, entrances, and exits.

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 Lesson Plans UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Lesson plans are used to deliver the training in a structured manner. A lesson plan consists of a course title,
lesson title, lesson length, learning objectives, target audience, prerequisites, room arrangement, materials
and equipment list, evaluations and assignments, and comments (Noe, 2020). The lesson plan should be as
detailed and descriptive as possible. By having this document, you are creating a standard operating
procedure (SOP) in delivering the particular training. This is great for future use, as others may have to train
on the same material, and they are able to use the same lesson plan to properly deliver the material. In
addition, this accounts for documentation used in conducting the training and for providing deliverables to the
client or clients. A hard version (i.e., printed materials) and soft version (i.e., electronic copies) of the plan
should be created and housed in a centralized location for easy access. Most organizations will have an
intranet system where the material can be stored for future use and ease of access; however, you will find
some organizations that will keep hard versions in binders within the training unit or human resources (HR)
department.

The lesson plan should be used in informing the participants of the agenda for the day. It can be used as
support material for the PowerPoint introduction. It can also be used to identify the day’s order of events for
the training; however, the lesson plan itself should not be distributed to the participants.

Curriculum

The curriculum is important to the overall success of the training. If the material is not well-developed, it can
lead to further demands and lost profits. The curriculum should meet the learning needs of all participants; in
other words, the curriculum should satisfy their tactile, auditory, and visual needs. It should also meet the
standards for all audience types (i.e., high-tech, low-tech, and lay audience members). This means when
developing the material, if certain terminology is used, the definition should be identified or provided in the
glossary section of the material. If industry-specific jargon or acronyms are used, they should be identified
and spelled out for better comprehension of the material; however, if your audience is made up of more high-
tech participants, you should not have to provide much explanation when it comes to using certain
terminology, jargon, or acronyms.

It can be expensive to reproduce the curriculum; however, training materials must be identified, developed,
reproduced, and properly distributed to the end users. Of course, the curriculum can be delivered as soft or
hard versions of the material, as previously discussed, depending on the organization’s technical capabilities
and access demands. Again, just as with the lesson plan, the curriculum can be stored on the intranet system
and in basic SOP binders. In addition to identifying the storage options for the material, you must identify the
cost of reproduction for the curriculum per participant.

Trainers

In providing training, the trainers must be able to successfully deliver the material; therefore, the selection
process for the trainers is crucial to the training. In selecting the trainers, there are certain criteria that should
be considered such as experience, education, certifications, availability, salary, and location. You will find that
some trainers are contracted. As such, they are not considered employees of the organization; they are hired
as experts in the training area. The trainer’s responsibility includes learning the material, writing or rewriting
the curriculum, and developing the deliverables for the training efforts.

Learning the material can involve meeting with other trainers, subject-matter experts (SMEs), and developers
to determine and implement the demands of the training such as creating interactive exercises and activities
through online training efforts. This is where the developer would provide his or her expertise as to what
would work best from a technical standpoint such as writing or embedding the training programs using Adobe
Captivate or Robohelp. Other opportunities for trainers are available through train-the-trainer efforts. This
takes place throughout the process, perfecting the material and delivery. Onsite train-the-trainer efforts
provide the best take on how the actual day could possibly take place, so all needed material, equipment, and
facility demands should be available and operable. Again, a checklist should be developed and used in
assessing that all demands have been met per the trainer.

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 RFPs UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
RFPs are used in soliciting for contractors to meet the training demands. This can be anything from providing
the trainers to providing reproduction of the training material and equipment. The RFP usually includes a title
and brief description, contact information, a proposal schedule, background information, the proposal
selection process, a project summary, and project details (Dobrin et al., 2008). The RFP is requesting certain
information from the contractor. Company or organization information, a proposed solution, details of the
proposed solution, budget, provisions, personnel, references, a portfolio, awards, certifications or licensing,
and other means of verification should be provided.

The RFP can be developed by the training team, HR manager, or both together. It is recommended that the
items above are included in the RFP in order to select the best contractor; however, keep in mind, as the
selection process is taking place, all criteria are to be considered. By selecting the contractor, you are
confirming the selection is the best candidate and the demands of the training will be met according to the
items in the RFP. It is important to have a contingency plan in place in case unexpected upsets develop with
your initial selection.

Evaluation Methods

As the training comes to a close, it is important to assess the success of the training efforts. This can take
place using a number of methods. Whatever method is applied, it should be done immediately following the
training; however, in some instances, immediate application is not possible. Evaluating production results is
an example of this. This method usually yields data after a couple of weeks. Surveys, pretests and post-tests,
observation, question-and-answer sessions, and comment cards are some other examples of methods used
in conducting assessments. The line of questioning used for the methods should be based on the learning
objectives and outcomes set for the training.

When the assessments are being administered, it is important to have multiple options such as online and
paper versions. If using a paper version, there should be a receptacle that is available for privacy reasons
when the feedback is returned. In addition, if offered online, it should be stressed that the responses obtained
are solely used in enhancing the operations of the business and that all responses are confidential. In order to
avoid concerns of violating confidentiality, some organizations will contract out the surveying efforts to a third
party; however, as was previously discussed, there are some advantages and disadvantages to internal and
external assessments.

References

Dobrin, S. I., Keller, C. J., & Weisser, C. R. (2008). Technical communication in the twenty-first century.
Pearson-Prentice Hall.

Noe, R. A. (2020). Employee training and development (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Suggested Unit Resources

In order to access the following resource, click the link below.

The article below covers the use of training and techniques used to create successful training programs.

Rio, A. (2017, August 3). Virtual reality in training slowly becoming a reality. Chief Learning Officer.
https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2017/08/03/virtual-reality-in-training-slowly-becoming-a-reality/

Learning Activities (Nongraded)

Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

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The learning activities below create the opportunity to apply your knowledge. Each
UNIT of the activities
x STUDY GUIDE introduces
topic material from Unit IV including evaluation ratings and training recommendations.
Title You may complete one
or all of the assignments below, which can be found in Chapter 5 of the textbook.

1. Application Assignment, #5
2. Application Assignment, #8
3. Application Assignment, #3
4. Application Assignment, #4

Human Resource Professional Certification Preparation

In order to assist in your professional development, CSU is providing a series of self-grading questions in
each unit of this course to begin to prepare you for HR certification examinations. While these questions do
not encompass the full aspects of the certification examinations, they will give you an opportunity to test your
knowledge in many HR areas as you prepare for the exam and your career in Human Resource
Management.

There is a quiz in this unit to allow you to self-check your knowledge. The quiz is not mandatory and does not
contribute to your grade in this course. You will have the option to review your answers and print the quiz for
your own future study purposes.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact your professor.

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