Traditional Instructional Approaches

Presentation Methods

Hands-on Methods

Group Building Methods

Presentation Methods

Those techniques that present information to trainees;

these tend to be more passive and less interactive

This Information may include:

•Fact or Information

•Process

•Problem – Solving Methods

Presentation Methods Includes:

•Lectures

•Audio visual Techniques

Lecture Method :

•The lecture is a traditional and direct method of instruction.

•The instructor organizes the material and gives it to a group

of trainees in the form of a talk.

•To be effective, lecture must motivate and create interest

•among the trainees.
 Advantages

It is relatively inexpensive

You can present a large amount of information to large

groups of trainees

It is also an appropriate method for knowledge acquisition

If trainees need to acquire basic information and facts, the

lecture method is generally effective for this purpose
 Audiovisual Techniques
•It refers to the use of overheads, slides, and videos. 

•These techniques are rarely used alone; they are frequently combined with lecture
or discussion. 

•These techniques are helpful as they can provide a demonstration of something

that may be difficult to recreate in person (e.g., such as equipment malfunction
irate customers). 

• It also allows for a very consistent presentation. 

•While a lecture may vary across different groups, a video will be exactly the same. 
This may be important if trainees need to be instructed in a very standardized
fashion. 
Additionally, some trainees may learn better by “seeing” rather than “hearing.” 

•A picture or diagram may convey more meaning to some trainees than the same
concept described verbally.

•It can yield benefits of quality training without the expenses of sending the best
trainee to remote site.
 Hands-on methods

It involve trainees playing a more active role in the training

session

They do things as opposed to just listening or receiving

information. 

Common hands-on techniques involve

1. On the Job

2. Role playing

3. Simulations.
4. Case Studies

5.Business Games

6.Behaviour Modeling

On-the-job training
On the job training places the employees in actual work situation and makes
them appear to be immediately productive.

It is leaning by doing.

It may be structured or unstructured. 

Unstructured OJT

When there is no set procedure for providing training.  Rather, trainees

simply learn from more experienced employees

The problem with this approach is that training may be vastly different
across employees

Some experienced workers, although competent in their job, may lack the
skills to be effective trainers
Structured OJT

•It is preferable as there is greater control of training content and how it is delivered

•With structured OJT, you want to designate certain employees to be trainers and
ensure that they follow appropriate procedures when instructing new employees. 

•Reasons for the training and why certain procedures are followed. 

•In addition, they must provide opportunity for the trainee to practice and provide
feedback to the trainee. 

•Structured OJT training is effective as it provides trainees opportunities to learn by

doing the very things they will have to do on the job. 

• The disadvantage is that is requires time from current employees to serve as

trainers, which may be a considerable loss of time depending on the complexity of
training.
On The Job Training includes:

•Apprenticeship

It involves training in the skilled trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, and

electrical work

The advantage of this method is that trainees are paid while they learn and
their wages are typically indexed to their skill level

A disadvantage of the technique is that it takes a long time (although it is

doubtful that other techniques could teach the required skills in a shorter
time frame).
•Self-Directed Learning
It refers to learning that is under the control of the trainee.  That is, the
trainee controls the pace of the material. 
The most common form of self-directed learning is programmed
instruction. 
Programmed instruction
It refers to a procedure where trainees must complete certain material then
move on to the next material. 
They are given immediate feedback in that they have to demonstrate or
prove they have mastered the material before they can go on to additional
material. 
The biggest advantage to the technique is that it allows for individual
differences, in that trainees will be able to go through the material at their
own pace. 
A disadvantage of the technique is that since trainees work at their own
pace, they are also working by themselves on the material and lack
personal contact with other trainees or the trainer.
2. Role Plays

It involve trainees playing particular roles or characters.  For example, you might
role play a salesperson dealing with a difficult customer

Role plays are generally used for training interpersonal skills, such as giving
feedback or dealing with customers.

It is generally recommended that a discussion of the role play follow the actual role
play so the trainee can gain more insight into their behavior and how one should
deal with those types of situations. 

Role plays can also be effective at changing attitudes.

They allow people to “try walking in someone else’s shoes

”For example, a supervisor who has negative attitudes toward participative

management, where subordinates have a voice in some decisions, may be more
open to the idea after he/she has role played being a subordinate who has little
input in decisions that affect him/her.
 Advantages
it is usually easy to do and gives good practice in interpersonal skills

Disadvantage
some employees will feel uncomfortable role playing and may not take the
experience seriously. The key, as with all training methods, is to ensure that
trainees see the relevance of the training to them.

3.Simulations
It refer to training that attempts to represent real-life conditions.
 
Simulations allow trainees to try various techniques and see the results of their
actions. 
For example, potential pilots can be trained on flight simulators where the physical
risks of making an error are removed. 

Advantages

They can mimic actual job conditions and give trainees a chance to practice in
real-life conditions when it would not be feasible to do so otherwise (e.g., flying,
driving). 
However, you need to ensure that the actions required in the simulation are the
same as those required in real-life. 

Simulators are not just for teaching people how to drive or fly.  They are often used
for teaching management skills. 

An office situation can be created, and you would then have to respond to e-mails,
phone calls, etc. that mimic what you might encounter on the job.

Disadvantage
They are usually very expensive and time consuming to prepare

4. Case Study
It is a description of how employees or an organization dealt with a difficult situation

Trainees are then asked to analyze the problem and discuss possible solutions. 

This method is based on the idea that employees will learn better if they discover the
principles themselves rather than being told what the principles are. 
 

Case studies also will include contextual factors that make the situation or problem
more complex, but also more like real-life.

As the correct action is often unknown, case studies also give trainees practice
dealing with ambiguity and may allow for a richer discussion of why certain action
may or may not be appropriate than one where there is a clear cut answer. 

Advantage
It provides trainees with realistic solutions and let’s them actively try to discover
important principles. 

Disadvantage

The case studies may be too dissimilar for trainees’ work situations to be of much
use and/or trainees might have difficulty applying what they have learned from a
particular case to situations they encounter on the job
5. MANAGEMENT GAMES

A training exercise in which prospective decision makers act out managerial decision-
making roles in a simulated environment.

Also known as business game; operational game.

Goals of the management game are:

(1) To improve decision making and analytical skills.

(2) To develop awareness of the need to make decisions lacking complete

information.

(3) To develop an understanding of the interrelationships of the various functions of

business (accounting, finance, marketing, production, etc.) within the firm and how
these interactions affect overall performance.

(4) To develop the ability to function cooperatively and effectively in a small group
situation.
6.Behavior Modeling
It is based on Bandura’s social learning theory, which emphasizes how people learn
from observing others. 

The general procedure follows the following steps as discussed by Goldstein

and Sorcher (1974)

1.Trainer brings the attention of the trainees to some key points to be learned in the
session

2.A videotape is shown that depicts the enactment of the points to be learned (a
videotape is used so that it can be paused and rewound)

3. To further enhance retention, the group of trainees discusses the modeled

behavior shown in the video

4. Trainees role play the behaviors to be learned in the presence of the other
trainees and the instructor
5. Trainees receive feedback on how well they adopted the learning points in
their role play.  Verbal reinforcement in given for successful enactments of the
desired behaviors

6. Trainees discuss how they will transfer what they have learned in class to the
work situation.

Advantage
It provides good practice of desired behaviors and a discussion of why those
behaviors are appropriate 

Disadvantage
As role play in that some trainees may feel reluctant or uncomfortable acting out
the behaviors.
 Group Building Methods
Group building methods refer to training methods designed to
improve team or group effectiveness.

Training directed at improving trainees’ skills as well as team

effectiveness

Group building methods involve trainees:

• Sharing ideas and experiences

• Building group identity

• Understanding interpersonal dynamics

• Learning their strengths and weaknesses and of their co- workers.

 Group Building Methods (continued)

Group techniques focus on helping teams increase their

skills for effective teamwork.

 Group building methods include:

• Team training

• Action learning

• Adventure learning
 Group Building Methods:

Adventure Learning

Focuses on the development of teamwork and leadership skills using

structured outdoor activities.

Also known as wilderness training and outdoor training

 Best suited for developing skills related to group effectiveness such as:

Self-awareness

Problem solving

Conflict management

Risk taking
Adventure Learning (continued)
 To be successful :

Exercises should be related to the types of skill sthat participants are

expected to develop.

After the exercises, a skilled facilitator should lead a discussion about

•What happened in the exercise

•what was learned

•how events in the exercise relate to job situation

•how to apply what was learned on the job

Group Building Methods:
Team Training

•Involves coordinating the performance of

individuals who work together to achieve a
common goal

•Teams that are effectively trained develop

procedures to identify and resolve errors,
coordinate information gathering, and reinforce
each other.
Components of Team Performance

• Behavior

• Knowledge

• Attitude
Group Building Methods: Action Learning

 Involves giving teams or work groups:

•an actual problem,

•having them work on solving it, committing to an action plan,

and

•holding them accountable for carrying out the plan.

Action Learning (continued)

 Several types of problems are used including how

to:

• Change the business

• Better utilize technology

• Remove barriers between the customer and company

• Develop global leaders

• Change
Choosing a Training Method

•Identify the type of learning outcome that you want training to

influence

•Consider the extent to which the learning method facilitates learning

and transfer of training

•Evaluate the costs related to development and use of the method

•Consider the effectiveness of the training method