Presenting IT Training

My advice is: DON’T
Dear Lorraine

The emphasis on the word present in your question really worries me.

A disproportionate focus on issues of presentation can be symptomatic of a trainer-centric approach to training, when the evidence shows that a learner-centric approach is generally more effective. -As with all other types of training for adults, effective IT training is really all about effective skills transfer techniques rather than simple issues of presentation.

Effective skills transfer demands an intricate dialogue with delegates and the optimum balance of appropriate trainer style, course structure and learning activities.

Unfortunately these professional skills transfer techniques are very challenging to master.

Organisations that take non-trainers, give them a one day presentation skills course and send them off to run their first ‘training course’ are really doing the worst thing they possibly could.

These courses model the mindset of participants to see their role as that of a performer or presenter dispensing presentation materials to a passive audience, rather than that of a learning facilitator engaged in an interactive dialogue with engaged learners.

Trainers that have had this approach inculcated into them can have great difficulty adjusting their approach once this has become engrained. Training Foundation TAP assessors find that some trainers from this background initially spend most of their prep time worrying about generating enough slides and over 95% of the time in their training session talking non-stop, leaving no time for any structured or substantive learner participation at all!

Of course, you may well have plucked the word present out of the air without any real thought and might actually subscribe to exactly the same views as me, in which case I apologise for bothering you!

Nevertheless I do hope this helps.

Regards

2 Responses

Adrian Snook says:

March 12, 2004 at 10:12 pm

My advice is: DON’T
Dear Lorraine

The emphasis on the word present in your question really worries me.

A disproportionate focus on issues of presentation can be symptomatic of a trainer-centric approach to training, when the evidence shows that a learner-centric approach is generally more effective. -As with all other types of training for adults, effective IT training is really all about effective skills transfer techniques rather than simple issues of presentation.

Effective skills transfer demands an intricate dialogue with delegates and the optimum balance of appropriate trainer style, course structure and learning activities.

Unfortunately these professional skills transfer techniques are very challenging to master.

Organisations that take non-trainers, give them a one day presentation skills course and send them off to run their first ‘training course’ are really doing the worst thing they possibly could.

These courses model the mindset of participants to see their role as that of a performer or presenter dispensing presentation materials to a passive audience, rather than that of a learning facilitator engaged in an interactive dialogue with engaged learners.

Trainers that have had this approach inculcated into them can have great difficulty adjusting their approach once this has become engrained. Training Foundation TAP assessors find that some trainers from this background initially spend most of their prep time worrying about generating enough slides and over 95% of the time in their training session talking non-stop, leaving no time for any structured or substantive learner participation at all!

Of course, you may well have plucked the word present out of the air without any real thought and might actually subscribe to exactly the same views as me, in which case I apologise for bothering you!

Nevertheless I do hope this helps.

Regards
TrainingZone says:

March 13, 2004 at 12:59 am

Presenting IT training!!!!
Hello Loirraine,

As the below comments indicate “presenting” is probably the wrong word.

To deliver is more appropriate and it really does depend whether you are using a paper based method or are using interactive materials. (i.e. CD-ROM, internet etc)

Let us know more so that we can give our best advice.