For a Trainer Who is Considering and Online Session

With a frustrated training manager ready to try a hybrid learning environment due to inadequate face-to-face training sessions, there are some pre-planning strategies the trainer needs to consider before converting his program. Such strategies include considering “not only the goals, needs, and characteristics of teachers and students, but also content requirements and technical constraints” (Sherry, 1996). Just because the trainer is ready to try something new, does not determine that such a change is warranted and will be successful. In order to determine whether a training session is appropriate for an online or hybrid environment, an instructional designer should use the ADDIE model. With a strong analysis—of stakeholder needs, of leaner needs, and of design needs—one can begin to determine how best to approach the issue.  

When and if the trainer has discovered that an online or hybrid training module will serve the purpose, learning objectives need to be written as they will help the trainer focus on the learner, as Simonson et al (2009) suggest. Nash (2005) warns us that “Inconsistency in online learning occurs when instructor behavior does not align itself with expectations, or when the learning objects do not function in a predictable, practical way.” When learning objectives are in place, a decision on how best to facilitate the content needs to be made. There are Course Management Systems (CMS) that can house resources and provide a various Web 2.0 tools to assist in the facilitation of the training sessions. However, one must be careful in the selection because Piskurich and Chauser (2011) discuss the importance of the facilitator knowing the software. The trainer needs to have a lot of familiarity with whatever system is chosen in order to help students navigate and trouble shoot the system as well as utilize the system’s tools and features. Whether using a CMS like Blackboard, Moodle, and SchoolRack, or simply utilizing a wiki, needs and expenses are driving factors for this decision.

Once the trainer has chosen an online house where learners can find the training sessions, development of lesson plans that adhere to the learning objectives can be initiated. Simonson et al (2009) remind us that the goal of successful distance learning is to create experiences equivalent to that of traditional face-to-face experiences. Sherry (1996) says, “Successful distance education systems involve interactivity between teacher and students, between students and the learning environment, and among students themselves, as well as active learning in the classroom.” Therefore, developing activities that involve students in a collaborative way, revolve around the training content, and provide opportunities to apply learned material, is recommended. Nash (2005) indicates that “affiliation needs are often satisfied by means of an interactive discussion board or chat area. […] Any learning object that helps improve collaboration and interactivity among learners is likely to help a learner or user achieve affiliation needs.” Using threaded discussions, for example, would provide learners with opportunities to dialogue about the material they have learned, helping each other to learn more deeply, retaining information more efficiently. Any material from the trainer’s original program that provided collaboration could be enhanced in the distance learning format. Resources the trainer has always shared are available to learners any time and cost the company less in printing costs. Simonson et al (2009) remind us that successful distance learning is NOT uploading text-based documents students have to read one after another. Successful distance learning is active, and the roles of the learner and instructor have changed.

The trainer’s role in an online learning environment changes from the traditional role from face-to-face sessions. It is vital, for example, to clearly communicate the expected responsibilities of everyone involved. Providing students up front with course directives, expectations, responsibilities, and rubrics for assessments are very important and can set the tone for a positive or negative experience. Even discussing assessment methods can curtail future problems. Providing learners with formative assessments that can be taken multiple times, for example, can promote student motivation and spark their competitive spirit, according to Simonson et al (2009). The trainer can also motivate students by helping them feel connected with classmates and the course. The trainer could provide discussion forums where learners can communicate online. To ensure such forums are used purposefully, the trainer must help establish a solid academic culture “ensuring that misinformation is not accepted as fact” (Simonson et al (2009).  The role of the facilitator includes promoting students to engage other students while using the course content as support. Some effective ways a facilitator can ensure students engage in meaningful conversation include responding to about one in four student posts and reducing that number over the duration of the course allows the dialogue to take place more between learners, rather than create a simple teacher-student conversation.

When the training session is completed and students have begun participating and completing the course, the trainer can utilize the AEIOU method for making revisions. Determining if objectives were met, if things were completed the way they were supposed to, if any unforeseen circumstances arose from the distance learning experience can all help the trainer make revisions to the training session hopefully making things better, more efficient for learners in the future. Conducting surveys and interviews, looking at data and records provide a solid analysis of what is really going on in the training session.

References

Nash, S. (2005). “Learning Objects, Learning Object Repositories, and Learning Theory:  Preliminary Best Practices for Online Courses” Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects (1). 217-228.

Piskurich, G., & Chauser, J. (2011). “Facilitating Online Learning.” Video Program.

Sherry, L. (1996). Issues in Distance Learning. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1 (4), 337-365.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4^th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.