Technical Training Basics PDF
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“ aSTd Training Basics Series “Sarah Wakefield’s Technical Training Basics describes the complex – and often frustrating T e – task of creating technical training with humor and clarity. She details the process, c h from initial analysis through post-course evaluation, in a comprehensive ‘how-to’ n i guide that will be valuable to anyone involved in technical training development.” c a l T Donna Livaudais r Graphic Designer a i EMPLOYEE connect n i n g “I like this book because it doesn’t assume the reader has an extensive background B in technical training. It’s a wonderful resource for both a new technical course a s developer and for those seasoned developers who need to get back to the basics.” ic s Katrina Pigusch Technical Writer Schlumberger “Finally, a training tool that takes development of technical training from be“ginning to end. Technical Training Basics will help you properly develop your training classes so you can reach out to your audience with courses that produce technically relevant S a material without putting them to sleep with endless lectures.” r a h W Tommy Kirkpatrick a k Sr. Manager Engineering Technical Service e f Sarah Wakefield Schumberger i e l d a Complete how-to Guide to help You: Understand the Technical Training enigma ISBN 978-1-56286-755-352995 011107.62220 W ork with Subject Matter experts design exercises for Technical Content 9 781562 867553 111112 $29.95 (U.S.A.) Technical Training Basics Sarah Wakefield Alexandria, Virginia © 2011 the American Society for Training & Development All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please go to www.copyright.com, or contact Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 (telephone: 978.750.8400, fax: 978.646.8600). ASTD Press is an internationally renowned source of insightful and practical information on workplace learning and performance topics, including training basics, evaluation and return on investment, instructional systems development, e-learning, leadership, and career development. Visit us at www.astd.org/astdpress. Ordering information for print edition: Books published by ASTD Press can be purchased by visiting ASTD’s website at store.astd.org or by calling 800.628.2783 or 703.683.8100. Library of Congress Control Number: 2010938802 (print edition only) Print edition ISBN: 978-1-56286-755-3 PDF e-book edition ISBN: 978-1-60728-805-3 2011-1 ASTD Press Editorial Staff: Director: Anthony Allen Manager, ASTD Press: Larry Fox Community Manager, Learning Technologies: Justin Brusino Associate Editor: Ashley McDonald Editorial Assistant: Stephanie Castellano Copyediting, Interior Design, and Production: Abella Publishing Services, LLC Cover Design: Ana Foreman Contents ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ About the Training Basics Series ............................................................................v Preface.................................................................................................................vii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................xi 1. The Technical Training Enigma .................................................................1 2. The Successful Development Team .............................................................9 3. Beginning the Technical Training Project ................................................23 4. Arranging a Technical Course ...................................................................39 5. Gathering Information ...............................................................................57 6. Working with Subject Matter Experts ......................................................71 7. Designing Classroom Exercises for Highly Technical Content ................93 8. The Pilot Class and Beyond .....................................................................111 9. Troubleshooting: Challenges and Solutions ...........................................123 Appendix. The Developer’s Dream: A Fairy-Tale ..............................................143 Technical Training Project References and Resources ..................................................................................147 About the Author ..............................................................................................149 Index .................................................................................................................151 About the Training Basics Series ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ASTD’s Training Basics series recognizes and, in many ways, celebrates the fast- paced, ever-changing reality of organizations today. Jobs, roles, and expecta- tions change quickly. One day you might be a network administrator or a process line manager, and the next day you might be asked to train 50 employees in basic computer skills or to instruct line workers in quality processes. Where do you turn for help? The ASTD Training Basics series is designed to be your one-stop solution. The series takes a minimalist approach to your learning curve dilemma and presents only the information you need to be successful. Each book in the series guides you through key aspects of training: giving presentations, making the transition to the role of trainer, designing and delivering training, and evaluating training. The books in the series also include some advanced skills such as performance and basic business proficiencies. The ASTD Training Basics series is the perfect tool for training and performance professionals looking for easy-to-understand materials that will prepare non-trainers to take on a training role. In addition, this series is the perfect reference tool for any trainer’s bookshelf and a quick way to hone your existing skills. v This page intentionally left blank Preface ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ When industrial accidents occur as a result of human error, it is only a matter of time before the inevitable question is asked: Where was the training? In a world where things like safety, quality, and efficiency are essential, we can- not afford ineffective, inefficient technical training. Technical training must be done, and it must be done well in today’s business environment. Yet, with all that said, there are few resources available that specifically discuss how to effectively develop technical training. Technical training development is a complex, challenging, unique, misunder- stood, and sometimes frustrating process. As a nontechnical course developer, your job is especially tricky: You must complete all the regular tasks of developing course- ware, but you must do this using words and concepts you don’t fully understand. I have worked with contract course developers from all different levels, including developers who were paid a premium for their impressive (on paper, at least) back- grounds. But what I have learned from this is that experience isn’t always the biggest success factor for putting together a technical course. Some of the most expensive, experienced developers have let me down—calling me one week before an assign- ment is due to tell me that the project is just too complicated for them, that they have never had to do anything so difficult before, and that they won’t be able to fin- ish. Conversely, I have worked with developers fresh out of college who demon- strated specific promising skills and with a little practice were able to produce efficiently and outperform other, more experienced individuals. vii Preface ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ I’ve noticed that the technical developers who are successful all exhibit some of the same characteristics and approaches. That is what this book is about. Technical training requires different tactics to develop than nontechnical train- ing. One of the biggest success factors of technical training development is being able to work effectively with your subject matter expert (SME). In addition, launching the project the right way, understanding different ways technical courses can be organized, finding the right information, designing technical exercises, and piloting a course with an SME/instructor are all important items to know. This book is intended to discuss these things and more—in a very real, specific, and readable way. What This Book Does Not Cover If you have never designed a training class before, this book is not for you. This book does not go into great depth on why things like the ADDIE model and adult learning are necessary; rather, it covers how to apply those concepts to a technical training project. It is expected that you already understand the basic tenets of instructional design and adult learning tactics. Primary Audience The primary audience of this book is anyone who develops technical training with the help of an SME. This includes training developers, instructional designers, cur- riculum developers, technical writers, training managers, training coordinators, content designers, and training specialists, among others. SMEs who develop their own technical training will still be able to pull concepts from this book, but the bulk of the writing is geared toward developers who are working with an SME. Chapter-by-Chapter Highlights This book provides specific ideas, tips, and strategies to effectively and efficiently develop technical training, from the beginning of the project all the way through the pilot course and postcourse review. This book is loosely organized according to the course development process. Specifically, the chapters cover the following: Chapter 1: The Technical Training Enigma describes technical training and discusses some of the differences between technical and nontechnical training. The technical organization is briefly explored. viii Preface ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Chapter 2: The Successful Development Team covers the roles needed for technical course development and the characteristics of an effective developer and an SME. Chapter 3: Beginning the Technical Training Project discusses aspects related to the initial course design meeting, including why the meeting is important, who should attend, important questions to ask, and what should be accomplished. Chapter 4: Arranging a Technical Course describes how to create a course design document. The chapter examines in detail the various options available for arranging a technical products or task-based course. Chapter 5: Gathering Information discusses the type of information to seek and the challenges associated with gathering technical data. Potential in-house and outside sources of data are explored. The chapter analyzes tactics for maximizing information received, along with organizational systems for the technical designer. Chapter 6: Working with Subject Matter Experts covers tangible ways to draw information out of SMEs. The chapter gives specific tips for going through edits with SMEs. Chapter 7: Designing Classroom Exercises for Highly Technical Content provides specific examples, templates, and takeaways of exercises designed for highly technical content. The chapter also covers the importance of building a library of examples. Chapter 8: The Pilot Class and Beyond explores development opportunities from the pilot class, helping out the SME-turned-trainer, and postcourse maintenance. Chapter 9: Troubleshooting: Challenges and Solutions investigates different technical training challenges and provides specific and useful takeaways and solutions. ix
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