Your LMS – A Great Sticky Tool

Your learning management system (LMS) is a great administrative tool for course registration, student tracking, and end-of-course evaluation.   Are you using it to drive and support better transfer of training?

In addition to administrative tasks, an LMS can deliver training content (e-learning and live virtual classes), communicate with students and their supervisors, support collaboration and trainee interaction, and support performance management.  This latest trend performance management feature in many LMSs allows development plans in the employee’s performance review to be linked with available classes (internally and externally), and tracked.

How can an LMS drive and support better transfer of training?  Here are some suggestions:

• Use the email feature to automatically send a pre-training note to students at a prescribed time prior to training (probably no earlier than one week).  The note should summarize what they will learn in the training and how they are expected to use it in their jobs. This note should also remind them to expect to give their full attention to the training with limited access to emails, IMs, and text messaging.  This last point is especially important for students who will be taking e-learning or live virtual learning classes.
• Use the email feature to automatically send a pre-training note to students’ supervisors. The note should also summarize in appropriate detail, what the participant will learn and how it can be applied to their job.  In addition to reminding the supervisor to plan for adequate coverage during the time the participant is in training, this email should also ask supervisors to plan for skill practice/use as soon as the participant completes the training.
• Add a short video to these emails from the CEO, senior leader, or other influential manager describing the importance of the training and how the skills support the organization’s mission, goals, and objectives.  Don’t stop at one – use several video clips to drive this message home.  Desktop web cams make these videos easy and affordable.  If you’re not sure where to house the video (that is, where the link will go), many organizations are using YouTube for non-confidential employee messages.  Non-public links can be set up so these videos aren’t available to other YouTube visitors.
• Use the social media and collaboration tools available in many LMSs to promote or require trainee interaction before and after the class.  Studies show that when trainees interact with one another about their learning, they have higher levels of learning and transfer of training.  Specifically, set up a discussion board prior to face-to-face, e-learning, or live virtual learning.  Pose questions such as “What has been your biggest challenge with______?”, “How do you think having ____ skills will enhance your ability to do your job?  To advance in your career?”  Use the same sort of discussion board for post-training discussion and include questions such as “What has been your biggest challenge in applying ____?”   Consider other social media and collaboration tools such as Yammer and a wiki, where everyone contributes to FAQs and tips/pointers for using the skills.
• Use the LMS survey tool to find out how skills are being used 6 weeks and 3 months post-training.  Consider withholding credit for the class until this survey is completed.  Share results with participants’ supervisors.  Send a separate survey to participants’ supervisors to get their assessment of skill use.

Your organization doesn’t have an LMS?  These ideas can be implemented manually with just a bit of oversight from an administrator.  Set up class mailing lists in the email application, store email notes and video clips/links for quick insertion and re-use, set up discussion boards through a free service such as Blackboard or a password-protected Facebook group.

Until next time…..

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Effective trainers help make training stick.

Most research on training transfer has focused on strategies to increase transfer of training such as: instructional design strategies, content reinforcement, manager/peer support before and after, opportunity to use, and trainee accountability.  All of these are certainly important strategies to increase transfer of training.  But one thing has been mostly missing from almost all research and models on training transfer– and this has always puzzled me: the interpersonal dynamics of the trainer and participants.

…Mostly missing until now that is. A recent study by Paul Donovan and David Darcy reported in the International Journal of Training and Development found that in addition to the usual factors that support high levels of training transfer, their survey of participants identified trainer effectiveness as having a strong link to transfer of training.  Participants responded positively to statements about trainer preparation, enthusiasm, commitment to training goals, relating training to participant job needs, and providing good feedback.  Participants also responded positively to statements about participants working well together in the training and engaging in free and useful information exchange. 

In my dissertation research some 15 years ago I found links between transfer of training and the trainer interacting with individual participants, modeling skills being taught, demonstrating empathy, and appearing “genuine” and competent. 

With this research in mind, here are reminders for trainer actions in face-to-face and live virtual training that research shows will help make the training stick well.  Which 1-2 things do you see that you can to do more/better?

• Prepare well.  Don’t skimp on prep time or try to fake it.  It shows, participants notice, and it can affect how well they apply what they learn as well as how well they learn it.
• Be enthusiastic about the learning content. If you don’t feel enthusiastic, fake it.  Consider using caffeine or energy boosters to help.
• Commit to the goals of the training – not just the learning goals but the overall reason for the training.  Show your commitment by making sure you communicate the link between your organization’s strategic mission/goals/plan and the training.
• Be sure you understand the job role of each participant in the training and how the training can be applied in their job.  Do your homework ahead of time on this if necessary.  If this isn’t possible, at the beginning of the training discuss with participants how the training can be applied to each specific job.
• Provide specific, relevant feedback to each participant.  Don’t use practice time to take a break.  Walk around, observe each individual participant, and provide feedbackon their practice.  Be available to answer questions during this time.  Talk with individual participants during practice time and/or on breaks.    
• Make sure you model skills being taught. This is an especially critical factor for soft skills training.  More than once I’ve had trainees comment to me about a particular trainer who was teaching participative management, active listening, consultative selling, or similar collaborative skills but the trainer was directive and unreceptive to participant questions and input.
• Empathize with participants.  If you have had a job similar to theirs, let them know this andshare a few “war stories”.  If you haven’t had a job like theirs, get input from people with similar job titles prior to the training and use what you learn in these conversations to relate with participants. 
• Demonstrate self-confidence - verbally and non-verbally - in your ability to teach the class and to perform the skills.

Until next time…..

 

Should you get certified?

I’m just back from ASTD’s TechKnowledge conference in San Jose – great conference and I’m pleased to say that my session on Making E-learning Stick was well received.  I found a couple of great new training transfer resources that I’ll share in a future newsletter, but in this newsletter I want to respond to a question that several trainers at the conference asked me:

Should I get certified?

Elearning! magazine did a survey last year on this topic and here are the results:

• 89% of the HR and Learning and Development professionals surveyed said that a certification was important during the hiring process, and 92% said if two candidates had equivalent experience they would hire the person with a certification.
• 93% said that an individual with a certification credential would earn more money.
• 93% said it was important for a certification credential to be “portable”….that is, not industry-specific, so it would be useful to them regardless of industry or specific company.

That’s pretty impressive!

The next question of course is which certification is best?  This of course depends on your specific goals.  The ASTD CPLP certification is a rigorous, multi-faceted experience that includes study materials and requires testing as well as submission of work samples.  The cost depends on whether or not you are a member of ASTD National.  www.astd.org/Certification

Kirpatrick Partners offer several levels – bronze, silver, and gold – certification in their evaluation ROE process.  

The Making E-learning Stick™ certification is the only certification for the transfer of technology-supported training.  http://www.maketrainingstick.com/e-learning-certification.html

Interestingly, few certifications except Making E-Learning Stick™ in the learning and development field address learning transfer!

What’s the difference between certification and a certificate program?  Certification is a demonstration of knowledge and competence.  The participant needs to demonstrate in some way – test, work sample, implementation plan, etc. – their learning.  On the other hand, a certificate simply indicates you have taken the class or series of classes.  If you want the career advantages mentioned in the survey, get certified, don’t just take a certificate program.

Over 900 people signed up for my ASTD webinar on Making E-Learning Stick last month.  This is a good indication that there’s a lot of interest in learning transfer, including but not limited to the transfer of technology-supported training.  Leaders in organizations focus on results, and the learning and development or HR professional who can show through a certification that they understand how to transfer training into business results, will likely get the nod when it comes to promotion, choice assignments, and new jobs.

Shouldn’t you get certified?

Until next time…..

Santa Makes His E-Learning Stick

Once upon a time at the North Pole, Santa was having challenges managing the elves.  His authoritative leadership style wasn’t working as well as it had in the past.  He knew he needed to learn new management skills but he couldn’t just get in his sleigh and go to a leadership workshop.  His magic sleigh only operates on Christmas Eve, and besides he couldn’t leave his workshop to go to a training program.

Santa did some browser searches and signed up for e-learning courses on Situational Elf Leadership and Managing Special Workers.  Mrs. Claus got interested in e-learning too, and she found e-learning courses on Healthy Cookie Baking (she and Santa are trying to eat healthy and get their weight down) and Using Electronic Kitchen Appliances at the North Magnetic Pole.

Santa and Mrs. Claus signed into their e-learning courses regularly.  Santa learned about new techniques and strategies for managing the elves.  Mrs. Claus got recipes and learned how to bake cookies with less fat and sugar, and how to use her food processor in the single magnetic field at the North Pole.   They both passed the end-of-module quizzes, and received certificates when they completed courses.

But the elves still complained that Santa was micromanaging them and not allowing them to participate in toy-making decisions.  And Mrs. Claus still found herself over-dipping into the sugar and chopping nuts and raisins by hand instead of using her food processor.

Their e-learning didn’t stick!   What to do?  They searched the internet for help and found a copy of the book Making E-Learning Stick.  They learned some Techniques to Integrate Education (TIEs) for reinforcing their own learning.  They also found some techniques Rudolph could use to design e-learning for the elves.  In just a short time Santa and Mrs. Claus began using what they had learned.  The elves were happier and more productive, and Santa and Mrs. Claus enjoyed better, healthier cooking.

And they learned happily ever after!

My best wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season and a happy and prosperous New Year!

**Click here to read last year’s message on how Rudolph re-trained the elves.

Until next time…..

 

 

P.S. Just Announced: Making E-Learning Stick Certification Course Dates for Spring 2013

After Training: The Zeigarnik Effect

I often use follow-up activities after the training I conduct.   Most often I find I have to force myself to get this done.  I’m ready to move on to the next project, to design the next training, to write the next newsletter.  Many trainers tell me the same thing.  They are ready to move on rather than follow up with previous training.

I recently conducted training on storytelling for trainers.  At the end of the training, I assigned “homework” to develop a short story or illustration and then schedule an individual phone call with me to review/practice the story and to receive my feedback.  I waited for the calls so I could listen to each person’s story.  And waited…and waited.  Nobody got in touch with me to set up the phone call until I sent a reminder, and in many cases, more than one reminder.

Dr. Bluma Zeigarnik developed a theory which became known as the Zeigarnik Effect that explains my experience. I suspect I’m not the only trainer who has experienced lack of participation in follow-up activities.  Briefly, the Ziegarnik Effect is based on the fact that when people get closure on a topic, it’s not likely to be top of mind any more.  Likewise, people are more likely to remember what they have not gotten closure on.   So when, in the learning event, the learning points are summarized and other closing activities are present, the ZeigarnikEffect indicates that these closing/closure activities actually make it harder for participants to remember and use what they have learned once they get back on the job.  The Zeigarnik Effect also explains why most trainers are not motivated to follow up after a learning event.

What to do?  Here are a few suggestions for incorporating the Zeigarnik Effect:

• Provide shortened, not detailed explanations for some of the learning.  Post the complete explanation on a static source, such as a webpage, which participants can refer to during the class and later.

• If an action plan or after-training checklist is to be developed, ask trainees to provide 1-2 items for it and stop them before they can do more.

• Use a stopwatch or clock timer on your phone to help force you to stop before participants are finished.

• When providing learning points or a list in the training, provide only the first few and let participants know where and when the rest will be provided. This is a good use for Facebook-types of social media, or, emails will work too. Most LMS systems can be set up to send after-training prompts and reminders automatically.

These suggestions are the opposite of many best practices for designing and conducting learning events.  But maybe if we try to do more of the above, we might find that trainees will more readily remember and use what they have learned.  And maybe trainers (myself included) will be more motivated to follow up with trainees afterwards.

While I have known about the Zeigarnik Effect for some time and have used the above suggestions from time to time, I must admit that it is not easy to break lifelong habits.  I’m going to try to do more of this.  Maybe you will too.

Until next time…..

Help trainees’ managers make training stick

Most research on training transfer points to trainees’ managers as critical factors in whether training is applied.  An online poll conducted in May of this year by the career management firm Lee Hecht Harrison reports that of the more than 450 individuals throughout the US who responded, about 50% felt their manager was never or rarely interested in their professional development.

______________

“Do you feel your manager is interested in your professional development?”

Mostly                                22%

Sometimes                         27%

Rarely                                26%

Never                                26%

While 49% of respondents felt their managers were sometimes or mostly interested in their professional development, Karen Leverone, Senior Vice President for Lee Hecht Harrison, points out “If you are not actively engaging and supporting the people who work for you, you’re probably not getting their best work.”  That’s a lot of organizations who aren’t getting their employees’ best work!   

What’s a trainer or HR professional to do?  We know how important manager support is for application of training to the job.  But do the managers?  Whining, preaching, and complaining are not the best approaches to get managers’ attention.  Yet often this is what I see and hear trainers and HR people doing.  And often they are doing it with each other rather than reaching out to the managers.

Instead try these simple strategies to help managers understand how important their role is and specifically what they can do to help their employees apply what they learn in training to do their jobs better.

• Prepare an email that can be sent to each manager when a participant registers for a training class or begins it that recaps the purpose of the e-learning, face to face, or live virtual training (in plain English – no instructional objectives, please) and how participants should be expected to apply what they learn.  LMSs can be helpful to automate this, but doing it manually takes less than 30 seconds per participant. Use graphics or a slide or two from the training to make an email that is more appealing than simple text. Remember, the message that is different and stands out will be the message that gets read and remembered.

Ask the manager to do 2 things that each take less than one minute:  1.  communicate with their employee about why the training is important and how they should apply it, and 2. find and suggest ways the employee can practice and use their learning right after they take the training.

• Make a 1-3 minute webcam video with the above information.  Even a talking head video will be noticed more than a simple text email, and managers may appreciate seeing the “person behind the training”.
• Send each boss a Boss Bookmark (electronic or hard copy) for more specific before, during, and after suggestions.
• Prepare a business case for each training program.  Include such information as the cost for developing and deploying the training, the dollars and cents benefit to the organization, and the opportunity cost for not using the training.  Share this information in your communication (see above).  (For example, the opportunity cost for not using customer service skills is lost or dissatisfied customers.  For technical or operational training, it is errors of many sorts and consequences.)
• After training, send reminders to managers to follow up and provide opportunities to practice and use.   Once again, LMSs come in handy for this since they can usually be programmed to automatically send out these types of communications at predetermined times.  If an LMS isn’t available, however, use an email distribution list to get the job done – it takes less than a minute.

Prepare these manager communications ahead of time in the program design or the facilitator prep.  That way they are ready to go when the time is right.

Remember, many managers won’t know or remember how they need to support their employees’ training unless we help them!  Using these simple techniques will make the training stick much better.

**For more ideas and techniques, check out my books:  Making Training Stick: A Training Transfer Field Guide, Making Learning Stick, and Making E-Learning Stick. 

Until next time….

P.S. Follow me on Twitter: @StickyTraining

Use that Back to School Feeling

My most vivid childhood memories are of the first days of school each fall: the hustle of getting clothes and supplies ready, practicing the walking route (when the school was new), the fresh smell of the halls and classrooms after their summer cleaning and buffing. Most of all I remember the feeling of being mentally ready and receptive to learning after a summer where my brain was less than active. I think most of us can relate to that “back to school feeling”, especially those of us who have children so we can relive it.

There’s a “back to school feeling” at work too, I’ve noticed. People seem more interested and ready to learn new skills – in face-to-face classrooms, elearning courses, and informally on the job. Enrollments and registrations usually pick up the end of August and continue through October. Instructors and facilitators are usually more enthusiastic and focused as well.

As trainers, training managers and administrators – and as learners, we can capitalize on this “back to school feeling”:

• Increase publicity and “marketing” for programs and classes at this time of year.
• Connect with managers of your participants – they often have a back to school feeling too and may be more inclined to support enrollments for their employees now. Now is a good time to invite them to become more involved with supporting their employees’ learning. Click here for some specific ideas to get managers involved.
• Use the “back to school” theme in communications (you know, chalk and blackboards, apples) and class props in live classes. PowerPoint has several fun templates with this theme.
• Be prepared to help learners focus. After a more relaxed summer that probably included at least one week of vacation, they may need a little more assistance getting focused.
• Use “back to school” as an opportunity to reconnect with previous participants to reinforce what they have learned previously.
  • Spruce up that course or training department webpage
• Send an email asking participants’ managers and/or trainees themselves how they are applying their learning
• Remind participants how they said they would overcome obstacles to apply what they learned.
• Check in with training buddies and/or support groups
• Pay a visit to a job site or otherwise check in on previous participants

For yourself:

• Consider your own professional development. Take a class. It’s always interesting to be on the other “side of the fence” for a change.
• Consider a certification for yourself. These days more importance seems to be placed on certificates and certifications. How do you stack up with your peers? Take my Making E-Learning Stick™ certification
• Ask yourself: what do I want to learn that I don’t know? What’s the best way to learn it?
• If you’re not taking at least 2 weeks of professional development each year, you’re not keeping up with your learners!
• Consider going back to school and getting a degree or another degree. Many online programs make this more convenient than ever.

As the days begin to get cooler for most of us, capitalize on the “back to school” emotions to help make your training stick!

 

Until next time….

 

P.S. Follow me on Twitter: @StickyTraining

 

Sticky objectives

I’ve taught several train-the-trainer sessions recently and the topic of objectives has figured prominently.  As most of us know, good instructional objectives are essential for effective training evaluation at all levels.  A couple of points about instructional objectives before I continue:

• A good instructional objective should include 3 things:  1) the performance (what the trainee should be able to do after the training, 2) the condition (when, ex. “when conducting a performance evaluation”), and 3) the criteria (how well).  If the objective does not contain all three of these elements, it can’t effectively indicate the desired result of the training.
• Most instructional objectives are preceded by the this phrase:  “at the conclusion of the training, the participant will be able to:”
• It may not be useful to share the instructional objectives with the trainees.  It may be more helpful to develop instructional objectives for use in the design process with trainers, program sponsors, and other “insiders”, and to write and publish objectives of a more general nature, such as “learn how to conduct an effective performance review” for use with trainees in the learning events.  In my experience, many trainees are intimidated or just don’t relate well with instructional objectives (some trainers too, but that’s a different issue).

Now that I’ve commented on instructional objectives, I’d like you to consider this:  what is the purpose or point of the training and of the training objectives?  Is it to demonstrate knowledge or a skill or possibly even an attitude change at the end of the training?  In most cases, the answer to this question is “no”.  The purpose of most training is for trainees to apply certain knowledge, skills or attitudes to their jobsso that their performance is more effective in specific, targeted ways.

So if the purpose of the training is for trainees to use certain skills in their job performance, shouldn’t the objectives be written to describe what they should be able to do, on the job, after the training?  If we look at instructional objectives from this perspective, the performance, conditions, and criteria may not change.  What will change, though, is the statement that precedes the objectives:  “at the conclusion of the training, the participants will be able to….”    Instead of “at the conclusion of the training”, substitute “in their job performance, the participants will….”   Remember, our focus should be on what they will do, not what they can or will be able to do.

Making these simple adjustments in the wording of instructional objectives – and in the more general objectives shared with trainees – can keep trainer and trainee focused on the true goal of the training – on-the-job performance.

Until next time….

 

P.S. Follow me on Twitter: @StickyTraining

Trainee Motivation to Transfer … What can you do?

Trainee motivation is a well-known and generally accepted predictor of training transfer.  But what exactly is meant by “trainee motivation” and how can we as instructors, designers, and HR professionals influence trainees to become more motivated to apply more of what they learn in training?

Recent research studies on training transfer point out there are two basic types of trainee motivation to transfer learning:  autonomous and controlled.  Autonomous motivation refers self-motivation.  Controlled motivation refers to requirements, conditions, and imperatives in trainees’ work environments.  Here are some illustrations:

Examples of autonomous motivation to transfer training:

•  A trainee sees how a class and the skills learned will fit into their career plan and help them further their career
• A learner is stimulated by new ideas and by trying out new approaches and skills
• A trainee is currently experiencing a problem or challenge and they believe the training will help them solve it
• A participant believes that they will not be punished for trying something new and possibly making a mistake, and in fact they will receive support for trying out new skills and behaviors

Examples of controlled motivation to transfer training:

• A learner’s  performance review development plan has a particular class or skill listed and/or they want to receive a higher performance rating on a specific skill or skill set
• A trainee knows that their peers and their manager will expect them to begin using new skills learned in training
• A participant has an after-training action plan and will be held accountable by the trainer and/or their manager for specific  activities and deliverables

We usually can’t change work environments or performance review processes, but there are some actions that we as designers, instructors, and HR professionals can do to increase trainee motivation to transfer.  Here are some suggestions:

• Ask, tell, or remind trainees how the knowledge or skills will help them in their careers.

• Inform them how NOT learning the skills or knowledge could hurt their careers.

• Let them know how NOT paying attention and learning the training could hurt the organization.  This is especially important for compliance training.  “Checking the box” should not be the goal of compliance training.

• At the beginning of the training – or before – invite trainees to reflect on problems they may have had or are experiencing that are related to the training.  Point out how the training can or might help.

• Communicate with trainees’ managers and ask them to have a post-training discussion in which they discuss what was learned and how it can be applied to their job.

• Send an email to previous participants.  Provide the current trainee’s name and ask them to connect, offering support and suggestions.

• Toward the end of training suggest that the participant remind their manager that they will be trying out “some new things” and to ask for feedback.

• Provide an action plan form in the training – this includes e-learning.  Send the completed action plan (which can be captured in most e-learning systems) to their manager.  Send the completed action plan to the participant 1-3 weeks after training.

What are ideas do you have?  What do you do in your organization to encourage trainee motivation?  I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time….

 

P.S. Follow me on Twitter: @StickyTraining

Use Threaded Discussions to Make Training Stick Better

Whether your training is face-to-face,  live virtual (“webinar”), e-learning, or a blend, a threaded discussion can be a valuable add-on or an integral part of the training that adds an element of participant interaction and critical thinking.

Research on training transfer has found that trainee interaction, especially in e-learning, increases learning and transfer.  Threaded discussions are a relatively quick and easy way to provide opportunities for interaction.  The written discussion also makes it easier for non-native English (or any other language) speakers to participate.  And, people can participate at their convenience.

An instructor training class really opened my eyes to the value of threaded discussions.  Skeptical at first, I soon began to see that these types of online discussions provide opportunities for more thoughtful responses and discussion than I saw in face-to-face classes.  There was no competition for “air time” and no limit as to how many students could respond.

What is a threaded discussion and how do you set one up?  A threaded discussion begins when a question is posed which starts the thread.  When responses are posted, they appear under the question, like comments to a blog.  Unlike a blog or any other social media, when responses are posted to the response, they appear “threaded” under that response.  In an active discussion, you will see responses to the original question, responses to the response, responses to that response, and so on – several levels deep.

Types of questions which work best as threaded discussion starters are open-ended:

• Questions that ask about participants’ experience with something
• Questions that pose hypothetical problem for them to solve
• Short case studies for them to react to
• Socratic questions that ask for an example, why something is important, or how one idea or technique fits with another one.

To get started:

•  Identify key concepts in the learning content that may need further clarification or can be expanded with discussion.  Think about how participants should apply the learning.
• Locate the best software platform to host the threaded discussion.  Many LMS platforms have threaded discussion features, although many times they have not been activated.  A Linked In group can also be created for this purpose since it is possible to restrict groups to “by invitation only”.  The threaded discussion should be accessible via an internet link for best results.
• Determine who will moderate and lead the discussions.  This person can be a training instructor, course designer, subject matter expert, or line manager.  Since most of the discussion will be done by participants, the leader simply needs to respond to questions, pose follow-up questions, and make sure the discussions stay focused on the topic.
• Require participation in threaded discussions as part of the class.  For example, to complete the class, each participant must post at least 3 times on 3 different days.
• If participants have not been in class together, post an Introductions thread and ask people to share something specific about themselves – favorite hobby, what they do on Friday after work, if they have a pet, etc.  Be sure to share something about yourself.
• Post suggestions and guidance for discussion posts, for example:

- Show you are reading others’ comments by

referring to them in your own posts.

- Agree/disagree and say why

- Share links, books, articles on the topic

- Keep comments constructive – no griping!

Do you use threaded discussions in your training? Please drop me a short note and let me know how you’re using them.

Until next time…