Training on Training

This topic was presented on 3/6/12 as part of the Free Geek All-Staff Inservice

Overview of the session (italics indicate questions for class)

 * Do now and shareout (8 minutes)
 * Overview of class and questions (2-6 minutes)
 * Do you have a “tried-and-true” method for training others? (2-10 minutes)
 * Reflective teaching (20-25 minutes)
 * Invoke prior knowledge
 * Give context - How do you make it interesting in different areas of FG?
 * Explain/demonstrate skill - What are different ways we demonstrate processes currently at FG? Are there other ways?
 * Engage volunteer
 * Check-in regularly - What do you do if you notice that someone isn’t doing something correctly? (role play; only if the class is into it)
 * Goal-set collaboratively - What could be some interesting goals for different areas of FG?
 * Teach another - What if you have to teach a skill to multiple people? How can you integrate some of these ideas?
 * Solicit feedback - What would be a good single question you could ask someone that would make you a better teacher of this skill the next time?
 * Four-Step Method (5-10 minutes)
 * Instructor Does, Instructor Explains
 * Instructor Does, Student Explains
 * Student Does, Instructor Explains
 * Student Does, Student Explains, Instructor Evaluates
 * Review - What is one thing you will take from this class and possibly use at Free Geek?

Do now and shareout:

 * 1) Think about a time you had to learn a new skill (riding a bike, using chopsticks, filling out tax forms, sort 42 different types of items).  What did you find most difficult about it?  Did you do anything to help yourself learn the skill?  Did someone else say something that helped?  Did you have an “aha” moment?
 * 2) Do you have a “tried-and-true” method to train others?

Invoke prior knowledge
Ask if they have done a similar task before or some other question that gets them thinking about the task at hand. The goal is to activate the parts of their brains that are going to be used in learning this information. It also helps to find out what knowledge they already have so you can teach at their level.

Give context
Information is integrated like Lego blocks. You need to have something to clip information onto or it won’t attach correctly.

Give context about how this affects the organization (your task effects another volunteer, who could be you on another day, etc.) and what the task/skill will entail. Your goal is to make the skill enticing.

The explanation serves two purposes: (1) to introduce the subject by giving some background about its usefulness and application; and (2) to describe the subject in a simple, complete, and tantalizing way. The explanation should create a desire to become proficient in the skill. Unusual facts or illustrations arouse interest and create an appreciation of the value of learning the skill. The learners should be able to sense your respect for the skill and the importance of being able to perform this skill.

Demonstrate/Explain
Consider setting up a “demonstration” station (a la pre-build) or visual chart. Be prepared in advance.

Engage in activity
The first time or two, you should be there with the volunteer as they go through the process. Then let them try it on their own a few times; but don’t forget to...

Check in
Don’t forget to keep up with the progress of someone new to a task. Look for opportunities to come back to previous issues and demonstrate an understanding of the prior confusion.

Collaboratively come up with a goal
After the student has had a chance to be successful with the task, see if you can come up with a goal for the activity together. This should try to reward quality over quantity.

Have them teach another person or teach you
This step is necessary in seeing if the person really “gets it.”

Solicit feedback on the process
What was the hardest part for you to learn? What made it easier for you?

Other considerations
If a volunteer already knows one skill, have them teach another volunteer. Once they are trained, train the first volunteer a new skill.
 * Consider setting up training partners

OR

Train two, three or four people at one time and have them then teach each other the skill at least once, giving them all a chance to be student and teacher. They can also correct each other and ask for clarifying questions.

Four-Step Method
1. Instructor Does, Instructor Explains. This means that as the teacher, you must demonstrate what it is you want your students to do, and, as you're going through the various activities, provide narration to describe and explain what you're doing. As you demonstrate, explain nuances, tricks, tips, cautions etc.

2. Instructor Does, Student Explains. In step two, you're going to demonstrate again, but this time the student tells you what to do and what to watch out for. Be careful not to lead the student into any of the steps - he or she should tell you what to do before you do it.

This step allows the learner to engage the new skill mentally. He or she seeing the procedure in his or her mind and having to articulate it to you, but you have control over the actual process. A misstep in verbal instructions from the student does not have to be acted upon if the actual doing might cause damage or harm. This allows for corrective instruction from you without damaging equipment or causing personal injury.

3. Student Does, Instructor Explains. In step three the student performs the task with step-by-step instructions from you. Obviously the student's mind is thinking about what needs to happen, but your instructions are providing accuracy and safety. Also in this step, one of the biggest obstacles to learning, student embarrassment, is kept to a minimum. The student can focus brainpower on the manual dexterity required instead of trying to remember what to do next.

4. Student Does, Student Explains, Instructor Evaluates. Here the student merges the mental and physical learning under the guidance of you, the experienced instructor. The student builds confidence and the stage is set for true ownership of his or her ability to do the task. It's not just "I showed you, now you do it." The student truly has the ability to explain what should be done and demonstrate proficiency in doing it.

ON-THE-JOB TRAINING (ANOTHER FOUR-STEP METHOD OF INSTRUCTION)
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
 * Prepare the worker
 * Put the worker at ease
 * State the job and find out what the worker already knows about it
 * Stimulate the worker's interest in learning the job
 * Place the worker in the correct position
 * Present the operations
 * Tell, show and illustrate one important point at a time
 * Stress each key point
 * Instruct clearly, completely and patiently, but teach no more than the worker can master
 * Try out the worker's performance
 * Have the worker do the job, and correct errors
 * Have the worker explain each key point to you as he or she does the job again
 * Make sure the worker understands, and continue until you are certain of this
 * Follow up
 * Put the worker on his or her own
 * Designate to whom he or she should go for help
 * Check frequently
 * Encourage questions
 * Taper off extra coaching and reduce follow-up

Resources:

 * http://www.learningforlife.org/exploring-resources/99-720/y13.pdf
 * http://www.management-issues.com/2006/5/25/opinion/when-you-train-are-people-learning.asp
 * http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/common/TFS/FFMultimodalTx/TOT.pdf
 * http://www.fao.org/docrep/W8088E/w8088e03.htm