A Systematic Approach To Training Dr. Steve Training & Development INP6325 This lecture will serve as an advanced organizer for future lectures. (hooks to hang later material on). I’ll go over the process, but not in detail. The details will come in later lectures.

Systems Approach to Training Systems Theory – Darwinian model applied to organizations Orgs must adapt to their environment to survive Specify Objectives Control learning experiences to achieve objectives Specify Criteria For Acceptable performance Evaluate Feedback

Benefits of Systems Approach Feedback helps modify and improve training program Treats training program as a complex system of interacting parts Forces one to think about how a change in one component affects the other components Focuses on process rather than outcome Views training program as a system within a larger system Is program meeting its goals – should be asked at every step ex: how does changing the medium affect the ability of the training to adapt to new objectives? Ex: videotape of a successful lecture, may not me successful By focusing on process can track goals and make informal org’l decisions. If focus solely on outcome, then may reward faulty processes that led to concidental positive outcome Training affects the entire organization and the organization and environment affect the training program

Generic Training Development Model Validity Levels Needs Assessment Evaluation Org Support Org Analysis Req’ment Analysis Task Analysis Person Analysis Training Validity Transfer Validity Development Of Criteria Reaction Learning Behavioral Results Instructional Objectives Intra-Org’l Validity Selection And Design Of Instructional Programs Inter-Org’l Validity Use of Evaluation Models Training

Phase 1: Needs Assessment Organizational Support Make friends with P.O.C. Establish liaison teams/work groups Gain acceptance by supervisors and employees Minimize intrusiveness Follow org’s rules, norms, policies

Phase 1: Needs Assessment Organizational Analysis – Determine the general goals of the organization (not just training) Determine what org goals are because training may not be the solution Potential questions (Schuler 1994) Is there a sufficient supply of people? How do you attract, retain, and motivate a diverse workforce? How do you compete for individuals with the right KSAs? What do your employees need to do for the org to be competitive? Might find that promotion, job design, or selection are better ways to obtain org goals Make sure that the system will support the training throughout. If supervisors do not provide workers the opportunity to use their trained skills, then the training becomes short circuited.

Phase 1: Needs Assessment Requirements Analysis What jobs are being examined? Who are the SMEs for each job? What methods will be used to collect information? What is the target job?

Phase 1: Needs Assessment Task and KSA Analyses – Analysis of the job for which individuals will be training Basic Steps Job Description – Specify duties and conditions in which job is performed. Task Specification – The what, how, to whom or what, and why of the job. Professor: Disseminates information through lectures and discussions to college students to prepare them for careers in their profession KSA requirements – What KSAs are necessary to perform the tasks described?

Phase 1: Needs Assessment Person Analysis – Determine characteristics of group to be trained What do they already know? What is the criteria for performance? Who needs the training? Everyone? New employees? Specific dept? Those with poor evaluation? Those using new equipment? Those needing refresher?

Phase 1: Needs Assessment Instructional Objectives – Specify what trainee should be able to do or know upon completion of training Use to determine behavioral criteria for evaluation List the behaviors required for effective performance

Phase 2: Training Development Choosing the training environment Match the medium to the learning objectives Common error – using existing training program/technology and simply modifying it w/out considering objectives Training should be guided by learning principles Acquisition – knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes Transfer – applying what is learned to the job Learning principles derived from various disciplines (cognitive psych, behaviorism, education, etc.) Misuse of VR in VETE project, or student taking video version of course watches all 15 hours of video just before taking the test. Current trend is cognitive psych approach to learning, using info processing model and covering topics such as attentional workload, mental models, naturalistic decision making, - however, do not discount the power of the behavioral principles of reinforcement, skill maintenance, extinction, etc.

Phase 3: Evaluation Determine whether training helped meet goals Should use systems approach to provide feedback for program improvements/modifications Process Establish criteria – how will you know training was successful Performance standards determined during needs assessment Behavior req’d to show proficiency & conditions of performance Ex: typist training – measure improvement in WPM, errors, etc. Assess improvement and transfer Separate criteria for training performance & job performance Most orgs do not evaluate their training, therefore do not know whether it is actually effective. For example: if a university develops a course for freshmen to help retain them, then you’ll need to evaluate 4 years later to see whether a group receiving the course was more likely to graduate.

Phase 3: Evaluation Criteria Reaction – opinion of trainees (survey) Learning – mastery of training material (test) Behavioral – trainee job performance (ratings) Results – org profit by training ($$$$)

Phase 3: Evaluation Goals – empirical test of whether goals are met: Training Validity – did trainees learn desired skill? Transfer Validity – were trainees able to use that skill on the job? Intraorganizational Validity – do later training groups perform as well as original trained group? W/in org comparison Interorganizational Validity – can training program be successfully used in other orgs? Between org comparison

Phase 3: Evaluation Experimental design – depends on goal you are trying to meet Individual differences – compare differences in training performance to job performance Can then use scores as a selection tool Problem is that doesn’t necessary mean training helped, good trainees may be good workers Content validity – did training target correct KSAs? Empirical data then used to determine training effectiveness and needs for modification Changes in content, medium, transfer, etc.