1. Introduction to the Entrata Platform
A Facilitator training plan developed by Joe Walters
CUR / 532 – Danene Mims- due February 5, 2018

2. Purpose of the Class Coach Educate
Educate Trainers on Classroom and Customer Service Etiquette
Coach
Coach Trainers to improve their overall teaching and delivery skills
Educate Trainers on Entrata and their company platform and software

3. Target Audience and Length of Course
A. Target Audience Demographics 1
To make sure that every trainer is comfortable with the information presented and has the time to demonstrate their competence with the information and be able to deliver it themselves in a classroom setting, the required length of the training process is 5 business days. 2
Anticipated target audience will consist of college graduates with at least 1-3 years work experience, both male and female, from many diverse cultures and backgrounds, with the median age range being: 20 to 40 years old, with some training, property management and customer service skills. This experience will give them the base knowledge to complete this training course. Majority of audience will consist of predominately professional people looking for a solid work foundation and needing a purpose to succeed. Skill set, knowledge base and experience of students. These students are educated, willing to work hard and can work in teams. They are working professionals. They are motivated to learn and succeed. Some college experience, maybe even college graduates. These facilitators have some experience in the classroom. There is an expectation that there will be some non-traditional learners in the class that will need specific accommodations made to help them through this course.

4. Formative Assessments
Evaluations
Formative Assessments
Summative Assessments
Using a pre-test as an assessment of where my learner’s knowledge base is will be my starting point. I will also have an activity where I can gauge the knowledge and skills of my learners. I will also provide a post class assessment to my students so that they can provide me with any feedback they might have. I can then in turn, use that feedback to improve the class and make it better for the next class.
In the beginning of the class, I will provide the goals and objectives for the class so that everyone will know what they will be responsible for at the end of the class. In order to know whether or not they have met all the goals and objectives for the class, each student will be required to teach a part of the class and use the knowledge and skills they have learned in a real classroom setting. They will need to do this prior to me signing off on them as fully trained trainers. I will also send them out with an experienced trainer on their first assignments and their lead trainer will have them lead a class and evaluate them on how well they did. They will also let them know what things they need to work on for their next teaching opportunity. Lastly, I will meet with the client’s management group to discuss the training and how effective it has been for their employees and if there is anything else we can do to make the training better and more effective. We take our meeting notes back to the office and go through the design piece by piece and make any necessary changes.

5. Example of Summative Assessment given to each new student

6. Goals for the Class
A. To create a group of successful trainers that can deliver the developed Entrata program in an efficient manner. Each trainer, upon completing their training, will be able to facilitate their own online classroom and integrate multiple technologies into their class.
B. To assist trainers in giving the highest level of customer service possible to their clients.

7. Course Objectives for Goal #1
A. Audience- New Entrata Trainers 2
B. Behavior- Effectively teach a class of new clients about the Entrata platform 3
C. Condition- In a classroom with new learners 4
D. Condition- 5 Business Days
Each trainer should be able to accurately and efficiently train a group of new clients about the Entrata software platform so they can use it to assist them in their businesses or organizations. They should be able to connect with their learners and provide all the needed information for the clients to use the software as it was intended and to its fullest capacity.

8. Course Objective for Goal #21
A. Audience- All Trainers and Customer Service Employees 2
B. Behavior- Creating Effective Online Classrooms of their 3
C. In an Online Classroom Setting, using any and all available technology 4
D. Degree- Every Business Day
All customer service employees and trainers should be able to provide any clients that call in to the call center with highest levels of customer service and knowledge so that all of their complaints and concerns can be resolved 100% of the time. They will have every opportunity in classroom settings and in a live call center environment to demonstrate their competencies in assisting the clients that call in needing help.

9. Skills Needed for Effective Distance Learning Facilitators
1. Establishing a Presence in the class
2. Engaging the Learner
3. Developing an Excellent Curriculum
4. Providing Excellent Feedback
5. Visibility in the class
Establishing a Presence with Your Class- Being able to let your students know that not only are you as their mentor, are in charge but you are there to help and support each student during your time in the class. A good mentor always works hard to pay attention to the needs of their students. Engaging the Learners- Being able to get each of your learners excited about the learning process and giving them the details and expectations for your class are essential for your student’s success. Developing an Excellent Curriculum- The instructor or mentor is only as good as the course they teach. Developing interesting and vital course information determines the effectiveness of the course for your students. Providing Effective Feedback- A student will always want to know how well they are understanding the concepts you are teaching and how well they perform on exams and assignments. Mentors that provide timely feedback gives the student everything they need to know to continue successfully through their classes. Visibility- A good teacher or mentor is constantly involved with their students and their learning. They never let their students feel like they are working alone and have no support.

10. Team Building / Role Playing
Learning Strategies
Cognitive Learning
Team Building / Role Playing
Social Learning
Using team problem solving exercises to help each student find a comfortable place to use their new teaching skills in a safe environment that will enhance their learning process. I want the learning process to be a social learning environment where they can learn from each other to drive in the concepts I am providing to them. I will also have mock training sessions where the students in teams will present to the class and as a class, we will provide feedback to the instructors so they can improve their techniques in their presentations. I also want to have time where my students can teach other in their teams and I can observe how they are doing and give my feedback. I also want to encourage my students to research these ideas out on social media and report back on what they are finding out.

11. Theories of Distance Learning
1. Objectivism
2. Connectivism
3. Transactional Learning Theory
Objectivism- The concept that there are several steps in the learning process and one cannot progress to the next step without completing and proving proof of understanding of the last step. Connectivism- Learning that comes when learners come together to discuss and share ideas to help shape their learning and understanding. In short, this theory is determined by how well the students connect with their instructor and with each other. Transactional Learning Theory- This theory deals with the actual process of distance learning and the actual distance and space (psychological and communication) in the learning process. This theory starts with the communication between instructor and student and ends with the learner, through their own Autonomy, showing their instructor how well they understand the concepts being taught.

12. Phases of Development for Distance Learning Facilitators
Beginner
Intermediate Learner / Facilitator
Experienced Facilitator
Master Facilitator
Beginner- Students will begin to learn the basic concepts and ideals of proper facilitation. - Intermediate Facilitator- Student will demonstrate initial understanding of concepts in practical applications. Student is becoming more familiar and comfortable with teaching concepts. Experienced Facilitator- Students will continue to incorporate learning and knowledge in mock training exercises and with their own mock students. Students will demonstrate their proficiency and competence with the concepts and their comfort level with class settings during mock trainings. Master Facilitator- Student demonstrates complete proficiency with all course material and with managing a class by completing a mock course to its completion and completing an evaluation of the mock class as well as their performance with the class.

13. Engaging Distance Learners
Engaged Learners
Use of Technology
Giving Clear Timelines and Due Dates for Assignments
Giving Clear and Consistent Feedback
Use of Technology- Making the learning tools interesting and exciting for the student to use.
Curriculum Development- Creating content that is interesting and relevant to your students and their educational development. Keeping the content well organized and visually pleasing.
Giving Clear Timelines and Due Dates for Assignments- Establishing a clear expectation for you students on what they need to do to succeed in your class.
Giving Clear and Consistent Feedback- Letting your students know if their understanding of concepts are correct, correcting any mistakes there might be in their work and being their to assist them in their journey of learning.

14. Technology for Course Learning Content Management System
Multi-Media Presentations
Google Drive / Skype / Blogs
I will have my students watch instructional videos showing others using the teaching techniques I am showing them so they will have a real time understanding of these techniques. I will also use Power Point in my presentations so my students can follow along more easily in the class. If possible, I will set up an interactive computer-generated class for my students to instruct so they can get a feeling for the kinds of questions and issues that could arise in the classroom.

15. Synchronous vs Asynchronous Learning
Distance Learning
Descriptions of Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning
Definition of Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning
Per Wikipedia, 2018, Synchronous Learning is a learning event in which groups of students are learning the same thing at the same time. This is more face to face learning. Students will need to have excellent communication skills to help them interact with their peers in the class. The facilitator will also need these same skills to help each student and team communicate with each other to accomplish the class assignments. Facilitators will also need to be able to communicate the goals and rules for the class so that each student knows what will be expected of them. Per Wikipedia, 2018, Asynchronous Learning is learning on an individual level. Facilitators will need to know how to develop a rapport with their students and create relationships of trust with them. This will require the facilitator to have excellent interpersonal communication skills. Facilitators also need to know how to be master motivators for their students by providing meaningful content and real learning moments for their students.

16. Technology Management in the Classroom
Pitfalls and things to avoid
Goals for Implementation
Per Byham, (2014), there are many pitfalls in the technology management of a virtual classroom. The three that I will be most focused on improving in this class are using the appropriate technology to enhance the learning, getting the students engagement in the technology available to them that will assist them in the class and facilitators not setting goals for how the different forms of technology are used in the classroom. In the program’s developmental stage, the program developers will research every technology that is available to them so that can implement the ones that will enhance the information and make it more relevant to the learner. As they develop the program, the facilitators can get their students excited and comfortable about the technology being used and the ease of using it in their learning experience. Also, during the development stage, the developers and facilitators will get realistic and achievable goals for how technology is used in the classroom and take all the necessary steps to help each student achieve these goals.
The goal for the course with regards to classroom management is to create an environment in which each student is not only comfortable and excited about the topics we cover, but they are comfortable with how the class is being conducted. Each student will know how, where, when and why they should contact their facilitators with any questions or concerns they might have. Feedback will be given as quickly as possible so that each student can have the answers they are looking for and the direction they are needing. Comments to each student will be on point and directed to help them learn and clear up any misunderstandings that arise. The use of audio communication will be used to effectively communicate their thoughts and feelings to each student, thereby removing all ambiguity from the facilitator’s motives for giving the communication and feedback.

17. Classroom Management Feedback Inappropriate Posting Cyber-Bullying
Lack or Participation or Engagement
The facilitator will be equipped to handle any challenging behaviors in the classroom. They will be able to de-escalate and cyber-bullying at it source and help each party to open communication lines between them so that whatever conflict arises can be resolved. Each student will know up front that inappropriate posts or post that are deemed offensive by the facilitator, will be removed as quickly as possible, to not create hostility and bad feelings within the class. The student making or posting these types of posts will be contacted individually to discuss why the post was posted and what they can do to prevent this type of behavior from happening again. If a student is noticed to not be actively participating in discussions or team projects, the facilitator will reach out to that student and see if there is anything they can do to help the student get more excited about the class. They can help them with conflict resolution if need be. The facilitator should be the student’s biggest advocate and cheerleader in helping them succeed in the class. All feedback will be given in a timely and positive manner so that each student can connect with their facilitator, know if there are things they need to correct and receive praise for the good work they are doing.

18.
This is a great instructional video on classroom management and how to handle conflicts in your online classroom. Press the control button and select the video link above to play the video.
From: Murgatroyd, S. (2015, August 27). The Challenges of Teaching Online [Video file]. Retrieved from website:

19. Design Summary
This training platform, if followed correctly, will produce effective and successful Customer Service Trainers for the Entrata Corporation. This in turn will allow Entrata to flourish around the world as the foremost name in Multi Level Housing Management software.
By using all the learning techniques, teaching styles and assessment strategies, we can provide a competent training program that will accomplish all of Entrata’s goals and keep their client base happy and satisfied with their product. Sales will be increased, which will require the need for more trainers to provide instruction to the new clients. Overall, by having a strong training program, Entrata will provide more competent trainers to their clients and keep the profits moving in a positive direction.

20. References
Bandura, A. (1971). Social Learning Theory (2nd ed.). New York, New York: General Learning Press.
Murgatroyd, S. (2015, August 27). The Challenges of Teaching Online [Video file]. Retrieved from website:
Osherson, D., Stob, M., & Weinstein, S. (1986). Systems that learn: AN introduction to learning theory for cognitive computer scientists (2nd ed.). 1986, MA: The MIT Press.
The Whys and Hows of Assessment. (2008). Retrieved from summative.html
Types of Evaluations in Instructional Design. (1995). Retrieved from