Answer Geek
Answer geeks (and we use that term with great respect): Where would we be without them? They help guide us through the challenges of online learning, the Internet, courseware development, and those other intersections of learning and technology.
QUESTION
How do I know what delivery method to use for the information I need to cover in a training course?
ANSWER
So, you want to build a training course! You envision great success and happy learners. But how do you select a delivery method? The best way to start is with a needs assessment analyzing the who, what, where, and how of the audience, content, and available resources.
A needs assessment is one of the most overlooked aspects of training development. Often written off as taking too much time or money, organizations bypass the assessment step in order to produce what they think will be more material in less time. Inevitably, changes in scope or direction cost time and money later. You wouldn’t spend hours preparing and cooking a fancy feast of steak and lobster for guests who are vegetarians. They wouldn’t eat and perhaps would never come to your house again (unless, of course that’s your intent). Similarly, if you spend a lot of effort developing a training course, you don’t want your learners turned off by its irrelevance to their needs.
For more on the theory behind needs assessments and how they fit into the bigger training picture, see Answer Geek. To begin, consider these questions.
Who is your audience? For whom are you developing the training?
- How old are learners?
- Where are they located geographically? (Are you training a sales force across the United States or a small group located in your hometown?)
- What is their computer proficiency? (Determine this if you’re considering computer or Web-based training.)
- What is their accessibility to training? (Accessibility includes physical location for people with disabilities as well as access to a computer and means of connecting to the Internet for all learners who will need to.)
- What is learners’ level of interest in the subject? (Do they want to take this training or do they need to take this training?)
What are your goals and objectives?
- What do you want to accomplish with your training?
- What are the steps to get there?
- What do you want learners to know or be able to do after the training?
Where will the users of your program take the training?
- Is it most convenient for the targeted audience to assemble in a classroom at a given time? If yes, then where and under what conditions? If no, what other means of receiving the training are available? (computer, Internet, and so forth)
- Will they be taking the training during work hours?
- Will they be taking the training on their own time?
- If it’s self-paced training, will they be uninterrupted in the chosen environment?
How will you develop and deliver the training?
- What is your budget?
- How many people do you have on your team?
- How many hours do you estimate you’ll need to develop the training (see Answer Geek), and how many hours do you have allotted?
- How much of the material (content, graphics, and so forth) do you already have? (Do a gap analysis of what you have and what you need.)
- Has your company already decided what delivery mechanism is going to be used? (and now you have to work out the details)
The answers to those questions will go a long way towards helping you choose your delivery mechanism. There's no one right solution.
For example, imagine that your learners are a group of sales representatives spread across the United States. They frequently need to be trained on new products and features. Flying the reps in once a year for a week-long training session is expensive and not very effective. Sending them emails with updates doesn’t get the information transfer results you’re looking for. You’ve talked to many of the reps, and you know that they need information in quick bursts. You also know that they’re using laptops from their homes and on the road, sometimes resulting in low-speed access. Since they usually have a lot of questions and appreciate direct interaction with the presenter, you decide that a synchronous Web seminar set up for an hour once a week (and mandated by the VP of sales) is the way to go. You’ve found a cost-effective and engaging solution that conveys the necessary information on new products.
In a second example with a training audience dispersed around the world, a synchronous session would be impossible to pull off without someone having to log on at an unreasonable hour. Coordinating a time for training would be nearly impossible. If reading and written assignments are required, you can still put the information on the Web, but you would choose an asynchronous solution that includes a bulletin board for discussion and allows participants to log in at their convenience.
A third example: Your company needs internal HR training on how to run an effective meeting. All of your workers are located in one building, and the CEO has mandated that everyone attend. HR already has the material. The best solution is a face-to-face training session that allows the presenter to demonstrate the principles of effective meetings as he or she talks.
Once you’ve identified your needs, the chart below can help you select a delivery method based on the advantages and disadvantages of various options (see chart).
Additional resources to help you decide on a delivery method include
Published: April 2003