CHAPTER 5
PROGRAM DESIGN
The chapter reviews practical issues in training program design, including developing training
courses and programs, how to choose and prepare a training site, choosing a consultant or
vendor, and how to create a work environment that maximizes learning and transfer of training,
including manager and peer support. The role of knowledge management in transfer of training
is also discussed. The chapter discusses important program design issues that relate to the three
phases of the instructional process. It begins by discussing important considerations in effective
program design, including selecting and preparing the training site, identifying and choosing the
best trainers, and how trainers can arrange the training site and create an instructional
environment that is conducive to learning. Next, the chapter introduces you to curricula, courses,
and lessons and shows how to use design documents and lesson plans. Because many companies
do not have the staff, resources, or expertise needed to design training programs, this section of
the chapter ends with a discussion of how to identify and choose a vendor or consultant for
training services. The chapter concludes by discussing important post-training issues related to
transfer of training, including how to create a supportive work environment, provide trainees
with self-management skills, and gain manager and peer support. The important role of
knowledge management in facilitating learning and transfer of training is also discussed.
Objectives
1. Be able to choose and prepare a training site based on how trainees will be involved and
interact with the content and each other in the course.
2. Prepare for instruction using a curriculum road map, lesson plan, design document, and
concept map.
3. Explain how trainees’ age, generational differences, and personality might influence how
programs are designed.
4. Prepare a request for proposal (RFP) and a list of questions to evaluate training consultants
and suppliers.
5. Explain the program design elements that should be included to ensure near and far transfer
of training.
6. Develop a self-management module for a training program.
7. Design application assignments and action plans to enhance learning and transfer of training.
8. Make recommendations about what managers can do before, during, and after training to
facilitate learning and transfer.
9. Identify different ways to manage knowledge and the conditions necessary for employees to
share knowledge.
I. Introduction
A. Program design refers to the organization and coordination of the training program.
B. It is important to take a broad perspective when designing training, regardless of whether
it is an online or a face-to-face training program, class, or course.
C. The three phases of the program design process include pretraining, the learning event,
and post-training.
1. Phase 1, pretraining, involves preparing, motivating, and energizing trainees to attend
the learning event.
2. Phase 2, the learning event, involves preparing instruction (classes, the overall
program) and the physical environment to facilitate learning.
3. Phase 3, post-training, refers to transfer of training, or getting learners to apply what
they have learned to their work.
II. Considerations in Designing Effective Programs
Selecting and Preparing the Training Site
A. The training site refers to the room where training will be conducted. A good training site
offers the following features:
1. It is comfortable and accessible.
2. It is quiet, private, and free from interruptions.
3. It has sufficient space for trainees to move around easily, offers enough room for
trainees to have adequate work space, and has good visibility for trainees to see each
other, the trainer, and any visual displays or examples that will be used (e.g., videos,
product samples, charts, and slides).
B. Seating Arrangements Seating arrangements at the training site should be based on an
understanding of the desired type of trainee interaction and trainee-trainer interaction.
1. Fan-type seating is conducive to allowing trainees to see from any point in the room.
2. If the training primarily involves knowledge acquisition, with lecture and audiovisual
presentation being the primary training method, traditional classroom–type seating is
appropriate.
3. If training emphasizes total-group discussion with limited presentation and no small-
group interaction, a conference-type arrangement may be most effective.
4. If the training requires both presentation and total-group instruction, the horseshoe
arrangement is useful.
Choosing Trainers
Selecting professional trainers or consultants is one obvious possibility for companies.
Trainers, whether from inside or outside the company, should have expertise in the topic and
experience in training.
How Trainers Can Make the Training Site and Instruction Conducive to Learning
A. Before choosing a training room, determine the extent to which trainees decide when,
where, and how they will learn, and whether learning will occur by interaction with
others.
B. Observe master trainers to get new ideas and design the training from the audience’s
perspective.
C. Trainers need to be aware of the shared values of the learners that may be based around
age, personality, or other characteristics such as geography or profession.
D. Traditionalists prefer a standard training room with a stable, orderly learning
environment. They do not like to be put on the spot in front of other trainees.
E. Baby boomers prefer classroom learning. Baby boomers respond well to interactive
training activities—they like group activities and well-organized training materials with
an overview of the information and an easy way to access more detailed information.
F. Members of Generation X (Gen Xers) prefer a self-directed learning environment that
includes technology-delivered methods. They respond best to training methods that allow
them to work at their own pace.
G. Although they are techno-savvy, millenniums like to learn by working alone and helping
others to learn. Nexters (like Gen Xers) prefer entertaining training activities. Training
needs to be interactive and to use music, art, and games.
H. To enhance trainee motivation to learn, it is important to communicate to trainees before
they attend training the purpose of the course, learning objectives, course prerequisites,
and who else will be attending.
I. A concept map can also be used for organizing and presenting knowledge. Such a map
includes concepts shown in boxes, with the relationships between the concepts indicated
by connecting lines.
J. Mnemonics and metaphors can be useful for recalling important ideas. They help relate
concepts, behaviors, and knowledge to be learned to concepts that the learner already
knows.
K. Application assignments increase the likelihood that trainees will recall the training
content and apply it to their work setting when they encounter the appropriate cues in the
environment.
L. Monitor the room for extra chairs, overflowing trash cans, and piles of materials left over
from previous training sessions.
M. A trainer must communicate the topics that will be covered, the learning approach that
will be used, and the expectations for trainees.
N. For trainees who disrupt, sleep through, or constantly interrupt the training sessions,
consider using activities that get them moving, engaged, and energized. Ask disruptive
trainees to leave the session only as a last resort when all other options discussed here
have failed.
O. To ensure an even distribution of knowledge or expertise in groups, ask trainees to
indicate whether they consider themselves novice, experienced, or expert in terms of
knowledge about a topic.
Curriculum Course and Lesson Design
A curriculum refers to an organized program of study designed to meet a complex learning
objective, such as preparing a learner to become a salesperson, certified computer network
technician, licensed nurse, or manager. In comparison to a curriculum, a course or program
usually covers more specific learning objectives and addresses a more limited number of
competencies.
Curriculum Road Map
A. A curriculum road map refers to a figure showing all of the courses in a curriculum, the
paths that learners can take through it, and the sequences in which courses have to be
completed (e.g., identify prerequisite courses).
B. A design document can be used to guide the development of training and to explain the
training to managers, SMEs, reviewers, or other trainers.
C. The detailed lesson plan translated the content and sequence of training activities into a
guide that is used by the trainer to help deliver the training. That is, lesson plans include
the sequence of activities that will be conducted in the training session and identify the
administrative details.
D. The lesson plan overview matches major activities of the training program and specific
times or time intervals.
How to Choose a Vendor or Consultant for Training Services
Request for proposal (RFP) is a document that outlines for potential vendors and consultants
the type of service the company is seeking, the type and number of references needed, the
number of employees who need to be trained, funding for the project, the follow-up process
used to determined level of satisfaction and service, the expected date of completion of the
project, and the date when proposals must be received by the company.
Program Design Implications of Transfer of Training
One of the important decisions that trainers have to make is to determine whether the
learning environment and learning conditions should perfectly match the job environment, or
if it should emphasize general principles that can be applied to many different work
situations.
Determine if Focus Is on Near or Far Transfer
A. The degree of flexibility and variability in the skills and knowledge that the learner needs
for successful performance is important to consider in determining the extent to which
the learning environment and learning conditions should match the job and working
conditions.
B. Near transfer means the need to apply learned capabilities exactly in a work situation.
C. Programs that emphasizes near transfer should include the following:
1. Trainees need to follow standardized procedures, processes, and checklists.
2. Trainees should be given an explanation as to any differences between training and
work tasks.
3. Trainees should be encouraged to focus only on important differences between
training tasks and work tasks (e.g., speed of completion) rather than unimportant
differences (e.g., equipment with the same features but a different model).
4. Trainees should be provided with an explanation of why as well as how the procedure
should be performed to help them understand the concepts behind the procedure.
5. Behaviors or skills that trainees learn in the program should contribute to effective
performance.
D. If the tasks emphasized in training involve more variable interactions with people or
equipment and unpredictable responses, then instruction should emphasize learning more
general principles and knowing when and why to pursue a course of action. That is,
instruction should emphasize far transfer.
E. Programs that emphasize far transfer should include the following:
1. Teach general concepts, broad principles, or key behaviors.
2. General principles that might apply to a greater set of contexts than those presented in
the training session.
3. Provide a list of prompts or questions to help trigger thoughts and question sets.
F. One way to prepare trainees to deal with the obstacles that they may face in work
environments (such as lack of opportunity to use skills or an unsupportive manager) is to
provide instruction in self-management techniques at the end of the training program.
Encourage Manager Support for Training
Manager support is the degree to which trainees’ managers (1) emphasize the importance of
attending training programs and (2) stress the application of what is learned back on the job.
A. An action plan is a written document that details steps that the trainee and his/her
manager will take to ensure transfer of the training content to the job. It includes:
1. A goal identifying what training content will be used and how it will be used.
2. Strategies for reaching the goal and for receiving feedback.
3. Expected results.
B. Managers’ support can be gained by:
1. Briefing managers on the purpose of the training and its relationship to the business
strategy and business objectives.
2. Encouraging trainees to bring work related problems to the training.
3. Information regarding the benefits of the course collected from past participants
should be shared with managers.
4. Asking trainees to complete action plans with their managers.
5. Using managers as trainers, if possible.
6. Managers pay attention to the development of their staff because part of their
incentive plan is based on training and development.
Peer Support
Peer support can also enhance the likelihood of transfer of training. A support network is a
group of two or more trainees who meet and discuss their progress in using new capabilities
back on the job, whether it is via face-to-face meetings, email, a newsletter, etc. Success
stories as well as obstacles experienced can be shared.
Opportunity to Use Learned Capabilites
The opportunity to use learned capabilities or opportunity to perform is the extent to which
the trainee is provided with or seeks out experience using the new knowledge, skills, or
behaviors learned in the training program.
A. Opportunity to perform is influenced by the work environment, the motivation of the
trainee to perform, the trainee taking personal responsibility to actively pursue assignments that
will utilize their new capabilities, and the assigned work experiences that require their use.
B. Breadth of opportunity refers to the number of trained tasks that are performed on the job.
C. Activity level refers to the frequency with which these tasks are performed.
D. Task type is the difficulty or criticality of the trained tasks performed on the job.
E. Opportunity to perform can be measured by asking former trainees to indicate:
1. Whether they perform a task.
2. How many times they perform the task.
3. The extent to which they perform difficult and challenging tasks.
F. Low levels of opportunity may indicate:
1. Refresher courses are necessary.
2. The work environment is inhibiting the use of new capabilities.
3. The training content is not important for the individual’s job.
Technological support
A. Electronic performance support systems (EPSSs) are computer applications that can
provide skills training, information access, and expert advice. They can be used to
enhance transfer of training by acting as an as-needed reference for trainees attempting to
apply new knowledge, skills, and behaviors on the job.
B. Trainers can monitor trainees’ use of EPSS, which provides the trainer with valuable
information about the transfer of training problems that trainees are encountering.
Using Knowledge Management for Learning and Transfer of Training
The term knowledge refers to what individuals or teams of employees know or know how to
do (human and social knowledge), as well as a company’s rules, processes, tools, and
routines (structured knowledge). Knowledge is either tacit knowledge or explicit knowledge.
A. Knowledge management refers to the process of enhancing company performance by
designing and implementing tools, processes, systems, structures, and cultures to improve
the creation, sharing, and use of knowledge.
B. Ways to create, share, and use knowledge:
1. Use technology, e-mail, and social networking sites (such as Face book or My Space)
or partais on the company intranet that allow people to store information and share it
with others.
2. Publish directories of what employees do, how they can be contacted, and what
knowledge they have.
3. Develop informational maps that identify where specific knowledge is stored in the
company.
4. Create chief information officer and chief learning officer positions for cataloging
and facilitating the exchange of information in the company.
5. Require employees to give presentations to other employees about what they have
learned from training programs they have attended.
6. Allow employees to take time off from work to acquire knowledge, study problems,
attend training, and use technology.
7. Create an online library of learning resources such as journals, technical manuals,
training opportunities, and seminars.
8. Design office space to facilitate interaction between employees.
9. Create communities of practice using face-to-face meetings, wikis, or blogs for
employees who share a common interest in a subject where they can collaborate and
share ideas, solutions, and innovations.
10. Use “after–action reviews” at the end of each project to review what happened and
what can be learned from it.
C. Keys for effective knowledge management:
1. For knowledge management to be effective, the training department and information
technology department must collaborate. Training can help develop the culture as
well as the content and learning strategies. Information technology develops the
systems for accessing, sharing, and storing knowledge and delivering training.
2. Creating knowledge management leadership positions. Chief learning, or knowledge,
officers (CLOs) are leaders of a company’s knowledge management efforts. Their job
is to:
a. Develop, implement, and link a knowledge/learning culture with the company’s
technology infrastructure, including databases and intranet.
b. Locate knowledge and find ways to create, capture, and distribute it.
c. Ensure that trainers, information technologists, and business units support and
contribute to the development of knowledge management practices.
d. Actively support strategic business objectives by providing management direction
and support for learning and development activities and by ensuring that
knowledge management translates into visible benefits for the business.
3. Building the correct technology infrastructure and making it easy for the employees
to access and share information within the context of their job.
4. Trust and a willingness to share information are key personal factors that relate to
knowledge sharing.
D. Companies that are managing knowledge use several measures to evaluate the
effectiveness of their knowledge management practices, these measures are related to
company and customer benefits and include:
1. The ability to attract and retain key employees
2. Employee commitment to the company
3. The encouragement and facilitation of effective teamwork
4. The use of best practices and the review and updating of these practices
5. New product introductions
6. Customer satisfaction
7. Repeat relationships with customers
Chapter Summary
Learning is an important aspect of any training program. However, the ability to use learned
capabilities on the job (transfer of training) is equally important. This chapter discussed how
trainee design features, the work environment influence the transfer of training. From a design
standpoint, the chapter summarized that it is important to consider age and generational
differences among trainees, and it also summarized the use of a curriculum road map, lesson
plan, design document, and concept map related to training in program design. Trainees may
need self-management skills to cope with a work environment that is not always conducive to
transfer of training. Manager and peer support, technology support, and opportunity to perform
are features that influence transfer of training. The importance of effective knowledge
management was emphasized.