Developing Technical Training March 24, 2008 A Structured Approach for Developing Classroom and Computer-Based Instructional Materials (Jossey-Bass, $40)
By Jane Bozarth
"As job performance becomes increasingly knowledge-based, there is a growing trend toward using technical experts as trainers."
Ruth Clark's clean, plain-English overview of training and instructional design is particularly useful for the subject matter expert (SME) thrown into the training role. Chapters cover must-knows for the novice or "accidental" trainer, such as the basics of lesson planning, organizing content, and the essentials of e-learning design.
Clark outlines different types of content: facts, concepts, processes, procedures, and principles; clearly differentiates each; then provides guidelines and examples for structuring learning experiences that support each type. Solutions are provided for both traditional classroom training, as well as e-learning approaches, and chapters wrap up with suggestions for further reading. Examples are drawn from the types of topics most relevant to the book's intended audience, such as training on equipment use or software applications. And in a nice touch, an appendix offers exercises to accompany each chapter. Where other authors might tend toward abstraction, Clark supplements her information with real-world examples and screenshots.
Clark has a solid grounding in both practice and brain science: Her familiar themes of cognitive load and information processing thread throughout the book. While I disagree with Clark's assertion that blended learning is "the best of both worlds"—as often as not I see it used rather to appease classroom trainer egos she does offer sound, basic advice on e-learning design, avoiding the encyclopedic, tech-heavy talk of many other works on the subject. Now in its third edition, this is a solid resource for those new to—or looking to sharpen their skills in—developing technical training.
RSS
