Instructor-led Classroom Seminars and Workshops

Business surveys estimate that 80 to 90 percent of all training is delivered through instructor-led seminars and workshops, but many of these experiences are not as effective as we expect them to be. Individual learning can, indeed, take place in seminars and workshops, if the following criteria are met:

•   The instructor has expert knowledge that the learners need to know.

•   The individual learners will benefit in some way from learning in a group environment.

•   The learners will have an opportunity immediately afterwards to apply the new knowledge, skills, beliefs, or attitudes to their work.

The decision to use this teaching format is often made on the basis of tradition (we have always done it this way), efficiency (we can get everyone through in a short time), or expediency (we already have the materials and instructors for the program). These might be good administrative reasons to use a classroom format, but they are not good learning reasons. Much of what is taught in this way (an estimated 80 to 90 percent) is not retained by the learner.

If the conditions warrant an instructor-led classroom learning experience, planning will be essential. Classroom instruction (and all of the other learning strategies) has to be designed carefully—so carefully, in fact, that an entire discipline of study has been created around instructional system design.

If you select this learning strategy, be sure you involve professionals who are experienced is this area, as well as content experts. They must collaborate on identifying learning needs, on setting and developing the context for learning and appropriate learning objectives, and creating a curriculum that addresses the breadth of learning that is needed. They must also create classroom experiences that convey the knowledge, skills, beliefs, and attitudes necessary for success, and provide learners with adequate feedback to help them improve.

To maximize learning, the instruction must be designed to achieve specific learning objectives. These objectives provide direction, motivate learners, and shape the content and methods of instruction; they become the criteria for assessing the effectiveness of the instruction.

Therefore, the first step in instructional design is to determine the learning objectives. Involve yourself in the process of finding answers to these key questions:

•   What specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs do employees need to learn that will help the organization achieve its goals?

•   What is the best way to achieve these objectives in a classroom environment?

•   How will you know that this learning has occurred?

Creating an effective instructional program to build job skills or help people work more effectively with one another is a four-phase process:

Phase One: Formulate learning goals. Decide what knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs are needed by employees to help the organization become successful.

Phase Two: Plan learning strategies. Decide which learning methods will result in the outcomes necessary for achieving the organization’s goals.

Phase Three: Implement learning methods. Keep the focus on the learning outcomes. Adjust methods to make sure that you achieve the desired outcomes.

Phase Four: Support performance improvement. Reinforce that application of learning in the workplace. Provide refresher learning events, job aids, and feedback, as needed.