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Explanation of using personal delivery of training material. Also refer to teaching, instruction, school, classes, text books, classroom instruction, seminars, tutoring, Internet, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions

Personal Delivery of Training

by Ron Kurtus (revised 18 March 2000)

There are various ways to deliver training to learners. The most common method to deliver instructional material is through the use of a trainer or facilitator. Although sometimes this is done through a straight lecture, it is usually performed with the assistance of several other instructional media.

It is important to be familiar with the different ways that instruction can be personally delivered, as well as to know how to prepare your material for that delivery.

Questions you may have include:

• What are the different forms of personal instruction?
• How are other media used with personal instruction?
• What considerations should be made for preparing personally delivered instructional material?

This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.

Types of personal instruction

Trainers may deliver their instructional material in the following settings:

• School environment
  • School classes
  • One-on-one tutoring

• Company environment
  • In-house training classes
  • On-the-job training
  • Off-site seminars

In school

Personal instruction in school is usually done by the trainer, although sometimes students can get additional assistance through one-on-one tutoring.

Some companies send workers to school to further their education and to perhaps get a degree.

Besides having the teacher personally deliver the instructional material, textbooks are also usually used to provide more information to the students. Some classes occasionally use movies or videos to give lesson material. Recently, students have been assigned to research material off the Internet.

In company

Personal instruction in a company or corporate environment in usually delivered through in-house training classes, on-the-job training, and off-site seminars. In addition to the personal instructions, sometimes text books and videos are used to provide further information. Usually, this is not the case.

In-house training classes

Many larger companies have training departments that give classes on-site, while others outsource to training consultants. The advantage to these types of classes is that the workers or managers receiving training do not have to leave the facility.

The disadvantage is that it takes them from their work. Companies sometimes overcome this disadvantage by having these classes before or after work. They may or not pay the personnel for their time.

Some companies will invite customers to attend training on using specialized products at their facility. This is done in cases where operation can be best shown in a controlled environment. It is also good for customer relations, because the user becomes much more familiar with the company and its people.

On-the-job (OJT) training

An experienced worker or manager may teach a new worker how to do a task or aspects of the work involved. This has the advantage of being "real world" and instantly applicable. Disadvantages include the fact that many people are poor teachers and the possibility that a person is taught incorrect procedures.

(Note: An important reason for a company to become compliant to the ISO 9000 standards is that they will have written procedures for the various jobs. This helps to prevent incorrect information being given in on-the-job training situations. See Organize Your Business with ISO 9000.)

Off-site seminars

Managers are usually the only ones sent to of-site seminars. Unfortunately, the subject matter is usually "soft" and there are few measurable results seen. Seminars can also be costly, especially if held in some exotic city.

Preparation considerations

In preparing to teach a class or to an individual, you must have your lesson planned out in advance.

Giving a lecture is very similar to giving a speech, in that you must know your material and what you plan to say. Speakers may memorize their speech, but a teacher or trainer does not follow such a strict format. Beginning teachers often follow an outline or list of points to cover for an individual lesson.

A popular method of training consists of asking questions and guiding the students through the answering process. Even in this situation, the instructor must be prepared and have an outline of questions to ask—whether memorized or on paper.

Summary

Personal instruction is still the most popular way to teach and train. In many cases, books are used to provide additional information. Preparation for a class is similar to preparing to give a speech.

Answers to Readers' Questions

Be sure to listen when giving personal instruction.

Resources

The following are some resources on this topic.

Web sites

Training Resources

Books

Top-rated books on Training

Miscellaneous

Mini-quiz to check your understanding

1. Why are textbooks usually used in a classroom environment?

2. Why would a company prefer to send workers to night school?

3. What is the advantage of on-the-job-training?

If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a champion in training development. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.

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Personal Delivery of Training