Making training sessions work: class is in session
Keywords Training, Trainers, Librarians, Vendor quality, Partnering,Organizational learning
The nature of information delivery today is constant change. Sometimes, it seems as if every week there is another upgrade or (re)launch of an electronic product. As librarians, it is our job to keep abreast of the latest changes and to learn ways to locate the desired information more efficiently and less expensively. How can we achieve this goal when change is the norm? Training sessions are an essential element of the solution and the fastest way to control our online resource budgets.
Training sessions
Yes, we have all faced it; we have all dreaded it, a full-day or half-day training session on a vendor's latest permutation. But, think about it. Would it not be great if the session actually met your needs? Would it not be nice to leave the session feeling energized and thinking, "I can't wait to show this product to a patron"? Would it not make your day to see that a vendor actually conducted a training session that had helped you and your patrons? No, this is not a pipe dream; it can be reality with a little strategic partnering.
In the last issue, Rachel Jones, of Dickstein Shapiro, and I discussed needs assessments and ways in which librarians can "prepare" the vendor for the training session by delineating what you expect to be able to take away from a given training session. Now, let us suppose your library has scheduled a training session and has also prepared and submitted a needs assessment to the vendor. What are the next steps to be taken?
Hands-on training
In preparation for the actual day, trainers and trainees concur, hands-on is best. Working with the product in a hands-on environment is ideal, so make every effort to conduct the training session in a computer lab or similar environment. Trainees will have a better time understanding the product and will be better able to ask the questions needed to use the product to its potential. While sharing a training PC/workstation is OK, it is best to limit the number of trainees to two trainees assigned to a single PC/workstation. In limiting the number, it is more likely that each trainee will be a more active participant in the session. When there are three or more users to a station, there is an increased likelihood that those not actually at the keyboard will become bored and distracted; they will also likely distract others in the session.
Use the conducted needs assessment
If you and the vendor have jointly created this managerial document, and the vendor has assured you that the needs on the assessment are to be addressed, use the assessment as a checklist of topics to be covered. Each topic should be given sufficient coverage to fully answer the question or resolve the problem faced by the trainee. If there is no readily-available solution/answer to a problem, the vendor needs to explain why, perhaps the task is outside of the scope or capabilities of the product, perhaps there is an alternative way of getting the information. Regardless, it is critical that the trainees' concerns and needs be addressed fully.
Ask questions
The use of a needs assessment does not preclude the asking of questions. Your needs assessment serves as an outline and checklist, but not the delimiter of topics. The earmark of active learning is the asking of questions. As you think about how to apply what you are learning to your organization's mission,questions will certainly come to mind. More than likely, your training colleagues have the same concerns and questions. You know your library patrons and situations better than the trainer. Explain such situations, in the productive context of use, not just to show off your knowledge of the product and make the session longer for everyone in the room. You should ask those questions essential to the use of the product. Such questions are the only way to ensure you are getting the information you need. The questions you ask will also help the trainer better gauge if he/she is meeting your needs. If no questions are asked, the trainer will wonder if he/she is making sense at all(no trainer worth their salt believes that they have fully answered all questions on the initial pass). If the same questions are asked repeatedly, the trainer should determine where the failure in communication lies and adjust their teaching style accordingly. The trainer's goal is to teach you how their product will meet your needs. If your needs are not met, there is no reason to use their product.
Active participation
Active participation is absolutely critical in the efficacy of the session. We have already established that hands-on is best and asking questions is good,but what are other ways you can be an active participant? If you are already familiar with the product, you can contribute your own tips. Many times we learn how to use a product by trial and error. In the course of this learning, we sometimes stumble upon shortcuts that even the trainer does not know about. These titbits can be an excellent addition to the session in that they keep the trainer and trainees attentive, while providing "real-life" business examples and application of what is being learned. Moreover, if the trainer knows an even faster way to achieve the same result, you will benefit. Finally, such interaction creates a more collaborative atmosphere during the session. The trainer gets a better understanding of the trainees' needs and the trainees'needs are met.
But what if the trainer is not meeting the needs of the users? What if the trainer is discussing things that have no application in your library? What if the session the trainer is giving is an introduction to a product with which everyone is already familiar? Again, active participation is essential. As soon as possible, provide the trainer with such feedback. Refer back to your needs assessment document if necessary. By providing the trainer with the opportunity to meet your needs, you are helping create a positive and productive training session. Neither you nor the trainer want to waste time and money.
As the latest versions of operating systems and software hit the market, the beautiful brochures tell us they will help us do our jobs better and more efficiently. Taking advantage of a vendor-sponsored training session may help bring about those ephemeral marketing promises. Training sessions should be venues for learning. We have all been to sessions that have proven more than disappointing. If the needs of the trainees are not met, the time and money committed to the training session are wasted. But, we can make a training session a profitable experience by using needs assessment documents and by becoming active participants in the session. Define the expectations using your real-life examples, and you will be better able to find applications for what you are learning. Hold the trainer "accountable" by asking questions that will help guide the session to meet your needs. The time and money spent in a training session can be recouped exponentially.
Elizabeth R. MansfieldEditor with the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., Washington DC
