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arkiegrl 9421 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 09:51 AM (EST) "Question about training/educating adults" I need some advice, and who better to turn to than the uber-wise folks of OT? One of my job duties is to instruct our employees on how to use the software, what's required, etc., and I am beyond frustrated right now. I've put information in short emails, long emails, manuals, gone over the info in training sessions, etc, and it's not working. How do you present information and get people to retain said information? I'm just so tired of repeating myself over and over.   Top

Subject     Author     Message Date     ID    Locally served software FAQ page IceCat 06-05-09 1  RE: Question about training/educati... Snidget 06-05-09 2  RE: Question about training/educati... grit 06-05-09 3    RE: Question about training/educati... HobbsofMI 06-05-09 6  RE: Question about training/educati... HobbsofMI 06-05-09 4  RE: Question about training/educati... Max Headroom 06-05-09 5  RE: Question about training/educati... Sagebrush Dan 06-05-09 7  RE: Question about training/educati... arkiegrl 06-05-09 8    You need a catchy slogan IceCat 06-05-09 9        RE: You need a catchy slogan arkiegrl 06-05-09 10        RE: You need a catchy slogan HobbsofMI 06-05-09 11  RE: Question about training/educati... VisionQuest 06-05-09 12    RE: Question about training/educati... arkiegrl 06-05-09 13        RE: Question about training/educati... Snidget 06-05-09 15  RE: Question about training/educati... MissRaven 06-05-09 14  RE: Question about training/educati... jbug 06-05-09 16    Hit any key to continue jbug 06-05-09 17        RE: Hit any key to continue Sunny_Bunny 06-06-09 22  RE: Question about training/educati... samboohoo 06-05-09 18    RE: Question about training/educati... MissRaven 06-05-09 19  RE: Question about training/educati... mrc 06-05-09 20  RE: Question about training/educati... Jims02 06-06-09 21  Manuals and emails will get you now... weltek 06-08-09 23  RE: Question about training/educati... suzzee 06-08-09 24

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IceCat 17415 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 10:01 AM (EST) 1. "Locally served software FAQ page" Every time you answer a question and it's not on the current version of the FAQ, add it. Insist that people check the FAQ before calling and don't answer question that have already been placed on the FAQ.   Top

Snidget 44369 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 10:02 AM (EST) 2. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" Trying to transfer the teaching people to use software and the lab equipment it runs. Usually I find a hands on approach can work. First present the information and do a demonstration of what needs to be done. Second have them actually do whatever it was you just did and check the results. Are there any tutorials for the software that you could require people do. Especially if it is one that will have a quiz or they can send the final whatever you make during the tutorial to you to be checked. I find often for stuff like that there has to be a doing it yourself part for things to really stick (both for me to remember and for other people to remember). Now I can usually do a one-on-one training so I usually do the have them watch ask questions then watch them do the same thing. Assuming you aren't dealing with people who really don't want to know. Sometimes it is easier if you refuse to learn something so someone else has to keep doing it. SoYouThinkYouCanTribe!   Top

grit 4868 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Stuff Magazine Centerfold" 06-05-09, 10:42 AM (EST) 3. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" When you do the training, make sure your trainees are the ones at the computer, typing, clicking, whatever. They will learn it much faster. And when putting anything in writing (e-mails, FAQs on a website, in-house documentation), assume that your users are idiots (but make sure your language doesn't reflect that). Make sure you include EVERY step of the process. Don't assume that they will automatically know XXX. I go through this every time my husband comes home and tells me he was training users on a new program he wrote. A lot of the stuff is intuitive to him because he's a programmer/analyst and he created the program. He forgets that the users think a little differently than he does. a berry nice sigpic from agman   Top

HobbsofMI 16065 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 10:45 AM (EST) 6. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" Programmers thing differently than users? *boggle* Say it ain't so Joe! GO WINGS! 2008 Stanley Cup Champs! sig JSlice and by IceCat, and bobble head by Tribephyl   Top

HobbsofMI 16065 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 10:43 AM (EST) 4. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" Fire them all? I know some people just don't want to learn or use it as an excuse for their job performance - they blame you for not teaching them. It may not be you but them. GO WINGS! 2008 Stanley Cup Champs! sig JSlice and by IceCat, and bobble head by Tribephyl   Top

Max Headroom 10069 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 10:44 AM (EST) 5. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" Some people learn by watching, while others learn by doing. Providing training manuals and demonstrating how to do tasks will work for those who learn by watching, but not for those who learn by doing. Depending on your learners, you may need to modify your approach to have people do the tasks while you watch and provide advice when needed. Personally speaking, you can show me how to do something and I'll learn, but it won't be fully committed into my memory until I do it myself. Good luck! A SharTribe creation!   Top

Sagebrush Dan 10002 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 10:57 AM (EST) 7. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" Right there with the learning-by-doing people. I am taking courses directed for adults, and they pause every hour and have us either discuss with each other what we've just been taught or do a graphic of it, or something else that engages other parts of the brain. Same thing when I was learning new stuff on the computer for my job. The trainer could talk forever, but until I had the instructions in one hand and a keyboard in the other, I didn't retain a thing. Ponderin' the wonders of Tribe.   Top

arkiegrl 9421 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 01:22 PM (EST) 8. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" Sadly, I think Snidget and Hobbs hit it right on the head. Why bother actually learning something, when you can just call someone else and have them figure out why it didn't work? I guess I should just consider it job security.   Top

IceCat 17415 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 01:35 PM (EST) 9. "You need a catchy slogan" Don't call to yack if it's on the FAQ...   Top

arkiegrl 9421 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 01:47 PM (EST) 10. "RE: You need a catchy slogan" *snort*   Top

HobbsofMI 16065 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 01:48 PM (EST) 11. "RE: You need a catchy slogan" Your lack of planning and emergency is not my problem? GO WINGS! 2008 Stanley Cup Champs! sig JSlice and by IceCat, and bobble head by Tribephyl   Top

VisionQuest 1171 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Politically Incorrect Guest" 06-05-09, 01:58 PM (EST) 12. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" Get a taser, place taser on desk, let users know that yes, they can ask you a question about how to do something and that you would be happy to answer it, but if the answer to their question has been previously answered in an email, training session or manual, then you get to taser them. That should compel the users to do a little research on their own before just asking for help.   Top

arkiegrl 9421 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 02:06 PM (EST) 13. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" Heh. Just yesterday, I asked for our IT dept to come up with some technology that would allow me to send an electrical shock through email when I get an email asking the same stuff over and over, or a question that wouldn't need to be asked, if the person asking would have looked at the information already in the system.   Top

Snidget 44369 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 02:42 PM (EST) 15. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" I suppose using something like this if any of the info is available on line would get you in trouble. http://www.lmgtfy.com/   Top

MissRaven 187 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Blistex Spokesperson" 06-05-09, 02:10 PM (EST) 14. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" I feel your pain. I'm currently working on a QuickBooks manual for my clients. They already have one of the many many 'How to' books on the subject but they lack the capacity to take the generalized information in it and expand it to include their own information needs. Although I know I will have to walk them through actual transactions on the computer, my manual includes screen shots of every step with their specific information. Given the time I'm putting in to this, they better dang well use it!   Top

jbug 17146 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 03:25 PM (EST) 16. "RE: Question about training/educating adults"   Top

jbug 17146 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 03:27 PM (EST) 17. "Hit any key to continue"   Top

Sunny_Bunny 5597 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-06-09, 02:25 AM (EST) 22. "RE: Hit any key to continue"   Top

samboohoo 17173 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 03:33 PM (EST) 18. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" I have found that I have to premise my training sessions with: "Please do not feel like I am talking to you as if you are a child. In order for me to be efficient, I need for you to be efficient. There is a particular way things are done here, and for good reason. A task - seemingly simple - not done correctly can cause bigger problems down the line." I wish I had done this three years ago with my assistant. Little things that I feel like are common sense don't seem to be to her, and it's been quite the headache ironing them out later. Sorry Arkie. Samboobree, brought to life by Arkie   Top

MissRaven 187 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Blistex Spokesperson" 06-05-09, 04:50 PM (EST) 19. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" Excellent point to keep in mind. In many positions, an employee only knows what their particular job/tasks/inputs/outputs etc are and don't necessarily know how these things fit into the greater scheme of things. When possible I think employees should be given that knowledge so these seemingly silly rules make sense to follow. Unfortunately some companies don't want to give employees this information.   Top

mrc 10113 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-05-09, 07:18 PM (EST) 20. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" I make them write papers, but maybe that's just me. A Slice of Manga   Top

Jims02 7407 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-06-09, 01:27 AM (EST) 21. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" I'm working in tech support right now, so a lot of my job is showing people how to use software. I've found that the easiest way I teach is to do stuff by example, or to walk them through the software. Personally, I have a lot of trouble learning software through explanation alone... I need to click my way through the software as I'm going along. Some of that is also have good functional notes, ones that go through the steps very functionally. Screenshots definitely help too. Oh, and plenty or recapping. I read somewhere that people just throw stuff in their short-term memory unless it's reinforced three or four times or something. A 2003 IceCat original   Top

weltek 16936 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-08-09, 03:46 PM (EST) 23. "Manuals and emails will get you nowhere." Adults do not learn by being presented with information. I've been there, done that, so I know how it feels (it sucks to do all that work for nothing!). Better to rely on your manual and emails as the "back up support" and a different form of hands on training as your primary. It has been well documented that adults best remember concepts they learned most recently, are exposed to most, are able to practice, can implement right away, understand the importance of, and are rewarded for using. So first, you might want to consider some incentive for them as to WHY they need to do what you are asking. Why is it relevant and important for them to do? Will it free up your time, making you more available to help them with other things? Speed up payment processing for them/clients? You get the point. You need to do some PR. The three most important adult ed principles for you are: 1) experiential, hands-on learning is most effective with adults 2) adults approach learning as problem-solving, 3) adults learn best with the topic is of immediate value to them in their lives The hands on approach will take more of your time in the short run, but will pay off in the long run. Make a little quick reference sheet for them to tape on their wall/computer, too. People love that stuff. Good luck! -A Tribetastic Creation   Top

suzzee 5961 desperate attention whore postings DAW Level: "Playboy Centerfold" 06-08-09, 08:12 PM (EST) 24. "RE: Question about training/educating adults" When I've trained lab techs, they've always come to me with no lab skills and I sometimes find I do things without thinking and have to realize that they know nothing about lab work. Unfortunately repetition is the key, watch me, do it over and over. Some catch on, some didn't and it is frustrating especially when I'm forced to actually think about what I'm doing rather then just letting years of experience take over. I try to bring them along slowly letting them learn one analysis at a time. Usually I have to tell them do what I say, you'll understand why later. It saves time and really new techs are not ready for the why for several months, if ever. Hope it helps Ode to Dali Tribe style 2008   Top

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