DEVELOPING TRAINING PROGRAMS (Part II)
 

Course Description Lecture Syllabus Lab Syllabus Assign. Due Dates
Course Assignments Lecture Notes Lab Notes Training Resources

 

Once you have received approval from the Company to proceed with development of your proposed training package, you are ready to get to the actual design of a communication training program.  The following steps may prove useful.

 

1.  Continue (and perhaps expand/broaden) your efforts to develop expertise in your area.  Add to your bibliography.  Make sure that every member of the team has read some common, basic texts in your area.  Now is the time to also do reading dealing with the business of training and training design.  Take a look at resources dealing with training/learning methods such as:  games, role playing, simulations, etc.  Use the pathfinder provided by the library staff.

 

2.  Outline tentative training modules.  Outline the content of each tentative module.  Be sure that you have linked specific objectives to activities in each module as appropriate.  Look at overall objective and review revise preliminary modules.

 

3.  Using your outline of module content and objectives, select training methods which best meet the objectives.  Then develop complete module descriptions showing how these methods will work.  Remember that motivational feedback and evaluation are important in each module as well as at the end of the program.

 

4.  Develop time schedules and deal with other practical matters (e.g. location, logistics, etc.)

 

5.  Meet with the President to discuss progress (at least 10 days prior to final product demonstration).

 

6.  Develop a 1 hour demonstration of your training program to be presented to The Company.

 

7.  Develop overall training evaluation and feedback procedures.

 

8.  Prepare training materials (handouts, visual aids, AV material, etc.) for the demonstration.

 

13.  Write the final "Communication Training Product Report." (see below)

 

14.  Conduct a 1 hour training demonstration for The Company and  submit final report (2 copies - one print and one electronic). 

  • Be sure to provide a one page overview of your demonstration module to every member of the company at the time of the presentation, in addition to any other materials you may wish to use.  

15.  (Receive bonus or pink slip)

 

  Training Demonstration Evaluation form

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMUNICATION TRAINING - PRODUCT REPORT

 

The contents of the product report will be as follows: 

  1. Introduction -

       An overview of the organizational communication subject matter your group has focused on and a brief overview of the training package you will produce.  [Be sure it is clear who will be our CLIENTS and who will be trained to do what].

  2. Market Potential -

       A. Indicate the type(s) of organization(s) or individuals who maybe potential clients. (Clients are those organizations or individuals who pay MC Consulting to conduct training.  "Clients" does not refer to trainees who are typically employees of the client.  Are there enough clients to make developing this product worthwhile?) 

      B.  Provide evidence/support showing that training in this area of communication is likely to improve organizational/ individual effectiveness and, thus, the clients bottom line.  We must be able to show we can improve their revenues or cut their expenses.  (The only way organizations can afford to pay MC Consulting to provide training is if the training has a “bottom line” value added payoff that merits the costs our clients absorb in paying MCC for the training program).

     C. Present a “selling strategy” for this product indicating how you think the company President can sell this program to potential clients.   Here you will be identifying key features of the training program that should appeal to clients (USPs) and how we will communicate that to potential clients.  (Your client needs assessment information may be helpful here. Also, including a sample "sales brochure" with "ad" copy may be helpful.)

3.  Trainees and Objectives -

A. Indicate specifically who your target training audience will be (trainees) and what these trainees are like.

B. List the general behavioral objectives of your training package

4.  Program Outline - Present each training module/unit.  The modules should be presented in order, one at a time.  Each module will have three distinct, labeled sections:

a)  a brief description of the module's content,

b)  SPECIFIC objectives for that module, and

c) an explanation of the training techniques/methods.  Be sure to include how you will give trainees feedback.
 

[NOTE:  The point of this section is for you to make clear how the training methods you use will achieve module objectives.

5.  Training Evaluation - Present a description of those methods you will use to assess the effectiveness of the training program and obtain feedback from the client.  Evaluation procedures for the module demonstrated should be detailed and included in the demonstration.

 

6.  Bibliography - Cite all resource materials used in the development of the project.

 

Appendixes - Include the 1 page outline of the module presented to The Company at the demonstration (copies should be distributed to all employees) and descriptions or samples of training materials to be used (e.g. handouts, AV material, feedback forms, etc.)

Other Advice

NOTE: the first sections of the final product report will be very similar to the first sections of the written materials used in the initial product presentation ( “pitch”). 

 

Submit TWO copies of the final, written product report - one hardcopy and one electronic copy (in a single Word file) by the due date.

 

 

 

COMM Portfolio Requirement Guidance

 

This assignment, including both written and oral portions, is related to the following COMM Major Learning Outcome Goals:

I.   Skillful Messages (Training Demo)

II.  Application of Knowledge (Training Program Plan)

If you intend to save this assignment for potential use in your COMM Professional Portfolio, you will need to save …

  • A complete copy of your paper including appendixes, in electronic form (every COMM major in the group should get and save a copy). (You may have to scan material from the appendixes into a separate file.  But NOTE, it is illegal to post copyrighted material on your web site.  For materials taken from copyrighted sources, simply list the complete citation.)

  • a copy of your demonstration outline and all materials you used (PowerPoint, videotape, etc.)  (every COMM major in the group should get and save a copy)

  • A copy of this assignment sheet, in electronic form.

  • A copy of the final paper evaluation form as filled out by me and returned to each of you

  • A copy of the training demonstration evaluation form as filled out by me and returned to each of you

last updated 3/2/2015