Training is needed to show the potential users how to use the system. It is a necessary part of the installation process. There are three kinds of training needs that must be addressed: initial training of system users, turnover training, and reminder training for infrequent users.

One of the first tasks that must be done when you are designing the training for your system is to develop your objectives. If you don't know what your outcomes should be, how will you know if you accomplished them?

Perhaps the most important thing that your training can teach is where to go for help. This is the one essential thing that the training must teach.

Of course, there is also a cost involved in not training your users properly. If they don't know how to operate the system, then there is the cost of lost productivity as well. A good training program balances the costs of training vs. the cost of not training.

Classroom training is the best known form of training. It occurs in a room filled with 2 or more students and a "live" instructor. It is probably the most cost-effective way of delivering training to a group of people at one time.

Classroom training is most suitable when a group of people with the same base knowledge need to receive the same training. This makes it very suitable for initial system training where no one is familiar with the system. It is consequently less useful if the system has already been installed and a new person is brought into the organization. In that circumstance, it could be very expensive to conduct a class of one.

8.2.2 Location

Training can be delivered at the user's site or at another location. If possible, it is better to remove the user from the moment-to-moment interruptions that occur at the work site. If you are training managers, this problem becomes most noticeable. It is almost impossible to get their attention when telephones are ringing and people are calling on them for help or problem solving. Managers almost always have to be removed from their normal work environment.

It has been calculated that good classroom training takes about 6 hours of preparation time for every hour of classroom time. This includes planning what is to be trained, developing objectives, creating handouts, and creating visuals, if needed.

8.2.4.1 Long Term Memory

The object of the training session is to put certain concepts into the long-term memory of the user. A training session that is too long may be counter- productive. Several short sessions seem to have better 'staying' power than one long one.

You need to decide how much of the session will be lecture and how much will be practice. When training for system usage, there should be as much practice as possible. Ideally, there should be one computer per trainee. If this is not possible, then everyone should have a chance to try their hand at it.

Think about how much explanation there should be. Will you give the users the 'rote' step-by-step rules for using the system, or will you explain to them what is happening and why. There is a trade off. The rote method works the fastest but it is also forgotten faster. If you are able to give reasons, that the user can remember, then it is more likely that the he will be able to solve problems as they appear.

It doesn't have to be that way. For companies, that use on-the-job training for new employees, a series of introductory exercises can be developed will give the newcomer the proper job experiences.

On-the-job training is not suitable for introducing a new application to everyone in the office. However, it is a viable way to meet the need for replacement training. It is also more suitable for clerical and operational positions than for management.

There are two components to preparation time for on-the-job training: (1) time to develop the sequence of events and (2) the time needed by the person in the office who is going to be monitoring the on-the-job training.

Even though you will not be delivering this training yourself, it is a necessary part of the installation process to consider the various ways of ensuring competent "turnover" training.

Individualized instruction is training that is delivered without the intervention of a live instructor. It is also called "self-paced" instruction. It allows the learner to proceed at his/her own pace and provides constant feedback on performance.

Individualized instruction is predicated on the belief that each person learns differently but that dividing the tasks into small steps and logical sequence will help everyone to learn. The other main concept is reinforcement. People learn best when they are given praise for accomplishments and are not denigrated when they do not grasp a concept. These are the essential concepts behind programmed instruction, a technique suitable to both print and computer.

8.4.2.1 Frames

The next frame might go on to list the options for selecting criteria (ex: to pull a list of only people in the Philadelphia area). It would continue to teach in the present-test-respond format described above.

The method of delivery (print or computer) can play a large role in how much branching can actually be accomplished.

8.4.2.3.1 Upside Down Answers

One of the simplest print formats is to present the concept, ask a question, and give the answer upside down on the page. The feedback section then just explains the range of possible errors and justifies the correct choice. There is generally no branching in this format.

This is basically the same as the technique above but it requires a decoder card (usually a red plastic transparent strip). The strip is used to see the correct answer that was hidden in the margin of the book. This method is designed to be a little more sophisticated than the upside down answers.

This is the method that provides for branching within a book. It generally presents multiple choice questions and instructs the learner to turn to a specific page based on the answer selected. On that page, feedback is given and the lesson continues. It is possible to take totally different paths through the material using this technique.

Depending upon the software selected, you will be able to ask multiple choice, true/false, or short answer questions. Some of the systems allow you to specify rules for how closely the student's response must match yours. Some of the systems even are capable of recognizing limited misspellings.

Programmed instruction in print is more suitable for repeat training than for introductory training. However, when dealing with a computer application, it is more appropriate to deliver the training on-line than in print if the option exists. In either case, individualized instruction can be used by anyone at any level but in practice, few managers will take the time to go through a training program on their own.

Individualized instruction is very costly to develop. It may take twenty hours to prepare one hour of print instruction, and it has been known to take novice authors 100 hours to prepare 1 hour of CAI. However, if a large number of people are going to be using the system and they are in scattered geographically, or if turnover is high, CAI can be very cost effective. The development costs are one-time only and additional training is essentially material-cost free.

If the system that you are installing is sensitive to bad data or to improper handling, then a training system that includes simulation would be desirable. The simulator gives the user practice without destruction. The easiest method of doing this is to create another copy of the application in a different directory. There, the new user can "play" until they are sure that the system has been mastered.

Simulation is suitable for any level audience and for both introductory and turnover training. It also provides a way for an infrequent user to be certain that he or she remembers how to use the system.

There is very little preparation time needed to actually duplicate the application. However, some effort is required to provide practice data and results. In addition, there must be a tutorial manual, classroom training, on the job training exercises, or CAI to go with it.

Include in the lesson plans the date and the version of the system that the training is intended for.

• The user should be able to turn on the machine;
• The user should be able to call up the program.
• The user should be able to enter data
• The user should be able to produce mailing lists

The assumption would be made that the user already knows what a computer looks like and knows how to flip a switch. This assumption could not be made if the target audience is a group of two-year-olds!

Tasks must be checked for overlap. Are any of these tasks used more than one time? The list must be consolidated and then put into a tentative order. The list should be analyzed to see if any task is prerequisite to another. From this ordered list, a preliminary outline of training can be made.

Once the methodology has been worked out, the visuals or supporting materials must be identified and then developed. These visuals should be easy to read and neatly done.

Visuals and handouts (student notes) should be prepared using professional standards. Copyrights for these documents may be obtained. The conditions and constraints are usually applied for training materials as for the system. Copyrights are usually secured for training materials of copyrighted programs. Ownership of the copyright of training would be negotiated with for the system.

Outlines of instructor notes are often included with the lesson plans. However, detailed notes are not usually required.

Commercial programs used in the preparation of the documentation do not have to be cited. However, packages used in the lessons should be properly identified, including version or release date.

Proprietary programs used in the training are integral to the process and should be included. Here again, these programs may be copyrighted. Full documentation should be included with all programs under contract.