Ten Commandments for Learners & Trainers10 Commandments for Learners

10 Commandments for Learners

By Susan Boyd, Susan Boyd Associates (215-886-2669, http://www.susan-boyd.com) Copyright, 1997. All rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced in electronic form or copied without written permission of author (email: susan@susan-boyd.com.) Posters are available of this list and are on the poster order form.

1. Thou shall review the course description prior to class and make sure thou meets the pre-requisites.

Prior to class, review the course description, objectives and topics and see if you have the pre-requisites skills. Talk to others who have attended the course and see how they are using the skills.

2. Thou shall meet with thine manager before and after the course to discuss the training and how it can be applied.

Meet with your manager before class to discuss how the course information can be applied to your job needs. Find out your manager's expectations. After the class, discuss the training with your manager and determine what support is needed for you to apply the skills.

3. Thou shall be responsible for thine own learning.

As an adult, you are in charge of your learning, not the instructor. Take advantage of the class time, practice sessions and instructor's knowledge while you are in class.

4. Thou shalt participate and be an active learner.

Learning is an active process! Ask questions, do the exercises, participate in the discussions, take notes, help other class members, talk to the instructor, etc.

5. Thou shall be willing to make mistakes and learn from them.

Don't be embarrassed or frustrated when you make mistakes. Mistakes are learning opportunities for you, the instructor and the rest of the class. You learn more when you correct mistakes than if everything goes perfectly.

6. Thou shall ask how the training can be applied to thine own job needs.

You know your job best. Take each skill you learn and ask yourself and classmates, How can I use or adapt this skill/technique to my job demands?

7. Thou shall honor the time schedule and be on time for class and after breaks.

Time is money in a training class. If you are late, you are wasting not only your learning time and money, but the time and money of the rest of the class.

8. Thou shalt not whine or be negative.

Whining doesn't make the software go faster or work better. Whining doesn't change corporate policies or procedures. It just wears down your energy, as well as that of the instructor and other learners. Don't feel compelled to kill the messenger. The instructors do not make the policies, they are there to help you develop new skills to do your job.

9. Thou shall give the instructor feedback throughout class if thou has concerns, issues, or questions.

You are an adult, in charge of your learning. If you feel that the class is too slow/fast, or topics aren't pertinent, convey this to the instructor during a break. Don't keep this all to yourself or complain to your classmates. Most instructors will try to be flexible and see if they can address your concerns.

10. Thou shall take the time to complete the course evaluation and give honest, constructive feedback.

Course evaluations are important to the instructor as well as to the managers in the training department. Take the time to give useful, pertinent feedback and offer suggestions, not just criticisms or smile sheets with no meaningful comments.

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10 Commandments for Trainers

By Susan Boyd, Susan Boyd Associates (215-886-2669, http://www.susan-boyd.com)

Posters are available of this list. Order form is at: http://www.susan-boyd.com/poster.html

1. Thou shall be prepared for each class.

Prior to class, make sure you know the course material, software, stumbling blocks, and the sequence of the exercises and topics. Review past evaluations of that course, and see how you can enhance the learning. Know what material must be covered, vs. skimmed or skipped due to time constraints and class needs.

2. Thou shall check logistics prior to class.

Prevent training nightmares by checking that the training room has the right supplies, course materials, software, room set-up, etc. Confirm policies for late arrivals, emergencies, arrangements for breaks/lunches, access to room before/after hours, etc.

3. Thou shall take responsibility for making the class succeed.

Take responsible to report and solve, if possible, problems as they arise. Keep the class informed of your progress. Be responsive to the learners' issues and concerns. Be patient and supportive of learners' needs. Remember how hard it is to learn and how practice and making mistakes increase the learning process.

4. Thou shalt involve the learners and help develop independent learners.

Encourage all learners to be active and take responsibility for learning. Use partner and team activities for review and concept application. Encourage learners to learn topics and answer questions by using resources such as reference cards, on-line help, training manual and software manual in class as part of the exercises.

5. Thou shall emphasize comprehension over content.

Covering all the topics in the training manual is not as critical as making sure the learners can use the most important commands and functions. Do not sacrifice practice exercises for more content. We learn best by doing, not by listening and we learn more through repetition and concept integration, than through isolated topics.

6. Thou shall ask and show how the training can be applied to the learners' job needs.

Take each skill you teach and ask managers and your learners How can you use or adapt this skill/technique to the job demands? Software functions taught outside of a job context are meaningless to most learners.

7. Thou shall honor the time schedule and start class on time after breaks.

Time is money in a training class. If you start the class late, you are wasting the learners' time and setting a precedent for others that schedules are not important. Stick to any time schedule you announce. Take short mini-breaks to increase retention.

8. Thou shall have fun and enjoy the training.

Learning should be fun for you and the learners. Look for ways to energize your teaching style by adopting new analogies, ice-breakers, explanations, team activities. Treat each class as the opening night of a Broadway show. Personalize the class by getting to know the learners, their job needs and challenges.

9. Thou shall solicit feedback throughout class, not wait until the end evaluation.

Ask learners at the start of class to set a learning goal and ask periodically throughout class if this was met. Mingle with the learners during breaks to get informal feedback on the pace and comfort level with the material. Ask for the top 3 skills learned and top 3 areas they need more practice with.

10. Thou shall view training as a process, not an event.

Don't let the training process end after class. Follow-up through email, surveys, and phone calls to see the effectiveness of the training and how to enhance it. Track help desk calls and keep in touch with your learners. Use their ideas, talents and accomplishments in future classes. Be a continual learner and experimenter.

Susan Boyd, is president of Susan Boyd Associates, a computer training firm that specializes in customized application training. Products also include the Accelerate Computer Learning with Analogies book, posters of the analogies and 10 Commandments for Trainers & Learners, and trainer workshops. Contact Susan at (215-886-2669), email: susan@susan-boyd.com or visit her web site at http://www.susan-boyd.com for more information.

*For more information, contact Susan Boyd Associates at (215) 886-2669.* *(Philadelphia, PA area)*
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