Tip #82: Auditing Training: Looking at the Training Decisions

I firmly believe that the effectiveness of a training program depends upon the decisions that the instructors make about what will be taught and how it will be taught. I have found that it is possible to determine the probability of learning in the classroom by evaluating these decisions, without technical knowledge of the subject matter.

This philosophy is based upon the Mastery Teaching Model developed by Dr. Madeline Hunter, of the University of California at Los Angeles, to increase instructional effectiveness. Dr. Hunter defines "training" as "a constant stream of professional decisions made before, during and after interaction with the learner; decisions which, when implemented, increase the probability of learning."

According to Dr. Hunter, regardless of who or what is being taught, all training decisions fall into three categories: (1) what content to teach next, (2) what the learner will do to learn and to demonstrate learning has occurred, and (3) what the trainer will do to facilitate the acquisition of that learning.