Module 3

1
Training Curriculum
In this Module

1. Establish Training Needs Requirements

1. Training Needs Requirements
2. Stakeholders
3. Training Aims and Requirements
4. Learner Profile

2. Develop Course Design

1. Course Description
2. Competency Standard
3. Training Delivery Strategies
4. Assessment Method

C. Develop Learning Material

1. Develop Content of Learning Material
Why a Curriculum is needed
A curriculum is simply an outline of the content of a particular training programme. It provides an overall view of
what is taught, how it is taught, and should help to ensure that:
• the training covers all the necessary topics;
• each training session delivers the right information every time;
• here there is a ‘training team', the same training is delivered in a consistent manner across the service.
Once developed, the curriculum should be viewed as a working document to assist the trainer(s) with the delivery
and further development of the training programme.

What to include
The curriculum must show how you will ensure that your staff have the knowledge and skills to implement the
relevant Baby Friendly standards. An effective curriculum should generally include:
• An overall description of the structure of the programme;
• The aims and learning outcomes for each session or part of the programme;
• An outline lesson plan for each taught session, which demonstrates how the session is to be delivered;
• Details of how individual sessions, such as practical skills reviews, are to be conducted.
Learning is a process of gaining or receiving knowledge of things in the world around us, through sight, sound,
smell, taste and touch. Learning takes place in everyone's life all the time from a very early stage in life, and human
beings keep on learning all the time. Learning starts from childhood and it is a continuous and life long process.
Through learning an individual gains the skills to cope with life. Learning occurs in the family and the community, in
formal and informal settings. The word learning encompasses a wide range of connotations across different spheres of
life. Learning takes place in any environment and is wide in scope. The term as defined here is limited to forms of
learning in formal and informal settings for adult learners, some of which can be used beyond a prescribed setting. In
this connection learning materials become an important tool in facilitating learning. There are different kinds of tools,
which facilitate learning. The later part of the paper will cover a description of the different kinds of learning tools for
different levels of learners.

ESTABLISH TRAINING NEED REQUIREMENTS

Essential to the success of a training event is that the training offered is actually required. It is all too easy to assume
that there is a training need just because you want to organize a particular training event. You must first consult your
potential audience. If training is to be a useful experience it should be meeting a definite need on the part of the
commissioning organization and/or the potential participants. However, it should be noted that there can be a
significant difference between what a group / agency thinks it needs and what it actually needs both in level and nature
of training. It should also be clear that training is the appropriate response to what is required. Otherwise you will be
faced with either a group uninterested in the training or no participants at all.
Before you begin planning the training find out what training is needed and what those involved will want. If
training is being commissioned have a thorough discussion with the commissioning organization to establish that the
focus and content of the training will meet the requirement. If you are planning your own training event ask colleagues
and your potential participants what they want. Depending on the type of training you are considering, the consultation
can range from full-scale market research including interviews and questionnaires to informal chats at professional
meetings. The former would be suitable for a major training programme such as a distance learning course. Sometimes
you can only assess the training need by drafting a training event programme, advertising it and seeing what response
you receive.

How to Establish a Training Program

Many reasons exist for establishing a training program. For example, perhaps no formal training exists for new
employees, or you may want to improve the way existing employees function. A quality training program not only
enhances employees' knowledge, it also promotes uniformity and provides answers to employees' questions. To
establish a training program, you must analyze the job in question, set objectives and choose appropriate
administration options.
Step 1
Conduct a needs assessment to determine the type of training your organization needs to implement. Consult
company personnel who either currently work in or are familiar with the roles or job function. Ask them to help identify
the knowledge, skills and abilities a person or employee needs to function in that particular role. Review documents that
explain regulations, technical standards or department procedures employees training in the position

Step 2
Create a formal job description. Write a general description of the job requirements, the environment in which
employees perform the work and the tools and equipment an employee uses as part of the job. Create an inventory of
tasks required to fulfill job responsibilities. Describe how the employee's job fits within your organization, and list
resources, such as managers, supervisors and reference documents that are available to the employee.

Step 3
Prioritize the tasks of a job according to importance and difficulty to determine the types of training activities
you most need to focus on. Also, rate the tasks by how frequently an employee in the position performs the task.
Consider which of the job's tasks requires skills an employee must already have before beginning training. Compile a list
of the tasks for which you will need to provide formal training. For example, you may need to provide extensive training
for highly difficult tasks an employee must perform on a daily basis, and not as much training for tasks requiring skills an
employee can learn on the job.

Step 4
Identify learning outcomes for your training program. A learning outcome describes what the employee will be
able to do after the training and may include attitudinal, cognitive and skill learning outcomes. For example, attitudinal
learning aims to change the way an employee views a subject. Cognitive learning contributes to his overall body of
knowledge on a topic. Skill learning helps an employee learn a job-related, usually behavioral task.

Step 5
Think about the different personality types you will be training and each employee's preferred learning style, as
this may help you determine the types of training resources to use in your program. For example, some employees learn
better using hands-on approaches and simulations, while others do better with lectures, discussions and independent
activities.

Step 6
Plan the details of your training program. Research and identify training resources and the materials you need to
implement the program. For example, think about industry or content experts who provide training on certain topics.
Look for e-learning or online resources (i.e., computer-based learning software), instructional books and materials that
convey the knowledge employees must acquire. Think about whether any current company representatives may be able
to develop courses to teach skills. Consider whether training can be conducted on-site or whether employees must
travel to a specific training or conference site.

Step 7
Deliver the training to both existing and new employees. Schedule training dates for existing employees far
enough in advance to avoid scheduling conflicts. Provide employees with course outlines and a program itinerary so
they know what to expect.

Stakeholders are Identified and Consulted

Stakeholders are those who may be affected by or influence an effort. They may also include people who have a
strong interest in the effort for academic, philosophical, or political reasons, even though they and their families, friends,
and associates are not directly affected by it.
Stakeholders can be defined as “groups or individuals who can affect or be affected by the achievements of a
business”. Key stakeholders in training transfer consist of organizations implementing training programs for their
workforce, individuals undergoing the training course, and trainer conducting the training course. Each of these
stakeholder categories has their roles and responsibilities that impact the outcome of the training in general, and the
outcome of training transfer in a direct manner.
For each stakeholder or stakeholder group you identify, think about what drives them to either provide or deny
support for your program.
Internal Stakeholder Interest
Trainer greater workload from more rigor increase in funding
for future programs
Participant enhanced employability/promotability
“slack time” during training
Participant's Manager seen to be doing something extra workload from no
backfilling
Program Sponsor influence over rival departments greater workload
from juggling multiple tasks

Instructional Designer increase in credibility/promotability access to latest

technology
Finance Manager demonstrable return on investment potential budget
overruns
Technology Manager
showcase “cutting edge” technology low support costs
Executive/Directors pressure from shareholders to show profit potential
increase in payroll costs
Training Vendor
increase in credibility occupy consultants on bench
Shareholders demonstrable short-term profit delayed dividend to
shareholders
Customers
reduced cost of doing business fear of new system
Suppliers reduced cost of doing business additional vendor
selection qualification criteria
Establish Training Aims and Requirements
Training and education opportunities exist for a variety of purposes. The range is enormous. Personal and
professional development are at the heart of most of them. In social welfare type of work that is most likely to mean
providing opportunities for staff to gain skills to do their jobs more effectively or to provide improved services.
Some events and training offer some form of ‘accreditation'; others are primarily opportunities for staff (and
possibly their clients or customers) to get together and debate practice and policy. NVQs are an example of staged
accreditation. They utilize the credit accumulation system and offer opportunities for unqualified or relatively poorly
qualified staff in social welfare jobs, to work up the ladder of credits, moving from one level of award to the next as a
natural progression. Each ‘award' is a stage in the process of becoming ‘trained' or ‘qualified'.
The idea of a beginning, a middle, and an end is a familiar and commonsense one to all who have ever been
cajoled into writing an essay, a book or thesis. Planning for training or conference events is essentially a matter of
establishing stages for the process. Within a single event, even a relatively simple one, such as a half-day induction
training session for new staff joining a local authority or voluntary organization, several people may have been involved
in the:
• Planning
• Administration
• co-ordination
• presentation
• evaluation and follow-up

Aims and Goals

Because the range of aims and goals for conferences and training events is so varied, it is not possible for me to
emphasize too strongly the need to determine these at an early stage.
Training events and related conferences assume that in the process of training, or reflecting on work ‘away from
base', participants should be given opportunities to leave their normal work and domestic worlds and enter the world of
the event. Depending upon the nature of the event, for instance, whether it is the conference of a professional
association in probation, or a one-day in-service course for housing staff on the implications of community care in a
local area, the participants should be encouraged to assist in:
• The rule setting for the event (either before or during the event).
• Setting objectives for the event.
• Determining how follow-up can be organized.
• The planning and co-ordination of the event.
• Choosing the programme, venue and contributors.
There is also a growing need to assess whether training is best achieved away from base' or in the workplace.
Increasingly, especially in training for qualifications, training takes place in a mixture of locations. Training events should
reinforce workplace on-the-job training, and should be clearly relevant to the needs of both individuals and
organizations back in the workplace. Like many people, who have been involved in putting training events together, we
all remember personal ‘horror stories'. Many could be avoided if more active collaboration was encouraged between
planners, trainers and participants.

Personal Trainer Career Overview

Personal trainers meet with clients on a one-on-one or small group basis to help them determine, execute and achieve
physical fitness goals. They supervise clients in the use of cardiovascular and weight machines, act as spotters for clients
using free weights and provide verbal motivation to help clients meet their goals. Some trainers also specialize in
specific forms of fitness, such as yoga, and provide personalized instruction to clients who wish to learn or increase their
knowledge in those forms of exercise.
Training requirements are as follows:
 • trainees' entry requirements
• prerequisite competencies
• access to the workplace
• individual learning styles
• training methodology
• training materials and supplies
• training references (books, manuals, multimedia training aids, etc.)
• training facility, tools, and equipment
• trainers' qualifications
• assessment methods
Data sources
• Harvest: at the level where fish are caught. The most direct approach to the fishery data (e.g. catch, effort).
• Post-Harvest: levels through which fish are prepared for market. This may include middle person, fish auction,
cold storage, processing farms and transport of products.
• Market: all situations where fish are commercially transferred. It may include the fish market at landing port,
transaction (secondary market) of products among brokers, processing farms and consumers' market.
• Consumers: at the level where the products are finally consumed.
• Government-Related Agencies: any agencies or institutes forming part of government (including the inter-
governmental level). It would include various agencies outside of fisheries (e.g. custom, coast guard and
meteorology department).
• Support Industry: industries which provide materials and services for fisheries, but are not directly involved in
fisheries business

IDENTIFY THE LEARNER PROFILE

Learning profiles can be used to differentiate topics, method of learning, and manner of demonstrating learning in a
classroom. A student's learning profile is the complete picture of his/her learning preferences, strengths, and challenges
and is shaped by the categories of learning style, intelligence preference, culture, and gender. Carol Ann Tomlinson,
renowned expert on differentiation, describes these four categories as:
1. Learning Style
2. Intelligence Preference
3. Culture
4. Gender
Although a teacher cannot accommodate for each of these categories all the time, it is important to understand
that within any class, a wide range of learning preferences, strengths, and challenges will be present. Additionally,
learning profiles are dynamic; they change in response to ongoing experience. It is the responsibility of the teacher to
create an environment and learning experiences with enough flexibility for each student to feel welcomed, engaged,
and productive.

Potential Learners
High potential learners are the same, even at a very young age the difference is apparent between the student who may
already be labelled ‘successful' or ‘high achieving'; and the child who is creative. United Kingdom to identify six profiles
of high potential learners, which schools should be looking to identify.
1. The Successful
2. The Creative
3. The At-Risk
4. The Dual or Multiple Exceptional
5. The Underground
 6. The Autonomous Learner

Profiles of Learners on Entry to the Course are Developed

There is a small belief that learning profiles do not exist or, if they do exist, they have no place in classrooms. The
truth is that every teacher witnesses students learning in different ways.

Offer an Entry to Learning

We all have similar experiences when learning. Some learning approaches simply work better for us than others. If we
learn through a variety of ways, then so do students. Therefore, our lesson planning should reflect a variety of ways to
offer entry to learning by all students. If you know that a student builds understanding best when she can watch a
demonstration and then dialog about the content and it is implications, you should provide that experience. While each
student has different approaches to learning, learning preferences do overlap in groups of students. The result is
activities that are accessible for small and large student groups.
We can start using learning profiles when we know the various ways that each of our students makes sense of
content. The more we understand our students, the more efficient we can ensure their learning successes. When we
have in-depth understanding for how our students learn, there is a major impact on diagnosing student needs and
planning effective supports. Multiple intelligences and thinking styles inventories can be effective tools for gathering
data about students.
Cross-Train Learning
Everyone learns through a variety of approaches. Placing learners into a single learning style container ignores the
reality of the whole person. Teachers need to cross-train students by using two or more approaches to thinking styles
profiles when planning differentiation. The more we know about our students, the more we can be effectively strategic
in meeting everyone's needs. This is where learning profile cards, student profile surveys, and student learning
perceptual quick surveys can provide detailed insight about students that spans across multiple thinker processing
categories.

Plan Three-Dimensional Lessons

Three-dimensional lessons incorporate a variety of different experiences in a lesson. For example, revise a lesson to
teach content in three different ways. This will help all students find ways to connect and delve into key concepts and
skills.

Language and Literacy Requirements of the Learner

Faculty and students in the Language, Literacy, and Culture program focus on understanding how humans use
language and literacy to understand and change their world. We are interested in the ways that children, adolescents,
and adults learn literacy practices including reading, writing, speaking, and using images. We are also interested in how
people use different forms of literacy to learn disciplinary knowledge in schools and to accomplish their out-of-school
goals.
Our faculty believes culture is at the heart of school learning. We are committed to understanding the ways that
culture shapes and is shaped by literacy practices in classrooms and in students' home communities. With this research
base, we are working with teachers to create culturally-responsive instructional environments that support literacy
learning for all students. Our faculty and students conduct research in local and international settings and study literacy
in classrooms, homes, community organizations, and online environments. What educational problems do we study?
Oral Language Learning and Use: How do children and adults use English and other languages to learn and
interact with others in classrooms?
Early Literacy Learning: How do young children learn to read and write?
Learning through Literacy: How do students use literacy to learn disciplinary knowledge in schools? How do
students use literacy to learn in out-of-school contexts?
Connections between Language, Literacy, and Culture: How are language literacy practices shaped by
culture?
 Literacy and New Technologies: How are new technologies influencing literacy use and learning? How can
new technologies be used by educators to support student and teacher learning?
Literacy Teaching: What are culturally responsive ways of teaching English and second language literacy in
schools?
Literacy Teachers: What do teachers understand and believe about literacy learning and teaching? What are
effective practices for literacy teacher education?
Word learning, academic language, oral language, and literacy: What is the relationship between word
learning, oral language, and literacy? How does this fit within current policy initiatives such as the Common
Core? How does this relate to digital tools such as ebooks and apps? How do children and adolescents learn
words? Do they learn them through play? Since academic language is dense with content-specific terms that
are constructed from multiple units of meaning, such as activation, magnetism, equation, analytical, and
thermosphere, how do children figure out the meanings of these words?

POINTS TO REMEMBER
A learner profile builds on the framework developed in the planning matrix and can assist teachers and
parents to:
 understand learning strengths and characteristics of autism
 know which autism-specific areas may impact on skill development, including communication, social
interaction, repetitive behaviors and restricted interests, sensory processing and information
processing
 understand what motivates and interests individual students to support communication, social
communication and positive behaviour support
 gain insight into a student's learning style and strengths, which can guide classroom adjustments

DEVELOP COURSE DESIGN

Whether designing a new course or preparing to adopt a standardized curriculum, you will find it helpful to begin your
course preparation by clearly defining what you expect your students to have learned by the end of your course or
section. You can then put together course materials, or select new ways of presenting course materials, that serve the
learning outcomes you have chosen.
Consider the topic and level of your course, and ask yourself:
• What is the most important information students should learn and remember from this course (facts and other
kinds of core knowledge)?
• What are the most important ideas that students should understand after taking this course (theories,
approaches, perspectives, and other broad themes in your field)?
• What are the most important skills that students should develop in this course (laboratory skills, problem-
solving skills, creative skills, writing skills, etc.)?
Although courses may vary in size, subject matter or level, a systematic process will help you plan and structure
your course and syllabus to effectively reach desired instructional goals. This page provides a wealth of information that
will guide you from the initial design phases of your course to polishing and distributing your syllabus.
• Course design
• Syllabus design
• Additional resources

Course design
Effective course design begins with understanding who your students are, deciding what you want them to learn;
determining how you will measure student learning; and planning activities, assignments and materials that support
student learning. For all interactions with students plan ahead by ask yourself:
1. Who are the students?
2. What do I want students to be able to do?
3. How will I measure students' abilities?
 By asking yourself these questions at the onset of your course design process you will be able to focus more
concretely on learning outcomes, which has proven to increase student learning substantially as opposed to merely
shoehorning large quantities of content into a quarters worth of class meetings.

Syllabus design
The syllabus provides the instructor and students with a contract, a common reference point that sets the stage for
learning throughout the course. Make sure that your students have easy access to the course syllabus by handing out
hard copies on the first day of class and (if applicable) posting a digital copy on the course website.

Course Description
• Course content: What is the basic content of the course and what makes it important or interesting? How does
the course fit into the context of the discipline?
• Learning objectives: What should students be able to do by the end of the course? Objectives are most helpful
when they are expressed in terms of knowledge and skills that can be readily identified and assessed. For
example, the ability to recognize, differentiate, apply or produce is much more readily identifiable than the
ability to appreciate or understand.
• Characteristics of class meetings: What types of activities should students be prepared for? Discussion?
Lecture? Small groups? Student presentations?
• Logistics: What are the instructor's and TAs' names? How can they be contacted? How are course materials
obtained? When and where does the class meet?

Syllabus Design
As a TA your responsibilities regarding course design will vary. However, it is always a good idea whether you are
planning a ten-week course, a 50 min section meeting, or a 20 min office hour, to think about your teaching and
learning goals. Plan ahead by asking yourself:
• What do I want students to learn?
• What challenges to learning are students likely to face?
• How can I help students meet those challenges?
• How will I be able to tell what they have learned?

Have a Syllabus
It is a good idea for TAs to provide students with a syllabus. Use the syllabus to answer questions about your
expectations, your role in the course and students' responsibilities. If you are teaching a quiz section or lab, you may not
be involved in the development of the course syllabus. However, your students will appreciate receiving a syllabus
providing information regarding the section or lab policies and procedures (info. on participation, email policies,
grading details etc...). Also make sure to include your office location and hours so students know where and when to
find you.

Competency Standard Is Analyzed

Competencies are the combination of knowledge, skills, traits and experiences that prepare a person to be responsible
for specific tasks. These characteristics can be divided into broad categories such as Behavioral (actions) or Tangible
(measurable) and become ever-more detailed. Possible competencies might include such skills as listening, problem-
solving, writing or accounting.
To process a competency analysis, you must determine the competency model. A competency model categorizes
which core skills are needed to be successful in a particular position. The more detailed the model is, the better chance
there is of finding someone who will be able to best carryout the requirements of the position.
Once a clear competency model has been identified, ideal candidates can be identified by matching them against
the identified criteria. Because positions are designed to play a specific role in meeting Company objectives, matching
competencies to job responsibilities is an overall benefit to the overall company as a whole.
 The unit of competency provides the information necessary to ensure that all learners are trained and assessed
against an objective format that will prove their competency to a certain level. Appropriate assessment tools cannot be
developed without a thorough knowledge of the unit of competency.
The learners can only be considered to be competent when they can demonstrate evidence of being able to apply
their knowledge and skills to successfully complete a range of work activities to the standard of performance expected
in the workplace.
If the learner does not demonstrate competency with all the performance criteria listed in the competency standard
they will be considered to be not yet competent. They will be given the opportunity to complete another assessment
when they are ready.
There are two common types of competency standards.
• Standards that are recognized throughout the country and serve as the basis for assessment and formal
qualifications. These are developed for and by an entire industry.
• Standards developed for a specific enterprise. These are sometimes called ‘in-house standards'.

Units of Competency and Modules Are Clearly Identified

The Module or Unit of Competency is a group of productive functions identified in the functional analysis at the bottom
level, where such function can already be carried out by one person.
It is at this bottom level when they are known as “elements of competency” in the United Kingdom's system or
“vocational accomplishments” in the Spanish system.
The unit of competency is formed by a group of elements of competency; it has a clear meaning in the work
process and, therefore, it has value for the work itself. The unit not only refers to the functions that are directly related
to the job's objective, it also includes any other requirement connected with health and safety, quality and relationships
at work.
Units of competency constitute modules with an evident meaning and value at work. When different units are
grouped with a clear occupational set up of the sector under analysis and with a well-defined level of competency,
labour qualifications begin to take shape.
• Basic competency
• Common competency
• Core competency
• Elective competency

• Training Delivery Strategies

• The requirements for multiple training delivery methods using traditional and virtual mediums is becoming
commonplace in organizations. As a comprehensive learning organization training strategy, a congruency in delivery
methods to attain strategic training objectives and not merely training content has the advantages of consistency in
delivery across the organization and reduced training costs. Competition without technical innovation, demands that
organizations continuously upgrade the knowledge of their workforce and seek out ways to improve cost and efficiency
synergies.
• Virtual training systems and platforms are in use by more than 80% of large corporations. Virtual training offers
cost-effective alternatives to traditional stand-up classroom training; however, sufficient lead time is required for
planning, development, and deployment. The synchronous (live) and asynchronous (on-demand) delivery format
requirement provides solutions to address the needs of a geographically dispersed, financially, and time constrained
training audience. The financial and time costs typically associated with developing and implementing classroom
delivery methods include:
• Ancillary materials to facilitate learning,
• Compensation of trainer and trainee time spent in training,
• Cost of the training facility for the program, and
• Travel, lodging, and food for the trainer and trainees.
Deciding on a Learning Strategy
Now we get to the pointy end of this process: deciding what we will do.
By now, we will have considered all sorts of possibilities, and have many ideas. It is worth reviewing everything that
we have done so far, including:
• learning strategy
• scope statement
• learning objectives
• learner profiles
• existing program resources
• options for content
• documented time, cost and logistical considerations.
Regardless of how exciting our possible resources or content options might be, we need to make a decision that:
• Reflects the learners' needs
• Meets the agreed outcomes
• Fits within the Scope Statement
• Is practical to deliver

Assessment Methods
The way that we go about collecting evidence of someone's performance is called the Assessment Method.
There are many ways to collect information about someone's performance. But, we will find that there will only be a
limited number of ways that will allow us to collect the sort of information that will let us make an accurate judgement
of the performance.
Common methods include:
• real work or real time activities (such as direct observation and third party reports)
• structured activities (such as simulation exercises, demonstration and activity sheets)
• questioning (oral, computer or written)
• portfolios (collections of evidence compiled by the candidate)
• historical evidence showing proof of prior learning.

Types of Learning Materials

Learning materials may be developed or selected from existing resources. As developments in cognitive science
have helped us understand more about how learners construct knowledge, there has been a growing trend towards the
greater use of raw data, primary sources and manipulative and interactive learning resource materials.

Interactive Lessons
Interactive Lessons covering reading, basic math skills, and topics in science make learning more interactive. They
can be used to present new information and reinforce lessons taught in the classroom. After viewing a multimedia
presentation, students can respond to questions or complete other activities to demonstrate their knowledge.
In addition, the Interactive Lessons include components that can be printed and completed away from the
computer. Teachers may want to assign these activities to students as classroom activities or special projects.

DEVELOP TRAINING CURRICULUM MODULES

The curriculum is indeed a crucial component of any educational process. As we enter into the twenty-first century,
education systems are facing the challenges of the global market and the knowledge economy, but at the same time
needing to support the building of social cohesion and the fostering of local cultures to sustain a sense of identity and
belonging.
Given the complexity of today's ever-changing world, contemporary approaches to curriculum development far
exceed the traditional understanding of curricula as merely plans of study or lists of prescribed content. Indeed, it is
commonly accepted that in order to effectively foster learning, educational content, methods and structures need to be
permanently adjusted to changes occurring in science, technology, culture, economy and social life.
National education authorities around the world increasingly address the challenge of improving the quality of
learning outcomes through curricular reform, and curricula must respond to new demands by providing skills and
building competences that are relevant to local and global needs. Despite the differences of approach, these authorities
are generally looking into new solutions to improve the quality of learning outcomes based on curriculum provisions
that take into account different criteria.
Due to the increased access to international comparisons in education, countries are also keen to improve their
education systems and curricula, adopting as a reference ‘good' policies and practices and international ‘standards' in
order to meet the challenges and opportunities of the knowledge society and of an increasingly interdependent world.
In general, there is a need for increased exchanges, the sharing of experiences, learning from both failures and
successes, and capitalizing on local experiences and traditions.

Stages of Curriculum Development

• Determine and agree the educational or professional context in which the programme is to be developed and
delivered
• Define the needs of the learners in line with the requirements of professional bodies
• Determine the aims and broad learning outcomes of the programme
• Identify ideas and constraints
Agree the broad structure and framework of the programme, the main areas of teaching and learning, the
sequence of the main topics and the key assessments
Allocate the detailed development of each topic or course area in terms of defining objectives and learning
outcomes to individuals or teams
Course teams to develop coherent programmes which have defined learning outcomes, timetables, content,
appropriate teaching, learning and assessment methods and which utilise relevant and available learning
resources
Implement and refine the programme
Develop an appropriate and deliverable evaluation strategy
Review and revise the course in line with feedback - has it met the identified needs of the learners and other
stakeholders?

Competency Standards
Thus the assessment decision in a CBT system is based on the competency standards, which are endorsed by the
National Training Board (NTB). Competency standards are grouped into units of competency, which describe major
functions of an occupation or major work roles. Each unit is made up of a number of elements of competency. Each
element of competency is in turn made up on a number of performance criteria. The standards describe:
• what a worker is expected to do in order to fulfill the major function (elements of competency)
• the required level of performance for each outcome (performance criteria)
• the range of contexts and conditions, in other words the coverage, across which performance is to be
demonstrated (range of variables)
Together these three components of the competency standard give the trainer and the assessor a template for
training and assessing trainees /workers. The standards provide the basis on which the judgment of evidence is to be
made. The next step to be taken before an assessment decision can be made involves deciding how much evidence is
sufficient to infer competency. This decision must take into account:
• principles of good practice in competency-based assessment;
• cost;
• time (it may be impractical to observe the work activity across the full range of contexts specified in the
standards)
 • practical considerations such as minimal disruption to work flow.

Resources Required to Support the Training Curriculum

While curriculum can be conceptualized in a number of ways, the notions of "intended" and "implemented" curriculum
are useful for curriculum developers.
The intended (or "official") school curriculum is expressed in policy documents, curriculum frameworks or
guidelines, frameworks of standards and assessment, syllabi, textbooks and other instructional materials and clearly
defines the structure, content and methods of intended learning experiences. This "intended" curriculum is then put into
practice through real teachers interacting with real students in real schools. It is the "real" or "implemented" curriculum
that shapes students' learning experiences and determined their learning outcomes.
This unit offers opportunities for curriculum professionals to develop their understanding of central issues related
to capacity building for curriculum implementation by exploring:
• Approaches to encouraging discourse about curriculum philosophy, concepts, change and the implications for
education systems;
• Strategies for promoting new approaches to teaching and learning, information and communications
technology;
• Issues in school based training and teacher education;
• Whole school issues.
This unit is organized around three activities:
• Approaches to capacity building. Discusses needs for training in a framework of continuous capacity
building.
• Capacity building of curriculum professionals as a requisite for reform.Analyzes the needs for technical
training of curriculum specialists.
• Teacher involvement in capacity building. Helps in revising the different attitudes that can enable or block
the capacity building processes.

Resources for Training Curriculum

• Training regulation/competency standards
• Job specifications
• DCAUM sheet
• training equipment tools and supplies
• instructional materials

Training Curriculum is Designed Based on the Requirements of the

Competency Standards
Competency-based training (CBT) is an approach to vocational education and training that places emphasis on what a
person can do in the workplace as a result of completing a program of training.
Competency standards are industry-determined specifications of performance that set out the skills, knowledge
and attitudes required to operate effectively in a specific industry or profession. Competency standards are made up of
units of competency, which are themselves made up of elements of competency, together with performance criteria, a
range of variables, and an evidence guide. Competency standards are an endorsed component of a training package.
For a person to be assessed competent they need to demonstrate the ability to perform tasks and duties to the
standard expected in employment. CBT focuses on the development of the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to
achieve those competency standards.
One of the primary features of CBT is that each learner's achievement is measured against the competency
standards rather than against the achievement of other learners.
Under the CBT approach, each learner is assessed to find the gap between the skills they need (as described in the
Training Package) and the skills they already have. The difference between the two is called the skills gap. A training
program is then developed to help the learner acquire the missing skills.
Skills required - current skills = skills gap
 In many cases the learner has no current skills and the training program is a full curriculum based course. However,
the learning outcomes achieved through the curriculum are derived from the competencies described in the Training
Package.
Competency-based training programs are often comprised of modules broken into segments called learning
outcomes, which are based on standards set by industry, and assessment is designed to ensure each student has
achieved all the outcomes (skills and knowledge) required by each module.

FINALIZE TRAINING CURRICULUM

A business curriculum typically includes courses in accounting, finance and economics, management and marketing.
Designing a business acumen curriculum involves defining the overall goal and objectives by course. Write a plan for
your business curriculum training in an organized format by using standardized templates or design your own structure.
Clearly define your objectives and prerequisites so prospective students can utilize your curriculum in their career
planning.
• Design your curriculum by identifying the desired results, how you will determine student proficiency and what
learning experiences and instruction will produce these results.
• Define the skills and competencies students will acquire by the completion of the curriculum, including critical
thinking, risk analysis, decision making, leadership, ethical responsibility and technology use.
• Format your materials to show your business curriculum training structure. For example, create a PowerPoint
presentation and create a slide with a table consisting of five columns.
• In the first column, list each content area, such as economics or accounting, and define the required and
optional courses. Specify the course names and numbers, format (such as instructor-led, self-paced or virtual
seminar) and credit hours.
• In the second column, list the total number of credit hours required by your program. Semesters typically span
12 weeks. Course hours adding up to about 24 credits usually comprise a business curriculum.
• In the third column, list the learning objectives for the course. For example, for an accounting course, upon
completion, students should be able to read and interpret financial information, apply generally accepted
accounting principles and use accounting information in a business environment.
• In the fourth column, provide recommendations on the order in which courses should be taken. Use flow
charting symbols such as arrows to visually represent the progression. Prospective students should be able to
identify which courses provide awareness, competency or master level skills.
• In the fifth column, identify costs and any additional fees, if applicable.
• On an additional slide, provide links to registration information, materials and supplementary activities,
including internships, special seminars or use of social media technology, such as wikis, blogs and forums.
Indicate if additional testing or certification is required to complete the curriculum requirements.
• Publish your plan by making it available on your Intranet site or in other formats, such as brochures or
catalogs.
• Maintain your curriculum by regularly incorporating feedback from students and faculty to improve the
information provided.
Training Curriculum is validated
Validation is another way to say "assessment" or "pre/post-test". It is a set of ways to determine whether the
participants in a training session learned what the facilitator intended for them to learn. For the purposes of creating a
participatory, inclusive adult learning environment, the Raising Voices Staff Skill Building Library does not include written
validation pre- or post-tests, though validation questions could easily be used in this way, if preferred. Instead, the
Library includes several participatory validation methods that tend to be more fun and inclusive for groups—some of
whom may not feel comfortable reading or writing in English. For example:
• Activity in Training (group validation - knowledge, attitudes and skills)
• Game Show (group or individual validation - depending on question style - knowledge)
• Pick and Play (group validation - knowledge)
• Answers Bingo (group validation - knowledge)
• Card Game (group validation - knowledge)
 • Agree/ Disagree/ Not Sure (group validation - attitudes)
• Debates (individual or group validation - knowledge, attitudes and skills)
• Teach Back (individual or group validation - knowledge and skills)
• Exit Interview/ Role Play (individual validation - knowledge and skills)
• Site Visit with Monitoring Checklist (individual validation - skills)
• Written Quiz (individual or group validation - knowledge)
Validation is necessary for competency based training, because it helps the facilitator determine whether
participants learned what was intended. If so, the facilitator can be confident that participants are ready for the next
steps either implementing violence against women prevention methodologies like SASA!, providing technical assistance
to others implementing programs or participating in more advanced training modules. Validation is a confirmation that
participants have the required knowledge and skills to move on.
Training curriculum is validated with other persons
• Colleagues
• trainers/facilitators
• industry contacts
• vendors
• HR personnel
• marketing personnel
• end users
• subject or technicalspecialists,including OHS
• language, literacy and numeracy specialists

Finalized Curriculum Document is submitted

When submitting a program proposal for Intermediate Level Program Review Committee (PRC) approval, it is not
expected that the whole curriculum will be developed. At the Intermediate Level approval phase, the proposal should
demonstrate a clear picture of the credential that graduates of the program are expected to receive, a preliminary idea
of the outcomes graduates will be able to demonstrate upon graduation, represented through draft vocational learning
outcomes, and a general sense of the courses required in the program of study to enable the learners to achieve this
learning.
After receiving approval to proceed to program proposal development, following Initial Scoping presentation to
Deans and Directors Council (DDC), a curriculum consultant will be identified to assist with program proposal
development. It is essential that program developers work closely with the curriculum consultant to facilitate program
development and completion of all necessary template components required for Intermediate and Final Level PRC
approvals. The Academic Manager Curriculum Services provides the assigned curriculum consultant's contact
information.
At the Intermediate Level, the following curriculum components within the template must be completed:
• the credential that you are expecting graduates to receive
• the admission requirements for your program
• a first draft of the program description
• a copy of the provincial program outcomes (if they exist), or an initial draft of the vocational learning outcomes
and essential employability skills (if applicable)
• a draft of the program of study including the mode of delivery
• a draft of the course descriptions for courses in your program of study (including general education courses if
applicable)
• a labour market and/or a societal needs analysis
• applicant demand
• indication of any accreditation, certification or licensing requirements
• characteristics of the Algonquin Experience
Appropriate personnel for curriculum document is submitted
• program manager
• head of department
 • senior teacher
• apprenticeship/traineeship supervisor
• training coordinator/manager
• HR manager

ANALYZE THE LEARNING MATERIALS REQUIREMENTS

ADDIE stands for Analyze Design Develop Implement Evaluate and is the most popular model used for systematic
training design. The model was born from the U.S. Military's need for training new conscripts and factory workers
developing military goods during World War II. The U.S. Military still uses the systematic training approach today.
Following its steps ensures a comprehensive and orderly approach to training program design and maintenance.
• Analyze Training Needs: Find out the needs of the company or individuals involved. Profile the target audience.
Write specific, actionable objectives for the training based on assessed needs. The lynchpins of the ADDIE
approach are the "analyze" and the "evaluate" stages. The two phases are linked. ADDIE emphasizes a
thorough trainingneeds analysis during which requirements and objectives are defined. These objectives
should then be evaluated during the evaluation phase.
• Design the Learning Methods and Strategies: Choose the media for training delivery, be they electronic or
instructor-led. Plan the training course, research the content and make course outlines. If designing an e-
learning course, make prototypes.
• Develop the Training Course: Write the content, do detailed lesson planning, create course books and
assessments. Develop the software or customize the learning management system. If the objectives written
during the analysis phase were detailed enough, they will be your guide for what the learner should know at
the end of each module, and at the end of the course.
• Roll the Training out to Learners Using the Methods You Chose: This phase is also known as "Deliver." For
electronic courses it is the “go live” phase.
• Evaluate the Training to ensure it was Effective and the Objectives have been Met. Evaluate based on the
objectives set during the analysis phase. If the objective was to train learners to produce 500 widgets an hour,
test them to see if they can produce 500 widgets an hour. Evaluate the value of your content and training with
questionnaires, interviews and observation. Query employees' line managers to determine if their performance
has improved.
• Feedback any Improvements or Necessary Changes into the System: Change assessments if they are not
accurate, reducing the number of screens in an e-learning module if need be. The output of the evaluation
phase should refine and improve any aspect of the training. It should be a continuous process -- after each
training intervention, its effectiveness should be assessed.

The Brief, Focus and Type of Learning Materials

Learning strategies are actions taken by the student to make learning easier, faster, more self-directed, more effective,
and transferrable to new situations. Developed to help students succeed in a variety of academic areas, learning
strategies often employ the use of a first-letter mnemonic used to cue students to follow strategy steps. Depending on
the strategy, these steps guide students as they work on academic tasks, such as reading comprehension, paragraph
writing, or test taking. Learning strategies do not teach students content. They do, however, teach students how to
approach the content. Instead of teaching students multiplication facts, a learning strategy might teach students the
steps necessary to solve a multiplication problem. Proven to be one of the most effective instructional techniques for
students with learning problems, strategy instruction is often crucial for students' success.
Good learners are strategic, meaning that they possess a variety of ways to meet cognitive challenges. Good
listeners use strategies that improve their performance when they are asked to listen. From the observations and
literature described above, a learning strategy was developed to cue students into critical actions that they can take to
attend to and process verbal information, commit it to memory, and communicate to the speaker that they are
interested. Each step of the strategy corresponds with a specific task students should complete while engaged in
improved listening. FOCUS is the mnemonic developed to outline this learning strategy.
Encyclopedia Activities
By using Encyclopedia Activities, students will learn about history and government as they practice using the
encyclopedia as a research tool. The activities are provided as PDFs, which makes them easy to print and distribute to
students. An excellent supplement to other classroom materials, students may complete the activities individually or in
small groups.

Exercises
The exercises have been carefully developed to coincide with educational objectives, and are best used to reinforce
concepts taught in the classroom. Students can work independently to complete the exercises, giving them valuable
extra practice in basic skills. Topics include: basic mathematical functions, fractions and decimals, grammar, reading
comprehension, and introductory concepts in earth, life, and physical sciences.

Manipulatives
An innovative way to strengthen students' understanding of mathematics, manipulatives use the power of a computer
to illustrate mathematical relationships and applications. These virtual learning environments require active student
involvement. Teachers may want to use these to demonstrate different mathematical concepts in the classroom. Student
may also work independently with the manipulatives to expand and reinforce their abilities.

Study Guides
The study guides enable revision and practice, and provide an extension of classroom learning. The carefully designed
activities test knowledge and understanding of what has been taught in the study guide panels. The additional Web
links and resources further enhance and stimulate learning and motivation.

Web Site Activities

Students will learn to use the Internet as a research tool with these guided Web Site Activities that cover topics in
language arts, science, and social studies. They are provided as PDFs, making them easy to print and distribute to
students. While every teacher will have his or her own approach to using the activities, it will be helpful for the teacher
to introduce the topic, providing any background information the student might need.
Students can work independently at the computer, following the activity and using the Internet as instructed --
either on their own or in small groups, depending on the scope of the activity and the availability of Internet access.
Upon completion of the tasks set out in the activity, discussions during which students can share and compare the
information they found can be helpful. This is especially true of the longer, more in-depth activities, which ask students
to prepare a presentation with the information they have collected.

Target Audience/S, Their Learning Needs and the Learning Environment

The description of a complex learning environment, and the examples in the sidebar, illustrates how classic, traditional
design outcomes need to change. But just as important, the thought process for design needs to be adjusted.

To design a comprehensive learning environment, design, development, implementation, and evaluation - are still
in play, but they need to be implemented in an iterative and recursive (and rapid!) way. That is not as outlandish as it
may seem.

Analyze
When the outcome is intended to be a comprehensive learning environment, the scope of your front-end analysis
dramatically changes. Consider these three areas of focus:
• Audience: Who is the audience? What are their characteristics relevant to the learning?
• Goals: What is the focus of the learning environment?
• Learning Environment: What is the current status and possible future capability of the four arenas of the
learning environment (resources and tools, relationships and networks, training and education, and company
 and supervisor support) with regard to how they support or could support learning?
Let's look at these more closely.
Audience: One of the most intriguing aspects of a learning environment is that it is always available. However, just
because many of the components are accessible to a wide range of people does not mean that you have to design it to
meet the needs of all of them. We should consider carefully who the target audience is, and identify goals with that
group in mind. To scope a project that is manageable from an implementation perspective, we may need to tightly
focus the audience specification, no matter how widely applicable the broad skill set may be.
Goals: Designers are experienced at identifying goals. In typical instructional design, assessment is meant to
determine goals for a relatively small part of the audience's learning needs. In performance assessments, the scope
widens out to define the aims of the entire performance environment. In Learning Environment Design, we land
somewhere in the middle. The analysis phase should put us in a position to define the performance context (what we
want learners to do on the job, and the context in which they have to work) and the business goals that performance is
meant to support. These are the key drivers to the design of the learning environment; we should be able to name the
knowledge and skills necessary to performance. From there, we need to define a learning focus, that is, the targeted
knowledge and skills that are in-scope for the project. Learning objectives may be a bit broad at this point. The designer
can fine-tune these while considering the component level, especially for instructional components.
Learning Environment: We need to ask specific questions that will help us to evaluate each of the four areas of
the learning environment, as well as help us to envision what components we may leverage or design to support
learning needs. For example, what exists and how effective is each component? What kinds of components might be
supportable from a budget, technology, and logistical perspective?

Characteristics of the Learners/End Users

• Good Learners are Curious - They wonder about all sorts of things, often about things way beyond their areas
of expertise. They love the discovery part of learning. Finding out about something they did not know satisfies
them for the moment, but their curiosity is addictive.
• Good learners pursue understanding diligently - A few things may come easily to learners but most
knowledge arrives after effort, and good learners are willing to put in the time. They search out information—
sometimes aspiring to find out everything that is known about something. They read, analyze, and evaluate
the information they have found. They talk with others, read more, study more, and carry around what they do
not understand; thinking about it before they go to sleep, at the gym, on the way to work, and sometimes
when they should be listening to others. Good learners are persistent. They do not give up easily.
• Good learners recognize that a lot of learning is not fun - That does not change how much they love
learning. When understanding finally comes, when they get it, when all the pieces fit together, that is one
special thrill. But the journey to understanding generally is not all that exciting. Some learning tasks require
boring repetition; others a mind-numbing attention to detail; still others periods of intense mental focus. Backs
hurt, bottoms get tired, the clutter on the desk expands, the coffee tastes stale—no, most learning is not fun.
• Failure frightens good learners, but they know it is beneficial - It is a part of learning that offers special
opportunities that are not there when success comes quickly and without failure. In the presence of repeated
failure and seeming futility, good learners carry on, confident that they will figure it out. When faced with a
motor that resists repair, my live-in mechanic announces he has yet to meet a motor that cannot be fixed.
Sometimes it ends up looking like a grudge match, man against the machine, with the man undeterred by how
many different fixes do not work. He is frustrated but determined to find the one that will, all the while
learning from those that do not.
• Good learners make knowledge their own - This is about making the new knowledge fit with what the
learner already knows, not making it mean whatever the learner wants. Good learners change their knowledge
structures in order to accommodate what they are learning. They use the new knowledge to tear down what is
poorly constructed, to finish what's only partially built, and to create new additions. In the process, they build a
bigger and better knowledge structure. It is not enough to just take in new knowledge. It has to make sense,
to connect in meaningful ways with what the learner already knows.
• Good learners never run out of questions - There is always more to know. Good learners are never satisfied
with how much they know about anything. They are pulled around by questions—the ones they still cannot
answer, or can only answer part way, or the ones without very good answers. Those questions follow them
around like day follows night with the answer bringing daylight but the next question revealing the darkness.
 • Good learners share what they have learned - Knowledge is inert. Unless it is passed on, knowledge is lost.
Good learners are teachers committed to sharing with others what they have learned. They write about it, and
talk about it. Good learners can explain what they know in ways that make sense to others. They are not
trapped by specialized language. They can translate, paraphrase, and find examples that make what they know
meaningful to other learners. They are connected to the knowledge passed on to them and committed to
leaving what they have learned with others.

Existing Information is gathered

The first step in the effective implementation of assistive technology is the gathering of relevant information or data
that will help determine if assistive technology should be pursued as a possible support or solution for a student. The
"information or data gathering stage” usually takes some time as it should involve collaboration of all members of the
student's support team. An initial meeting to determine which team member will collect which data as well as a timeline
for that collection is needed before the process begins. Once the information or data is collected, another meeting
should occur to share and summarize the group's results and to discuss whether or not assistive technology is a viable
option.
There are a number of different kinds of tools for collecting information about the thoughts and beliefs that
different groups have about your organization. This focuses on three: surveys, interviews and focus groups. You can use
one or more, or a combination, of the following tools for different groups. Review the descriptions of the following
tools, and keep them in mind as you work through this unit.

Surveys
• Surveys can be widely disseminated and are the most time-efficient method of collecting information from
respondents.
• People generally respond to surveys anonymously.
• Most surveys include some yes/no questions, some questions on a Likert Scale (a commonly used numerical
rating scale)
• The disadvantage of surveys is that you may need someone with fairly sophisticated computer skills to
compile the information.
• If you have the resources, you may wish to use consultants to administer and analyze surveys.

Interviews
• Interviews are useful tools for gathering in-depth information from your stakeholders. Interviews are
particularly valuable because they allow you to ask follow-up questions of interviewees when you need
clarification about a particular response.
• However, it is easy to ask leading questions in an interview format. Therefore, it is important that the
interviewers be careful to ask value-neutral questions. (An example of a leading question is, “Do you think
people of color are disproportionately discriminated against?” Another way to ask that question is, “Are
people of color and white people treated equally?”)
• It is also important that interviewers record the answers to questions carefully and that the full meaning of a
response is recorded.
• A third party with experience conducting interviews is helpful for designing and leading interviews.

Focus Groups
• Focus groups are useful if you want to gather a lot of information from a group of stakeholders during a short
period of time.
• A typical focus group has 8 to 15 people in it and lasts for approximately 90 minutes.
• The participants usually have some critical factor in common, e.g., they are all clients of the organization or
they are all past board members.
• Focus groups are generally conducted by a third party. The sponsoring agency is usually not present for the
focus group so that respondents will be more frank with their responses.
 Organizing a focus group requires the following:
• Deciding who should be invited.
• Securing an appropriate space (consider special needs, such as translators and accessibility).
• Getting guests to the designated location.
• Identifying a facilitator with experience conducting focus groups.
• Ensuring that someone is there who can record responses.
• Analyzing responses.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

An accumulation of values and principles that address questions of what is good or bad in human affairs. Ethics searches
for reasons for acting or refraining from acting; for approving or not approving conduct; for believing or denying
something about virtuous or vicious conduct or good or evil rules.
Ethical considerations can be addressed at individual and at societal levels. The way that individuals are affected by
the conduct of others merits ethical consideration. The effects on a person of being informed that his father died of
Huntington's disease (and that, therefore, there is a fifty percent chance that he has inherited the genetic mutation) can
be personally and profoundly harmful. The risk of harm to that person becomes an essential ethical consideration in
deciding what information to disclose and how to disclose it. That risk will need to be balanced against the ethical
interests in respecting the autonomy of the person affected, and their choice about whether to know or not.
Ethical and legal considerations may include:
• Contract preparation
• Meeting contact requirements
• Intellectual property
• Regulatory requirements including occupational health and safety (OHS)
• Organizational requirements
• Equity issues and needs
• Potential legal consequences of false, misleading or incorrect information

Development Work Plan is Written and Documented

Every organization should have a written plan for its future development, documenting the outcomes of the strategic
planning process. Your plan should outline how the organization plans to achieve its aims and objectives. It should
demonstrate that there is effective control and management of the organization by including a governance section with
examples of controls.

Writing a Strategic Plan

It is important that your written plan is ‘bought into' by your full organization by involving people at the earliest stages
and is not merely a paper exercise. There are a range of organizations that can guide you in deciding what type of
written plan is most relevant for your organization's needs, and can assist you in developing such plans.
Check out the Training and Support section of this site for a list of contacts who can help. Members of the
Developing Governance Group can also provide practical assistance.
The extent and detail of your written plan will depend on the nature and size of your group or organization, but the
following are headings to guide you in structuring your strategic/ business plan:

Contents of a Strategic Plan Document

Executive summary
A summary of the plan; you may wish to make this summary something you can promote outside the organization, to
build support and keep stakeholders informed.

Introduction
The purpose of the plan; background about where is in its development; brief statistics about the numbers of
staff/volunteers; a description of service users (snapshot).

Purpose
Cover the (new) mission, vision and values for the organization - this is the backdrop for the plan; say how you use these
important statements.

Internal appraisal
Provide a concise review of the current health of the organization; summaries the strengths and weaknesses and their
implications; make sure you cover key achievements in the previous period. Ensure you provide an overview of
governance arrangements.

Future potential
Outline what the challenges are for the future (external opportunities, threats, other player potential, stakeholder needs
etc.).

Strategic aims and priorities for change for the next three years
Cover the main areas of work the organization needs to focus on for the next three years. Each objective should have
key tasks and outcomes associated with it - from which you can develop annual goals and teams and individuals can
develop their work plans.

Delivering the plan (resources and timetable)

This is where you need to be convincing about the organization's ability to resource the plan. Attach a budget and a
‘timeline' to show when and how the strategic objectives will be met and how they will be managed (covering all the
main areas of work of the organization).

DESIGN THE LEARNING MATERIALS

Designing teaching and learning tools is something we do every day at the Exploratorium when we create our own
exhibits in our on-site workshop. But the tools we create for teaching and learning go far beyond our exhibits.
The teaching tools—including digital resources as well as publications—support educators around the world, in
both formal and informal learning settings, who want to provide learners with opportunities to engage in first-hand
investigations of scientific materials, phenomena, and ideas. They are essential tools for changing teaching practices and
for providing learning opportunities.
A community of thousands of educators regularly use the teaching and learning tools we create. Many of these
resources are listed below.
Websites: Smaller sites within our main website are full of rich science content for educators and learners.
Geometry Playground for example, has hands-on activities that spark students' interest in geometry.
Educator Learning Commons: This library and information hub supports the educational, professional
development, and research needs of Exploratorium Teacher Institute alumni by providing access to a variety of
electronic, multimedia, and print-based learning resources and technology.
Publications: Over decades, we have developed a rich body of work related to teaching and learning. There are
publications for educators to use in the classroom including Human Body Explorations; reports and papers, such as Art
as a Way of Knowing; many papers documenting the results of formative evaluation of learning at exhibits, and more.
Digital Library: The collections in our digital library include images, educational activities in PDF and HTML
formats, QuickTime movies, streaming media, and audio files related to interactive exhibits and scientific phenomena.
Educators can search, select, and download digital files for individual, noncommercial educational use.
Color Uncovered iPad App: This interactive iPad book focuses on the surprising side of color through illusions,
articles, videos, and activities—and can be used as a teaching tool in or out of the classroom. In keeping with our
commitment to hands-on learning, some of the activities work with simple items such as a CD, a drop of water, or a
piece of paper.
Sound Uncovered iPad App: Hear with your eyes, see with your ears, test your hearing, make and modify
recordings—this app puts you at the center of the experiment. Explore the surprising side of sound with Sound
Uncovered, an interactive collection featuring auditory illusions, acoustic phenomena, and other things that go bump,
beep, boom, and vroom.
Snacks: “Snacks” are miniature versions of some of the most popular exhibits at the Exploratorium. Here, educators
can explore a variety of them and learn how to build them for their classrooms using common, inexpensive, easily
available materials.
Science Teaching Tips Podcasts: We have nearly 70 science-teaching podcasts. They offer pedagogy tips, science
history, hands-on activities, and other ideas for science classrooms.

Design Options
E-learning offers a wider range of options for learning solutions to meet different needs and situations. The main
planning decisions when designing courses using e-learning are:
• working out which delivery methods are available, and which to use for what (ie the best mix)
• deciding what learning approaches to use
• choosing the learning strategies to use, including locating existing e-learning materials.
Like most design challenges, the main factors in your decisions will be cost (or resources) and time balanced
against the outcomes (benefits to you and your learners).
Selecting the Delivery Methods
Using the best available combination for your learning requirements
The main options available for e-learning are:
• using a learning management system (LMS), to provide access to online materials and communication tools
• using other information and communication technologies (ICT), such as email and teleconferencing
• blending on-site or face-to face methods, either on campus or at a workplace
• using self-directed courseware, distributed on CD-ROM, the web or intranets
• using mobile technologies, such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).

Choosing the Learning Approach

Matching the learning type to the learners, outcomes and resources
The ‘learning approach' you use usually includes assumptions about how people learn best, with some teaching
and learning practices to match. Since e-learning design often requires a deliberate choice of materials and
technologies, you may need to be clearer about which approach you are using, and why.
Some of the main learning approaches being used in VET are:
• Collaborative learning - interacting with others to build and share knowledge
• Problem-based learning - solving real-world or authentic problem
• Procedural learning - mastering concepts, processes and procedures, usually when these are clear and stable
• Game-based learning - learning by doing in a rule-based environment with feedback, often in the form of a
quest
• Simulations - learning-by-doing in a fully-simulated, interactive online environment (e.g. virtual labs, flight
simulators)
• Project learning - creating a product or solution for a real situation, usually in work teams
• Discovery-based learning - learner-directed strategies for exploring, analyzing, organizing and generating
knowledge
• Simulated workplace - a metaphorical online environment or ‘world' with workplacelike tasks, resources and
roles
• Self-directed learning - self-paced, self-correcting computer-based tutorials (e.g. IT, compliance and product
training).

Learning Styles
People take in and process information in different ways. A learning style is the method a person uses to learn. By
knowing a student's learning style, a teacher can use teaching methods that maximize student learning. Students can
use recognition of their individual learning styles to find what study methods, environment, and activities help them
learn best. There are some learning style:
Visual Learning Style
The visual or spatial learning style is preferred by students who like to use pictures, maps, colors and images to
organize and communicate information to others. Students who use the visual learning style usually have a good sense
of direction and enjoy drawing and doodling. They learn best using flash cards, written instructions, graphics, computer
assisted learning, sight words and silent reading.

Auditory Learning Style

Auditory learners prefer to listen, take notes, discuss, memorize and debate. Students who use the auditory
learning style can recall what they hear, follow oral direction and speak effectively. They repeat words out loud to
memorize and like to hear stories. They learn best in learning groups, discussions and listening to tapes or CDs.

Tactile Learning Style

The tactile learning style is often grouped with the kinesthetic learning style, but it is more moderate. Students
who use the tactile learning style learn by touching and moving objects. Also called hands-on learning, tactile learning
involves learning by doing. Tactile learners like to write directions and practice following them. They learn best from
demonstrations, drawing, writing, tracing and building models.

Kinesthetic Learning Style

Students who use the kinesthetic learning style like to use their whole body to learn. They express themselves
through movement. They use large hand gestures when talking and use body language to communicate. They need to
actively explore the physical world around them. Kinesthetic learners use their bodies and sense of touch to learn. They
have a good sense of balance and good eye-hand coordination. They learn by getting their hands on objects, taking
them apart, and putting them together. They enjoy making models, working jigsaw puzzles, dancing and sports.

Outline or Prototype
An outline is simply a framework for presenting the main and supporting ideas for a particular subject or topic.
Some of you might be having flashbacks to junior high, high school, and college, when teachers used to ask you for
an outline as the first assignment related to an essay or research paper. Once you get into the working world, the act of
outlining becomes a relic of the past. Maybe it is because of shorter attention spans, the time it saps up in a busy work
place, or perhaps because modern word processing software offers more flexibility that lessens the need for outlines.
Even then, outlining does not have to be a thing of the past. A good outline can help you generate ideas, organize
thoughts, help you save time, and write faster.
The good news is that making an outline is quite simple. Like most creative endeavors, there are varying views on
how to go about making an outline. We have reviewed what many experts have to say and distilled their ideas into a
few logical steps. Follow these steps and you can have an outline for your article in no time!
1. Choose a topic and determine the larger purpose of your article. We have featured a comprehensive guide on
this particular step because identifying a suitable topic from a host of possibilities already make up half the
battle in writing your first article. Knowing your article's role in achieving the larger purpose of your blog or
website is equally important. It will help you set guidelines and constraints on what is appropriate content for
the article you are writing.
2. Develop a list of “talking points” you hope to get across. This is the brainstorming portion of the writing process,
where you need to come up with a list of central ideas that you want to present in the article. Depending on
the topic, it could be steps on how to do something, a list of resources, or arguments to answer a question.
Regardless of the topic, this is your chance to get exhaustive so make sure you have thought of all the
possibilities.
3. Organize your main points into a structure that makes sense. This step is pretty straightforward. You have got a
 list and you want to present it in a way that your readers will be able to understand. Simply put, you want to
add some order to your ideas. Whether you use process, chronology, cause and effect, or classification as the
approach in writing your article, you need to give your ideas some structure.
4. Flesh out your main points. Now that you have your main points and some structure, it is time to add relevant
content to support each of your article's “talking points.” Supporting content comes in the form of examples,
facts and figures, theories, quotes, images, and anecdotes.
5. Review and Adjust. Most would say your outline ends there, but writing is an iterative process and good writers
constantly review and revise their writing. The same goes for an outline. It should not be a static framework but
more so like a living road map.

An outline helps you brainstorm, organize your thoughts, and write faster.

Relevant Personnel
Establishing relevance was the most prominent and often cited student response. Relevance is a key component to
intrinsically motivating student learning. By establishing both personal and real-world relevance, students are provided
with an important opportunity to relate the course subject matter to the world around them, and to assimilate it in
accordance with their previously held assumptions and beliefs. Relevance is a key factor in providing a learning context
in which students construct their own understanding of the course material.
• Subject matter/technical experts
• Industry experts
• Colleagues
• Learners or users
• Industry stakeholders
• Specialist consultants, e.g. language, literacy and numeracy specialists
In the study, students pointed to four methods for establishing relevance:
• Discussing how theory can be applied in practice
• Making a link to local cases
• Relating subject matter to everyday applications
• Discussing and finding applications in current newsworthy issues and events.

Use Suspense and keep it fresh

“Drop hints about a new learning unit before you reveal what it might be, leave gaping pauses in your speech, etc; all
this can activate emotional signals and keep student interest piqued.”

Make it Stuent-Dire.cted
“Give students a choice of assignments on a particular topic, or ask them to design one of their own. “When students
are involved in designing the lesson,” write Immordino-Yang and Faeth, “they better understand the goal of the lesson
and become more emotionally invested in and attached to the learning outcomes.”

Connect it to their lives and what they already know

“Taking the time to brainstorm about what students already know and would like to learn about a topic helps them to
create goals — and helps teachers see the best points of departure for new ideas. Making cross-curricular connections
also helps solidify those neural loops.

Provide Utility Value

Utility value is purely academic and emphasizes the importance that content has for the students' future goals-both
short-term and long-term. For example, physics tends to be less than fascinating to your average student, but for a
student who wants to be an engineer, physics is interesting and can also hold great utility value.
Build Relatedness
Relatedness, on the other hand, answers the question, “What this have to do with me?” It is an inherent need students
have to feel close to the significant people in their lives, including teachers. Relatedness is seen by many as having non-
academic and academic sides.

DEVELOP THE CONTENT OF THE LEARNING MATERIALS

Whether delivered in a classroom, online or in book form, all successful training starts with the creation and
development of a training manual. This must provide information using a clear, coherent plan. Creating the manual does
not have to be difficult, however. With the proper guidance, anyone can develop high-quality training manuals.
Assess the learners' needs. It is critical to develop a training manual that provides relevant information. You must
understand the knowledge that the trainees already have and what they need to learn.
Determine the result you want from the training manual. In his famous book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People,” Stephen Covey instructs readers to “begin with the end in mind.” This is essential when developing a training
manual. Remain focused on what you want the reader to be able to do upon completion of the manual.
Assess the resources that are needed. Take inventory of what you need to develop the training manual. Contact
appropriate subject-matter experts. Estimate how long development will take. Ensure the graphic design team is in
place. Be honest about what you can do and with what you need help.
Create motivating content. Not all training manual subject matter is thrilling. That is just a fact. The key to
developing training manuals that motivate is to make the information relevant. This approach can turn any subject into
a successful training manual.
Guide students through steps to use the new material. It is important to create an action plan for the learners to
apply their new skills. The steps must be specific and detailed. Show them exactly how, when and where to use the
information. This not only helps reinforce learning but reminds students that the information is valuable.
Develop tools to measure learning. Showing people what to do does not guarantee that they actually will do
that task. Provide a method to evaluate how successful the learners applied the new information in real-world situations.
Providing follow-up questions or a checklist can quickly illustrate how much of the material was retained and used. This
information is useful not only in determining the manual's success but in providing insight to design changes that might
produce better results.

Learning Materials Content is broken into Manageable Chunks/Segments

of Learning
Content chunking is the strategy of breaking up content into smaller, bite-sized pieces that are more manageable and
easier to remember. This is a great technique for designing successful online training courses.
The chunking concept was created by the Harvard psychologist George A. Miller in 1956. In his paper “The Magical
Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two”, Miller said that short-term memory could only hold 5-9 chunks of information.
Experts since then have different opinions on the exact number of chunks a person can remember, but the main
concept is what is important - people have a finite capacity in their short-term memory.
It is important for instructional designers to understand this when designing courses, particularly if designing for mobile
learning (m-learning). M-learning content must be flexible and device appropriate; learners accessing this type of
learning do so for its ‘anytime, anywhere flexibility. Content needs to be "chunked" or broken down into key learnings
which can be delivered in small, accessible segments.
Chunking should include:
• an introduction to the content segment, including learning objectives
• information about what materials students need before beginning
• instructions on how to complete the learning segment; and
• information about any evaluative processes, such as quizzes or assignments
REVIEW/TEST LEARNING MATERIALS
In school, each quarter or semester, you received grades, indicating how well you did in
meeting the teacher's objectives and the standards set by the teacher for learning the
material. These may have been happy times, with grades that truly reflected your
performance, or they may have been fraught with tension as to whether you were going to
pass a class. In either case, these early experiences of being graded are not that different from
the performance review, a regular occurrence in the workplace, where a manager or
supervisor formally or informally judges your work performance over a specified period of
time. In some cases, favorable performance reviews may be met with raises or promotions
while unfavorable ones can help employees correct problems or errors with their work.
It is generally standard for a performance review to be conducted on a yearly basis. Some
companies may have less formal ones more frequently. These monthly or quarterly check-ins
can be beneficial to employees who are having trouble in the work environment because it
gives them consistent feedback on the areas in which they need to improve.
For the employee who is not performing at peak capacity, the yearly performance review
may be too long to wait to comment on areas the employee needs to change. Sometimes
employers will conduct performance reviews on an "as needed" basis. Thus, an employee who
is doing something requiring correction will get feedback sooner so that they tailor their skills
to better enhance performance.

Methods and Feedback

Learning methods may be defined as any interventions that are deliberately undertaken
to assist the process of learning at individual, team or organizational level.
In a rapidly changing business environment, employees need to be able to continue
learning and adapting their capabilities to support organizational strategy. By looking ahead
to define requirements and initiate effective learning interventions that support business
objectives, organizations can keep pace with changing needs.
• evaluation by experts
• pilot
• focus groups
• Questionnaires
• Checklists
• Workshops
• telephone interview
Specific, descriptive feedback is necessary for improvement and success. How teachers
provide suggestions for improvement is critical in ‘closing the gap' for students. Teachers who
combine strong subject knowledge with effective feedback can offer students rich, focused
information about their learning and how to improve it. Students who are clear about their
learning can monitor their progress and seek feedback to improve their learning.
Feedback is most effective when:
• initiated by the student, in conjunction with self and/or peer assessment
 • teachers carefully gauge when feedback is needed to promote learning
• teachers use the kind of feedback prompt that best meets the need of the students,
at the level of support they need
• teachers provide strategies to help the student to improve
• teachers allow time for, and students can independently act on, feedback to
improve their learning
• feedback takes place as a conversation
• teachers check the adequacy of the feedback with the students.
Feedback is most effective when it is given at the time of the learning so that students
can make improvements as they go. However, written feedback can be beneficial to learning if
the following points are taken into consideration:
• Some students have difficulty understanding and processing written feedback.
• When students are presented with grades and comments, the grades can cancel the
beneficial effects of the comments.
• Teachers often give too much feedback, which students find overwhelming and
difficult to understand.

EVALUATE THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

PROCESS
An organization must study current business needs and fill positions with employees who
match those needs. Unfilled needs are met through recruitment and placement of new
workers. Employee training and development assessments help an organization understand
its manpower needs so that it can meet present operational requirements. A long-term plan
includes building employee skills to prepare them to satisfy future operational needs.

Initial Assessment
The training and development process begins when a new person gets hired. An human
resource specialist or a manager must assess a new employee's training needs and write a
professional development plan to address those needs in the first year. A new employee's first
year is crucial to determining if he is suited to the position.

Training
The training process continues when an employee goes to in-house and external training
programs. Each learning situation should help an employee move from her present skill level
to a desired skill level. Although learning activities vary, an employee should exit all
experiences more skilled or knowledgeable in the subject matter.
Development
Once an employee receives training at the onset of a job, he needs time to develop himself in
his position. His supervisor monitors his progress to ensure that he can apply his training and
other skills and abilities to perform the job well. A supervisor might add additional training
programs to his individual plan during the first year.

Feedback
Feedback is another important step in the process. An employee's supervisor needs to
determine if the employee is succeeding. For example, if he performs customer service tasks,
a supervisor can get feedback from customers and compare it to data from other workers in
the same position. A supervisor then offers feedback and coaching to the employee so he can
improve.

Evaluation
At the end of every year, an employee's training and development plan plays a part in the
formal evaluation process. A supervisor considers whether training and development
opportunities have helped an employee succeed. The overall ratings on the evaluation
determine if she continues in her job. An employee can also be proactive in asking for
feedback in the year following the first appraisal. If she continues, her training plan is updated
for the next year. She must improve over the next year and in subsequent years. Through this
process, she develops into a better asset to the organization.

Evaluation Criteria
A trainers will review proposals and score them on the following criteria:
1. Best practices within selected focus area: The proposed project incorporates
effective, evidence-based practices in its area of primary focus. Areas include
teaching excellence, online learning, blended or hybrid learning, social learning,
experiential learning, or learning analytics.
2. Streamlines degree pathways: UT Austin seeks to improve student success by
improving the proportion who complete their degree within four years. Proposals
addressing this goal may include student advising, targeted interventions, programs
or scheduling that enable credit accumulation, or flexible delivery modalities. High-
scoring proposals are highly likely to improve students' timely graduation.
3. Strong rationale for the project: A rationale describes the problem to be solved or
improvement to be made and is grounded in relevant research or learning science.
High-scoring proposals should make a clear and evidence-based case for their work.
4. Quality of design - goals, scope, plan: Just like a high-quality course, proposals
should identify goals, describe a plan that will meet them, and include
measurements of success. High-scoring proposals tailor the scope to address stated
goals and include some type of evaluation plan.
5. Innovative and/or Strategic use of digital content: A primary focus of these
grants is efficiently reusing digital assets that faculty have already created. High-
scoring proposals mention specific assets and how they will be innovatively used
and/or strategically adapted into the current project and/or strategically adapted
into the current project.
 6. Enables activities that would not otherwise occur: A primary purpose of these
particular grants is to catalyze innovation rather than subsidize ongoing processes.
High-scoring proposals should offer evidence that the innovation would not be
implemented without this support.
7. Viable plan for continued support and sustainability over time: Implementing
long-term change often requires improved infrastructure, policy changes, or
sustained funding sources. High-scoring proposals outline implications and
strategies for sustaining the projects' innovations.
8. Reasonableness of budget: Budgets should typically account for more than faculty
time; they should include realistic allocations for all assets that will be built and the
infrastructure considerations for maintaining them. High-scoring proposals closely
tie deliverables with budgeted labor and resources.
Strong potential for curricular impact: Ideal proposals have a reach beyond an individual
course, influencing the curriculum and practice of a department, college, or field. High-
scoring proposals might involve evidence-based rewrites of curriculum, restructuring of
programs, or development and support of communities of practice, all in service of good
teaching and learning.

Chapter Quiz
Answer questions comprehensively.

1. How to establish training need requirements?

2. Explain the learner profile.
3. How to develop training curriculum modules?
4. What do you understand by learning styles?

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