Designing Training to Shorten Time to Proficiency

Online, Classroom and On-the-job Learning Strategies from Research

Raman K. Attri

• Publisher: Speed To Proficiency Research: S2Pro©
• Print ISBN: 9789811406324
• eBook ISBN: 9789811406331
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Human Resource Management
• Index: Business

This book deals with solving a pressing organizational challenge of bringing employees up to speed faster. In the fast-paced business world, organizations need faster readiness of employees to handle the complex responsibilities of their jobs. The author conducted an extensive doctoral research study with 85 global experts across 66 project cases to explore the practices and strategies that were proven to reduce time to proficiency of employees in a range of organizations worldwide.

This book provides the readers with a first-hand account of findings exclusively related to training and learning strategies, instructional methods, and curriculum design. This book delivers over 21 training and learning strategies across online learning, classroom instructions, and on-the-job learning. These strategies will allow training designers and learning specialists to design workplace training programs that hold the potential to shorten time to proficiency of employees.

The book not only describes findings of the study and theoretical underpinnings, but it also provides practical guidance for implementation to equip corporate learning specialists, HR professionals, training leaders, performance consultants, and direct managers.

Chapter 1 of the book introduces the research study that was conducted and describes the sampling, participants, data collection and data analysis methodology.
Chapter 2 introduces the concept and definition of accelerated proficiency and metrics such as time to proficiency and speed to proficiency. The chapter sets the premise for the business need that demands learning designers to explore methods to shorten time to proficiency of employees.
Chapter 3 describes the result of proficiency curve analysis that revealed four possible trajectories to accelerate employee proficiency.
Chapter 4 introduces the four key hurdles in the form of the inefficiencies of traditional training models that hamper the acceleration of proficiency. This chapter sets the stage what needs to be avoided when designing training meant to accelerate proficiency.
Chapter 5 addresses the group of findings related to online or e-learning. A conceptual model is presented to describe five e-learning strategies with the great potential to accelerate proficiency in workplace skills.
Chapter 6 focuses on findings grouped as the formal classroom or instructor-led instructional strategies. The chapter specifies five instructional strategies to design classroom training and deliver an enriched learning experience to put learners on an accelerated proficiency path.
Chapter 7 explains the findings grouped as on-the-job learning or workplace learning strategies. The chapter describes three strategies for workplace learning design to leverage workplace opportunities and interventions which reported great potential to accelerate proficiency. The chapter presents a conceptual model of workplace learning strategies to guide the implementation of these strategies.
Chapter 8 consolidate the strategies for online learning, classroom learning and workplace learning into a simple model for training design that holds the potential to create training that can contribute into shortening time to proficiency of the employees.
Chapter 9 concludes the book with final thoughts on the role of training and learning strategies toward accelerating proficiency in the long run.

Chapter 1

RESEARCH STUDY: STRATEGIES TO ACCELERATE TIME TO PROFICIENCY

This book is based on the findings of an intensive 5-years long study conducted by the author as part of the doctoral program between the year 2014 to 2018. The research study addressed a much larger question on business practices and strategies to accelerate time to proficiency in organizational settings (Attri 2018). The study is referred to as “the TTP study” (time to proficiency study) henceforth.

1.1 THE RESEARCH STUDY

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Research background

Past research studies on workplace training and learning suggested that there was a range of training and learning strategies to enhance training outcomes and make learning more effective, including enhancing training transfer to the workplace. Some of those research studies also provide strategies to accelerate skill acquisition. However, there is a very limited amount of research efforts to develop a holistic framework to guide the design and delivery of training at the workplace with a goal to reduce time to proficiency in business organizations. The fair but pressing question that emerges is: How can time to proficiency of the workforce be shortened? What are the strategies or practices that work? How should training and learning be structured to hasten the path to proficiency? This gap was the central area of focus of the research study titled “Modelling Accelerated Proficiency in Organisations: Practices and Strategies to Shorten Time-to-Proficiency of the Workforce” conducted by the author at Southern Cross Univerity (Attri 2018).

The TTP study addressed a critical challenge in modern organizations: the workforce generally takes a significant amount of time to reach full profic...

Table of contents

• DESIGNING TRAINING TO SHORTEN TIME TO PROFICIENCY
• PREFACE
• CONTENTS
• ABOUT THE BOOK
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR
• ABBREVIATIONS
• Chapter 1: RESEARCH STUDY: STRATEGIES TO ACCELERATE TIME TO PROFICIENCY
• Chapter 2: IMPORTANCE OF SHORTENING EMPLOYEES’ TIME TO PROFICIENCY
• Chapter 3: FOUR TRAJECTORIES TO ACCELERATE PROFICIENCY
• Chapter 4: FOUR TYPES OF INEFFICIENCIES IN TRAINING HAMPER ACCELERATED PROFICIENCY
• Chapter 5: FIVE E-LEARNING STRATEGIES TO ACCELERATE PROFICIENCY
• Chapter 6: FIVE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES TO ACCELERATE PROFICIENCY
• Chapter 7: THREE WORKPLACE LEARNING DESIGN STRATEGIES TO ACCELERATE PROFICIENCY
• Chapter 8: A TRAINING DESIGN MODEL FOR ACCELERATED PROFICIENCY
• Chapter 9: ACCELERATING PROFICIENCY IS BEYOND DESIGNING TRAINING
• RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS BY THE AUTHOR
• REFERENCES
• Index