Training Individuals

When only a few people share the same training needs or training is spread out over a long period of time as new employees arrive and require training, then individualized training or self-paced learning approaches may be a better strategy to employ. Following are several options for individualized training methods. 

a. Self-study using print materials 

When trainees or training providers do not have access to Web sites where training can be made accessible, when print materials are not available in Web-accessible formats, or when there are other reasons to pursue this approach, then workbooks and manuals with quizzes can be used to familiarize trainees with content. Combinations of self-study and mentoring can also be effective approaches. 

b. E-learning, facilitated, or self-paced 

The Internet offers an increasingly wide array of options for electronically delivered training, commonly known as E-learning. Web-based training can be delivered by an instructor or a facilitator who sets the pace of the course or training can be self-paced so that learners study content when they have time available. Self-paced courses range from low-budget, basic offerings in which participants follow a PowerPoint presentation, with or without a recorded presenter, to high-budget productions that “branch” based on learners’ learning level and responses to questions. For example, to train professors to identify students at risk of suicide, a contracted training developer shows a video of a classroom, introduces student actors, and then films a series of interactions between a professor and the students. Learners watch the film, are asked to indicate which students were the most serious concern, and then given specific feedback on why their answers were or were not on target. Training can also simulate increasingly complex tasks that respond to visual and/or auditory signals that are made by the computer user. Many of the professional organizations and associations that offer credentials and standards also offer training, frequently using distance learning strategies to reach their nationally distributed membership.