Design and Development

Modul
e
Design and Development

Design and Development

Design is a planning activity which
in the context of training, refers to
the framework for analyzing a
training problem, defining the
intended outcome, determining how
to present the content to learners to
achieve
those
outcomes,
developing the training course
according
to
the
design,
implementing
the
course,
evaluating its effectiveness and
devising follow-up activities.

Training Process

Step 1
Identify the Needs

Step 4
Evaluate the
Training

Step 2
Design the
Training

Step 3
Implement the
Training

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Design and Development

(1) What materials will be
required to implement the
programme in a particular
way,

Organizational
strategies and needs

(2) what media will be

used and
(3)
what
specialized
expertise will be required
for implementation of this
design (Warren, 1969).

Knowledge, skills and

attitudes required for
the job

Training
Context

Environmental
compliance and
competition

Context of training design

Existing knowledge,
skills and attitudes of
the employee

Design and Development

Principles of training design
Gane has suggested six principles of training design as under:
1. The objectives should be expressed in performance terms as far as
possible.
2. Learners should respond pro-actively to the material in a way that is
relevant to the training purpose.
3. Learners should receive immediate and unambiguous feedback as to how
correct their responses are.
4. Training systems must be validated and then modified if they do not
achieve the intended objectives.
5.

Training system must adapt to the individual needs of the trainees.

6. Learners must be involved by having the material expressed in a way

which they see as directly relevant to their interest and needs.

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Design and Development

Nilson (1992) has suggested 10 guidelines for designing training
programmes which are as under:
1. Spend a lot of time identifying the target audience (trainees) for this
particular training.
2. Think of those trainees as customers and know what they expect regarding
quality and suitability.
3. Break the design and development process into activities with beginnings
and ends.
4. Hold a design review of each product.
5. Identify errors and eliminate them.
6. Build broad ownership by involving stakeholders.
7. Define objectives for learners not trainers.
8. Remember the business reasons, why you are designing this course.
9. Let people know that this course is tied into the life and breadth of your
company.
10. Ask for feedback during design activities and incorporate the suitable
suggestions.
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Design and Development

Similarly, Abella (1986) has suggested some steps for design and
development process as under:
1. Gather information on training needs to precisely pinpoint the areas to be
addressed.
2. Prepare programme specification document and have it approved by the
HRD head. This will contain background of the programme, description of
the people to be trained, programme objectives, programme requirements
and constraints.
3. Conduct the design meeting with the stakeholders and experts to obtain
their inputs and involvement.
4.
Prepare the design document, which contains the overall structure,
individual units, methodologies, duration, learning conditions and possible
outcome.
5. Gather information on programme materials.
6. Write/develop the materials at the development stage.
7. Test the material for validity.
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8. Hold the pilot programme to see the outcome.

Design and Development

Analyzing the general characteristics of trainees for designing training programme
Name of the programme
Objective of the programme
Duration
Physical feature of trainees (like eyesight, hearing
impairment, physical strength)
Health conditions
Language preference
Gender
Age
Do trainees have any limitation or special needs to be
considered?
Previous work experience
Education qualification
Position in the organizational hierarchy
Learning styles
Personality types
Any other characteristics

Cont.

Trainee characteristics and training design

Design and Development

Issues for consideration

Available

Required

Time
Money
Expertise
Infrastructure facilities
Trainee characteristics
Objectives of the programme
Instructional activities to be
included
Methodologies to be us

ed

Likely obstacles and limitations

Contingency plans to be kept
ready
Safety aspects to be taken into
account
Inconvenience to daily operations/
customers
Strategies to overcome the
inconvenience
Barriers to transfer of learning
Strategies
barriers.

to overcome such

Generic issues to be considered for training design

Strategy to fill the

gap

Design and Development

Motivational Dynamics
Most trainees go through three phases of motivation as under:
1. Initial stage: At this stage, the trainee is a novice. Here, the trainees
primary learning goal is getting started and learning enough material to
proficiently handle the routine tasks. Trainees only need how-to do
instructions and supervision at this point. Do not overburden trainees with
too much content or overwhelm them with unnecessary choices.
2. Intermediate stage: Learners have mastered routine tasks and gained
confidence. Now they want to learn how to handle routine tasks more
efficiently and how to handle some less common tasks. Learners still want
instructions at this point, but some do not want supervision or practice.
3. Matured stage: At this stage, the learning attains a kind of maturity and
trainees feel humble to be learned people. This is a realization stage and
most trainees are aware of the limits of their capabilities.
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Design and Development

Some kinds of learning can occur at individual level, little more at the level of
dyads and groups and rest at the organizational level.

Dyads

Groups

Organizational
Learning Pyramid

Design and Development

Training design process
Write down the
training design

Identify goals
and objectives

Determine
training content

Identify follow
up activities

Decide
training
methodologies

Define
evaluation
criteria
Identify learning
activities

Design and Development

Identifying the training objective
A decision is required to be made on the learning objectives to match job
performance, job conditions and job standards (Roscoe, 1995).
Objectives should be set out from the learners perspective; they should
be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timebound
(Agochia,2002.p.95).
For example, the objective for a car driving training programme could
be; the trainees after successful completion of the programme:
should be able to drive any motor car on city or countryside roads;
during any time of the day or night;
safely in accordance with law, without causing injuries to others or to
themselves and
without causing damage to the vehicle or to any other property.

Design and Development

Determine the structure
Always keep in mind the training structure right from the design stage. In this
connection Gane (1972) has suggested the following measures:
1. Arrange the activities/concepts in the sequence of logical dependence. If
there is no/little logical dependence, then organize them in the order of easy
to difficult sequence.
2. Determine the training structure.
3.
Determine how much and which of the theoretical aspects are to be
incorporated into the course.
4. Determine the performance outcome expected on the successful completion
of each module.
5. Assess and estimate time requirements for successful completion of each
topic/level/ module.
6. Identify appropriate methodologies to be used for each of the topic.
7. Assemble all the information into a coherent plan which can be understood
Cont.
by trainers, trainees and organizers.

Design and Development

There are basically three kinds of training structures. They are linear, spiral and
modular. A linear structure is one in which the lessons are arranged logically
one after the other from beginning to conclusion or from simple to complex. Table
shows the linear training structure.
Linear training structure

Sl.No.
1
2
3
4
5

Topics to be covered
Introduction to training design
Objectives
Scope
Limitation
Conclusion

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Design and Development

A spiral structure is the one in which easier topics of all the interrelated subjects
are taught first, then to the next level of all interrelated subjects and then to the
final level and so on. Figure shows the spiral training structure.
Spiral training structure

Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1

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Design and Development

A modular structure is one in which a programme is divided into small
independent units with clear-cut beginning and ending. This helps the learner to
begin at any module any time without having to complete the initial modules
since they are independent from one another. Table 4 shows the modular training
structure.
Modular training structure
Module 1

Module 6

Module 11

Module 2

Module 7

Module 12

Module 3

Module 8

Module 13

Module 4

Module 9

Module 14

Module 5

Module 10

Module 15

Design and Development

Models of training design
There are various ways of building a training design. But the two important
among them are open model and closed model.
1. Open model is one which recognises that outside factors exist which can
have an impact on the design process. An open model is a working hypothesis. It
provides the designer with possible courses of action and anticipation of
outcomes.
Unstructured or open skills do not inherently have a single most way of
performance. Neither they can be taught exactly the way they have to be
practiced nor they can be practiced exactly the way they are taught.

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Design and Development

Worker level -----Managerial level

The closed model or structured model is based on the assumption that all inputs
can be identified. Closed models endeavour to build all the possible variables
into the model. When using a closed model, the designer is being assured that
the conclusions and outcomes are predetermined.

Mixed use of structured and unstructured

skills

More use of structured skills

More use of unstructured skills

Mixed use of structured and unstructured

skills

Nature of work
and skill types

Back office ----------Frontline

Closed models are also known as structured models. Structured skills are those
which have got a single most way of efficient performance all the time.

Design and Development

Selecting training methods
Appropriateness of the methodology is based on several factors like current level
of expertise; nature of learning outcome expected or course objective, time
available and required, trainee characteristics, infrastructure and expertise
available, funds available and estimated investment on training and so on.

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Design and Development

Training approaches and Learning contexts
Training
method
On the
job
methods

Advantages

Off the
job
methods

v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v

Disadvantages

Appropriate for and

when

Transfer of learning to
work is easier.
Less expensive.
Illiterates or
handicapped can also
learn.
Individualized attention.
Mandays at work are
not lost.
Instant evaluat ion

Risk of safety, quality, and

customer service.

No uniformity of learning.

Time consuming

Benefit of experts is
minimal

Disturbances and
distractions while learning.

Minimum use of learning

aids.

More trainees and fewer

trainers.
Learn by interaction with
group members.
Multiple learning aids
and approaches.
Experts can be invited.
Distracti ons can be
controlled.
Non-threatening
environment.
Time bound.
No risk of safety, quality
and productivity.

Expensive
Transfer of learning is
difficult.
Loss of mandays.
Evaluation difficult
Not ideal for skill focused
outcomes.

Learning practical
skills.
Minimizing training
cost.
Enhancing transfer of
learning.
Easier evaluation.
Training illiterates
and handicapped.

Generic and
knowledge f ocused
outcomes.
Larger trainee
groups.
Time bound
outcomes.
Few trainers and
many trainees.
Avoiding work place
distractions.
Trainees want safe
and non -threatening
environment.

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Design and Development

Self
paced
training

Anytime anywhere
learning.
No loss of mandays.
Less expensive.
Can be on the job or off
the job.
Can be full-time or parttime.
Manual or
computerized.
Learner-controlled.
Cost of training per
head is minimum

Control and monitoring is

difficult.
Development cost is high.

Not having an expert for

instant advice.
Learning by interacting with

cannot be fixed for

all.

group of trainees is not

Common timetable

possible.

Finding time to learn may

be difficult.

Requires high degree of

self motivation.
Trainee must be capable of
learning correctly by self
study independently.
Not ideal for illiterates and
the handicapped.
Not ideal for novice.

Mandays cannot be
wasted.
Trainees are high on
self monitoring.
Trainees are capable
of learning on their
own.
Trainees are literates
and able bodied.