Forums
Determing training needs
Training & Organizational Development
Determing training needs
A forum for exchanging ideas about skills training, leadership training, management training, compliance training, e-learning, as well as organizational development and effectiveness.
I'm trying to develop a training needs assessment questionnaire to give to our employees about their level of knowledge about software programs (Excel and Word).
In the past if we held an "interme
0
Cat:Topic ForumsForum:ForumId58
Cat:Topic ForumsForum:ForumId58Discussion:DiscussionId20412
Forums » Topic Forums » Training & Organizational Development » Determing training needs
|
Determing training needs
posted at 9/22/2001 7:35 AM EDT
|
Posts: 154
First: 1/16/2001 Last: 2/18/2011 |
I'm trying to develop a training needs assessment questionnaire to give to our employees about their level of knowledge about software programs (Excel and Word).
In the past if we held an "intermediate" Word course, we had some staff expected how to do mail mergers, and others just wanting to know how to format a letter. I want to be able to assess their needs and customize some courses specific to what they need to learn. Can anyone help? |
|
|
Determing training needs
posted at 9/25/2001 7:36 AM EDT
|
|
Posts: 2
First: 9/25/2001 Last: 10/4/2001 |
Generally speaking, training needs are best identified using a structured task or workflow analysis. However, these approaches can be lengthy and do not lend themselves easily to computer applications. As to your immediate problem, my first suggestion would be to stay clear of the words beginner, intermediate, etc. when designing a curriculum. The reasoning behind it is that these titles are subjective and people will classify themselves based on self-confidence and experience, rather than KSAOs. Consider instead modularizing around functional aspects of the application. Take a glance at what types of documents/projects that needs to be completed within the organization and begin to break down the required integration of the applications using a conceptual map diagram (AKA Brain mapping). An example may be: if employees are only asked to generate smaller documents; generally less than one page, there is no need for designing training that deals with outline view and styles, but focus should be on templates and formatting. However, should employees be involved with proposals and lengthier documents, a module on organizing a document might be appropriate. Based on the modules identified, you can now query the organization for specific skill deficiencies associated with each function.
My second advice is to limit the training to cover 1-3 related modules per session. This will minimize the possibility of wasted training time for the employee as he or she can choose which modules apply to them and attend accordingly. In addition, the evolving benefit from this approach is that transference can be assessed more readily, as content is limited and work exercises more specific. I am sorry that I cant be more specific but I hope the above information will get you started. |
|
|
Determing training needs
posted at 10/2/2001 4:18 AM EDT
|
|
Posts: 2
First: 10/2/2001 Last: 10/2/2001 |
I have created many assessment questionnaires for Excel and Word. Instead of giving the different features a weight, such as style sheets in word being an intermediate topic, I asked the employees if they did certain tasks using the product and at times had them list the features that they used. I designed the classes around the end products instead of features. |
|
|
Determing training needs
posted at 10/2/2001 9:48 AM EDT
|
|
Posts: 9
First: 3/8/2001 Last: 7/20/2002 |
It seems to me that if staff have specific learning needs (mail merge, letter formatting), then a tutorial would be a better choice than a course. Tutorials allow them to learn what they need when they need it. No waiting for a course to be offered or having to sit through an entire course to learn one or two tasks.
Your needs assessment could consist of a checklist of common tasks using Word (or Excel) and questions concerning complexity of task, importance to job and frequency of use. The results would tell you which tasks can be learned through a tutorial and which require a class. Audrey Choden, Training by Design Designing practical solutions for job-specific training needs (913) 432-7414 http://www.trainingbydesign.com Contributing Editor - Training and Development http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/training_and_development |
|
|
Determing training needs
posted at 10/18/2001 5:13 PM EDT
|
|
Posts: 495
First: 9/30/2000 Last: 8/19/2011 |
Instead of asking employees what their level of knowlege is, ask them what they feel they need (more) training on. Be specific in your questions so you can determine what the needs are.
Although tutorials are wonderful, they might not address your needs unless you allow the participants to enter a workspace where they can devote their time to go through a tutorial. Too often employers leave it up to them to work on the training component on their own. Before you know it, employees are then expected (or feel like they need to) complete the process on their own time, while still ploughing through their daily work. If you choose to use a tutorial, be sure to book time for them (outside of their normal work area) to focus on this training. |
|
|
Determing training needs
posted at 10/25/2001 3:13 AM EDT
|
|
Posts: 8
First: 10/25/2001 Last: 4/23/2002 |
You might want to consider something short and targeted, like holding a "Lunch-n-Learn" on a specific topic, like mail merge or advanced formatting. I've attended these in the past, which were developed in-house, and they were very informative and not time-consuming. That way, people can take the classes that interest them. You may even want to have some other employees who are internal experts on things like mail merge help you with a class sample. |
Forums » Topic Forums » Training & Organizational Development » Determing training needs
