Module 4 Discussion Ogl 540
Welcome OGL 554: Training and Development Module 4 Discussion!
As you dive into the content for this week and consider the discussion prompts, please reflect on your experiences with trainings, as well as the materials. Each Module’s Discussion Board will provide an opportunity to engage more deeply with something that interests you from the text and learning materials, listen, engage with the perspectives of your peers on these topics and share aspects of the project development process.
Throughout, please engage with a spirit of generosity, curiosity, collegiality and generative critique. We are here to help each other learn, grow and strengthen our insights, evaluative capacities and skills. This is a cooperative process. Generative critiques between peers can prompt us to ask questions about our work and the contributions of fellow colleagues regarding how a specific training could be improved or whether another avenue of address could be engaged to make a substantive difference in the effectiveness of a training. Thank you all for your collegial engagement!
Step One: After engaging with the learning materials for this week, please respond to each of the following prompts with an Initial Post.
1- Mayer’s Theory of Multimedia-
Please explore two principles of Mayer’s Theory of Multimedia and provide two examples to compare and contrast. Share one example of how you have seen one of the principles used in an effective learning experience. Then, indicate an example of when you were in a learning experience and, because of the lack of integration of one of the 12 principles, this detracted from your learning experiences. To close, reflect on
how you might use multimedia to create an effective training environments for adult learning in your second example. Requirements: scope at least 300 words and must include at least two specific references, cited and referenced using APA formatting.
2- Learning and Technology
After reading the Noe chapters for this week, Chapters 7 and 8, please share and explore your
3 key takeaways and how you will apply them in your L&D work. These takeaways could be your thoughts, insights, or questions about
whatever aspects you found most helpful. Requirements: scope at least 100 words and
must
include at least two references from Module 4, cited and referenced using APA formatting. You are strongly encouraged to respond to the the questions and explorations of others.
4-Your Project Reflection: (Course Curriculum and Learning Outcomes)-
Reflecting on Milestone 2, please discuss what was the best part of completing your course curriculum and learning outcomes. Why did you select the topic? Were you able to narrow down the part of the training curriculum to devise for your training module with ease? Discuss the approach you chose to using technology in your project (technologically enhanced, technologically based, and/or traditional training methods) and tell us why. You are encouraged to interact with your colleagues about their process and provide support, encouragement, as well as advice. Scope determined by you.
Resources
Videos
Watch the following videos that explains in detail Mayer’s principles and the cognitive science behind them:
Mayer’s (9 minutes)
to an external site.
Two short videos about Mayer’s principles that are often not adhered to, but are included for your situational awareness:
· (3.5 Minutes)
to an external site.
· (3 Minutes)
to an external site.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER STUDENTS
1- Mayer’s Theory of Multimedia
I have found training to be extremely successful when the trainer applies the Temporal Contiguity principle. This principle states that “students learn best when words and pictures are presented at the same time rather than sequentially” (Digital Learning Institute, n.d.). When I participated in the National Principal Academy Fellowship from Relay, a graduate school of education, several slides were accompanied by discussion prompts and immediate application of what was just learned. The school used a program called Nearpod for their training. When learning about a leader’s playbook for the school year, we watched a video on a leader’s actions, reflected in a small group, then the presenter pointed out highlights (Relay Graduate School of Education, 2020). We took note of what was important, then moved on to the next topic. Instead of reading through powerpoint slides, we were responsible for our own learning and discovering what was useful before the presenter verified what we had discussed. Many of the principles I learned in that program I still remember and use today.
Later in life, I decided to enter into the early childhood space and worked as an administrative assistant to a daycare. The training here violated Mayer’s voice principle with a training that was given by a robot voice, and the segmenting principle by allowing the user to quick through the slides quickly without processing. The training from the state for daycare licensing training was robotic and boring. I took several notes and did my best to stay engaged. In order to start my job quickly, my boss asked me to complete the training as quickly as possible, which meant I had to click through the slides to get to the quiz at the end. I was never forced to stop and reflect. As a result, I forgot several of the training modules after completing them and my boss was not happy when I made a mistake.
To improve upon the daycare training, I would slow down the training process and allow leaders to reflect with new staff on the training. The training was so separate and impersonal from experience that even after other employees completed the training I questioned how much information they retained. The training was never followed up on and I was not the only employee to make mistakes based on what we should have retained from the training. By slowing down and reflecting on training modules, concepts could have been reinforced and absorbed according to the Segmenting Principle. I would also add a human voice, to make the training feel more realistic (Digital Learning Institute, n.d.).
References:
Digital Learning Institute. (n.d.).
Mayer’s 12 principles of multimedia learning.
Relay Graduate School of Education. (2020, June 12).
Strong start playbooks [Webinar].
to an external site.
2- Learning and Technology
In my personal learning and development work, I reflected on past training I have given and received and have tried to adapt them to the audience I am working with. I have found that teachers often complain about the concept of time. There is never enough time to catch up on their work, and they never have enough personal time. This is a problem in the educational environment, and it is not necessarily cost effective or good for children to replace teachers in the classroom regularly so they can participate in training.
After reading chapter 7 from Noe, I found that team training, on the job (OTJ) training, and behavior modeling are most effective in education. When teachers learn together in the work and are able to see effective examples, they are motivated to perform the same (Noe, 2020). Teams of teachers applying and discussing their real life struggles and successes can help the rest of the teachers feel validated and accepted by the school. In the L&D podcast for this week, Elliott Masie talked about empathy and being sure to recognize the people on the other side of training. Collaboration is important to maintain in a school, and in a digital world we are losing that personal touch that needs to remain prevalent (Fraction, 2020).
References:
Fraction, Y. (Host). (2020, September 20).
Talking with the GOAT: From E-Learning to Empathy with Elliott Masie (No. 5) [Audio podcast episode]. In
The Lounge with Yolanda Fraction (On Leadership, Professional Development, and Life). Apple Podcasts.
Links to an external site.
Noe, R. A. (2020).
Employee training and development (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
3-Your Project Reflection: (Course Curriculum and Learning Outcomes)-
In Milestone 2, I enjoyed adapting a training that was unsuccessful for me in the past by using new concepts learned in this course. I have asked teachers to participate in data reflection before in a professional development session with the whole school and by placing the monitoring in the hands of the teams. For some teams, this worked and their student data improved. For newer teachers, this did not work and I knew the training needed more oversight and collaboration to follow up on its success. I have enjoyed redesigning the training and reflecting on my past failure.
Although my training is more traditional and in person, this time I will be implementing a training where teachers will track their data in live time using the Google Suite and will work together to come up with solutions. This technological enhancement will help them to be more successful in their classrooms and will help them to learn from one another. It also does not require an in person meeting each week and can be done on the teacher’s own time.
Reflecting on the podcast this week, I recognize how it can be difficult for new teachers to analyze their own student data and not take it personally. Teachers feel like a failure when their students are not demonstrating results, and it is important to help navigate through improvement without marinating in the failure. By maintaining the in person group training initially, teachers are not left to interpret data on their own and will see their team going through the same struggles and successes that they are.
1. Mayer’s Theory of Multimedia
After reviewing Mayer’s Theory of Multimedia, which identifies twelve principles to guide the design of effective multimedia learning, I found two principles that stood out to me: the Coherence Principle and the Redundancy Principle. According to Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning (n.d.), the Coherence Principle asserts that people learn more effectively if extraneous information is omitted rather than provided. For example, a training video should avoid background music and flashy animations to help learners concentrate on the main content, incorporating graphics or narratives only when they directly align with the learning objectives (“Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning,” n.d.). The Redundancy Principle indicates that individuals grasp information more effectively when using visuals and spoken explanations instead of combining visuals, spoken explanations, and text displayed on the screen (Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning, n.d.). For example, simultaneously delivering identical information in various formats can lead to overload and hinder the learning process (Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning, n.d.).
Reflecting on my learning experiences, one particularly impactful experience was a time management workshop that utilized the Coherence Principle. The instructional materials featured straightforward slides with essential points and narration, steering clear of elaborate transitions or off-topic stories. This concentrated method helped me grasp and implement practical time management techniques without feeling distracted from the primary learning objective. On the other hand, I attended an online training that went against the Redundancy Principle. The presentation included a narrated video alongside the same text displayed on the screen, which divided my focus between reading and listening, making it difficult to understand the content.
If I were to improve the online training that I attended, I would design a module that employs relevant graphics, positioning them on the graphic itself and clear narration without unnecessary on-screen text (Wisc-Online, 2018). Specifically, by applying the Coherence and Redundancy from Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning (n.d.), I would highlight key information and avoid duplication of content. This strategy would enable learners to concentrate on the crucial points, lessen distractions, and foster improved comprehension and retention of information.
References:
Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning. (n.d.). Digital Learning Institute.
Links to an external site.
Wisc-Online. (2018, October 30).
The contiguity principle [Video]. YouTube.
to an external site.
2. Learning and Technology
After reading Chapters 7 and 8 from Noe (2023), three key insights stood out to me. First, case studies are helpful because they allow trainees to use what they have learned in real-world situations, improving comprehension and engagement (Noe, 2023). For example, examining a client service scenario through a case study can enhance learners’ critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, enabling them to identify appropriate actions and propose alternatives that could have been taken (Noe, 2023). As noted by Noe (2023), case studies can facilitate the retention and application of knowledge and skills when learned through a process of discovery.
Second, behavior modeling is an effective method for skill development as it enables learners to observe and engage in desired behaviors (Noe, 2023). For example, a brief video featuring a supervisor handling a conflict can demonstrate effective communication techniques in real situations.
Third, technology can influence training and learning by making content more accessible and engaging; however, it must align with training objectives and prevent unnecessary distractions, such as inappropriate use of technology (Noe, 2023).
These insights will help me develop training that incorporates technology meaningfully while emphasizing relevant, engaging, and useful content. Furthermore, I will apply Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning (n.d.) to ensure that multimedia is utilized to minimize cognitive overload and effectively meet adult learners’ needs.
References:
Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning. (n.d.). Digital Learning Institute.
Links to an external site.
Noe, R. A. (2023).
Employee Training and Development (9th ed.). McGraw Hill.
3. Project Reflection
The highlight of completing my course curriculum and learning outcomes was seeing how the training module on de-escalation strategies aligned with the organizational needs identified in the needs assessment. I chose this topic because IBM Consulting’s success depends on its ability to resolve conflicts, especially when managing complex client projects. I found narrowing down the training focus relatively straightforward, as de-escalation emerged as a key competency that bridges organizational performance and individual development. This emphasis aligns with IBM’s focus on innovation, teamwork, and trust, which are essential for sustaining client relationships and achieving successful project outcomes.
For my approach to technology, I designed a blended strategy incorporating simulated role-play, interactive discussions, and digital simulations and resources. This combination reflects Noe’s (2023) emphasis on experiential learning and Finlay’s (2010) insights on adult learners’ need for relevance and application. Although the training module was designed as a simulated project, it demonstrates how technology can enhance engagement, skill development, and transfer of training in IBM Consulting’s environment.
References:
Finlay, J. (2010, May 17).
Andragogy (Adult learning) [Video]. YouTube.
to an external site.
Noe, R. A. (2023).
Employee Training and Development (9th ed.). McGraw Hill.
