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R. Hoggan wondered: <<A portion of the documentation suite accompanying the
product includes training manuals. Our training department has several
buzz-words they use, yet I get the impression they don't really know what
they mean. These words include "modular" and "instructor-led" training.>>
"Modular" is easy; that means it's broken into sections (modules) that can
be dealt with one at a time, even if the modules follow a linear sequence
and lead into each other. "Instructor led" differs from a tutorial ("student
led") in that the instructor is the one who runs the training session rather
than asking students to work entirely on their own and proceed at their own
pace; an instructor-led training session usually includes a separate
workbook for the students that the instructor refers them to as the course
progresses.
<<I have my own opinion as to what an instructor-led training workbook
contains, but would like to see your opinions as to the typical core
elements of such a book.>>
Think of the instructor's guide as a superset of the student workbook: it
contains all or most of the materials in the student book so that the
instructor can see what the students are seeing, but may summarize this
information rather than providing the full detail. (I prefer complete
versions because I want to know what the students are seeing, rather than
having to guess at the content of each summarized section.) Moreover, the
instructor guide adds to this suggestions on how to deliver each portion of
the training. These can be tips such as "this procedure takes about 10
minutes and you'll need a cigarette break when you're done", "make sure to
wear your safety glasses and flameproof shirt", and "get ready to head for
the door; students have been know to throw heavy objects when you tell them
the test was just a fake". In short, anything you can think of to make it
easier for instructors to deliver the training--and do so with some
consistency. Really good instructor guides also contain additional sections
on planning and scheduling, on class size limits, and on what materials will
be needed (e.g., overhead projectors); the best even contain references to
additional information so instructors can be sure they know more about the
subject than the students.
--Geoff Hart, FERIC, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
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