InformationWeek

June 14, 1999

Training Developers More Efficiently

The manner in which information is presented is as important as the information itself, so using the latest technology and best practices is key

By Charles Trepper

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Sidebar: Evaluating Training Vendors And Courseware

PDF file: Accompanying tables and charts
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here are many types of training programs and courses available to keep IT staff up-to-date on technology. These programs include conventional instructor-led courses, as well as facilitated and self-study computer-based training. The Internet is growing rapidly as an educational resource, providing the means for live and self-study distance learning. Internet training options are fast becoming efficient and cost-effective ways for companies to keep their IT staff trained and current.

An effective training program acknowledges that the manner in which the information is presented is as important as the information itself. Using the wrong method can actually hinder the transfer of knowledge and lead to unnecessary expense and frustrated, poorly trained employees.

Good training programs, regardless of delivery method, take advantage of the latest learning technologies and best practices. Recent developments in best practices include less use of centralized public courses and more on-site training. Training is often needed for one or a few individuals, not necessarily for a large group. Waiting until there is a large-enough group for a class can cost companies lost productivity.

Other best practices include the increased use of short, task-oriented modules and training sessions, available during the normal work week, that are immediate and consistent. Newer concepts in training also provide students with the training they need when they need it--a practice often called just-in-time training. When necessary, training modules can be matched to a trainee's needs.

Steep Learning Curve
On-the-job training has been tried with some success in various work environments. The prob- lem with this approach is that the learning curve on any new technology is steep and long. A developer might take months just to learn the basics of a new language via on-the-job training--and years to become intimately familiar with the system.

One developer was handed Sybase's PowerBuilder development environment and told to play with it and develop a prototype. The program worked well until the organization tried to scale the application. The program failed the first day in production. Later, in a PowerBuilder class, the developer learned what he had done wrong. If the programmer had attended the class first, this probably wouldn't have happened.

Formal classroom or computer-based training can provide basic and advanced concepts and help avoid trouble later on. Companies simply can't afford to have developers use the trial-and-error method of development with new software. This pretty much eliminates the use of on-the-job training.

Self-Study Vs. Classroom
The decision whether to use classroom or self-study methods to deliver developer training is based on both the audience and the course content. Some of the specific factors that must be examined are:

The target audience, including their educational level and computer literacy;
Course content, including whether it will be presented in linear or free-form;
How the program will be used (e.g., will trainees take the material home to study?);
The computers your audience will have available, which may have a bearing on the format of the program;
Talent and technical support needed and available, including instructional designer and programmers;
Budget and time lines.

These factors and others affect the material presented and the environment in which it's presented. The classroom environment has both advantages and disadvantages. Some of these advantages are obviously dependent on the type of course, its duration, and the difficulty of the material to be presented. The major difference between self-study classes and class- room training is the interaction between students and instructors, which often leads to a discovery of new knowledge.

The major disadvantage with the self-study training methods is that the student must find out if something in the material has changed--mostly via trial and error. For some, however, self-study is better than having someone else explain how to do things because the student internalizes the material better and faster. However, it's probably true that formal training is still perceived as better by most people. Most individuals believe you can't learn everything through self-study. Classroom training is certainly better for beginners because it makes learning easier and the students learn to do things right the first time (see accompanying charts).