More than ever, training programs must demonstrate greater relevance and practical application to the workplace. Traditionally, training methods have been characterised by intensive efforts of classroom instruction, compressed into several days of continuous learning. One day seminars, three day workshops or five or ten day residential programs are common. Such activity usually provides a real adrenalin boost for the learners, gives some a welcome break from the routine of work but nevertheless is the most appropriate for certain topics or administrative needs. Frequently though, discrete intensive programs represent an overload of information that is often too quickly discarded upon the return to the work place.
Learners conform, perform and meet short term learning goals.
Ultimately, the success of an intensive classroom program is dependent upon the personal commitment of participants to retain and apply the knowledge and skills they have gained. Serialised programming Serialised programming involves a sequence of training sessions spread across several weeks or months with learning activities limited to relatively short bursts of classroom instruction and interspersed with time back at work. Dependent upon the needs of the topic and the learners, a program can be designed to incorporate a variety of combinations of time between sessions, number of sessions and hours per session. By adopting a realistic pace for the program, the potential for information overload is eliminated, learning is maximised through appropriate incremental inputs and time is allowed for the classroom concepts to be applied to the practicalities of the work environment. Emphasis is placed on sequential and developmental learning and the outcome is an enhancement of the process and a greater return on the training dollar.