Instructor Led Trainings(ILT) - Pros and Cons

Recently, i started working as a freelance trainer for technical writing. I returned to proper classroom or ILT after many years. So, after a few classes i was musing about the pros and cons of ILT vis-a-vis other forms of training.

Pros:

Personalization: I was calling out the names of the participants atleast four or five times in the class. I wonder if we can get this amount of personalization in asynchronous trainings!

Discipline: When i worked as a faculty in Bitech, i was a very strict teacher. There was a disabled boy who would always walk in 45 mins after the class started. I never let him inside the class. I wonder if it helped in disciplining his punctuality in the long run :)

Change of Topic (Flow Control): If one of the students was absent, i had the control to take a less heavy subject and postpone an important topic for a full-attendance class.

Energy Breaks: If i saw more than one person yawning during theory class, i quickly switched to a lab session or started a breathing exercise. Rain clap also helps :)

Pace and Focus: As a trainer i perform a direct Learner Analysis on the first ice-breaking introductory session. So, i can quickly judge the different student knowledge/skill levels and hence fine tune my pace, focus, and delivery styles.

Learning from Students: A teacher is a facilitator and coordinator and need not always be a "know all" . I learn from students when i train them or put them on a hands-on session! And students sometimes adjust their questions according to faculty skills too :)

Cons:

Hmmm... all of us know the cons - money spent on travel, senior faculty, administration are a few.

9 Gems For ADD Phases of ADDIE...

After reading the book,"Graphics For Learning" by Ruth Colvin Clark and Chopeta Lyons,i developed a checklist of nine parameters. These nine headings and subheadings can be used as a guide for Analysis, Design, and Development(ADD) phases of the famous ADDIE model.

Click here for the ADD quick reference.

You can add/modify/save the contents of the Excel file.

Convey Facts With Aesthetic Value

One of the essential features of documentary is the ability to convey facts whilst creating aesthetic value. It's no easy task, often the story overtakes the 'look' of the film, even more often vice versa. That task becomes even harder when translated to a two minute short film - how can a film maker tell you about their world in two minutes, whilst also creating a visual experience for the viewer? Our winner, Wash, Rinse and Dry managed just that feat. Beautifully and simply shot, it has a very clear stylistic approach - a visual metaphor married to a poetic written narrative. That style provides a suitably 'washed-out' backdrop for a powerful and universal story of how we escape the tougher moments in life. As recession continues across the world, it is films like this which will help audiences empathise with, and understand the plight of, the unemployed.

Click here to view the other documentaries of the BBC My World short film contest.

Shikshamitra - An Alternative Learning Centre

Shikshamitra, based in Calcutta, India bring the joy of painting, singing, dancing, and paper art into teaching and learning. This learning centre focuses on all-round development of the individual, especially for kids who are creatively wired but socially challenged and deprived!

 Click here to view Shikshamitra Blog

Few snapshots: