Systems Training - Principles and a Process

I recently put together a document to share with our business users on the approach we take to create systems training. 

Once my colleagues had helped me take my long wordy document and tighten it up, I had something that I feel is well worth sharing with you my loyal reader(s).

I'd love to hear any commnets you have on this.

Guiding Principles for Systems Training

1.    Know your learners: Understand what they already know and what they need to learn.

2.    Target training: Don’t waste time by making people learn what they already know.

3.    Use the right toolset: Choose eLearning or Instructor led or both, based on the business need.

4.    Context is king: Cover the system in the context of how your organization uses it to meet their specific business needs.

5.    Training is practice: Being told how to use a system is not the same as being able to use a system.

6.    The proof is in the doing: If they need to learn how to do something, you need to know that they can do it.

7.    Follow a process to teach a process: Even if the systems aren’t consistent, the way we teach them should be.

The Systems Training Process

1.    Introduce the concept

•          What this is all about in the world and in business

2.    The process we use to address this concept

•          Every organization tackles a business need a little differently than others. This is where we connect the concept outlined above to the structure and processes of our business

3.    How the process is implemented in the system

•          What are the steps and screens used within the system for each process identified above

4.    An opportunity to see the process being completed

•          Demonstrate the system in use

5.    An opportunity to practice executing the process

•          A chance to practice with feedback.

6.    An authentic test of learning

•          Test the learners’ ability to perform the task

Happy Learning