Discussion: View Thread

Hello - I am teaching a 6 -week section on "training and development" to
MA students in an HR program. It's a survey format and so I have a lot
of discretion on what I can do in the course. I am looking for both
in-class exercises or cases in this area (broadly defined) and would
greatly appreciate any suggestions!

Thanks in advance,
Michelle

--
************************************************
Michelle Duffy, PhD

3-247 Carlson School of Management
University of Minnesota
321 19th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-624-6842

Please note new email address: duffy111@umn.edu
************************************************

I learned this co-teaching with a practitioner a few years back (it was a master's in HR class).
You ask students to come to class prepared to teach a classmate something. They will have about 20 minutes to do so. They need to bring whatever materials they need. It should be skill-training, rather than knowledge about something. It's helpful to give examples of what they can do. I've had students teach another on: ballroom dancing, giving CPR, rolling sushi, selling on e-bay, card tricks, dribbling soccer balls, playing bridge.
When the next class starts, put them into dyads and let them go at it. It's helpful to mix them up so that they are not paired with a close friend sitting next to them. If you have a 3rd person, have that person observe round 1. Often, a few dyads will go quicker than others and you can move the 3rd person to a quicker dyad and they can get 3 teaching rounds in 40 minutes.

This creates a lot of energy in the room. After everyone has taught, I begin by asking their feelings about what they did, both as learner and teacher. There is often a considerable amount of emotion expressed. Students are frustrated if they can't learn or the other person doesn't "get it." They are excited at insight or excited at seeing progress in the other.
I then follow up on the negative emotions. Why were people frustrated? What made it difficult to learn? To teach? I record these answers on the board, and they make a good list of "barriers to learning" that can be augmented by textbook information (although the list is usually pretty complete).
I then ask what facilitated effective learning. This can be answered as a learner or teacher (I may have own ideas from observing). But, usually, students will generate a dozen or more behaviors. I record these on the board, paraphrasing them into more traditional training language - she gave me an opportunity to practice; he told me up front what I was going to learn to do; I received immediate feedback when I didn't do it right.

I use to do a straight lecture on characteristics of effective and ineffective training (and in the process demonstrate ineffective training!!!!). However, I have substituted this exercise for that lecture, I am able to convey virtually the same information, but they are highly engaged, they are learning from experience, and the students have high ownership over the ideas because they generated most of them.

***********************************************
Kurt Kraiger, Ph.D.
Co-Director, I-O Psychology Graduate Program
Co-Director, Center for Organizational Excellence
Department of Psychology
Colorado State University
970.491.6821
Kurt.Kraiger@Colostate.edu
***********************************************


-----Original Message-----
From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv [mailto:OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu] On Behalf Of Michelle K. Duffy PhD
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 8:35 AM
To: OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu
Subject: Training and development exercises/cases

Hello - I am teaching a 6 -week section on "training and development" to
MA students in an HR program. It's a survey format and so I have a lot
of discretion on what I can do in the course. I am looking for both
in-class exercises or cases in this area (broadly defined) and would
greatly appreciate any suggestions!

Thanks in advance,
Michelle

--
************************************************
Michelle Duffy, PhD

3-247 Carlson School of Management
University of Minnesota
321 19th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-624-6842

Please note new email address: duffy111@umn.edu
************************************************

Some suggestions for exercises:

Books that I persuaded the Pearson Rep to send me

Whetten & Cameron: Developing Management Skills, 7th edition et. It
is the best-seller for courses in management skills, focusing on
Personal Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Group Skills and Communication
Skills.) It is widely adopted for MBA programs for courses similar to
what you described to me. You can see more at:
http://vig.pearsoned.ca/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0131747428,00.html

Osland et. al.: Organizational Behaviour: An Experiential Approach,
8th edition

Robbins: Self Assessment Library, 3rd edition This is a hard copy.
There is a web version available too.
http://vig.pearsoned.ca/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0132431653,00.html

Training in Interpersonal Skills, Canadian Ed. By Hunsaker, P. L. &
Dilamarter, D. (2004) published by Pearson Canada.

Sales, Owen, Lesperance: Experiential Exercises in Organizational
Behaviour http://vig.pearsoned.ca/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0130218065,00.html

Neck and Mantz: Mastering Self-Leadership: Empowering Yourself for
Personal Excellence, 4th edition:
http://vig.pearsoned.ca/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0132213443,00.html

On 10/25/07, Michelle K. Duffy PhD <duffy111@umn.edu> wrote:
> Hello - I am teaching a 6 -week section on "training and development" to
> MA students in an HR program. It's a survey format and so I have a lot
> of discretion on what I can do in the course. I am looking for both
> in-class exercises or cases in this area (broadly defined) and would
> greatly appreciate any suggestions!
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Michelle
>
> --
> ************************************************
> Michelle Duffy, PhD
>
> 3-247 Carlson School of Management
> University of Minnesota
> 321 19th Ave S
> Minneapolis, MN 55455
> 612-624-6842
>
> Please note new email address: duffy111@umn.edu
> ************************************************
>


--
Jacqueline L. Power
Assistant Professor of Management
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, Ontario CANADA
N9B 3P4
Ph: 519-253-3000 ext. 3111
Fax: 519-973-7073
New e-mail: powerja@uwindsor.ca

Dear Kurt,

I really like your suggestion. Can you give me some suggestions on some in
class activities individuals can teach each other without asking them to
prepare in advance? I could use it for a class I have next week.

Thank you.

Warm regards,

Sheetal Singh
Ph.D. Candidate, Organizational Behavior
Robert H. Smith School of Business,
University of Maryland,
College Park, MD-20742
Mobile: 202 330 7069
email: ssingh@rhsmith.umd.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv
[mailto:OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu] On Behalf Of Kraiger,Kurt
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 12:09 PM
To: OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu
Subject: Re: Training and development exercises/cases

I learned this co-teaching with a practitioner a few years back (it was a
master's in HR class).
You ask students to come to class prepared to teach a classmate something.
They will have about 20 minutes to do so. They need to bring whatever
materials they need. It should be skill-training, rather than knowledge
about something. It's helpful to give examples of what they can do. I've
had students teach another on: ballroom dancing, giving CPR, rolling sushi,
selling on e-bay, card tricks, dribbling soccer balls, playing bridge.
When the next class starts, put them into dyads and let them go at it. It's
helpful to mix them up so that they are not paired with a close friend
sitting next to them. If you have a 3rd person, have that person observe
round 1. Often, a few dyads will go quicker than others and you can move
the 3rd person to a quicker dyad and they can get 3 teaching rounds in 40
minutes.

This creates a lot of energy in the room. After everyone has taught, I
begin by asking their feelings about what they did, both as learner and
teacher. There is often a considerable amount of emotion expressed.
Students are frustrated if they can't learn or the other person doesn't "get
it." They are excited at insight or excited at seeing progress in the other.
I then follow up on the negative emotions. Why were people frustrated? What
made it difficult to learn? To teach? I record these answers on the board,
and they make a good list of "barriers to learning" that can be augmented by
textbook information (although the list is usually pretty complete).
I then ask what facilitated effective learning. This can be answered as a
learner or teacher (I may have own ideas from observing). But, usually,
students will generate a dozen or more behaviors. I record these on the
board, paraphrasing them into more traditional training language - she gave
me an opportunity to practice; he told me up front what I was going to learn
to do; I received immediate feedback when I didn't do it right.

I use to do a straight lecture on characteristics of effective and
ineffective training (and in the process demonstrate ineffective
training!!!!). However, I have substituted this exercise for that lecture, I
am able to convey virtually the same information, but they are highly
engaged, they are learning from experience, and the students have high
ownership over the ideas because they generated most of them.

***********************************************
Kurt Kraiger, Ph.D.
Co-Director, I-O Psychology Graduate Program
Co-Director, Center for Organizational Excellence
Department of Psychology
Colorado State University
970.491.6821
Kurt.Kraiger@Colostate.edu
***********************************************


-----Original Message-----
From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv
[mailto:OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu] On Behalf Of Michelle K. Duffy PhD
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 8:35 AM
To: OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu
Subject: Training and development exercises/cases

Hello - I am teaching a 6 -week section on "training and development" to
MA students in an HR program. It's a survey format and so I have a lot
of discretion on what I can do in the course. I am looking for both
in-class exercises or cases in this area (broadly defined) and would
greatly appreciate any suggestions!

Thanks in advance,
Michelle

--
************************************************
Michelle Duffy, PhD

3-247 Carlson School of Management
University of Minnesota
321 19th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-624-6842

Please note new email address: duffy111@umn.edu
************************************************

Michelle,

I run a "building paper cups" exercise, with some details below:

-intro exercise by saying that a local hand-crafted paper cup maker is experiencing quality problems with its cups and has determined that training is needed

-create dyads where 1 student is trained, 1 is the trainer.

-furnish instructions on how to build a paper cup to trainers (I got mine from one of Ray Noe's training books, you can google them as well). Either provide instructions in advance of class, or give them a few minutes to familiarize themselves (I do the latter).

-furnish paper material to trainees. Most receive a standard 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper, some receive a paper towel.

-Commence training.

-watch to see when about 1/2 to 3/4 of the class has successfully created a paper cup - usually about 5-7 minutes.

-Place newspaper on the floor in the middle of the room. Having brought water to class with you, invite dyads to come to the front (volunteers, or hand pick; see "additions" below in terms of picking different sets of dyads to illustrate different things). Have trainee hold paper cup over the trainer's head. You then fill cup with water.


Additions/discussion items:

-have some groups with 1 trainer, multiple trainees

-have some groups/dyads where trainees are not allowed to ask any questions while being trained (loose simulation of online, 1-way training environment). Ask how this went, how they felt about it.

-the day before the class, email 5-6 "confederate" students who you will assign as trainees. Tell them they'll be constructing cups and will have the chance to test them over trainers head in front of the class - but not to say anything about this. Use to discuss motivation to learn - those who know they may be getting partner wet may be more motivated to learn how to build the cup (or less motivated if it's someone they want to get wet!).

-dyads with paper towels - make sure you get at least 2-3 of these dyads to "test" their cups. Trainer will get wet (you might want to be somewhat judicious in terms of choosing "good sports" here). Discuss how training is not always the answer if your employees don't have the right equipment/resources, etc. - importance of organization/task analysis.

-discuss how well the trainers did. Were they fit for the job (e.g., they had no prior experience, not much time to prepare)? How did they go about trying to conduct the training?

-at the start of the next class or at the end of the current class if you cover other material in between, ask for a volunteer to once again construct a paper cup (to demonstrate learning/transfer of training).


***************************************************
Assistant Professor of Management
University of Kentucky
Gatton College of Business and Economics
455-K Gatton B&E Building
Lexington, KY 40506-0034
Phone: (859) 257-2445
Fax: (859) 257-3577
Email: brian.dineen@uky.edu
**************************************************


-----Original Message-----
From: Organizational Behavior Division Listserv [mailto:OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu] On Behalf Of Michelle K. Duffy PhD
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 10:35 AM
To: OB@AOMLISTS.pace.edu
Subject: Training and development exercises/cases

Hello - I am teaching a 6 -week section on "training and development" to
MA students in an HR program. It's a survey format and so I have a lot
of discretion on what I can do in the course. I am looking for both
in-class exercises or cases in this area (broadly defined) and would
greatly appreciate any suggestions!

Thanks in advance,
Michelle

--
************************************************
Michelle Duffy, PhD

3-247 Carlson School of Management
University of Minnesota
321 19th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-624-6842

Please note new email address: duffy111@umn.edu
************************************************