Course Objectives and Class Size

SECTION 1 COURSE DEVELOPMENT

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND CLASS SIZE

The objectives for your course will determine much of your course design. At the graduate level, and in many upper level undergraduate programs, the objective of the course is to develop both knowledge and skills in human resource development. At a general level, one might describe the knowledge objectives as follows: “At the end of the course, students should have increased their knowledge about the training function, training processes, design considerations, alternative methods of instruction, implementation issues, and training evaluation.” This is the cognitive component of the course. In addition, students may be expected to develop and improve their skills at applying the processes associated with each phase of the training process model (the behavioral component). For undergraduate training courses, especially beginning training courses at the community college level, the objective might be limited to increasing the knowledge of the students. When this is the case, a much larger class size can be accommodated (40 or more students). However, it is very difficultto achieve any behavioral objectives in classes exceeding 30 students.

Behavioral skill development requires smaller classes (less than 30) to allow sufficient opportunity for behavioral practice and feedback from the instructor. Exercises, both in and outside of class, as well as simulated training projects, are ways to provide these practice opportunities. While skill development is more easily acquired in smaller classes, we will provide suggestions for what might be done in larger classes (31-45 students) to develop skills. For class sizes larger than this we find it difficult to create any meaningful opportunities for practice in the classroom and would suggest the design be limited to the methods discussed below for such classes.

DESIGN ISSUES TO CONSIDER FOR THE COGNITIVE COMPONENT

The Model

We have developed a training process model that provides an overarching framework for understanding the training process from start to finish. This model follows the traditional ADDIE approach to training, but provides considerably more detail. This may be a useful framework for developing lectures as it provides an integrative system for understanding each of the major steps (needs analysis, design, evaluation, and so on). Even when a chapter does not specifically focus on one of the major training processes, the model can be used to show how a particular chapter fits into the framework. For example, chapter 4 (Needs Analysis) is the first chapter that focuses on a process in the model. However, chapters 2 and 3 provide the basis on which training needs are identified and given priority. Thus, you will probably want to use a projection of the model and the needs analysis process at the outset when discussing these chapters with the class. Note that PowerPoint slides are available for the model as well as most of the figures and tables. Chapter 3 (covering learning, motivation, and performance) is also the foundation for the design chapter as it relates to motivation to learn and factors facilitating the learning process. Thus, when beginning to discuss this chapter you may want to highlight both the needs analysis process and the design process, explaining that the material in Chapter 3 will provide a foundation for the material in these later chapters. By doing this, the students will have a clearer picture of how the material relates to HRD practices.

Use of Teams

The use of teams to complete exercises and analyze cases provides many benefits to the students. It allows students to learn from each other and test different ways of thinking about and using the information. It also allows the students to engage in activities that would not be possible on their own (e.g., role plays). Particularly with the use of cases, team assignments help develop critical thinking and the integration of multiple perspectives.

There are many ways in which you can design teams into the course activities. You might assign one of the exercises at the end of the chapter to teams that have been set up just for the exercise (or on-going teams set up at the beginning of the term). Have the teams complete the exercise prior to or at the beginning of class. When the exercise has been completed, have each team report to the class what they discovered (or produced). Document the key issues from these reports on flip chart sheets or overheads. At the end of all the reports, compare them for similarities and differences. These will typically provide an excellent means for discussing the chapter topics. If possible, keep the key issues visible throughout the class lecture/discussion for reference. If it is not possible to continuously display them, at a minimum re-display them when an appropriate reference opportunity comes up. In large classes, it may only be possible to use one team per class period. You can involve the others by having them review the exercise, prior to the class period in which the team reports, and prepare questions they would like the reporting team to answer.

An alternative to having all teams do the same exercise or case, is to have each team do a different one. Have each report in a similar fashion as described above. This will take longer, but will provide different issues, perspectives, and challenges related to the same topic, as well as covering a broader range of topics from the chapter.

A third option is to have one team assigned to set up and facilitate one of the end-of-chapter exercises for the rest of the class. In this case, the exercise is conducted in class, not just the report session. This can occur at the beginning of class to provide a frame of reference for the lecture/discussion that follows or at the end of class as an illustration of the concepts and principles most recently covered. This alternative gives teams a chance to interact with their fellow students, and in a small way gives them an opportunity to engage in some of the roles of a trainer. This is particularly useful if the teams are to present a larger, more complex training exercise later. Providing feedback to teams about what went well and not so well allows teams to modify their process and improve their skills prior to the next presentation. However, having teams facilitate exercises will require a longer class meeting time. It is nearly impossible to do this with classes that meet for only one hour at a time.

Exercises

Use the exercises to create interest and motivation about the topic to be discussed. The active use of the information provided by the text and instructor helps students’ cognitive organization and retention of the material, as well as builds students’ skills. Exercises are provided at the end of each of the chapters, but these are just a few of the possibilities. If you have exercises that work particularly well, send them to us for the next edition. We will be sure to provide you with full credit.

Cases

Cases at the end of chapters can be assigned as written analysis or as class presentations. They can be used as discussion points or as graded assignments. You can also provide opportunities for teams to lead discussions regarding case material. We suggest that you consider using the first two cases as anchors for the lecture/discussions that take place throughout the semester. References are made to these cases periodically throughout the text, and some chapters have case questions at the end using one of these cases. This allows students the ability to integrate the perspectives from different parts of the training process into a single case. You might want to have different teams responsible for presenting different aspects of the case as it relates to the various chapters. If students are not familiar with the case method, guide them through the first two chapters using these cases as anchor points for your discussion. From then on have one or two teams responsible for presenting the case as it relates to a chapter and also responsible for generating some discussion with the rest of the class about the case.

If the class is large, you may want to use fewer cases, since the case reports and class discussion will take up a great deal of class time. You may simply not have enough time for everyone to participate in the case process. One way we have been able to utilize cases in large sections is to assign a case to two teams. One team is to present their answers to the case questions while the other is to present alternative answers. Neither team knows prior to class what their assignment will be, thus they must prepare for both possibilities. Both teams are graded on their case write-up and class presentation. This provides a good learning experience for both teams, but the rest of the class can lose interest if there are no rewards for participation. One way to overcome this is to have a class participation grade in which participation in the case discussions counts toward that grade. We suggest that after the presentation by the two groups the instructor provide about five to ten minutes for students to think about and write down issues and alternatives that were not addressed in the presentation or critique. These are handed in and the instructor then calls on the students to present or discuss what they have written down. This method leaves little time in a class period for lecture/discussion of material in the text. Thus, you will need to schedule case assignments after students have had a reasonable opportunity to solidify their understanding of the material in the text.

The grading of a case takes considerably longer than an exercise or discussion question. Thus, from a practical standpoint, you will need to carefully consider the constraints your class size places on your available time. You may find cases appropriate vehicles for testing students understanding of concepts and principles. However, if they are used in this manner, it is important to provide students with an opportunity to understand what your expectations are for a case write-up. This can be done as suggested above with the first two cases, or by assigning a smaller case, which would have a minimal impact on the overall grade in the course and for which you have provided explicit instructions for the write-up. Feedback from such assignments goes a long way toward clarifying expectations.

Discussion Questions

At the end of each chapter are discussion questions. These are useful as class discussion items and/or as homework assignments. Again, they can be oral or written, graded or non-graded. They may be assigned to teams or to individuals, and you may want to assign the same question(s) to everyone or not. Regardless, the intent of the questions is to review the concepts and principles in the chapter and apply them to a situation. We have found these to be very useful in large classes as they generate a lot of class discussion that focuses on specific topics from the chapter.

Appendices

There are three appendices in the text, one in chapter 4 and the other two in chapter 9. Because this text is used in both graduate and undergraduate courses, we have separated the more complex measurement issues from the main text. In chapter 4 the issue of criterion development is in an appendix. In chapter 9, the issues of internal and external validity are discussed in the first appendix and utility analysis in the second. This information can be appropriate for some graduate and higher-level undergraduate classes.

DESIGN ISSUES TO CONSIDER REGARDING THE BEHAVIORAL COMPONENT

Teamwork

Later you will notice that most of our sample syllabi have group projects as a part of the course design. We see this technique as particularly important given the nature of the course content and our belief that you learn best by doing. We recommend teams of no fewer than four and no more than six students. Fewer than four doesn’t provide the diversity of perspective necessary for analyzing cases or completing the project. More than six results in difficult coordination problems, trying to schedule team meetings and allocating work for the assignments in an equitable manner. In making up the teams, you need to decide whether you assign the students to teams or allow them to choose for themselves. The following are some things to consider in this regard:

• In the real world employees are seldom given the luxury of choosing who they will work with. They must learn to work with a variety of others they do not know, or whom they may initially prefer not to work with.
• It is difficult for someone to refuse to let a social friend be a member of their team even if they would prefer not to work with this “friend” for any number of reasons.
• Teams require meetings, typically outside of class. If you have a mix of part-time and full-time students, often the part-timers (especially if they work full time) do not have as flexible a schedule as full-time students. Setting times to meet together and get work done becomes a key factor in team success. In any case, students live in different places and scheduling team meetings outside of class will be difficult for those who live long distances for others in their group.
• If there are three members on a four-person team who are friends, there is a tendency for the fourth member to feel left out. In fact, in some cases the three friends might purposely ignore or develop a dislike for the fourth member. Alternatively, they may assign more or less desirable work to the fourth person.
• Different students have different goals and priorities (grades in the class, etc.). Unless these are taken into account, the group is likely to experience conflict from the beginning because they want contradictory things from the group experience.

Whether you decide to assign students to teams yourself or let them choose, you should consider grouping students together by goals and by location.You don’t want to create unfair differences in your teams due to the luck of the draw (e.g., some groups with compatible goals, others not; or groups where everyone lives nearby and other groups with major logistical problems to solve). If you let students choose among themselves what team they will be on, you need to provide them with enough information about each other to make rational decisions about who would or would not make a good team member. One of the first things that the instructor needs to clarify is what it means to be a good team member, and what characterizes an effective team. Later in this section is a sample handout that can be used to discuss team issues.

Once students understand what makes an effective team, they need to find out about each other. One way of doing this is to have each student provide the class with key information about themselves. We’ve found that some of the critical pieces of information are the student’s:

• city of residence
• major - this helps people identify sources for diversity of perspective
• goals for the course (grade for team assignments and learning objectives)
• goals for the team experience in this class (key criteria defining successful experience)
• work experience and any experience related to training
• any difficulties they may have attending team meetings outside of class

The simplest way to do this is to have students present this information orally around the second week of the term (after most of the adds and drops have occurred). Students are then given a specified amount of time to form teams (two to three weeks). Students that have not joined a team by the deadline can be assigned to teams by the instructor. For indicating their grade goals, phrase this in terms of passing the assignments, passing with high scores, or passing with very high scores. The instructor should emphasize that different people have different priorities and that the instructor is only concerned with helping students realize their goals, not determining what those goals should be. It is important that students feel comfortable expressing their true goals, rather than stating goals they believe the professor wants to hear.

There are many ways to create student teams so don’t feel limited to the approaches we offer here.

Another approach is to have each student type their information on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper with their name at the top. Students are also required to wear nametags. These sheets are then posted on the walls of the room and students look them over to determine whom they would like to team up with. They interview each other to determine if a match exists. No one is allowed to select someone on the first interview. Everyone must interview five people before they are allowed to make an “offer” to anyone. Once someone accepts an offer they must jointly be interviewed, interview others, or make offers. This process continues until everyone is in a team.