Telling is Not Training
|
INTRODUCTION
I recently read an article in a large industry periodical announcing an upcoming conference that would feature a renowned communications specialist. The president of the company hosting the conference explained that the featured speaker would “give the next set of tools to allow us to be more successful as sales professionals.” Hardly a week goes by that I don’t read similar announcements describing the knowledge and skills a group or organization will acquire as they listen to a professional speaker. As I read these announcements I often wonder to myself; what will the speaker do to pass new knowledge and skills to their audience. Will the speaker give a speech or will they actually instruct their audience? Ringing in my ears are the words Dr. Merrill spoke during the first lecture I received as a doctoral student studying instructional design, “Information is not instruction” (Merrill, 1996). Information is not instruction. |
COMPONENTS OF EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION
Research and experience tell us that effective instruction includes five essential components; 1) explanation of the skill, 2) demonstration of the skill, 3) opportunity to practice the skill, 4) corrective feedback during the practice and 5) assessment of skill acquisition. This article will describe each component and evaluate whether or not the typical speaker includes them in their typical presentations. I will also suggest ways the component could be effectively implemented in a speech.
|
THE VALUE OF A SPEAKER
I can get pumped up and excited when I listen to a great speaker. Some of my best friends and favorite people are professional speakers. I’ll even admit that the entertainment value I get from listening to a motivational speaker can far surpass what I might get from a concert, Academy Award winning film, or even an NBA game. The objective of a motivational speaker is to inspire an audience while the objective of a trainer is to increase the knowledge and skills. Kristi Hedges ran a nationally ranked PR firm where she trained hundreds of CEOs and professionals leaders to be better presenters and speakers. She gave up her practice when she discovered that “for most people, public speaking training is not worth the time nor the money.” And that students “could have nearly the same information (and save thousands of dollars) from reading a presentation skills book on [their] own.” In summary, HR managers should consider the purpose of engaging speakers for their organization. If they want their workforce to be temporarily inspired and entertained than hiring a motivational speaker may make sense. Those who engage professional speakers should ask themselves some pointed and important question before signing any agreement. What reasonable expectations should be placed on a speaker for events such as the one described above? What return on investment can be expected? Is it reasonable to expect a speaker to actually teach or train, or to just to entertain. Is there value in gathering a group of employees together to listen to a professional speaker? There are limits as to what a professional speaker can deliver and those who engage them must understand the limits. In regards to teaching and training the limits are based primarily on research and experience in the science of instruction. |
The LetterPress Software instructional design approach is grounded in evidence-based principle and strategies that ensure learning occurs and behaviors improve. Our instruction is shown to help audiences learn quickly and experience greater success.
|
REFERENCES
|