There are many reasons why one training session can be more beneficial than another. Engagement is the first critical element. Good instructors have you interact with the class as much as possible, usually through some sort of exercise or discussion. For instance, training that includes real-world scenarios or group exercises enables employees to practice their new skills directly and reinforces learning and comprehension. As per what we know about training effectiveness, practices and exercises — simulations, case studies will make the learners live the process better and therefore become more relevant as well as easy to recall information. A second major factor is goals and relevance. A thoughtfully implemented training will have clearly defined goals that are easily measurable and directly correlates with their day-to-day duties. Task analysis, for example, is key to identifying what employees need to be skilled in and know to perform their jobs well. Employees remain focused and motivated when they know why the training is important to them. A poor training session, by contrast, might be entirely non-interactive and abstract–a series of “death-by-PowerPoint” lectures devoid of any applicable material. This one-sided communication style can result in passive learning, with employees being able to retain less of the information. Moreover, training content which is not related to job tasks directly may even make it a bit more difficult for employees to comprehend its relevance, making them less engaged. Hence, interactive training that is relevant and intelligent is much more successful than all the other sessions without these essential aspects.
Reference:
Week 6 lectures