Reflecting on past experiences, a particularly effective training was a hands-on communication and case acceptance workshop I took for more training in my position as treatment coordinator at an orthodontics office. The session engaged us in real-life scenarios and involved role-playing exercises that let us immediately apply active listening and feedback techniques to be successful at my position. This interactive approach, which aligns with Kolb’s experiential learning model, encouraged participation and reflection (Kolb, 1984). By addressing both theoretical and practical aspects, the training improved retention and confidence in applying skills on the job. This workshop also ties into Lecture 1: Developing Training Programs, which show that in order to have proper training you need have hands-on real-time experiences in order to have the skill needed to perform the job you are hired to do. I feel this workshop did exactly that by having us perform group practicing and action learning.
While, a compliance training I attended was far less effective for my career that is required every two years. It was lecture-heavy, with limited interactivity and practical context, which made it challenging to stay engaged. This lack of active learning clashed with the principles discussed in the article Your New Hires Won’t Succeed Unless You Onboard Them Properly, which emphasize that successful onboarding and training need engagement and real-world application for employees to truly benefit. The compliance training, though informative, failed to consider adult learning needs for relevancy and applicability, resulting in lower retention and impact.
Both experiences highlight that the effectiveness of training depends on how well it engages learners through real-world application, participation, and reflection. Programs structured around these principles foster stronger connections and greater success in practical application.
References
Ellis, A., Nifadkar, S., Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2017). Your New Hires Won’t Succeed Unless You Onboard Them Properly.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development.
Lecture 1: Developing Training Programs
