Using training to up your ante
May 31, 2015
Using training to up your ante
Who am I – part 1, the basics
Name: Julian Weiss Employer: Zerto Ltd. (a great little-ish startup) Years as TW: Too many (around 25 years) Years as Trainer: Quite a few (over 15 years) Previous work:Analyst/Programmer (many, many years ago) Blog: Semi-comatose
(www.wisedocumentation.wordpress.com)
Basic characteristics: A picture paints a 1000 words
Or (depending on my mood)
What I want to talk about
Why consider adding training to resumeWho needs to be hereSkillset: documentation vs. training materialsContent: from manual to training materials
Why you should care
Our jobs are threatened by downsizing and/or outsourcing. A simple way to add another string to your bow is by adding training capabilities to your
resume. You know how to produce great documentation, but how can you convert it into
training materials to make you that little bit more wanted/sellable.
Is this session for me?
Yes Looking to add training capabilities No or little previous training experience
No Already doing it Want to move 80-100% into training Looking for tips about training for different
cultures/languages
Not sure Some previous training experience
Who am I – part 2, why I’m standing here
Work for companies without real training budget Companies want/need to provide training I want/need to be part of it
Previous positions Started by converting documentation into training
material Ended by presenting material Ended by hosting webinars
Presently Pushing to create training program
Tasked with creating eLearning training material/tutorials
Documentation
Ability to digest technical information
Ability to filter information Ability to effectively transfer
required information to paper/help formats Framemaker/Word/Author-
It/…
Training
Ability to digest technical information
Ability to filter information Ability to effectively transfer
required information to training template PowerPoint/Captivate/…
The required skillset
Videos of procedures/features
Similarities
Content Audience Structure Video
Differences
Official content vs. unofficial content
Use of graphics Xref vs. Serial approach Non-interactive vs. interactive Structure
The similarities and differences
Step 1: Considerations
Audience Technical ability Amount of time/budget for training Age
Delivery Classroom
Going the way of the dodo Webinar (online)
Time consideration – attention span of audience eLearning (offline)
Step 2a: Tools: Slides (PowerPoint/…)
Powerpoint Simple to use Everyone has it
PDF requires additional work setting up slide like template Provides advantage of PDF – consistent across platforms
Prezi is good for non-serial presentations Good for other things, like collaborative projects Can be annoying and epilepsy inducing
Prezi example
My preference:PowerPoint unless non-serial, constantly returning to fixed
point, then Prezi
Step 2b: Tools: Videos (Camtasia/Snap!/…)
Make presentation more dynamic Voice – can be done with PowerPoint Interactive – classroom training interactive by definition
Camtasia Video only – needs to be included in something else – or for youtube type
training I don’t like newer versions editing abilities
BrainShark/Snap! Convert static slide show into something dynamic (flash) Nisht eher nisht ahin
Captivate Mix of slide and video Lousy slide creation
My preference:Captivate
Step 3: Output media
YoutubeWiki/website
Can be passively interactiveClassroom
Major advantage of active interaction/immediate feedback
Major disadvantages of time and cost
Step 4: What content
Mix of theory and practice More practice means better subject reinforcement For technical audiences, practice is more important
Slide style Graphics vs. text
Text is graphic More graphics if localization required (but even this is not
absolute) My preference: text and demos instead of graphics
Static vs. effects My preference: very few effects – they distract (OK for
marketing)
Amount of content (rules of thumb)
Slide 1-3 minutes content
Less than 1 minute and slide becomes more important than content
More than 3 minutes audience attention span lostVideos
1-6/6 minutes Less than 1 minute and not enough content for video More than 6/7 minutes and audience attention span lost
eLearning requires approximately half the time required by classroom training
Creating content
Agenda Look at documentation set Look at parts and chapters
Content Look at topic headings For slides
Take key points (often headings) For videos
Look at procedures
Converting documentation to a presentation
Theory Short bullets
Crutch to help presenter – not whole storyProcedures
Live or canned demos No screenshots
The complete training package
Agenda Order what you think correct Add timing
Average training day is 6 hours Maximum webinar is maximum 2 hours Average session for eLearning is 15-45 minutes
Presenter manual Slides with notes Labs with solutions
Student manual PowerPoint: print 3 slides per page Webinar: provide recording eLearning: part of package
Workbook
Budgeting for training
Ball in your court Produce something in your own (copious) spare time Push it
Know who to push it to Cf outsourcing
$15K per hour
From experience Don’t expect training to become profit center and
also keep control of it
My personal preferences
Short statements (remove a, the, etc.) Slides are crutch to help not to take over Prevents just reading what’s written
Very little, if any, animationLive/canned demos instead of screenshotsLots of labs – at least 50%Word-based, not graphics-based
Slide itself is picture Use indentation to strengthen picture
Variety is spice of life Agenda headings not same as slide headings
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Thank you