how to deliver great training sessions

http://training.acquia.com

Deliver great training sessionsTechnical training tips for Drupal trainers

http://training.acquia.com

Hello!• Heather James• Manager of

Learning Services• @learningdrupal

The team• Ben Ortega:

Director• Prasad

Shirgaonkar Curriculum developer

• Peter Manijak:Global Certification lead

Acquia Training• Started in 2010• Partner delivered

program• Classroom, online

live and self paced training

• Public and client

training.acquia.com/events

http://training.acquia.com/events

Fun is memorable

Learning by doingFeedback is crucial

Pop Quiz!a) Email right after the

event?b) Prompt survey 20

mins before end?c) Email one day after

the event?d) Take 5 minutes at the

end of the day?

When to deliver feedback survey?

It gets better• Experienced trainers with less Drupal

expertise get higher ratings.• Subject matter experts with no training

experience initially get lower ratings. • Training skills can be improved with

experience. • Feedback is essential!

Practice!• Run free events• Community

training• Global Drupal

Training days• drupal.org/learn-

drupal

speaking experience != teaching experience

Surveys and FeedbackBefore the training• What prior

experience?• HTML/CSS/PHP?• Some experience with

Drupal?• Current role?

After the training• Value experience?• Would they

recommend it?• Specific comments

and suggestions.

Let’s go step-by-step1. Get prepared!2. Don’t trip on logistics3. Strong start and ending4. Technical training that works5. Practical teaching strategies

Get preparedPractice the materials

Courseshttp://training.acquia.com/courses

Pop Quiz!a) Views, it’s all about

content listsb) They need to know

fields firstc) Content typesd) Teach them about

modules/extending Drupal

Where’s the best place to start teaching Drupal?

Drupal

* Not to scale

Our content

Broad

Detail

Practice

• Spiral approach• Sessions

– Units• Exercises• Challenge exercises

• Review sessions

Unit structure

Increasing independence

Practice the content• Practice the

presentations• Work through the

exercises, all the exercises

• Don’t get surprised!

Don’t trip on logisticsEasy to get right, and mess up

Logistics checklist

Parking, directions, food nearby, where’s the loo?

Can they see the screen?

Hear you? Room comfortable

temperature?

When it works, no one notices

Venue requirements• Data Projector• Projector Screen or white wall• Whiteboard & markers (or flip chart with

paper)• Wifi or wired access• Flat room (ideally)• Classroom-style configuration

What to pack?• Projector dongle!• Your own

whiteboard markers + eraser

• Extra pens & extra “scrap paper”

• A noisy timer

• Pack a water bottle!

• Prizes like candy or Drupal stickers

“What to pack”

http://imrodmartin.com/how-i-pack-three-computers-a-projector-and-an-ipad-when-i-travel/

Strong start and endingGood for learning!

Welcome!• “Name map” not

tags. • Map room, write in

names on map• Keep up with you.

Who are you?• Establish who you are, what you do,

who you work for. • Your credibility is important• Don’t name drop, etc.

Introductions• Smaller groups, personal

introductions are good. • Prompts:

– “Why did you choose Drupal?” or– “What project are you planning to use

Panels for?”

Breaks are important• Make sure you lead

by taking a break. • Join people for

coffee• Be the “host of the

party”, mingle, introduce people.

Getting feedback• 20 mins before the end of the class,

please announce it's time to wrap up. • Load the "feedback" slide. • Open up Q+A. This is a time for

reflection.

Technical training tips

Fears!a) People won’t like meb) People will see that I

don’t know everything

c) Someone will ask a question I don’t know

What are you most nervous about?

Learners are heroes• Stage the drama• Pose the problem• Make sure “why” is

very clear• Crisis > Solution >

Hero!

Don’t skip the demos!• A unit is:

– A concept– A presentation– A demonstration– Some kind of

“doing” exercise or activity

Exercises are essential• Practice time.• Using manual for

exercises.• You need to walk

around the room, check what people are working on.

Challenge exercises• Prompts• Hints• Ideas• Let people come

up with their own challenges.

Practical teaching strategies

Spot the pitfallsa) I won’t have enough

content b) I’ll have too much

contentc) People will be bored

with the contentd) People will want

other content

What is the most likely scenario?

Stay on schedule• Resist rabbit holes• Park debates and

detours• Reward prescient

questions, but don’t get ahead of group.

Reward good questions!• Divide whiteboard• “Park” really good

questions• Use them as

examples or prompts later

Don’t give away the answers

• Confusion precedes a learning experience

• Give nudges• ELICIT

How to elicitLearner asks• What does this do?• What happens if I do

this?• What does this mean?• How would you do

that?

Teacher asks• Try that out!• Sounds like a good

idea. • Let me watch you

while you try it. • What do you think

you’d need first?

Cases

Apply new knowledge to novel situations

Paper based exercises

Drawing wireframesContent modelsFlow charts

PersonalizingInternalizing

Don’t skip reviews• If any time is

slipping, most importantly: Don’t skip the review activities.

Activate prior knowledge• Build on personal

experience• Draw in prior

knowledge• Value learners’

prior experience.

Cognitive load• Coordinate the

message between what you're doing, what they're reading and what you say.

Saying

Doing

Seeing