The 3 Effective Training Delivery Methods You Need to Know:
#1 The Lecture Method
The lecture method is probably the most basic type of training delivery. This particular method is designed to help the audience develop a general understanding of the topic and its relevance to their performance as employees. Lectures may be delivered in a formal venue or through an online medium, but its general structure remains unchanged: It involves the trainer lecturing to his or her trainees.ÂThe main feature of the lecture method is that the delivery of information goes only way – from the trainer to the trainees. Because of this, the success of each lectures hinges upon the skills and abilities of the trainer and the active compliance of the trainees. Furthermore, it’s important to remember that lectures are highly structured affairs that include certain ground rules which define how the trainees should conduct themselves during their lecture, such as how and when the trainees should raise their questions, as well as what sort of items (e.g. laptops, notebooks, textbooks, mobile devices and cellphones) they are allowed to have during the lecture.
Most lectures follow a sequential pattern, which begin with a formal introduction of the topic and ends with a general summary of the learning points. This logical sequence allows trainees to listen, observe and take notes, and therefore, the favored training delivery method for topics which involve tremendous amounts of information. Moreover, lectures are also the favored method of delivery for situations wherein the training program needs to cater to a very large audience.
However, it’s also worth mentioning that lectures do have certain weaknesses. For one thing, it’s relatively inflexible, since it relies exclusively on a one-way delivery of information. Another weakness is that lectures rely too much on the abilities of the trainer, which means that a bad trainer or lecturer will also result in bad lectures. Despite these weaknesses, however, lectures remain as one of the most popular training delivery methods among corporate training programs, because of their efficient structure and quantitative efficiency. Planing  Training manual template is a vital step gaining more success.
#2 The Discussion Methods
In the discussion method, the trainers and their trainees engage in two-way communications in order to optimize the training process. Unlike the lecture method which is highly dependent on the trainers, the discussion method only requires a very short lecture period (usually 20 minutes or so) in order to provide trainees with the core or basic information they need to engage in discussion. After the lecture has been delivered, the discussion process may then begin.The discussion is usually between the trainees themselves, with their trainer acting as mediator. The goal of the discussion is to let each trainee voice his or her opinions, ideas and questions about the information presented by the lecturer. After everyone has given his or her input, the trainees are then encouraged to provide some feedback to their fellow trainees. The goal is to encourage everyone involved to have a lively debate or discussion that would allow each participant to elaborate on the subject matter. If some of the trainees have questions or problems about the subject matter, the trainers encourage their colleagues to answer their questions, thus fostering a more inclusive learning environment.
The value of the discussion method is that it actively engages the trainees. It allows each trainee to approach the content of the lecture in his or her own pace, and to demonstrate their mastery of the subject matter according to their level of understanding. It’s also one of the few training delivery methods that encourage trainees to share what they’ve learned with their colleagues. This training method is also widely employed for subject matters which involve strategic or procedural topics, as it encourages interaction and the free expression of group opinion.
The weakness of this method, however, is that it can only be applied among groups that have few members. Furthermore, the discussion method is not a very effective training method when teaching personnel about technical matters or complex topics, as they don’t always require group discussions or interactions.
#3 The Simulation Method
In the simulation method, lectures, discussions, debates and interactions are kept to a minimum. Instead, each trainee is given a simulation that will simulate the tasks he or she is expected to perform. These simulators can take on various forms. They can, for example, be games, equipment simulators, real life activities or even role playing. Regardless of which form they take, however, each type of simulator is designed to give trainees a more hands on approach to the tasks that they are expected to perform.The value of using the simulator method is that it is the most ideal training delivery system for technical tasks. For example, if you need your personnel to know how to handle new equipment then giving them simulation training is the best way to optimize their skill. Not only do they get first hand experience from using a test equipment, active simulators can also help them anticipate and learn from their mistakes. So as far as skill development goes, the simulation method is the best training delivery method to use.
Of course, the problem with the simulation method is that it doesn’t offer much in the way of theory. This method is not meant to teach personnel about fundamental and abstract concepts. That particular task is more suited for the lecture method, as it requires greater amounts of information, as opposed to interaction and direct hands-on experience.
Conclusion
Different training delivery methods offer different benefits to organizations. Training delivery not only helps trainees learn faster, it can also help them understand what they are expected to do after they have completed their training. So if your organization is looking for effective training delivery methods for its personnel then the three items mentioned here can help them achieve their goals.