The document outlines a systematic process for developing training courses that meet learner needs. It discusses identifying needs, selecting existing courses, modifying courses, or developing new courses. The key steps in course development include defining objectives, content, structure, methods, and materials. An example of applying this process to develop a one-day Total Quality Management course is also provided.

1. Abg Izhar Abg Ahmad

2. Introduction
ž Having established that training is appropriate f or the
identified needs, the next step is to f ind courses that
meet the needs.
ž We have to make choices whether to buy or develop
courses that meet the needs.
ž Developing a course f rom scratch can be both
expensive and time consuming.
ž Even purchasing a course that exactly match all the
requirements is not as easy as it sounds.
ž Therefore, one has to adopt a systematic approach
to address the issues in designing a curriculum or
course to meet the needs of the learners.

3. Training Curriculum and Content
Development Issues:
ž 1) Trainees: entry behaviors, needs and
characteristics
ž 2) Course Content: identification, structure,
sequencing, timing
ž 3) Expertise: subject matter and the trainers,
their roles
ž 4) Approaches: methods and media
ž 5) Logistics

4. Course Selection:
ž Two issues to consider:
— 1) the availability of existing material
— 2) the urgency and demand for the course
ž Choices or options:
— A) using an existing course
availability is there
— B) modifying an existing course
add, remove or rearrange parts
— C) buying or licensing an external course
large and urgent demand; large budget
caution: copyright issue, training manual

5. Course Selection (con t)
ž D) developing our own course
— specific to the organization; large and
urgent demand
— cheaper
ž E) using an in-house course
— one in which a training company runs one of their
courses on the premises
— medium demand that is not the
company s area
ž F) using a public course
— . cost-effective if demand is small
— caution: suitability of the course, style, content
and professionalism

6. Course Development Process:
ž (Figure 3.4: Processes f or developing training
courses)
ž 1) Define Subject Matter
— training needs analysis
— to develop is what is really required
— check on training needs analysis results
ž 2) Describe Goals (general learning objective)
— provide as a tool f or evaluatin eff ectiveness as well
as developing the course.
ž 3) Obtain Subject Matter Expertise
— save time
— control over deadline and expected results.

7. Developing Courses (con t)
ž 4) Describe Students
— detailed prof ile of prospective students:
knowledge, attitudinal and physical develop the
course specif ically for them.
ž 5) Identif y Course Content
— in sequence
— grasshopper technique
— Mind Mapping (Fig 3.11: example of a mind map
— mental maps: Spidergrams or Bubble Diagram

8. Developing Courses: (con t)
ž 6) Structure Course Content
ž determine structure and timing
ž A) Timing
ž estimate duration by:
— i) estimate the duration of individual components and
add them up
— ii) start a fixed time and see what we can fit in
ž be aware of limitations and consequences
ž Factors to consider:
— i) student s current state of knowledge
— ii) training methodology
— iii) content of the course

9. Developing Courses: (con t)
ž B. Sequence
ž Factors to consider:
— i) dependencies or prerequisites?
— ii) to be learnt now?
— iii) can be learnt at the same time?
ž Check for logical sequence/logical f low:
— i) simple to complex or vice versa
— ii) general to specif ic or vice versa
— iii) concrete to abstract or vice versa
ž Once sequence and flow are decided then we have a
course agenda.
ž See Handout Figure 3.12 : Example of a course
agenda

10. Developing Courses: (con t)
ž 7) Write Objectives and Tests
— A. Write Objectives
i) Behavior
ii) Conditions
iii) Standard
— B. Writing Tests
does not need to be an exam
should be able to observe the desired behavior
see whether training has been achieved

11. Developing Courses: (con t)
ž 8) Choose Methods and Media
— Issues to Consider:
— a) Best training methods
trainer led or self directed
specific to general or vice versa
case study or a real -life example
— b) Giving freedom of choice to the trainees
construct a course map that has alternative
routes through the course
— See Handout: Figure 3.7: example of a course
map

12. Developing Courses: (con t)
c) The issue of training technologies
only way to train ?
will never be one best medium
d) Focus our attention to the trainees
e) Which methods and media -
most suitable for each part of the course
best courses have a wide range of media and
learning experiences
— See Handout: Table 3.2: Advantages and
disadvantages of different media

13. Developing Courses: (con t)
ž 9) Write Trainer s Guide and Student Materials
ž A. Trainer s Guide
— 1) course objectives
— 2) course program
— 3) course prerequisite
— 4) course pre -work
— 5) number of training and break -out room required
— 6) list of student materials
— 7) list of equipment required

14. Developing Courses: (con t)
ž 8) list of audio-visual materials
(transparencies, posters, prepared flip chart,
slides, audiotapes and videotapes
ž 9) room layout
ž 10) preparation notes for each
session
ž 11) lessons plans f or each session
ž 12) masters for the overhead
transparencies
ž The structure of the trainer s guide is not necessarily
in this order.

15. Developing Courses: (con t)
ž B. Lesson plans
script
detailed timings, structure and activities
format
— See Handout: Figure 3. Example of a lesson plan)
ž 10. Preparing Visual Aids
if necessary?
ž 11. Peer Assignment
spot the flaws, annoying inconsistencies and
irritating errors

16. Developing Courses: (con t)
ž 12. Run Pilot Course(s)
— are test flight for newly developed courses
ž a) first test : developmental test to get all the mistakes
out of the course
ž b) second pilot course: should have students who are
representatives of the target population
ž feedback from invited stakeholders
— take note of the difficulties or problems
— get students fill in a written f eedback
— discussion
— work with trainers on how to change, amend and
revise

17. An Example of Course Development
ž Background
— company with full and contract employees
— full time employees have started to immerse into the
culture and language of TQM
— company realized that contract staff are being
isolated because they have no understanding of the
language and processes of TQM
— not justifiable to give contract staff a 6-day training
(full time staff), therefore a one day overview of TQM
was decided.

18. Example Course Dev t (con t)
ž 1. Defining the Subject
— What Total Quality Management is all about
ž 2. Describing the Aims
— to allow the medium term contractors to participate
in Quality circles.
ž 3. Obtaining Subject Matter Expertise
— training analyst who has been training the f ull
course for two years
ž 4) Describing the Students
— medium -term contractors with concerns about
being treated differently from full time staff and
whether there would be another contract af ter the
current one expires.

19. Example Course Dev t (con t)
ž may not have the same loyalty but they have a
professional approach
ž might be easier to communicate customer awareness
ž with electric/electronic, software or mechanical
backgrounds and would not appreciate a wordy
approach or put up with a signif icant amount of reading.
ž are in good health with normal hearing and sight (good
color vision)
ž may have done business studies courses at university
or polytechnic, the subject matter will be new to most of
them.

20. Example Course Dev t (con t)
ž 5. Identify the Course Content
— mind mapping technique
— check for familiar topics and advanced topics
— see handout Figure 3.11 : Mind Map f or the TQM
ž 6. Structuring the Content
— detailed topics f orm content of the course
— larger bubbles -not necessarily be the course modules
— mind map -to understand the relationships between the
detailed topics,
— developed structure may not be the most efficient for
learning the subject;
— logical flow

21. Example Course Dev t (con t)
ž the modules chosen for this course:
Tools of the trade
Why did we introduce TQM
Quality is f ree?
Who s the customer?
What is quality?
ž See Handout: Figure 3.12: Course Agenda For TQM
ž 7. Choosing the Methods and the Media
trainer presentation and student exercises
short excerpts f rom videos
tape/slide presentation put on to video

22. Example Course Dev t (con t)
ž 8. Writing the Objectives and Tests
— A. Objectives
— See Handout Figure 3.13 : Objectives f or TQM
course
— B. Design Test
— See Handout Figure 3.14: An example of a test
based on the course objective
— test based on 4th objective: video slip of a
restaurant scene with 4 main characters (paying
customer, waitress, cook, owner), students identify
customer or supplier.

23. Example Course Dev t (con t)
ž 9) Writing the Trainer s Guide and Student s Materials
ž Student s guide and student materials:
— a) a booklet which had a section for each of the
module.
— b) a set of cards that had objects, or pictures of
larger products, glued to them designed to help the
students define Quality and decide a Quality product
give a reason f or their decision.
ž 10. Preparing the Visual Aids
— artwork as masters for overhead transparencies.

24. Example Course Dev t (con t)
ž 11. Peer Assessment
— materials were given to a new trainer to review .
— colleagues review the course at every stage of its
development.
ž 12. Running the Pilot Course
— group of 12 target population students
— trainer conducted the course
— new trainer: made observations of the training
process and the student s reactions
— students : complete the feedback forms
— debriefing session.