The rapid needs assessment and response technique (RNR) is a useful tool for Extension professionals seeking ways to improve workshop structure. Facilitators using RNR organize workshop participants in small groups and then rotate the groups through a series of stations where participants dialogue on questions central to the workshop topic. The…

E-Basics is an online training in program evaluation concepts and skills designed for youth development professionals, especially those working in nonformal science education. Ten hours of online training in seven modules is designed to prepare participants for mentoring and applied practice, mastery, and/or team leadership in program evaluation.…

In a time of great flux and dynamic change in schools, from where will our future school leaders come? The answer, of course, is from a variety of places. By and large, however, most of these leaders are already in the nation's schools. Some are highly engaging teachers who have a particular knack with parents, some are department chairs…

Professional development is vital to the success of afterschool programs. Effective professional development enhances afterschool program quality by facilitating staff performance and knowledge; in addition, professional development is vital for improving student learning outcomes (Bouffard & Little, 2004; Hall & Surr, 2005; Joyce &…

Because different medical specialties accredit their residency programs in different ways, departmental needs for faculty development in essentially the same content may vary. This training team realized that using a consultant model allowed them to meet departmental needs while keeping content validity intact. By combining best practice from…

A return to normal after a crisis is a good thing. Who doesn't want back what once seemed lost? The problem is it usually isn't a simple task figuring out how to patch together a scaled-back training program. When the recession hit in fall 2008, trainers were asked to scale down programming and make do with fewer resources. With a recovery in full…

Staff of the National Weather Service Offices should be able to understand interpersonal communication and public relations in order to better serve their mission to "protect lives and property" as well as work with their internal and external partners (NWS Internet Services Team). Two technologies have been developed to assist the integration of…

"Training" magazine taps 2011 Training Top 125 winners to provide their learning and development best practices in each issue. This article looks at strategies for aligning training with business goals and creating models to measure return-on-investment (ROI) and other financial metrics pertaining to training.

The authors believe that by working together, teachers and school counselors can better support students and more effectively work for their success. In this article, we present our efforts in creating a collaborative class for preservice English teachers and school counselor interns. While offering an overview of English teachers and school…

Professional School Counselors (PSCs) are trained to be leaders in school reform, collaborators with other educators, and advocates for all students. While PSCs provide academic, career, and personal/social interventions for the student body as part of a comprehensive school counseling program the needs of students with disabilities are often…

Examines the consulting process and explains the roles of the client, the internal training and development consultant, and the external consultant. Topics include identifying the need; contracts; training program design and planning; delivery of the training; and evaluation. (LRW)

Clarifies the basic terminology of needs analysis, proposes a framework for conducting needs analyses, and discusses trends and issues in needs analysis as they apply to improving performance in organizations. Topics include needs; needs assessment; needs analysis; training requirements analysis; needs analysis plan; perception analysis, including…

Considers the practice of Instructional Systems Design (ISD) as it exists in the real world and how it is being modified and used to produce training solutions that are faster, better, and easier. Focuses on Web-based training and discusses needs assessment, content analysis, design strategies, revision strategies, and project management.…

Because of high accident rates and the unique conditions faced in Arctic flying, a project was conducted to develop a training program for airline pilots flying over Alaska. Data were gathered, through the critical incident method in conjunction with traditional job-analysis procedures, about how experienced Alaskan pilots learned to cope with the…

Describes how Hughes Aircraft trainers followed four steps in meeting the challenges of a flexible manufacturing environment: needs assessment, design strategy, pilot evaluation, and follow-through. Within this environment, 50 self-paced training products were developed for one of the company's wire and back plane harness assembly departments. (CT)