10 tips for training new users. (database training) (Database Report)

Have you ever found yourself in the unexpected role of trainer? Whether teaching users to work with an application you've written, or providing training for a software package, the thought of designing a training course and managing a classroom can be intimidating. This is especially true since most of us have concentrated on achieving technical competence, rather than on learning ways of communicating our knowledge to others. Using your experience as a "trainee," with a better understanding about how adults learn, you can enhance your training skills even if you're not a "learning theorist" or "instructional design specialist!"

If you think back to classes you've attended, you're likely to agree with experts on the factors that lead to a "good" learning experience:

* The opportunity to relate the class content to an immediate need.

* The opportunity to actively participate in the program.

* A knowledgeable, enthusiastic, non-judgmental instructor.

* A program that's challenging, but not stressful.

How do you get there? This article provides tips and techniques to try when you train your users.

1. Remember that your trainees are adults.

Your students probably share several characteristics that can give you clues to the training strategies and techniques to use in the classroom. These include:

* The need to know "why?"--Adults become more ready to learn when they feel they have a need to know the information to deal with real situations in their lives.

* The need to apply the knowledge--The application of a new skill should be obvious very early in the process. Adult trainees want to know more than how an application works--they want to learn how it's used on the job.

* Diversity--Especially in the corporate world, students come to training with tremendously different skill sets and educational backgrounds.

* Experience--Years of accumulated experience mean that adults have much to contribute to training. It also means that they may have to "unlearn" various skills and overcome resistance due to past negative experiences, fear, or anxiety. Older learners may also have had less exposure to "high-tech" terms and equipment.

* Physical characteristics of aging--Consider changes in vision, hearing, and response time when planning your training session.

Being aware of the characteristics of adult learners is only part of the story. You also have to understand the ways in which new information is acquired.

How adults learn

It has long been assumed that it's much easier to understand and remember information that's "meaningful" to the learner. People understand new information in terms of what they already know; that is, the learner must have some sort of framework in…