It happens to the best of L&D teams – training requests come in and are rejected for one reason or another. Later, you discover that a subject matter expert or lone department are creating their own powerpoint instructor-led “training” on the fly.
You know that the quality of this training is not good enough to ensure any learning or performance improvement takes place. But how can you convince these guerilla training creators that there is a better way?
Here are some tips for ensuring that SME-created training is up to code with minimal supervision from L&D.
1. Create training templates
If you’ve seen instructor-led training on slides crammed with text, there is a simple way to ensure the correct use of powerpoint for SMEs’ instructor-led training.
Create templates for different training use cases throughout the organization. Produce a guide for best practices in powerpoint design (number of slides, text size, text:asset ratio per slide, etc.).
Chances are your subject matter experts will be glad of the guidance and will happily adopt a ready-made ILT template.
2. Conduct “train the trainer” sessions
Encourage line managers to identify specific “trainers” within their teams. Then conduct regular “train the trainer” sessions with these chosen individuals to try and impart some best practices for instructor-led training.
Take the opportunity to emphasize the importance of instructional design and creating training with a clear purpose. Make sure they understand how ineffectual poorly designed ILT can be for their team. Subject matter experts are time-strapped when it comes to creating training, so ensure they understand that producing high-quality training will define whether they are wasting their time or not.
3. Encourage the use of assessments
In the magic triangle of learning, assessments are an important component. But SMEs often assume they simply need to place their knowledge on a slide and impart it to a captive audience.
Create basic assessment templates and guide SMEs through incorporating group contributions into their ILT sessions. The key here is to ensure you make the impact on their time as minimal as possible, or they are less likely to do it.
4. Show how performance can be tracked
The benefit of this type of training is that, if SMEs are creating it with or without input from L&D, there must be an obvious need or want within the department for whatever knowledge is being imparted.
L&D can leverage this by showing how creating quality ILT provides the opportunity to track performance improvement related to the training.
Encourage your SMEs to revisit the topic with follow up training and ongoing assessments. This will show them the impact of creating quality ILT as opposed to basic presentations and allows them to self-monitor the quality of their presentations.
5. Use software designed for collaborating with SMEs
If you’re looking for an easy way to create templates for SMEs that guarantees adherence to best practices, try adopting software that enhances collaboration between SMEs and L&D.
With software such as a Learning Design System, you can create templates for SMEs to use and provide realtime feedback on their course creation. Best practices in adult learning theory are built-in to the software, guiding SMEs through the course building process.
The best part? A simple “export to powerpoint” option means the training is good to go right from the system, so you can be sure the ILT being produced is of a much higher standard than the underground training tactics your SMEs were using before.
Want to learn more about how a Learning Design System can help you collaborate with SMEs? Schedule a demo!
