INFORMATION SHEET 3.1-4

The Competency Based Training Procedures

In the previous discussions, you gathered information about the characteristics of trainees, their current competencies and their training needs. You were also presented with different modes and methods of teaching in the first competency of the Teaching Methodology course.

Our main concern now is how to make use of this information in actual training. How do we handle trainees with varied characteristics and different training needs considering the Principles of Competency Based Training?

Delivery and Evaluation Activities

To effectively carry out the delivery of learning the following steps are hereby recommended:

Pre-training activities

  1. Construct pre-assessment instruments
  2. Prepare TNA instruments
  3. Prepare session plan
  4. Develop CBLM for your qualification
  5. Layout your workshop by workstation following the CBT Principles
  6. Organize training resources
  7. Monitoring of attendance

Although attendance is not a basis in evaluating trainees in CBT, the trainer should still monitor the attendance of his trainees. This serves as a basis for the planning of the activities for the day specially  if  there  are  limited training resources. Monitoring attendance need not use  the  traditional way of checking attendance but the trainer can devise a way in which attendance (time-in and time-out) are recorded. Log books, biometric system or Bundy clock are some ways of recording.

Conduct TNA and pre-assessment

Training Need Analysis (TNA) reveals important data such as the current competencies and trainees’ characteristics. These are basis for the planning and scheduling of training sessions.

Schedule training sessions

Training schedule is based on trainees’ characteristics and current competencies. Trainer should be creative enough to maximize use of available resources to facilitate learning. Training methodologies may vary trainee by trainee. Small group maybe formed for some competencies wherein fast learners may serve as leaders. In some cases a trainee may opt to learn alone.

Trainees choose competency

For TM, Plan Training Session is a prerequisite to all other competencies except the competency Utilize Multi-Media Materials in Facilitating Session. It is, therefore, the  first  competency  that  trainees should learn. You have to design your first training sessions  for  the attainment of the learning outcomes of Plan Training Sessions.

Prepare training facilities and resources

Assign Trainees in their workstations

Assign trainees depending on Trainees current competencies and the availability of training resources

Orient Trainees

Orientation of Trainees to Competency Based Training

To acquaint trainees of the environment in Competency Based Training, an orientation program is very important. It is during orientation that trainers motivate students about the program and its benefits to trainees. This is the time when you get trainees excited about the prospects of getting real occupational training and confident that they can succeed in the training program.

There are two levels of the orientation program, the orientation about the institution and the orientation about your particular qualification.

Orientation about the institution

Usually, training institutions that start qualifications at the same time orient students about the institution during  the  Trainees’  Induction  Program. It is during this time that trainees get acquainted with the school faculty and staff, facilities, programs  and  services.  If  arrangements  warrants, this orientation is a responsibility of an orientation committee preferably headed by the guidance counselor. But if schedules do not allow for a mass orientation, it is your responsibility  as  the  assessor  to  orient them about the institution.

Orientation about the qualification or training program

Aside from orienting the trainees about the  Competency  Based Training System, the following elements of CBT needs to be discussed before the start of any training program:

  1. The role of the trainee
  2. The role of the trainer
  3. Basic operations in which the training operates
  4. The competencies that has to be covered based on TR
  5. The use of the CBLM
  6. The CBLM basically has instructions in itself but trainees need to be acquainted with its parts to ensure that every part will not be neglected. Orient trainees on the importance of each part in the training.
  7. Instructional Facilities and Resources
  8. A tour of the workshop during the orientation maybe needed to familiarize the students about facilities existing in the workshop and how they will be accessed and returned. Their role in the maintenance of the tools is reiterated during this time
  9. The workshop and its stations
  10. The evaluation system
  11. The trainees will always be interested on how they will be rated. They should know what to be and how they will be evaluated, how achievements will be recorded and what credits to get after the training.

Guide Trainees in doing the activities of the session

The trainee is guided by the CBLM about the activities to be undertaken through the learning activities page. All instruction sheets are also provided with necessary sections which will serve as a guide in undertaking the activities such as the Occupational Health and Safety practices, tools and materials needed, standards to be met and speed.

Provide feedback on the on-going activities

Self-Checks, Task/Job Sheet, Operation  Sheets,  and  assignment  sheets are provided with Performance Criteria Checklist or Procedural Checklist to serve as a guide for trainees in checking their own work but it is also important that trainers check the performance of each trainee. Always remember that immediate feedback is critical in training.

Provide remedial activities such as lecture/discussions for knowledge or additional Task/Job Sheets for practice as the need arises.

Since learning is self-paced, trainees are expected to finish at different times and maybe doing different things at a time. Slow learners would need more guidance than the others. The  trainer should be  very sensitive about  the needs of trainees with special needs such that of the slow learners. In  some cases, several task sheets to practice would be needed before they are ready for more complex activities such that in the Job Sheet. The trainer should use his judgment and ingenuity in providing these  to  his  trainees.  This would eventually increase the materials in the CBLM and improve the efficiency of the training program.

Record achievement of trainees on the Progress Chart and Accomplishment Chart

A Progress Chart and an Accomplishment Chart is a record of all the accomplished activities and acquired Learning  Outcomes  of  the trainee.  They are essentially references for both the trainer and the trainee about the on-going training. The progress chart and the Accomplishment chart reflect important feedback which may be bases for the adjustments in the teaching learning process. If the progress chart shows that a trainee is too slow, for example, the trainee would be motivated to catch up with the others. The trainer, on the other hand, could be alarmed and find ways in guiding the trainee to achieve better.

Evaluate trainees’ performance

The performance of the task and job sheets are venues for practicing a task or a skill based on the criteria  in  the  Performance  Criteria  Checklist. The Performance checklist for the particular Job/Task Sheet is likewise the basis for formative evaluation of the trainee’s performance. A well prepared Competency Assessment (Institutional) for each competency is however, encouraged for summative evaluation.

Provide Feedback on the result of the evaluation

Results of evaluation should be immediately communicated to the trainees.

Decide whether the trainee advances to the next competency or to  do more practice activities

In doing the activities above, take note of the following principles:

Effective facilitation involves acquiring relevant knowledge about students and using that knowledge to develop our course design and training session.

Effective facilitation involves aligning the three major components of instruction: learning objectives, assessments and instructional activities.

The CBLM as the primary learning material is provided with the following to allow self-paced learning:

  • Information sheet – learning objectives are stipulated  at  the  start of each information sheet.
    • Job/task/operation Sheets – provides opportunity for trainees to practice skills related to the learning objective.
    • Performance Criteria/Procedural Checklist – provides  feedback on the performance of the activities in the Instructional Sheets.    It is a benchmark of performance criteria for the trainee for self- assessment and for the trainer to assess trainee’s performance.

Effective facilitation involves articulating explicit expectations regarding learning objectives and policies.

Being clear about the objectives of learning and communicating them explicitly to the trainees learn more and perform better. It gives trainees a clear target to aim and to monitor.

Effective facilitation involves prioritizing the knowledge and skills we choose to focus on.

Too many topics work against learning so you have to decide what you will not include in the  course. This  involves (a) recognizing the  parameters  of the course (b) setting priorities (c) determining course content that will be useful in attaining objectives set by the Competency Standards.

Effective facilitation involves recognizing and overcoming our expert blind spots.

We are not our trainees. Experts tend to perform acquired skills unconsciously that they tend to become inherent in the trainer so we tend to skip or combine critical steps when we teach. The trainer should be keen enough to break skills into smaller tasks so that trainees can practice them well before they can combine them with other tasks.

Effective facilitation involves adopting appropriate teaching roles to support our learning goals.