The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/21494
Developing a Goal-Based Training Strategy In moving toward a goal-based approach, firms must first identify business goals and desired changes. This requires a deep understanding of stakeholder expectations and how users work, including their personal goals and behaviors. Firms also need to decide how business and user goals will be evaluated and continuously monitored to reinforce learning, and be prepared to support the development of new curricula, delivery methods and materials. Identify and Validate Business Goals Learning professionals need to be kept informed of key stakeholder expectations. The trainers can then translate those business goals to learning goals so that observable, measurable success criteria can be set. By conducting “goal- based” interviews with key stakeholders and practice group teams from different offices, trainers become intimately familiar with their working practices and desired outcome so they can link them to training. Strategic technology plans, requests for information, and requests for proposals are documents that contain critical information about the business goals and working processes of a firm. Reading and understanding these kinds of documents will help trainers to align learning goals. It is also essential to identify individual learning goals — to know how people work, what they work on, and their workflow frustrations. Design and Develop Curriculum Once business goals and working behaviors have been identified and validated, the next step is to identify the learning profiles so trainers can develop or tailor relevant, realistic, scenario-based training curricula. Business goals can now be translated into measurable outcomes that address key expectations from stakeholders and provide indicators to measure training success; i.e., how well training supports the business goals. What Is a Learning Profile? A learning profile is a user archetype that guides decisions about curricula and training delivery methods for a specific group of learners. Such a profile is not a list of tasks or duties; it is a narrative that describes the flow of the learner’s day, as well as the learner’s environment, skills, attitudes and personal goals. It will answer critical questions that a job description or task list will not, such as, which pieces of information are required at what points in the day, and what skills are necessary to process the information efficiently? By designing for a specific profile, whose behavior patterns are well understood, trainers can address the learning goals of a broader group of learners represented by that profile. Scenario-Based Training Training should be “scenario-based” and focus on changing behaviors and achieving goals. Scenario-based training increases retention and comprehension. It provides a “day-in- the-life” context that includes specific work goals while offering instructions for using features and options to accomplish those goals. Training is concise and relevant to the working practices of a particular group of learners. In contrast, traditional training has mainly focused on how to use specific technical features such as what menus to use and which keys to press. This 96 www.iltanet.org Peer to Peer