Karen J. McRitchie
ABSTRACT
Grinnell College is a small, liberal arts institution in Iowa. As part of the IT Student Staff program, the students must complete several training requirements to be hired as well as attend "training camps" prior to the start of classes in August and additional workshops that are offered throughout the year.
This doesn't seem that challenging; however, it turned out to be a project that had several failures before it had success. We tried training "out of the box," but no one told us where the box was located. Then came the introduction of audio-visuals and Microsoft PowerPoint; all our training went onto the computer. It was very attractive. One day, while observing a training session that one of our student supervisors was leading, I looked out at the audience, and the students looked like they were sleeping. The training was boring so how could they possibly be learning.
Confucius says, "What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand." The principles of active and accelerated learning follow this idea and guided the changes to the student training program. Learning needs to be creative and engaging while fitting into a tight schedule and a dynamic group of participants.
- Silberman, Mel. Active Training. Jossey-Bass/Pfieffer, 1998.Google Scholar
- Meier, David. Accelerated Learning Handbook: A Creative Guide to Designing and Delivering Faster, More Effective Training Programs. McGraw-Hill, 2000.Google Scholar
- Warriors of the Net. Ericsson Radio Systems AB. <http://www.warriorsofthenet.com>Google Scholar
Index Terms
- Sleeping with their eyes open: a guide to student staff training
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