Chapter 2 Instructional Design Flashcards
According to the Tuckman model, the stage of team development where team output is low and team members tend to be very polite and avoid serious topics is which of the following? (Choose the best response.)
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Forming
Response A is correct because the forming stage, the first stage in the Tuckman model, is characterized by team members who are uncertain why they are there and look to the team leader for guidance. Because they are new to the team, they tend to be very polite, avoid serious topics, and don’t accomplish much work.
A facilitator has been brought into a project team to observe some behaviors in meetings and to help the group develop and begin performing effectively. According to the Tuckman model, which phase is characterized by power struggles or conflicts and testing boundaries? (Choose the best response.)
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Storming
Response B is correct because this is where the team has gone beyond politeness and conflict, and competition begins to surface.
What is a business driver? (Choose the best response.)
The process to design, develop, and evaluate a strategy
An effective tool to drive talent development results
Resource, process, or condition required to achieve organizational success
One of the ways TD professionals can learn to think strategically
Resource, process, or condition required to achieve organizational success
Response C is correct because a business driver is a resource, process or condition for organizational growth or to achieve an organizational strategy.
What is the value for TD professionals to understand business strategy and goals? (Choose the best response.)
Understanding strategy helps TD professionals to quickly produce instructional packages
To better link learning to support organizational strategy
Increases the value to help learners to discover what they need to learn.
Helps the TD department to become a trusted partner.
To better link learning to support organizational strategy
Response B is correct because understanding the business strategy links learning to support the organization and aligns the two to achieve the organization’s goals. Response D is correct, but as a result of being successful, not as a primary goal.
Helps the TD department to become a trusted partner.
What is the key action you can take as a designer of training and development programs to ensure that participants learn and are contributing to the intended organizational goals? (Choose the best response.)
Meet with the supervisor before the learning event
Meet with the supervisor after the event
Create a job aid that reminds participants what they need to do
All of the above
All of the above
Response D is correct because as a designer you have many options when you consider expanding the design to include what happens before the learning event and what happens after the learning event. You meet with the supervisor before to clarify what is needed the most. You meet with the supervisor after to follow up to answer questions or offer support. You also support participants with job aids, advice, and informing them about how to receive help after the learning event ends.
As a TD professional you have just been given the opportunity to fill in for your manager who is out for a 6-month maternity leave. The VP has suggested that you need to think more strategically so that you can help the organization achieve its goals. How will you begin to do that? (Choose the best response.)
Take an inventory of all the training the TD department offers and categorize it
Meet with department heads of the departments that you serve to learn about their problems
Take a class about strategic planning
Design a management development class for writing business goals
Meet with department heads of the departments that you serve to learn about their problems
Response B is correct because learning about your customers’ needs is a good way to begin to think about how the TD department can align with other departments and support them. Although response C has some merit, it won’t help you learn more about your organization’s needs.
A TD professional is tailoring instructional materials to the leadership training needs of an organization’s executives. This is an example of ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
The application of adult learning theory in designing learning experiences
Multiple intelligences
The learning brain model of instruction
How Gardner’s model can be applied to improving adult learning
The application of adult learning theory in designing learning experiences
Response A is correct because tailoring instructional materials to executive leadership training needs is an example of ensuring that the design of materials relates to the different ways that adults learn, which is one way to apply adult learning theory.
Which of the following best describes why Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is important in relation to adult learning? (Choose the best response.)
Adult learners learn differently from children, and five key principles affect how adults learn: self-concept, prior experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learning, and motivation.
To predict and control behavior, stimuli are linked to responses. The approach is based on the premise that learning occurs primarily through reinforcement of desired responses—meaning “rewards”.
In this didactic model, someone “telling” the information leads a formal learning session—usually in lecture format.
Five levels of needs indicate that a person can achieve a higher level of need only after lower levels are satisfied, which suggests that people are motivated by different factors—factors that may be unknown or difficult to discern.
Five levels of needs indicate that a person can achieve a higher level of need only after lower levels are satisfied, which suggests that people are motivated by different factors—factors that may be unknown or difficult to discern.
Response D is correct because Maslow’s hierarchy of needs categorizes five levels of needs—physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization—that people fulfill at different times, which means that people are motivated by different things.
In the field of Talent Development, what is Malcolm Knowles’s key contribution to adult learning? (Choose the best response.)
Andragogy
Pedagogy
The whole brain model
Accelerated learning
Andragogy
Response A is correct because Malcolm Knowles was one of the first researchers to propose that adults learn differently from children. To indicate the differences, Knowles popularized the terms andragogy and pedagogy.
Which of the following is NOT an adult learning characteristic based on the definition of andragogy? (Choose the best response.)
As people mature, they develop a psychological need to be self-directed.
As people mature, they accumulate experience and knowledge, which becomes a resource for learning.
As people mature, their readiness to learn is directly related to age and curriculum.
As people mature, their motivation to learn becomes increasingly internal.
As people mature, their readiness to learn is directly related to age and curriculum.
Response C is correct because age level and curriculum are not two of the five key principles of andragogy.
Theories of learning and memory are concerned with ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
How learners deal with and internalize information
How adults’ motivation becomes more internalized as they age and the effect on learning
How adults think with both sides of their brains but have a strong preference for one side or the other
How adults learn using 10 intelligences
How learners deal with and internalize information
Response A is correct because theories of learning and memory relate to how adults’ deal with and internalize information in order to change.
Cognitivism is an approach based on the principle that ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
Adults learn most effectively when learning is organized by cognitive, psychomotor, and affective outcomes starting from the simplest behavior and going to the most complex
Adults are concerned with discovering the relationship between stimuli and responses to predict and control behavior
Learning occurs primarily through exposure to logically presented information and concerns the organization of memory and thinking
Learning needs change as adults mature
Learning occurs primarily through exposure to logically presented information and concerns the organization of memory and thinking
Response C is correct because cognitivism concerns itself with the organization of memory and thinking based on a model of the mind as an information-processing system.
According to behaviorism, which of the following elements should be included in a learning design? (Choose the best response.)
Visuals
Lectures
Rewards
Music
Rewards
Response C is correct because behaviorism is based on the premise that learning occurs primarily through the reinforcement of desired responses.
Which of the following theories and models is associated with Howard Gardner? (Choose the best response.)
Multiple intelligences
Hierarchy of needs
Intellectual programming
Accelerated learning
Multiple intelligences
Response A is correct because Howard Gardner suggested that intelligence is multifaceted and that traditional intelligence measures are not capable of measuring all its facets.
An employee who finds it easier to learn new concepts through nature and is interested in subjects such as evolution and the environment have a ______________. (Choose the best response.)
Spatial or visual aptitude
Tactile aptitude
Logical or mathematical aptitude
Naturalistic aptitude
Naturalistic aptitude
Response D is correct because having an aptitude for being with nature is one of Harold Gardner’s multiple intelligences defined by an aptitude for being with nature.
What is andragogy? (Choose the best response.)
An approach to learning that focuses on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
An approach to pedagogy that focuses specifically on learning rather than teaching
A word that defines adult learning
An approach that provides a process for internalizing knowledge
A word that defines adult learning
Response C is correct because Malcolm Knowles’s research on andragogy identified five adult learning principles.
You are a TD professional designing new ways to begin several of the health and wellness courses you facilitate. You have decided to begin a CPR certification class with a true story of an employee who became ill at work and was kept alive by a co-worker administering CPR until paramedics arrived. Which adult learning principle have you selected? (Choose the best response.)
Readiness
Respect
Autonomy
Actions
Readiness
Response A is correct because readiness to learn is one of the key principles of Malcolm Knowles’s andragogy theory of adult learning. Adults participate in learning courses to achieve a particular goal and are most ready to learn when they can immediately relate and apply the new knowledge or skill to real-life situations.
As a new trainer, you have introduced a small group activity by reading the instructions from the facilitator guide and have allowed time for questions before moving participants into small groups. After getting into the small groups, participants spend more time asking questions about what they are supposed to do rather than actually doing the activity. What might you do differently next time to keep the group focused on the specifics of the activity? (Choose the best response.)
Establish ground rules at the beginning of the class on how group activities are to be conducted
Allow more time for the small group activity
Appoint a group leader for each group to report results for the class
Provide written activity instructions along with your verbal instructions
Provide written activity instructions along with your verbal instructions
Response D is correct because you are aware that all employees take in information differently, you will deliver information and directions in multiple ways.
You are developing a course to teach learners how to use a new human resource system. The current system has been used for 10 years, and all the staff have been in their roles for more than 10 years. Which of the following is NOT a challenge to developing effective training? (Choose the best response.)
Adult learners have previous knowledge and experience
Adult learners are objective-oriented
Adult learners don’t have extra time
Adult learners have different motivational levels
Adult learners are objective-oriented
Response B is correct because, according to Malcolm Knowles, adults primarily participate in learning programs to achieve particular personal or professional goals or objectives. In this scenario, goals or objectives will not be challenges to developing effective training.
Your company is getting ready to begin using a new system for tracking time and attendance. The new system affects everyone in the company. You have worked six weeks developing an instructor-led training that everyone will attend. You have customized activities and delivery methods for each department including sales, marketing, manufacturing, accounting, and others. You have taken extra time and been attentive to the nuances in each department and all the individuals across the company. What important elements of design guided your effort? (Choose the best response.)
Culture and modes of learning
Bloom’s taxonomy and cognitivism
Pedagogy and motivation
Business drivers and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Culture and modes of learning
Response A is correct because you need to account for organizational cultures which can also differ from department to department. You must also realize that studies show that learners have multiple intelligences with unique aptitudes.
Your organization has just downsized. You are performing the first instructor-led training since the reduction. Even though the downsizing was relatively small and most people took a buyout, you have taken extra care to create an environment that is conducive to learning. You will have coffee and food available for learners and have arranged the room in a semi-circle. You also included additional time at the beginning of the class to conduct a “What’s on your mind?” activity. The activity is designed to explore each learner’s current mindset, identify their immediate needs, and identify their expectations for the class. What concepts are you incorporating in your design? (Choose the best response.)
The learning brain model and sympathetic deliberations
Cognitivism and behaviorism
External and environmental influences and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Divergent thinking and active listening
External and environmental influences and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Response C is correct because external and environmental factors such as stress, company conditions, and uncertainty may influence a participant’s ability to learn. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs contends that a person can achieve the next level of the hierarchy only after lower level needs, such as physiological, safety, and belongingness needs have been satisfied.
What does ADDIE stand for? (Choose the best response.)
Assess, design, develop, implement, evaluate
Assess, discover, design, implement, evaluate
Analyze, design, develop, implement, evaluate
Analyze, discover, design, implement, evaluate
Analyze, design, develop, implement, evaluate
Response C is correct because ADDIE stands for analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
Which of the following best describes the key benefit of Gagné’s nine events of instruction? (Choose the best response.)
This theory is a collection of strategies used to quickly produce instructional packages depending on types of trade-offs between design and delivery.
This theory supports the notion of lesson plan design and an ideal teaching sequence that enhances retention because the training is based on the way that learners process information.
This theory outlines a learner-centered instructional style that guides the learners to discover what they need to learn.
This theory outlines six behavioral levels including knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
This theory supports the notion of lesson plan design and an ideal teaching sequence that enhances retention because the training is based on the way that learners process information.
Response B is correct because Gagné built the nine events of instruction based on the work of other theorists who studied the way humans process information and move that information from sensing to processing to storing it in short- or long-term memory.
Accelerated learning is a learning strategy that involves the right and left hemispheres, the cortex, and the limbic systems of the brain, thus making learning more natural. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a learning environment that is conducive to accelerated learning? (Choose the best response.)
Provides learning challenges for learners to overcome
Supports both learners and trainers
Presents material both visually and verbally
Provides for group-based learning
Provides learning challenges for learners to overcome
Response A is correct because an accelerated learning environment does not provide learning challenges for learners to overcome.
A decision has been made to develop a training class to improve sales by the sales force. What should the designer do first? (Choose the best response.)
Locate historical documentation
Perform a needs analysis
Confirm the budget and timeframe
Identify representatives with top sales
Perform a needs analysis
Response B is correct because the information that a training sponsor provides about the audience, course content, and completion date may not address the organization’s specific training requirements. When starting a training project, the instructional designer’s first task is to identify those requirements through a needs analysis.
Which of the following is a principle of human performance improvement? (Choose the best response.)
Lesson plans are an integral component of most instructional design projects with a sequential set of events that lead to a desired performance goal.
Training may not be the appropriate solution, and a needs analysis should be conducted to ensure that the performance gap can be remedied by training.
Selection of an appropriate instructional design method depends on types of trade-offs between design and delivery of instruction to achieve the performance goal.
Bloom’s taxonomy defines six behavioral levels and specifically defines the desired performance goal.
Training may not be the appropriate solution, and a needs analysis should be conducted to ensure that the performance gap can be remedied by training.
Response B is correct because a training class alone does not always result in measurable changes in workplace behavior. This happens because training addresses only one driver of performance: skills and knowledge. In instances where employees have the skills and knowledge to handle a task but still do not perform it effectively, another factor may affect performance. A needs analysis will enable the TD professional to determine if training is an appropriate solution.
Who is credited with the idea that a learning objective should contain a condition statement, a performance statement, and a criterion statement? (Choose the best response.)
Malcolm Knowles
Robert Gagné
Benjamin Bloom
Robert Mager
Robert Mager
Response D is correct because Robert Mager argued for the use of specific, measurable objectives that both guide designers during courseware development and aid participants in the learning process. These behavioral, performance, or criteria-referenced objectives should contain a condition statement, a performance statement, and a criterion statement.
Which of the following is described as a collection of strategies for quickly producing instructional packages that enable learners to achieve a set of specific learning objectives? This model involves alternatives, enhancements, and modifications to the ADDIE model in the form of trade-offs between design and delivery. (Choose the best response.)
Rapid instructional design
Gagné’s nine events of instruction
Accelerated learning
Theory of behavior objectives
Rapid instructional design
Response A is correct because in rapid instructional design, the selection of appropriate instructional development techniques depends on trading off resources between design and delivery of instruction depending on the nature of the instructional objective, characteristics of the learner, and context of training.
Which of the following is an advantage to using an instructional design system? (Choose the best response.)
It provides a method of determining your target population.
It ensures training materials are designed as reusable learning objectives.
It gives the ability to design projects quickly and efficiently.
It helps determine the who, what, why, and where of the training.
It gives the ability to design projects quickly and efficiently.
Response C is correct because the ISD model provides efficient and effective instruction. Very little is ignored when an instructional framework is followed.
Which learning theory seeks to involve the right and left hemispheres, the cortex, and the limbic systems of the brain in learning—and by involving the different functions, it makes learning more natural? (Choose the best response.)
Andragogy
Accelerated learning
Multiple intelligences
The four-quadrant model
Accelerated learning
Response B is correct because accelerated learning is a method of learning that involves all systems of the brain and thereby makes learning more natural. Principles involved in accelerated learning are affective state, beliefs about learning, information networks, nonconscious learning, learning cycles, multisensory input, and learning readiness state.
Which of the following guidelines did Carl Rogers describe as a critical element in adult learning situations? (Choose the best response.)
Instructional designers may need to adjust training designs for cultural differences.
Adult learners’ readiness to learn increases when they need to achieve a particular goal and can immediately apply the new knowledge or skills to real-life situations.
Adults bring much experience with them to any learning.
Facilitators establish the initial mood or climate of the class experience and clarify the purpose of the individuals in the class as well as more general purposes of the group.
Facilitators establish the initial mood or climate of the class experience and clarify the purpose of the individuals in the class as well as more general purposes of the group.
Response D is correct because Carl Rogers’s theories of personality and behavior led him to the concept of learner-centered teaching. Establishing the initial mood or climate of the class experience and clarifying the purpose of the individuals in the class as well as more general purposes of the group are two of eight guidelines based on Rogers’s work that help facilitate learning.
As a TD professional, you are preparing the learning objectives, the evaluation plan, and sequence of content for a new training program. Which step of the ADDIE model are you completing? (Choose the best response.)
Analysis
Design
Development
Implementation
Design
Response B is correct because preparing objectives, an evaluation plan, and content sequencing take place in the design step of the ADDIE model.
Three people have resigned from your talent development department, so you have much more work and your schedule is delayed. To speed up the design step, you have decided to forego designing the evaluation plan during the design step and wait until closer to the implementation date. You know that you don’t need it until the day before your deliver the training anyway. What advice do you think a seasoned designer would give you? (Choose the best response.)
It is a good idea because if you want to save time and energy, the evaluation plan is the most time-consuming.
It is a good idea because it is impossible to evaluate the ROI of training.
It is not a good idea because it may cause problems later.
It is not a good idea because you need to plan while thinking about the implementation date.
It is not a good idea because it may cause problems later.
The best response is C because the evaluation plan is part of the foundation. Evaluation tasks must be developed because the structure is based on the many decisions that must be made regarding training platforms and other implementation questions. Only a comprehensive evaluation plan can provide this kind of information and help you find problems early in the process.
You are in the middle of designing a new critical thinking class. Your manager has told you that you need to shorten the class time by 50 percent. Your full-day class will now have to be delivered in 3.5 hours. What changes will you make to the design of the class? (Choose the best response.)
Change the objectives based on Bloom’s taxonomy so that participants will leave with his first level “knowledge,” but will not necessarily achieve his second and third levels, “comprehension” and “application”.
Send pre-work that describes the process, and ask learners to bring a specific situation to class to use as an example so they can practice skills in teams while using multiple methods to teach that use both sides of the brain. You will design feedback forms, plan for music, and order colorful posters for the walls.
Plan to deliver a lecture.
Tell your manager that it can’t be done.
Send pre-work that describes the process, and ask learners to bring a specific situation to class to use as an example so they can practice skills in teams while using multiple methods to teach that use both sides of the brain. You will design feedback forms, plan for music, and order colorful posters for the walls.
The best response is B because you would be implementing some accelerated learning methods, knowing how the brain learns best. In a positive learning environment—which typically involves teamwork, collaboration, vivid colors on the walls, music, games, and activities—both hemispheres of the brain are engaged, leading to an integrated experience for learners. Proponents of accelerated learning believe that learning is created rather than consumed and that this type of environment causes learning to happen on many levels simultaneously. Collaboration aids learning, and learning happens by doing the work itself (with feedback).
You have just completed your midyear review with your manager. She has suggested that you need to do a better job writing lesson plans. You remember reading about a model that incorporates specific steps and assures performance and quality. Now, what was that model called? (Choose the best response.)
Accelerated learning
Mager’s theory of behavioral objectives
Bloom’s taxonomy
Gagné’s nine events of instruction.
Gagné’s nine events of instruction.
The best response is D because Gagné’s model has implications for training design that relate to the way that instructional designers develop lesson plans. A lesson plan is a sequential set of events that leads to a desired goal. The most important reason for lesson plans is that training often requires implementation of the same course numerous times. Performing each implementation of the course the same way guarantees conformance to content and quality standards.
Which of the following best describes training needs assessment, which is often also referred to as training needs analysis? (Choose the best response.)
Training needs assessment is the process of collecting and synthesizing data to identify training requirements.
Training needs assessment identifies the discrepancy between the desired and actual knowledge, skills, and performance and specifies root causes.
Training needs assessment identifies all duties and responsibilities and the respective tasks done daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.
Training needs assessment is the process of identifying the specific steps to correctly perform a job function.
Training needs assessment is the process of collecting and synthesizing data to identify training requirements.
Response A is correct because the classical approach to determining training requirements is by gathering data through interviews, observations, questionnaires, and tests.
All of the following are benefits of conducting a needs assessment EXCEPT ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
Identifying performance problems, deficiencies, and the root causes
Determining whether training is the best solution to problems
Training managers to train their department personnel
Justifying spending to top management
Training managers to train their department personnel
Response C is correct because training managers to train their personnel is not a benefit of a needs assessment.
All of the following are steps in conducting a training needs assessment EXCEPT ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
Defining the objectives
Selecting the data-collection method
Selecting learning strategies
Identifying the required data
Selecting learning strategies
Response C is correct because selecting learning strategies is part of the design component of developing instruction or learning events.
Which of the following is one way that an organization can determine what kind of talent development should occur? (Choose the best response.)
Conduct a needs assessment
Develop a strategic plan for the organization
Formalize the training department’s instructional design model
Ask managers what training their departments need
Conduct a needs assessment
Response A is correct because a training needs assessment places the training requirement in the context of the organization’s needs and validates and augments the initial issues presented by the sponsor of the training.
Which of the following is an advantage of using interviews as a data-gathering technique? (Choose the best response.)
Interviewers can receive additional information in the form of nonverbal messages. Interviewees’ behaviors—their gestures, eye contact, and general reactions to questions—are additional data or cues for the next questions
This method is unobtrusive
This method gives observers an idea of a typical workday and provides a realistic view of the situation
Interviews provide direct data on the organization’s actual work
Interviewers can receive additional information in the form of nonverbal messages. Interviewees’ behaviors—their gestures, eye contact, and general reactions to questions—are additional data or cues for the next questions
Response A is correct because interviews, or one-on-one discussions, elicit the reactions of interviewees to carefully focused topics. This data-collection method yields subjective and perceptive individual data and illustrative anecdotes. Because they enable the interviewer to observe the reactions of the interviewee, they allow the interviewer to get additional information to pursue. Interviews have other advantages, including providing rich detail, enabling comparisons across interviews when a carefully structured protocol is used, and supplementing quantitative data gathered from surveys.
Which of the following instruments asks participants to rate two contrasting ideas or words that are separated by a graduated line, either numbered or unnumbered? Participants indicate frequency of behavior or depth of opinion by circling points on the line. (Choose the best response.)
Likert scale
Semantic differential
Alternative choice
Completion
Semantic differential
Response B is correct because in a survey that uses a semantic differential, participants rate two contrasting ideas or words separated by a graduated line, either numbered or unnumbered.
Which of the following is used to identify the efficiency and effectiveness of employees? (Choose the best response.)
Performance audit
Competency modeling
Interviews
Observation
Performance audit
Response A is correct because training professionals use performance audits to identify the efficiency and effectiveness of employees by comparing performance criteria with actual performance data.
Quantitative methods of collecting data are those that result in ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
Valid data
Soft data
Hard data
Extant data
Hard data
Response C is correct because hard data are objective and measurable, whether stated in terms of frequency, percentage, proportion, or time.
All of the following are results of the needs assessment EXCEPT ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
Determining the current state
Determining the future state
Evaluating results and learner feedback
Determining the performance gap
Evaluating results and learner feedback
Response C is correct because evaluation results and learner feedback are gathered after training has been implemented, not during the needs assessment.
A manager has asked you to conduct a time management training session to correct a current situation with missed deadlines. As the TD manager, you decide that rather than design and develop a time management course, you will ask your staff to investigate the problem by collecting data from a number of key staff members who can provide information about this perceived need. You want to collect information in a short time and allow for sharing of ideas. Which method of data collection should you suggest that your staff implement? (Choose the best response.)
Interview
Focus group
Observation
Individual informal discussion
Focus group
Response B is correct because the focus group is the only option that meets the need a short timeframe and allows sharing of ideas in a group setting.
As a TD professional, you received a request for training from a warehouse manager who has identified some specific training objectives. You have been working hard to gain this manager’s respect. You want to be known as a business partner who has interdepartmental credibility within your organization. What will your next step be? (Choose the best response.)
Create the class that the warehouse manager has asked for
Develop pre- and post-tests for the warehouse manager’s required class
Conduct a needs analysis to identify specific performance factors
Prepare a paragraph for the annual report focusing on the link between the training for warehouse employees and the organization’s strategic goals
Conduct a needs analysis to identify specific performance factors
Response C is correct because you must place the training request in the context of the organization’s needs because training adds value only when serving a business need. Based on instructional design models, needs assessments should be conducted first to determine the exact nature of an organizational problem and to identify specific performance factors.
You have been asked to lead a class on Interpersonal Communication for the employees at your company’s factory. The factory manager was unable—or unwilling—to give you additional information. You live in a small town and know most of the people in your small company. You know that most of the factory employees have no advanced education, are hard workers, and probably never liked school very much. Because this is a new requirement, you need to gather data. What data collection method will you select? (Choose the best response.)
Interviews
Assessment or tests
Survey
Focus group
Interviews
Response A is correct. Even though interviews will be time-consuming, the company is small, and it will be easy to get a representative sample. The topic, Interpersonal Communication, is very broad, and interviews will help you narrow down the scope while at the same time provide rich detail about why the training is important and what specifically is needed to make the session a good investment for the company. It’s a good place to start. Besides, the learners are probably not going to want to complete a survey, and a test will not likely identify the data you need.
Which of the following is NOT one of the basic roles of a designer on a project? (Choose the best response.)
The designer has little, if any, content knowledge and relies on the SME to select the most appropriate instructional strategy and media
The designer is the only person involved and is the SME
The designer has some subject matter knowledge but works with an SME
The designer has little, if any, subject matter knowledge and relies on the SME for assistance
The designer has little, if any, content knowledge and relies on the SME to select the most appropriate instructional strategy and media
Response A is not one of the basic roles of designers because the designer always selects the most appropriate instructional strategy and media.
The primary role of an SME on a project includes all of the following EXCEPT ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
Works with the team to supply or build the content
Checks the accuracy of the content developed
Establishes the goals of the learning experience and supplies the content
Works with the designer to ensure that the design and content are compatible
Establishes the goals of the learning experience and supplies the content
Response C is correct because the SME does not establish the goals of the learning experience; that is part of the designer’s role.
Which of the following is NOT one of the techniques used by designers when working with SMEs to find and to distinguish what needs to be included in the learning event? (Choose the best response.)
Questioning techniques
Analysis techniques
Evaluation techniques
Data-collection techniques and interviews
Evaluation techniques
Response C is correct because designers use evaluation techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning solution, not to uncover and distinguish what needs to be included in the learning event.
All of the following are methods for eliciting content information from SMEs EXCEPT ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
Asking them to provide small case studies
Asking them to describe the task from start to finish
Asking them to suggest the best way to teach specific tasks
Listing the areas that are the critical points of failure or cause the most problems
Asking them to suggest the best way to teach specific tasks
Response C is correct because it is the role of the TD professional to select the instructional strategy that is best for specific types of content. Methods such as interviews, focus groups, and surveys are the best methods to gather content information. All other responses are examples of one of those data-gathering methods.
You are a TD manager and have assigned Mason to work with an SME. Mason has been working diligently to create an asynchronous training event for the operators of a German-made printing press. Unfortunately, all the training manuals are written in German and Mason is totally dependent upon Gregory, the SME who was assigned to work with him. His colleagues call him Grumpy Gregory… and now you know why. He stalls whenever Mason tries to schedule time with him, responds rudely when he is asked questions, and walks away without saying goodbye or anything at the end of Mason’s appointed hour. Mason has made a list of options to improve the situation with Gregory and to finally get this training designed. You examine Mason’s list and advise him to follow through on all but one of the items. Which item do you suggest Mason should NOT do? (Choose the best response.)
Speak with Gregory’s boss to ensure that he has told Gregory that this is important work and that Gregory is expected to support it
Explore possible rewards and recognition for Gregory: compensation, recognition among his peers, or professional advancement
Find another SME outside the company
Sit down with Gregory to establish a formal relationship that clarifies roles and responsibilities
Find another SME outside the company
esponse C is correct because it is not likely that a SME will be found. Mason needs Gregory more than Gregory needs Mason, so Mason should find ways to build the partnership with Gregory. SMEs may not understand the importance of the SME role and even see it as undesirable. If the assignment is not in their job description or development plan, they may be concerned that they will not be rewarded for their efforts. Participation in the project may be viewed as a distraction from “real” work. Their perception could be that the assignment is trivial and unrewarding. Sounds like Mason needs to open communication and build a relationship first. Ensuring that rewards are available and that Gregory is aware that this is part of his job are also critical steps.
The sequence of learning is important to its effectiveness. Which of the following is NOT a type of sequencing? (Choose the best response.)
Procedural order
Chronological order
Problem and solution
Performance/skill
Performance/skill
Response D is correct because performance/skill is not a type of sequence.
Which of the following best describes Bloom’s taxonomy and its relevance to writing objectives? (Choose the best response.)
The taxonomy proposes specific and measurable performance objectives with three components: behavior, condition, and standard
The taxonomy states that learning goals and objectives are the same and should be written using the A-B-C-D format
Because learning objectives are written to specify the performance (knowledge and skill) that is desired after the learning, the taxonomy specifies exactly what the learner will know or be able to do at the end of the training experience
The taxonomy proposes that behavior should be specific and observable
Because learning objectives are written to specify the performance (knowledge and skill) that is desired after the learning, the taxonomy specifies exactly what the learner will know or be able to do at the end of the training experience
Response C is correct because Benjamin Bloom identified the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains that relate to the terms used to describe three categories of learning: knowledge, skills, and attitude. These relate to writing objectives because learning objectives specify the type of performance that is expected after the training (knowledge or skills)—for example, “will be able to apply” not just “name.”
A new sales training program focused on improving the motivation of the sales force is most likely to focus on which of the following Bloom categories of learning? (Choose the best response.)
Knowledge
Skills
Attitude
Competencies
Attitude
Response C is correct because attitude is one of three types of learning—knowledge, skills, and attitude, typically referred to as KSAs—that are part of Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy of learning and refers to how people consider things emotionally, such as feelings, motivation, and enthusiasm.
Which of the following objective domains—categories of objectives used to determine design elements—focuses on the skills and knowledge relating to intellectual activity, such as knowing how to edit a manuscript? (Choose the best response.)
Cognitive
Interactive
Psychomotor
Affective
Cognitive
Response A is correct because the cognitive objective domain refers to skills and knowledge related to intellectual activity.
Instruction on how to operate a forklift is most likely to have which type of objective? (Choose the best response.)
Affective
Psychomotor
Application
Knowledge
Psychomotor
Response B is correct because operating a forklift relates to physical activity and is thus most likely to have a psychomotor objective.
Which of the following is a key element of successful instructional design? (Choose the best response.)
Blended learning
Objectives
Graphic organizers
Self-study
Objectives
Response B is correct because objectives set the destination to show learners where they are going. Without objectives, there is nothing to evaluate because objectives gauge success.
All of the following are advantages of informal learning EXCEPT ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
It includes 80 percent of all learning that occurs on the job
Large numbers of employees will learn the same information and/or processes at the same time
It occurs at the time that learning is needed
It is highly relevant and done in small steps
Large numbers of employees will learn the same information and/or processes at the same time
Response B is correct because formal learning (in classrooms, workshops, and so on) provides the advantage of instructing large numbers of employees who will consistently learn the same information and have the same experience. The lack of consistency is a key disadvantage of informal learning.
Your manager just left the department head meeting. She wants to discuss with you a new effort that your organization is going to spearhead. The goal is to train everyone in the company before the end of the calendar year. There are 5,000 employees in your company, and it is almost the end of the year. You tell her: (Choose the best response.)
You just attended a webinar about informal learning and that the fastest, easiest way to get all the information out is to disseminate it through the departments and have the supervisors conduct training for each of their employees. You can start now.
You read about accelerated learning, a learning strategy that involves the right and left hemispheres, the cortex, and the limbic systems of the brain, thus making learning more natural and faster and suggest that you deploy a similar process.
You have the perfect solution: rapid instructional design (RID). RID is a collection of strategies for quickly producing instructional packages that enable a specific group of learners to achieve a set of specific learning objectives. RID involves alternatives, enhancements, and modifications to the ADDIE model.
Even though there are many tools that can be used, you need to gather a bit more information and clarify the objectives of this effort.
Even though there are many tools that can be used, you need to gather a bit more information and clarify the objectives of this effort.
Response D is correct. While each of the above three techniques may be helpful, time must be established first to ensure you have written SMART objectives. They should be Specific so that you can clearly define the outcome; Measurable, meaning you should be able to count it or determine with a distinct yes or no whether it was accomplished; Attainable and not too difficult for employees to reach; Relevant to ensure that the objectives will achieve what the company desires; and Time-bound, which you already know is December 31.
You have completed the needs analysis and identified the sponsor’s business needs, the desired performance, the tasks learners must master, who the learners are, and the constraints on the project. Your next task is to formally state the objectives for the training. By establishing these objectives, both you and your sponsor can reach an agreement about the purpose of the program. You’ve never written a learning objective before. This is your first try: “Given a written guide, the Critical Thinking class participant should be able to demonstrate the 5-Step Critical Thinking Process.” How well did you do? (Choose the best response.)
You are missing the degree
You have written a complete objective
You are missing the behavior
You are missing the condition
You are missing the degree
Response A is correct. A number of different formats for writing objectives exist. The most recognized format uses four building blocks. A for audience, B for behavior, C for conditions, D for degree. In this case the objective is missing the degree, or what it takes to meet the objective, e.g., 100 percent, four out of five times, or another measure of success.
You are an external consultant who has been asked by a new company to correct errors made by a previous consultant. You learn that the company asked the previous consultant to deliver training to the field staff who were having problems implementing the contracting module for the new ERP system. You learn that the previous consultant simply took the same content from headquarters and delivered to the field. You believe that the processes between headquarters must be different. The Department Head with whom you are speaking is becoming irritated with you because you cannot provide a definitive answer about what you will do. Finally you share a plan and suggest that you will need to: (Choose the best response.)
Visit the employees in the field and conduct interviews with them to determine what they think happened
Focus on what happens on the job and use the job analysis to establish the sequence for the training. Then you will use an advisory group to validate the analysis and design before you proceed
Rewrite the learning objectives first to ensure a solid foundation
Review the lesson plans and the evaluation data
Focus on what happens on the job and use the job analysis to establish the sequence for the training. Then you will use an advisory group to validate the analysis and design before you proceed
Response B is correct. Instructional designers need to consider the big picture when they develop a course. Once they have identified the reason for the course, the next step is to develop a course program or program sequence.
The instructional design of a live virtual session on handling difficult customers for a call center is primarily based on which of the following inputs? (Choose the best response.)
Needs assessment of training requirements and learning objectives
Call center representatives’ frequency and types of interactions
Learner attitudes and motivation to learn about dealing with customers
Ethical issues and staffing in the call center
Needs assessment of training requirements and learning objectives
Response A is correct because designing online learning uses the same ADDIE model and tools as designing any other learning. Thus the virtual session will be based primarily on a needs assessment and learning objectives.
All of the following instructional methods help learners to acquire new skills and to experiment EXCEPT ______________. (Choose the option that completes the sentence accurately.)
Case studies
Demonstrations
Diagrams
Role playing
Diagrams
Response C is correct because diagrams help learners gain knowledge via information whereas all the other choices are instructional methods used to help learners be able to do something and acquire a new skill.
You work for a research organization where 50 percent of the employees are scientists and engineers. The organization has decided to develop and implement a speaking skills class to help the scientists convey their ideas in important meetings. It seems that many of them are brilliant, but just not very good at communicating to large groups. Two of the scientists have been assigned to you as SMEs to help design the training. They have suggested that you write a short paper that lists techniques for speaking to a group and that you accompany it with a template they can use to plan their speeches. You need to provide them with a response. You say ______________. (Choose the best response.)
I think that could work. Perhaps you could provide me with several examples of times you need to give a speech
Independent study is a good idea because it will save everyone time
I don’t think we will achieve the objective with a paper and a template
That’s one way to do it, but I think it will be more fun if we learn together in a class
I don’t think we will achieve the objective with a paper and a template
Response C is correct because the objective is to help the engineers and scientists to do something different and acquire a new skill. They need hands-on practice to learn this skill. You will want to help them practice speaking, perhaps recording their presentation for self-critique, dissecting the speaking process, and providing several other exercises that help them practice what works for them.
You manage the TD department for a worldwide restaurant chain. The executive team has decided to initiate a leadership development effort for the company. The dilemma you face is that employees—especially store managers who already work 60-hour weeks—have few weekends when they are not working, and have very little time for training. Your needs assessment demonstrates that you need to start with an individual 360-degree assessment for each “leader” but after that you are unsure of how to deliver the content. Like most restaurants, the budget is tight. You have made a list of ideas and want to narrow it down before your meeting with the VP of HR. Which do you select to discuss? (Choose the best response.)
Design a week-long summit for each region and follow up with peer learning
Provide a reading list, and send all leaders to a senior executive university course
Design a year-long course that meets two days every month and delivers content based on the needs assessment and the 360-degree feedback
Kick off the event at the annual business retreat currently attended by all leaders, and follow up with an e-learning system where employees can select short activities to practice
Kick off the event at the annual business retreat currently attended by all leaders, and follow up with an e-learning system where employees can select short activities to practice.
Response D is correct. Although many of these ideas have merit, several of McArdle’s factors will influence your strategy: budget, the number of learners, the locations of the learners, and the limited time available. The restaurant leaders do not have much time for additional learning, so as much as can be done in one day, the better. An e-learning system could be designed so that the store managers could use the 360-degree feedback to select practical activities that would improve their skills while at the same time might solve immediate problems in the restaurant.
