Week 3: Segmentation

Topics and Sub-topics

1. A Trainer has to choose main topics for presentation on any given subject.
2. It is ideal not to choose more than 3-4 main Topics for delivery in any given slot
3. It is ideal to divide each main topic into 3 sub topics.
4. Title or heading of each topic and sub topic must be identified.
5. Each topic and sub topic chosen for delivery must be specific.

---

Introduction and Conclusion

There compulsorily has to be an introduction of the topic /sub-topic and a powerful conclusion. This can be rehearsed, well in advance, by the Trainer.

---

Examples

1. A Trainer has to choose the examples to be referred during presentation, well in advance.
2. Example chosen should be very simple.
3. The chosen example should not be very lengthy and explanatory in nature.
4. It is ideal to have very short examples.
5. While giving examples of live cases handled by the trainer, unnecessary explanation must be avoided.
6. Contents required to make the concept more clear alone are to be used while giving examples.
7. Examples unconnected  with the topic or sub-topic under consideration should not be used.
8. Example is to be used to bring clarity to the concept delivered.
9. Examples which raises doubts about the concept in the mind of the audience should be avoided.

---

Exercises

1. A Trainer should choose the exercises to be used during presentation well before hand.
2. A Trainer can keep the hand out of the exercises, if necessary.
3. A Trainer has to explain the objective of the exercise, either before the exercise or after the exercise.
4. A Trainer has to give a pre-briefing as to how the exercise has to be done.
5. A Trainer has to do debriefing after every exercise.
6. Exercise should be relevant to the concept / topic / sub-topic chosen for presentation.
7. Where demonstration is required, the trainer has to demonstrate .
8. Choice of exercise is to be dependent on the receptive capacity of the trainees.
9. The exercise should be chosen in such a way that, more time should not be taken by the trainees to understand the exercise.
10. At the end of the exercise  the trainees should feel that “They have understood the concept completely and thoroughly because of the exercise”.
11. Trainer should be very cautious not to lose major portion of the allotted time on the exercise.

---

Question and Answers

Questions

Questions fall under two categories:

1. Questions to be asked by the Trainer
2. Questions that may be asked by the trainees.

Questions asked by the Trainer may fall under the following categories:

Question posed by the Trainer and answered by the trainer without giving room for the trainees to answer:

In order to explain concept trainer may start with a question and answer it himself/herself.

Ex: What is an open ended question?

Ans: The question to which the answer runs into several sentences.

---

Questions posed by the Trainer to refresh the memory of the trainees

Ex: Can anyone tell me, what type of impasse it is?

---

Questions posed by the trainer to understand the knowledge base of the trainees and to assess their level of comprehension

When such questions are asked trainer tries to get answers from many participants.

After getting several answers from the trainees, trainer also answers the question.

Example:

What is Learning ?  What is Adult Learning ? What is the difference between the two?

---

Questions to facilitate trainees to come up with varied answers

When such questions are asked , trainer does not  express his opinion about the answers. Trainer does not express  trainer’s  agreement or disagreement with the answers. Such questions are asked  to involve participants in group activity, group discussions, and give them the taste of brainstorming.

Ex: Why do you think a mediator  should or should not give proposals?

---

Questions asked by the trainees may fall under the following categories:

1. Questions asked to test the capacity of the trainer.
2. Questions asked to prove the trainer wrong.
3. Question asked with curiosity or inquisitiveness.
4. Question asked to exhibit trainee’s intelligence.
5. Question asked to humiliate the trainer.
6. Question asked to have deeper understanding.
7. Question asked to get more clarity.

---

Checks:

1. Trainer should frame the question to be asked during the session.
2. When there is paucity of time open-ended questions should not be asked.
3. Trainer should not ask a question to which the trainer does not know the answer.
4. When trainer does not know answer to the question/s asked by the trainees he /she should fairly admit it.
5. Trainer should  defer answering the question by the trainee/s which needs lengthy deliberation.

Answers:

Ground Rules: Before commencing the session the trainer is required to lay down ground rules one of which should be about asking questions and answering the questions.

Example:

“Let us have a ground rule for all of us. If any one has a doubt or a question, please raise your hand. I will take one question after the other. I will try to answer the question. If I don’t know the answer my co-trainer may try to answer the question. If both of us do not know the answer, I may request one of you to answer the same.”

Short Answers: Answers by the trainer should be crisp and short. Trainer has to avoid getting into explanatory mode while answering the question.

Treatment of Answers given by the Trainee/s:

• Trainer should not expect the trainees to think as the trainer thinks while giving answers.
• Trainer should congratulate the trainee for attempting to answer. 
• Trainer has to correct the trainee’s understanding very gracefully without causing humiliation.

---

Interaction:

1. A Trainer should have wonderful moderating skills.
2. It is necessary to have an interactive session during the end of each day, or during post-lunch session.
3. Facilitation technique can be adapted for effective interaction.
4. Trainer has to control the process of interaction.
5. Before commencing the interaction trainer should prepare the mindset of the trainees to agree to disagree with each other very gracefully.
6. Ground rules have to be laid down before commencing the interaction.
7. Available time for interaction must be informed to the trainees.
8. Ideas /thoughts /view points given by the trainee/s should not be snubbed or dispensed with by the trainer.  

---

Story-Telling

1. A Trainer has to work on the story to be used during the presentation.
2. Before using the story the trainer has to ask themselves the following questions:

---

Role-Play

1. Trainer has to make a conscious choice of role-plays depending upon the receptive capacity of the trainees.
2. Role plays should be very simple and short.
3. Trainer has to work on the Confidential information  to  be given to the parties.
4. Trainer has to premeditate on the role plays  to be given
5. Pre-briefing should be very effectively done. It is better to have notes of pre-briefing  in order to guide the participants about what they are expected to do and what they are not expected to do.
6. Questions for debriefing must be well-prepared.
7. Each participant must be asked different question to enable all the participants to give and get inputs on several procedural and theoretical aspects.
8. It is preferable to ask Closed-ended questions.
9. However, depending on the availability of time, open-ended questions may be asked.
10. Ground rules must be laid before commencing debriefing.

---

(All copyrights reserved by the Author S.Susheela.)