….TOT 185 Refresher Course Preparation

TOT 185

WEEK 185- REFRESHER COURSE- PREPARATION

Refresher courses help the trainees in revisiting the  concepts required to continue in their journey in the given area.  It  helps in further strengthening  of  the foundation .

As refresher courses are  given periodically , it becomes very challenging  for the  trainers to design a specific curriculum for each of the refresher courses.  By and large an identified curriculum for refresher courses may be in place  with any Institution. However, keeping the same as a  broader screen, trainers have to  design the time table, specific to the given refresher course.    

Step 1.

Read the curriculum

Trainers have to go through the  existing curriculum in place.

They must be cautious not to dilute the   specifications  given  in the already designed   curriculum.

However keeping the  curriculum already in place as a template , what more  /additional information can be given to the participants in order to refresh what they already know,  should be the additional objective.

Step 2: Getting inputs

It is advisable to get inputs from the participants to ascertain their need/s:-

1. What would they expect from the  refresher course.
2. On which aspects they want more inputs. ( Both theory and practical part )
3. On which of the aspects  they want more simulation exercises.
4. Would they like to have more  group discussions? Etc.

A mail inviting the response from the participants in any one or more   of such of  the aspects mentioned as above would  help the trainers to assess the need.  Need assessment is the fundamental requisite of any training program.

Step3: Design General Time table/GTT

Keeping the first and the second point in mind, ( after collecting  response from the participants) , a general time table will have to be prepared.

This should indicate : Time slots  &  Topics to be covered  

Step 4 : Designing   Internal Time Table /ITT

After following the above three steps, the trainers   are required to  assign specific  topics/ sessions  between/amongst themselves.

Who will do what and how long..will have to be specifically mentioned in this time table.

This time table will be a “Working Time Table”,  to be kept on the  table , and to be meticulously followed by the trainers  engaged in the training program.

Step 5 : Design Individual/personal time table  /PTT

After following the   above mentioned 4 steps, each trainer has to  work on each of the topics/sessions allocated to that particular trainer.

1. Note down the Topic
2. Divide the topic into sub topics
3. Identify the content part ..identify the components of each of the concepts
4. Decide on the methodology (  hand outs/ pictures/  slides/ tables/   lecture mode/facilitation mode/ group discussion/ question and answer session/simulation exercise/role play etc)
5. Identify combination of the methodologies  to be adopted in  each session, for each of the topics/sub topics.
6. Identify the examples  to be given.
7. Allocate time for each unit .
8. Keep  additional time as a leverage

Advantages: Structuring helps in  achieving the goal.

Direction   gets   visible.

It helps in  effortless  systematic  move   towards the identified goal during the session.

Performance pressure of the trainer ( if any) gets reduced to a maximum extent.

What is to be done? When? How ? and Where ?  gets identified and decided before the session itself.  

Grasping structure of a subject is understanding  it in a way that permits many other things to be related to it meaningfully. To learn structure in short, is to learn how things are related.

Jerome Bruner-American Psychologist

(All copyrights reserved by the author S.Susheela)