TRAINING METHODS

BY JOHN M. BUCKMAN

Training methods are the “wet stuff on the red stuff” of fire department training program design. Training methods give firefighters something to chew on. They also provide incentives to a training program.

Using training methods effectively requires a sound foundation of learning principles and a learning model. It is necessary to fully understand adult learning principles, which form the framework of reference for working with adults in learning settings. The final important perspective concerns the role of the facilitator in training. This facilitative role is key to providing a quality training program and optimizing learning.

When you are selecting, adapting, or writing training scenarios, it is important to choose the method you will use based on a model of how people learn. This learning cycle includes three stages:

• presentation of the learning activity,
• the participant’s response, and
• application to operational procedures.

STAGE ONE: PRESENTATION OF THE LEARNING ACTIVITY

Initially, learners are involved in some activity you have selected from the many learning methods and experiences available. This activity might be relatively passive such as observing a demonstration of changing an SCBA bottle or very active such as donning an SCBA in full turnout gear.

The objectives may be very general such as “to don, to demonstrate, to develop” or very specific such as “to name the five causes of performance problems.”

The purpose of this learning activity is to encourage inductive learning through reading or deductive learning through experience. In either case, the learning activity provides the basis for understanding a concept or skill and a foundation for stage two of the learning cycle.

STAGE TWO: THE PARTICIPANT’S RESPONSE

After the initial exposure to the learning activity, the firefighters are now ready to respond to what happened and perhaps to identify how they felt. This is a critical part of the learning cycle, because it encourages learners to identify the impact of what they were exposed to in the first stage, to analyze feelings and information, and to continue their focus on the experience or learning. Stage two should not be rushed.

STAGE THREE: APPLICATION TO OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES

Once the learners have thoroughly worked through stage two, they are now ready to move toward turning the learning into a skill. Out of the analysis, processing, and discussion done in stage two, participants can begin to make generalizations, draw conclusions, and transfer them to the skills they will use on the job. Learning now moves from the abstract to the concrete.

At this point, a review of the information, concepts, and theory is appropriate; it augments what was learned in the other two stages. Action plans and goal setting come in various forms—sometimes, a short verbal statement; at other times, an elaborate and detailed plan. Some specific activities are presented later.

Often, the learners’ good intentions for applying learning are reinforced when they share their goals and plans with others in this group or back at work.

There are significant differences between how adults and children learn, and it is critical that the instructor understand those differences. If you use adult learning principles to develop training scenarios, you’ll increase your success rate.

Use the following checklist of the eight adult learning principles to evaluate whether you are applying them to your training design.

• Is the training program focused on “real-world” problems?
• Does it emphasize how students can apply the training to the fireground?
• Does it relate the group activities to company or departmental goals?
• Is it relevant to students’ past experiences?
• Are there opportunities for debate and to challenge ideas?
• Is it respectful of the company/department opinions?
• Does it encourage members to share resources with the instructor and each other?
• Are all treated as adults?

• Structured warm-up activities. Getting your training session off on the right foot is essential. Using structured activities at the beginning of the training design ensures that the participants will get involved right away, increases their energy and interest, and perhaps gives them an early introduction to a key idea or skill that will be developed later. This method actively involves participants, who usually enjoy these hands-on experiences.
• Presentation. Your presentation should provide essential background information. Whether it is five minutes or 50 minutes long, you should be well prepared and pre-sent it properly. Be thoroughly prepared and well versed in the topic before you stand in front of an audience. If you think you can bluff your way through a presentation, think again. It just doesn’t happen that way. If you are not prepared, the students will know it within five minutes of the beginning of the presentation. Not being prepared shows disrespect to the students; but, more importantly, it shows a lack of respect for yourself.

TRAINING METHOD EXAMPLES

The following steps will help you in preparing for a presentation:

—Determine your objectives.

—Analyze your audience.

—Prepare a preliminary outline or plan.

—Select and/or prepare visual aids.

—Finalize the presentation outline and details.

—Practice, practice, practice.

• Reading materials. They can enhance learning as long as they are relevant and their purpose is clearly understood. The learners’ roles are certainly more passive and rely only on sight. The positive impact of reading is increased when the reading material is relevant to participants’ own situations.
• Demonstrations. They are the most powerful training methods because they use all the senses. Demonstrations bring to life the points you tried to make in the classroom. Participants can experience an idea or a technique. Demonstrations are essential when you are trying to teach psychomotor skills or operations. They work well also when you want to communicate better, discipline someone, or work with others.
• Video and film. These aids help to stimulate interest and motivate participants to try new behaviors. The content can provide illustrations and models for the theory the instructor is presenting. Combine the viewing of a video with a discussion so the students remain active.
• Note taking. Whether or not you provide directions or handouts to participants for taking notes, many will do so automatically. These people may need to first hear the information, see it in any visual aid you provide, and then see it again in the form of their notes. Other participants find note taking a nuisance or unnecessary and seem to be able to listen and learn.
• Discussion. This is probably the most frequently used approach; however, it isn’t learned quickly. The art of questioning takes lots of preparation and practice. Discussions between the facilitator and participants and those among participants are useful because the learners can take a more active role, help to determine more of the content to be discussed, and use more of their senses.
• Case studies. Students are given a handout with details pertaining to a specific situation and are asked to determine the appropriate actions that might be taken. The case study simulates reality, draws on participants’ experiences and knowledge, involves them more actively in the learning processes, and forces them to apply theory to practice.

Regardless of the training methods used, the instructor is the key to determining just how effective a teaching tool each will be.

JOHN M. BUCKMAN is chief of the German Township Volunteer Fire Department in Evansville, Indiana, where he has served for 22 years, and past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). He was instrumental in forming the IAFC’s Volunteer Chief Officers Section, of which he is a past chairman. He is an adjunct faculty member in the National Fire Academy residence program, is an advisory board member of Fire Engineering, and lectures extensively on fire service-related topics.