I  would love to hear your thoughts and experience related to the following. My experience with including pre-work in Corporate Training is that 1) nobody likes it 2) big share of the participants do not do it before the training starts 3) those who really do it feel frustrated because there is no punishment or consequences for those who have not completed.
There are at least a couple of ways of solving this: 1) becoming really strict and Mandatory with regard to Pre work 2) do not include Pre Work 3) Mix of both: ask participants to come earlier to the training course and do the ''pre work'' at the classroom before the group starts.
I would appreciate your feedback and views on each of these possible ''solutions'' specially if you have tried Number 3. And any other pre-work topics.Thank you so much for sharing!!!

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  • Hi Marciel,

    you already have some great input on the issue that you have raise and potential solutions.  My own experience tells me that the first thing we would need to understand from delegates is 'Why they do not engage in pre work?' otherwise we take the risk of treating the symptom and not the cause. 

    Working with field based sales teams, where the vast majority of how and where they spend their time is under their own direction, is notoriously difficult for compliance with distance learning material.  Sales people will send their time where they see most reward (often but crucially not always financial).  Pre-work has often been mandatory and yes that has meant delegates who do not complete have been turned away... line managers will reinforce if they know that their budgets will be charged for the place!! and if this is the chosen approach the completion date for pre-work should be in advance and via a mans that demonstrates it has been done.

    All sounds a bit draconian doesn't it?  but, failure to commit time to pre work can often be a warning sign that the individual does not perceive the value of the programme to begin with. people will give time to what they perceive as priority and importance, so also consider the communication about the value of the training and how it links to delivery of objectives and development plans, but buy in and commitment from line managers remains key

  • Hi Maricel. Pre work often fails because it's labelled as pre work in my experience. When you develop a programme using a blend of learning, including it as part of the whole learning solution can elevate it's importance as part of the programme.  There are obvious challenges in terms of helping learners to understand and appreciate the value of this piece of the programme but my top tips would be:

    Make it relevant

    Make it fun (I find a diagnostic of current skills level usually gets people engaged as it answers a WIIFM - what's in it for me - question)

    Don't put too much of it up front, blend it throughout if you can (ie module by module prep)

    Be clear that the material is fundamental to maximising the benefit of the whole learning experience (you won't be revisiting it during any face to face or webinar element - and stick to your guns and don't renege on that if some haven't done it)

    In an ideal world your participants want to be there so there is some level of engagement already.  There are always challenges because of individual learning styles and you will probably always find someone didn't get to it but I find peer pressure very helpful so if you can get them into social learning groups and sharing/confirming where they are with the materials it can often mobilise peopleinto action - no-one likes looking ill informed in front of their peers.  

    Hope this helps.

    Bev

  • I've struggled like mad to get people to do pre work, half of the attendees don't even read the invites  i send out apart from the date/time etc.  As i want to encourage more people to attend my sessions i've now dropped the pre work and only ask people to do additional work via our elearning platform.

  • Hi Maricel
    My experience echoes yours in terms of challenges. We tend to only have pre work for manager and above training but even then we have the same challenges. We would have to send half the delegate away if we were strict and made it mandatory to participate, although we have never been brave enough to try it! Sorry I don't have any pearls of wisdom but I will eagerly follow the discussion to find out if anyone has.
  • Hi Maricel,

    We have started to include pre-work and post-work to some of our events and participants are told of the requirements before acceptance on the event.  Pre-work may involve reading or contextual research on the subject and certainly involves participants discussing personal objectives with their line managers prior to attendance.  We can then use this to identify if these have been met.  Course trainers will notify line managers if pre-work not completed, and we also make a note on individual training records, which may impact on future acceptance onto events.

    Post-work may involve the completion of an reflective account which should be shared with line managers and again used to identify if learning has taken place and how individuals intend to put this learning into practice. 

    In order to start doing this, I created an L&D charter which was agreed by our Executive and all line managers signed up to.

    • I like the charter idea I am going to see if I can put this in place in my organisation. Thanks Nikki
  • Hi Maricel,

    Good call.  I have had these issues in the past and a couple of things that may help is the way pre-work is set up and presented.  Is the pre-work and the training itself explained to them by their manager, so they have a bigger picture view of the WHY? also are they given time and resourced during the working day to complete this, is there support for them when doing so.  Also is it fun to do, may be a quiz, ore watching a video and posting an on line comment or having to answer a quiz (on it) when they come to the training, this could even have a prize.!

    The work of the Kirkpatrick Partnership and other suggests that we should be focusing more attention in to this part of the learning journey, way before learners come to the class room, in fact as much as 25% of our resources should be spent here.  This links well in to phase one of Meier's design principles.  Prepare the learner, not only with pre-work but their state or readiness to learn as well.

    • Thanks for sharing Howard!!! Yes fully agree.. the psychological prep is so important.. only mentioning ''pre work'' is such a downer if the learner does not understand the WHY. On the other hand, I see corporations using prime face time delivery on more cognitive knowledge learning goals that could easily and for the best of all be converted into a lecture/ video/ or any other media that is more conducive to that goal..

      Happy to hear more of your best practices and if you have good ideas on how psychologically influence learners in a positive way towards pre work.

      Thanks Maricel

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