Latasha Vaughn
Week6
The assignment in week 5 involved creating a training method for police recruits in the training academy. The first training method selected was an audio-visual training system for crime scene training: hair. This method was selected as it offered a number of advantages to both the trainer and trainee.
Pre-test instrument
The pre-test testing instrument to be used is going to be a questionnaire targeted at the trainer. Before using the training method suggested, other methods of training had been used. These may include direct training in classrooms. When switching to this new instrument, there were a number of fundamental changes in which the training could be done. For example, a trainer can only conduct the same lesson once or twice if requested. However, using audio-visual tools for training, the trainee has a choice to repeat the lesson as many times as possible and even away from the classroom. This is going to be the major area of focus for the pre-test questionnaire. Since the trainer is aware of the challenges of previous methods of instruction, they will know the challenges faced by trainees previously and be able to tell whether these challenges have been overcome. There are also benefits of using the previous methods of training. For example, a trainee can ask the trainer a question during instruction if they do not understand something immediately. With the audio visual system, the trainee cannot ask the question immediately and has to wait for the next session with the trainer.
Instrument 2
This instrument is going to be targeted at the trainees. After using the audio-visual learning tool, they will be expected to have learned something. This can be effectively tested using quizzes. The trainer is assumed to know everything about the audio-visual tool and what a student is expected to learn from the tool. Using this information, the trainer can set a quiz to judge the amount of understanding of the tool by the trainees. This is very important as it is difficult to measure the effectiveness of a training method in other ways. In order to be efficient, the quiz will consist of open ended questions. This will give the trainee an opportunity to freely express themselves about what they have learned. Using this information, the trainer can judge whether the learning tool was effective. The quiz will also consist of a question that allows the trainees to explain any difficulties they encountered when using the training method. This feedback will be important in fine tuning the learning tool to better meet the needs of trainees in future.
Measurements
The first instrument is targeted at the trainer. This is because they have the knowledge in the learning tool and they want an efficient way of passing on this knowledge. The questionnaire will contain questions that direct the trainer to answer based on their assessment of the training tool. This is very important as a measurement since they are able to tell from the start whether the information in the training tool is sufficient and whether it is presented in an easily understandable way.
The second instrument is a quiz based on the learning tool. Since the trainer already is aware of the information that the trainee is supposed to gain, they will create a quiz to enable them measure the effectiveness of the tool. If the trainees score higher marks, the tool will be effective but if the average score is low, the trainers will know that there is a problem with the learning tool.
