8 Steps to Develop Training Materials

Training materials are the foundation of a successful and effective training programme, especially when they motivate trainees and encourage their participation and engagement. This, in turn, helps to embed a learning culture within the company and achieve the desired outcomes from training programmes and initiatives.

Here are three key ideas that summarise the topic of developing training materials:

• Interactive training materials are essential to ensure a successful experience and reinforce the knowledge gained during in-person and online sessions.
• Understanding your audience's needs, preferences, and learning styles is the first step in creating effective training materials.
• Developing interactive training materials is a gradual process that requires attention to detail, creative thinking, and continuous improvement to benefit from the experience.

Examples of Training Materials

Here are some of the most prominent materials used in training:

1. Presentations

Presentations are commonly used for instructor-led training but can also be used for self-paced training.

2. Videos

Videos add an element of dynamism to training content by engaging participants' senses using visual and audio elements, graphics, and animations.

3. Text-based Notes

This involves compiling information clearly and understandably in text files, documents, and online notes, or within a software application.

4. Detailed Training Manuals

These manuals provide thorough and comprehensive information on complex work procedures and technical issues. The content is often lengthy and covers all aspects of the topic and reference materials.

5. Process Documents

These documents are used for workplace procedure training. They present processes as structured steps arranged in a logical sequence that detail the implementation phases.

6. E-learning or Computer-Based Training (CBT)

Technological advancements have made it possible to conduct training online, on demand, and with various multimedia elements, such as visual and audio elements and interactive modules.

7. Worksheets

These worksheets provide detailed explanations of how to perform exercises, allow trainees to document their progress, and record their answers to questions.

8. Interactive Whiteboards

Interactive whiteboards are used for instructor-led training and are suitable for presenting and recording information during an explanation. The smart whiteboard allows information to be shared digitally after the session ends.

9. Checklists

Checklists provide quick and easy reference materials to help trainees remember important steps, procedures, necessary processes, and best practices.

10. Self-Assessment Tools

These tools help trainees evaluate themselves after training activities and are often designed using principles of psychology and sociology.

Steps to Develop Training Materials

Here are eight steps to develop training materials:

1. Define Training Objectives

Training objectives define the information and skills the programme design focuses on and the precise outcomes expected. These objectives are used to create the curriculum units and select the appropriate materials and resources for the training topic. Objectives successfully guide trainers' efforts when they meet the SMART criteria: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Here is an example of a SMART objective for an IT department: to increase the website's page loading speed by 20% over the next month.

Here are three steps to set the SMART objectives for the example above:

• Define the required knowledge areas, such as initial loading speeds, user interaction, and visual stability of web pages.
• Specify the areas the training programme will target, such as analysing web page speed reports and the key metrics that the Core Web Vitals rely on in the Google search engine.
• Clarify the training objectives related to the required learning areas, such as describing the mechanism and performance metrics of web pages like "Largest Contentful Paint" (LCP), "First Input Delay" (FID), and "Cumulative Layout Shift" (CLS), and explaining how to improve them.

2. Use Existing Training Materials

What training materials are currently available within the organisation? Are there any functional materials related to the proposed training? Evaluating the company's existing materials and modifying them to suit current training needs can save time, effort, and resources.

Here are some questions that can help you evaluate existing training materials:

• How relevant is the available content to the proposed training objectives?
• How up-to-date is the content?
• What format are the materials in? Do they need to be rewritten and converted into videos, graphics, or checklists?
• How do you rate the quality of the materials? Did they receive positive feedback in the last session? What modifications need to be made to these materials?

3. Delegate the Task of Creating New Materials

Creating good training materials requires collaboration with people with previous experience and expertise in the training course topic.

Here are five experts responsible for developing training programmes:

3.1. Instructional Designer

This professional specialises in identifying the appropriate materials, content, and systems to achieve the desired training objectives.

3.2. Content Developers

This team includes videography, audio, and copywriting experts.

3.3. Visual Experts

A graphic designer or any other specialist focusing on the visual design and graphics supporting the training content.

3.4. Project Managers

The manager coordinates the proposed training programs' design, preparation, and delivery procedures.

3.5. Content Production Experts

This category includes experts in producing the multimedia used to deliver the training programme, such as a video editor, an LMS developer, an audio specialist, and a computer-based training expert.

4. Choose the Right Formats

Various training material formats include text notes, videos, worksheets, presentations, and checklists. You must choose a suitable format to achieve the desired outcomes from the proposed training programme.

Written manuals and notes are the best way to deliver detailed information for compliance training and technical issues. Behavioural training, however, requires in-person discussions and uses whiteboards, worksheets, videos, and presentations.

The level of participant engagement depends on the type of content used in the training, which affects the enjoyment of the experience, the quality of the results, and the trainees' ability to achieve the desired objectives and apply the knowledge gained.

Visual and interactive materials, such as graphics, videos, charts, images, worksheets, and computer-based training systems, help increase participants' enjoyment of the training and enhance their ability to retain the acquired information.

Here are three key benefits of visual and interactive materials:

4.1. Engaging More Senses

Visual and interactive materials help engage a larger number of human senses, such as hearing, sight, and physical movement, which enhances trainees' ability to retain the training content and absorb the information presented.

4.2. Improving the Quality of the Experience

Visual and interactive materials help improve the quality of the experience by increasing trainees' attention, focus, and enthusiasm.

4.3. Increasing Trainee Satisfaction

When the content is interactive, participants enjoy the training, and their satisfaction with the experience improves when the desired outcomes are achieved.

5. Define the Scope and Training Plan

The program's scope depends on the participants' roles and previous experience with the training course topic. Here are some factors that help define the programme's scope and content plan:

• Participants' responsibilities and roles in the workplace.
• Previous knowledge and experience with the training content.
• The time trainees can dedicate to the training programme.
• The mechanism for applying the training results in the workplace.
• The training material formats that suit the trainee's work nature and preferred learning styles.

Here are three elements that a training plan should cover:

5.1. Previous Experience and Scope

The introduction, target audience, programme policies, information sources, references, ownership rights, and contact information.

5.2. Training Objectives and Materials

The training objectives and outcomes, the materials used, the teaching aids, and the assessment methods.

5.3. Training Course Content

The training plan, the main content, additional notes, exercises, assessments, interactive materials, extra resources, technical information, and publications.

A well-thought-out plan helps organise training information, cover the targeted topics, and coordinate content development procedures. On the other hand, an outline helps arrange the content and materials to suit the proposed assessment methods.

Note: If you intend to use quizzes for assessment, you must add enough information about the questions in these quizzes to the training content.

6. Develop the Content

This step involves developing the content of the information you intend to present through the training programme. The nature and volume of the content depend on the materials you choose, such as graphic elements, technical notes, or video scripts.

Here are ten steps to ensure successful content development:

• Use simple language, a logically coherent style, and direct active verbs.
• Use a tone and style appropriate for the target audience.
• Avoid long texts and bulky content.
• Use visual elements and storytelling whenever possible.
• Add examples, practical exercises, and case studies whenever possible.
• Break down complex topics into short and easy-to-digest units.
• Apply micro-learning principles.
• Focus on training outcomes.
• Add humour and jokes when the circumstances are appropriate.
• Proofread the content and correct typographical errors.

7. Use Technological Tools

Try to get the maximum benefit from the available technological tools and invest in them to improve the training experience. Here are some technological tools used to improve the training experience:

• Computer-based training and e-learning provide an interactive, immersive, multimedia experience to enhance trainee engagement.
• Text documents are easily prepared, edited, and distributed in various formats.
• Some tools, such as smart dashboards, allow visual formats to be automatically updated and changed based on new data.
• Animations and visual elements can be easily created using graphics software.
• Content can be shared and viewed on mobile applications.

Technology helps reduce costs by providing the following benefits:

• Saving the time required to prepare training materials.
• Reducing material waste by minimising paper consumption and sending notes online instead of printing them.
• Facilitating collaboration between content development teams.
• Achieving the best possible results from the efforts invested in training.
• Ensuring the retention of acquired information by applying spaced repetition techniques.

8. Review and Evaluate

This step involves evaluating the effectiveness of the training materials and verifying their alignment with the desired objectives and outcomes. This is done by applying the following procedures:

• Analysing test results.
• Evaluating trainee satisfaction.
• Monitoring training programme completion rates.
• Assessing trainee performance after receiving the programme and verifying the results in the workplace.

Note: You should ask for feedback from trainees and subject matter experts during the review and evaluation phase.

Keep in mind that the freshness of training materials diminishes over time. For this reason, you should regularly update them by reviewing and modifying them when necessary, especially when using them in a new programme.

Using AI to Develop Training Materials

AI technology helps improve productivity and creativity by performing the following functions:

• Preparing content plans.
• Creating quizzes.
• Generating summaries.
• Filling in gaps in the training course content.
• Automating the procedures for managing and following up on the training course.
• Translating the training course content into multiple languages.

Benefits of Training Materials

Effective training helps keep participating employees motivated, updates their skills and knowledge, and provides them with the qualifications needed to improve their performance. Training programs, on the other hand, are useful for increasing employee retention and improving performance and productivity.

Effective training requires the use of high-quality materials designed according to well-thought-out standards to increase employee job satisfaction. According to educational consultant Joanne Thirlaway, "High-quality materials help you outperform the competition, improve employee performance, and ensure work is done accurately and with high self-confidence."

Here are five benefits of high-quality training materials:

1. Facilitating the Learning Process

Improving the quality of the experience by adding dynamism to the training content.

2. Enhancing Information Retention

Understanding training objectives can be improved using interactive formats and methods.

3. Improving Training Outcomes

Considering the company's objectives and priorities when setting training goals, the content is applicable in the workplace.

4. Increasing Motivation

Motivation can be improved by providing inspiring, well-thought-out content inspired by the trainees' goals.

5. Increasing ROI in Training

Purposeful training activities help achieve the desired outcomes and increase the return on investment in training.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are some examples of training materials?

Examples of training materials include presentations, videos, written notes, e-learning, computer-based modules, and self-assessment tools. The formats of these materials vary to suit training objectives, learning styles, budget, and available resources.

2. What are the steps for developing training modules?

Here are five steps to develop training materials:

• Define training objectives.
• Use available resources.
• Appoint instructional designers, content developers, and visual experts.
• Use well-designed training materials.
• Leverage technology to achieve high-quality results.

3. What are common mistakes when developing training materials?

It is best to avoid the following elements:

• Jargon and complex linguistic styles.
• Outdated materials.
• Disorganised content.
• Boring content that doesn't engage trainees.

Allocate enough time to understand the training objectives, learning styles, and formats, and the schedules that suit trainees to succeed in developing training materials that achieve the desired outcomes.

4. Why is developing training materials essential?

Training materials help increase the programme's effectiveness by enhancing the ability to retain information, improving outcomes, increasing participant motivation, and raising the ROI in training. Well-designed training materials also help enhance employees' ability to perform their jobs confidently and efficiently, which improves productivity and employee satisfaction within the company.