Reading Check #6 - Chapter 15 Summary

Chapter 15 Summary: Planning for Instructional Implementation

The reading suggests to use persuasion for instructors or participants to readily adopt the instruction, known as ‘planned change.’ The job of the instructional designer is to cultivate buy-in for adopting the instructional intervention. There are four components to the process: innovation, communication, time, and social system. Innovation depends on the relative advantage, or usefulness, as well as user compatibility, innovation complexity (if it is too difficult, users will be reluctant to use it), ability to try it on a small scale first (sample), and ability to observe the results. Communication is key to the process, and determines who should communicate the planned change, whether it be the ID, or the SME; the recommended is whoever has more in common with the selected group. Time is considered alongside who adopts the change first, and this varies depending on the product. The social system involves the relationships amongst members of the target group, and who will communicate the benefits or adoption, or resistance. 

The CLER model stands for configuration, linkages, environment and resources. Configurations represents the networks of relationships within the organization, with four categories: individuals, groups, institutions and cultures. Linkages to determine informal and formal relationships to serve as communication links. The environment represents the physical, social, and intellectual forces contained within a configuration and can affect the innovation by providing a supportive, inhibitive, or neutral atmosphere. Resources are used to support the implementation process, and can be in the form of money, or finances, company infrastructure, a database, web-based instruction, personnel resources to provide training or facilitation, or even the use of tablets. In planning the instruction using the CLER model, first consider the company’s configuration, the individual instructional designer, group, and the institutions to establish the key relationships. Determine the management linkages, and the supporting environment, and whether it supports the project or not.

Another model is the TPC – technical, political and cultural. To go into detail about this model: technical recognizes how the innovation will affect work processes, while political means power and influence of relationships, and cultural recognizes the company’s values.

There are many decisions when it comes to training programs. First, there is program promotion, or getting members to enlist in the training by advertising it. Next, there are many delivery considerations, depending on the size and structure of the organization. Classroom facilities such as training rooms, as well as media equipment selection are considerations for delivery. Instructors are another implementation decision, and this depends on scheduling to minimize impact on productivity as well as instructor training to increase knowledge and skills. Supervisors play an important role in preparing people for training, and what the employee is expected to do.