What are the best ways to design technical training courses?

1 Align with the learning objectives

The first step in designing any training course is to define the learning objectives, or what you want your learners to achieve by the end of the course. Learning objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART), and they should align with the business goals and the performance gaps of your team. For example, if you want to improve your team's ability to use a new software tool, your learning objectives could be: "By the end of this course, learners will be able to install, configure, and use the software tool to perform basic tasks and troubleshoot common issues."

2 Know your audience

The next step is to analyze your audience, or who will be taking the course. Knowing your audience will help you tailor the course content, level, and format to their needs, preferences, and backgrounds. For example, if your audience is composed of experienced developers who already have some familiarity with the software tool, you can skip the basic concepts and focus on the advanced features and best practices. On the other hand, if your audience is composed of new hires who have no prior knowledge of the software tool, you will need to provide more explanations, examples, and scaffolding.

3 Choose the delivery mode

The delivery mode refers to how you will deliver the course content to your learners, such as online, in-person, or blended. The delivery mode will affect the design of the course in terms of the length, the pace, the interactivity, and the resources. For example, if you choose to deliver the course online, you will need to consider how to use technology to facilitate communication, collaboration, and feedback among learners and instructors. You will also need to design the course in shorter and more modular units to avoid cognitive overload and maintain engagement. On the other hand, if you choose to deliver the course in-person, you will need to consider how to use the physical space and the equipment to create a conducive learning environment.

4 Create the content

The content is the core of the course, as it provides the information, skills, and knowledge that your learners need to achieve the learning objectives. The content should be relevant, accurate, clear, and concise, and it should follow a logical sequence that builds on the previous topics. You should also use a variety of formats and media to present the content, such as text, images, videos, audio, animations, simulations, etc. This will help you cater to different learning styles and preferences, and enhance the retention and transfer of learning. For example, if you are teaching how to use a software tool, you can use screenshots, video tutorials, code snippets, and interactive exercises to demonstrate and practice the tool's functions.