Some Questions to Consider In the Design of Professional Training Opportunities

• Administration

• Program Organization

• Participants

• Instructors

• Course Content

• Instructional Setting

• Logistics

• Professional Education Terminology

Administration

• what is the mission of the sponsoring organization?
• does the organization have sufficient human, fiscal and physical resources to provide the course/program?
• what tasks will be performed by internal staff? By contractors
• how will the offering be marketed? Do public announcements adequately and accurately disclose the content, services, fees, targeted audience, instructor qualifications and intended outcomes of the course/program?
• how will the offering be funded - regular budget, fee-based, gifts or grants?
• how will fees be determined? - at cost, for-profit, subsidized through grants, etc. ?
• how are program ideas generated? How is this acknowledged?
• if the program is offered in partnership with another organization(s): how will decisions be made? what tasks will be assumed by each party - logistics, facilities, content development, faculty/participant selection, etc.

Program Organization

• what is the role of the program planner(s)? Who should be included in the planning process?
• how many participants will be enrolled in the course/program, how will the number of participants affect the format, location, educational methodology of the experience?
• at what time and place will the instruction occur? What factors affect this decision?
• how will the offering be evaluated?
• what recognition (certificate, degree, etc.) will be awarded those who complete the course/program?
• will the offering have a social component allowing those with similar interests to meet others?

Participants

•  who is the target audience for the training?
•  what are their expectations? What are their previous learning experiences?
•  what are the information / skills development requirements of the participants?
•  what are their learning styles, cultural / physical / intellectual characteristics?
•  what is the role of participants in deciding on course offerings /content
•  what information will be asked of applicants? how will their responses be keep confidential?
•  what is the criteria by which participants are selected?
•  how will learning be evaluated?

Instructors

• what role will instructors have in decisions about goal setting, program design, instructional methodology, content, resource/materials selection and creation, participant selection?
• what skills and knowledge must they possess?
• how will they be selected? if they require additional training, how will it be acquired?
• should instructors be hired/selected from inside or from outside the organization?
• how will their performance be evaluated?
• what equipment and other resources will they require?

Course Content

• who will be involved in course/program content decision-making?
• what are the problems facing the museum sector as a whole?
• what are the problems facing the individual institutions for which the target audience works?
• with what problems is the department dealing?
• what knowledge / skills are needed in order to solve these problems at the individual job level?
• what skills does the organization / department need that it doesn't have?
• what are the perspectives of the museum community, the institution and/or department supervisors about the content of the course/program? Are there recommended or existing syllabus / curriculum?
• what is the purpose of this course/program? What are the behavioral objectives?
• what is the content focus / what topics will not be addressed?
• what is the most appropriate format(s) for presentation of the information - lecture, hands-on workshop, field-study, discussion, internship, etc.? What are the most appropriate activities for conveying the content? Does the format provide enough variation to maintain the energy level and interest of participants?
• what information/skills will be conveyed?
• in what sequence should information/experience be conveyed?
• how will gaps in needed information be filled?
• what services/materials/equipment will be required? By what criteria will they selected?
• if the course/program was offered previously, what do the evaluations suggest should be included / omitted / revised?

Instructional Setting

• is seating comfortable? Is there a clear line-of sight for all participants?
• is there desk or table-top provision, adequate lighting and temperature, are noise and other distractions controlled?
• are restroom facilities convenient? Are food and water services accessible?

Logistics

• what orientation, housing and/or transportation provisions are needed for attendees, for instructors? 

Professional Education Terminology

• adult education - also called life-span learning or life-long learning or continuing education; characterized by a desire to improve one's quality of life for personal endeavors and/or career advancement; can be acquired by formal instruction or reflective process
• career - a profession for which one trains and pursues as an occupation and, often as an avocation; usually consists of several related jobs
• certificate - document stating that one has fulfilled training or proficiency requirements
• classes / courses - short-term learning opportunities usually focused on operations
• coaching - an instructional relationship in which an experienced person moves a learner along in a series of steps until proficiency is achieved
• colloquium - see symposium
• competencies - knowledge, skills and abilities required to various perform job functions in satisfactory ways
• conferences - an organized program focused on a common theme with a broad goal, provides opportunities to hear from and interact with a diverse group of people
• continuing education - see adult education
• curriculum - an aggregate of courses of study on a topic
• degree - title conferred on a student by a college or university upon completion of a prescribed course of study
• delivery system - methods by which information and learning experiences are conveyed, examples: conference, classroom, seminar, distance learning, electronic
• dialogue - a discussion, a conversation, an exchange of ideas / views between two or more people
• diploma - document conferred by an educational institution indicating successful completion of a prescribed course of study
• education - field of study that deals with methods of teaching and learning; broad-based instruction intended to serve long-term aims as opposed to more narrowly-focused training goals
• facilitate - to make easier, to assist or guide the process
• fellowship - a self-directed learning experience in which an individual designs a program of learning activities and carries them out with support / direction from an expert(s) in the field, emphasis is on individual needs at problem-solving levels; in the UK, the term refers to a category of Museum Association membership
• group dynamics - forces / interactive processes operating in groups that affect group performance and member satisfaction
• goal - the purpose, the overall aim toward which an action is directed; a goal is abstract and conceptual, for example:  to improve communication among staff; contrasts with objective which is measurable
• human resource development (HRD) - organized learning activities arranged within an organization to improve performance and/or personal growth for the purpose of improving the job, the individual and/or the organization
• in-service training - instruction provided to a staff member by an employer that occurs while employed
• internship - instructor helps each learner one by one, emphasis is on skill development, usually at an introductory level
• institutional capacity building - an organization's rationale for supporting human resource development
• instructional approach - means / methods of conveying a message; principles, strategies, assumptions that underlie decisions; reflected in program design
• instructional strategies - see teaching methods
• job - a specific duty, role or function
• job analysis - formal process of investigating all the duties and roles, skills, mental and physical requirements and working conditions for a given job
• KSA's - United States government jargon for the knowledge, skills and abilities required or desired of an employee for a job or task
• learner - student in a formal or informal setting
• mid-career training - instruction that occurs during the intermediate stages of a career
• mentor - a trusted counselor or guide
• mentoring - non-directive instruction in which the person who has experience or knowledge in a particular area guides a learner to discover the answer for him- or herself; the relationship is usually voluntary.
• museography - the recorded techniques of museum work
• museology - the study of museum theory and practices
• museum studies - design and delivery of museology knowledge and skills through a formal program of instruction
• objectives - tangible, specific, concrete, measurable and achievable outcomes of an activity; they tell the expected new capacity(ies) or results a learner should possess upon completion of instruction, the methods or process by which the activity or product will occur, the time frame, and required standard of performance
• professional development - a process of and commitment to a learning culture in which individuals strengthen their knowledge and skills on an on-going basis in order to respond to changing conditions and reach full personal and institutional potential; can be self-initiated and/or institutionally directed, activities can be carried out in group settings and/or alone; characterized by formally structured program with goal, objectives, activities, and evaluation within a given time period
• program or course design - initial phase of program development in which training needs are analyzed, objectives are determined, budget is defined, and decisions on content, format, and delivery mechanisms are made
• program development - phase in which program activities planned, materials created, instructors identified / trained, and funding, equipment, space, transportation, housing, hospitality, participant recruitment, etc. are arranged
• program or course evaluation - final phase of program in which data about the program outcomes and the organizational process are collected and analyzed for effectiveness in achieving stated objectives and progress toward goals; results are used for revision
• program or course implementation - the phase of a program in which instruction occurs
• program or course format - setting in which learning process occurs, examples include lecture, discussion, multi-media presentations
• seminar - an organized program in which a group meets for the purpose of giving and discussing intellectual information on a topic of mutual interest, usually focused on issues; not a business meeting
• shadowing - a learning strategy in which a less experienced person watches/follows an experienced person work in context for a period of time
• study tour - organized learning experiences in which the learner visits unfamiliar institutions in new location; characterized by interviews with staff and observations of collections / processes
• survey - to poll, to inquire, to sample a specific group of people about a their ideas / views
• syllabus - an outline or brief statement of the main points of a course / subjects of a specific course
• symposium - a conference or forum in which a group of experts deliver short addresses on a topic or on related topics, may include discussion period and/or question and answer session
• systems approach - a perspective for considering a topic or issue from the broad framework of a profession, an institution, a government, or a discipline's needs rather than an individual or unit's necessities or desires
• teaching methods - techniques / strategies / approach / means for conveying instruction; examples include lecturing, discussion, small-group problem solving activities, observations, simulated experiences
• training program - formally structured instruction tied to specific job or task; usually skills based
• training needs assessment - data collected from incumbents and supervisors via questionnaires, observations, and interviews to determine if a training problem exists, and of so, its nature and severity
• workshop - brief, intensive training program for a relatively small group of people that emphasizes participation in problem-solving efforts and application of skills practice

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