This week’s assignment has introduced me to John Keller’s motivational design technique called ARCS Model which stands for Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction. I immediately appreciated the model and could imagine using it to create instruction that keeps learners motivated. I think the process of training that my company already uses and which I have been incorporating into my instructional design document already possesses some of these elements naturally. However, creating the rest of the ID document with these categories in mind will further strengthen the training at my company and make a stronger final project.
The first day of training will be an orientation day in which the trainer introduces some basics about the loan process to prepare learners for the journey they are about to embark on. I think starting this type of orientation on the first day is the perfect way to gain learner’s attention because this first day will be low pressure and a direct presentation of the loan process will spark the imagination of the learner. Our trainer is also a friendly and open individual so her energy is sure to motivate and put learners’ at ease. Learners will also be given plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Having the trainer go over the basics of the loan process should naturally bring up many questions to learners. Because of the welcoming family atmosphere at our company, it is unlikely that these questions will create anxiety in learners and more likely that they will inspire the learner to grow. This is because our culture is supportive and we specifically seek out those new to mortgage so they will already be aware that they are in a patient company that wants to help them grow.
As mentioned in my previous posts, hands-on training begins at the front desk working as a receptionist. This stage in training promotes relevance because learners will become familiar with some of the reality of the loan process that they were introduced to during the orientation. They begin their first few days simply shadowing the receptionist and the receptionist explains what she is doing. The learner is encouraged to take as many notes as possible while also being provided some learning material that they can refer to on the job and take home to study. Learners will slowly begin to take over more of the receptionist’s tasks until they are the ones working the front desk and the receptionist shadows them. The learner will be exposed to many situations and have real work to practice with the receptionist’s supervision.
Once the learner has become familiar and comfortable with working the front desk, they will then move to the data entry department where they will begin a similar process and learn to input the applications into our system, create approvals, and eventually create the closing documents. This training is done first by watching the trainer perform the task while the trainer orates specific instructions and explains what she is doing. Additional learning materials will also be provided with steps to inputting an application. The learner will then be given opportunities to practice themselves with the trainer’s supervision. Once they are more comfortable, they will begin practicing with no trainer supervision and will instead direct any questions that come up to the trainer. The learner will submit their work once completed and the trainer will review it. If there are any mistakes, the trainer will go over them with the learner and offer guidance and explanation.
This process of practice successfully implements relevance, confidence, and satisfaction for the learner. The learner constantly has a new goal to achieve by working towards independence in the task. Any questions they have are immediately answered and, as long as they are paying attention and taking notes on the new information learned, they will be able to reference these notes for future situations. This process leads to many opportunities for success and once more and more successful moments are accomplished, the learner gains independence and will no longer need their work checked. This creates feelings of equity because the new hire will begin to accumulate more and more tasks that they can handle independently just as experienced employees do. This experience of learning and gaining independence is extremely rewarding for the learner because they will have an understanding of loan processes that before were most likely foreign to them.
Knowing whether or not a learner has learned is pretty easy because if they are not successfully learning they will not be able to complete the tasks independently. It is rare that mistakes are not noticed almost immediately because of the nature of the loan process and how a file must move back and forth to many different departments. The audit department is also constantly checking and reviewing the work of data entry. New employee’s work is also especially scrutinized because it is only natural that new employees who are just learning will make frequent mistakes. So if a mistake is made, it will be noticed very quickly.
It is okay that a learner makes mistakes, the important thing is that the learner is capable of receiving feedback and makes an effort to make note of mistakes and corrections to those mistakes. The learner needs to take notes and be able to reference those notes for the future. The learner also needs to ask questions. To help alleviate any struggles learners may be having, the trainer will meet privately with the learner periodically to go over their progress, offer assistance, and talk about identifying areas of strength and weakness. The trainer will offer their observances of the learner in a supportive way while giving the learner an opportunity to ask for additional support in other areas if needed.
