Session 3: Time Management in Training Courses

What techniques are available to be always on time?

Time Blocking: Allocate specific time slots for tasks and adhere to them strictly. Consider using 15-minute blocks to maintain focus and prevent tasks from becoming overwhelming. Limit yourself to a maximum of two blocks per activity to encourage efficiency.
Rehearse and Practice: Repeatedly practice your presentation to gain familiarity and confidence. This helps you identify areas where you may linger too long and allows for adjustments to stay on track.
Set Realistic End Goals: Clearly define what you need to accomplish within your time frame. While it's important to have a plan, acknowledge there will always be room for improvement, and aim to finish your task within the allocated time rather than achieving perfection.
Appoint a Timekeeper: Designate someone, e.g. another trainer (‘never teach alone’), to keep track of time during meetings or events. This ensures that everyone stays aware of the schedule and helps prevent overruns.
Use Digital Tools: Utilize tools like Google Docs to organize and share information efficiently, allowing for collaborative editing and time monitoring.
Facilitate Q&A with Technology: Implement tools, such as Slido, to manage and collect audience questions. This allows for a more structured and time-efficient question-and-answer session, like in events such as ELIXIR AHM.
Continuous Improvement: After each task or event, take a moment to reflect on what went well and what could be improved for next time. This ongoing evaluation helps refine your approach to time management.

What about Slide Limits?

Set a Slide Limit: Determine an appropriate number of slides for your presentation based on the allotted time. Typically, aim for one slide per minute to allow thorough coverage, so for a 15-minute presentation, around 15 slides is ideal.
Allocate 3 Minutes per Slide: For more complex topics, allocate approximately 3 minutes per slide. This allows ample time for detailed explanations without rushing, making the presentation more engaging and easier for the audience to follow.
Understand Slide Limit Challenges: Navigating slide limits can be challenging, especially if your content is dense or multifaceted. Prioritize key messages and avoid overloading slides with information. Focus on clarity and conciseness to overcome these difficulties.
Consider the Teaching Methodology: The type of teaching approach you employ affects slide design. Interactive sessions might require fewer slides with discussion prompts, while lecture-style presentations may need more slides to visually support the material.
Adapt to Content Type: Different types of content demand different slide structures. For instance, data-heavy content might benefit from simple charts with highlighted takeaways, whereas narrative content can use visual storytelling elements across slides.

How many questions?

When managing questions during a presentation or meeting, it's important to balance audience engagement with time constraints. Here are some strategies to effectively manage questions:

Set a Question Limit: Clearly communicate at the start that there will be a limit on the number of questions. This helps keep the session on track and ensures that the essential content is covered without being sidetracked.
Be Direct and Concise: It’s perfectly acceptable to say, "I'll address your question later." This applies when questions are either off-topic or require a detailed answer that could derail the session. Follow up on these questions at a more appropriate time, such as at the end of the presentation, in a coffee break or via email.
Prioritize Questions: Start with questions from the previous session if it's a recurring meeting. This ensures continuity and clarifies any previous ambiguities before moving into new material. However, this approach is typically more beneficial for longer sessions with ongoing discussions.
Provide a Q&A Window: Allocate a specific time at the end of your session for questions. Let attendees know they can submit questions throughout, which you'll address in this dedicated Q&A period. This helps manage interruptions and keeps the presentation flowing smoothly.
Encourage Written Questions: For sessions using digital platforms or a Google Doc, encourage participants to submit questions in writing through a chat feature or tools like Slido. This allows you to quickly assess and organize questions by relevance and importance.
Acknowledge Unanswered Queries: If time runs out before all questions are addressed, reassure attendees by offering to follow up individually. Providing an email address or a follow-up document can help attendees feel valued and heard.
Evaluate Engagement: After the session, review the questions submitted. It provides insight into what the audience found most engaging or unclear, and can guide you in shaping future presentations.

Massive updates in online DBs/Tools on the time of training. What should I do to stay on time?

When dealing with massive updates to online databases and tools in the context of training, it's important to implement strategies that minimize disruptions and enhance the learning experience.

Plan for Updates: Anticipate potential updates by scheduling regular checks of the databases and tools prior to the training. Stay informed about any upcoming changes or releases to ensure your training material remains relevant and up-to-date. Have a plan B such as alternative workflows or backup tools, to handle disruptions effectively.
Problem Solving Mindset: Foster a problem-solving approach among participants by encouraging them to view technical issues as learning opportunities. This can help reduce frustration and improve their adaptability to real-world scenarios.
Utilize Cloud Computing: Leverage cloud computing with pre-configured images to create stable, uniform environments for all participants. This approach minimizes the risk of technical difficulties by providing a consistent setup that is less affected by ongoing updates.
Real-time Support: Ensure real-time technical support is available during the training. Quick assistance can address issues immediately, enabling participants to continue their learning with minimal interruption.

Do you think that as years pass, the quality (amount) of training is less than previous years?

The quality of students today compared to 20 years ago can be viewed from different perspectives, and it's important to consider various contextual factors affecting education over time. While the environment and tools have evolved, making direct comparisons challenging, it's clear that each generation of students has its own strengths and faces different challenges. Education systems continuously adapt, striving to meet the needs of students in an ever-changing world. However, while the proportion of high-quality students remains relatively consistent, the number of students overall has significantly increased in recent years.

Which is more problematic: a course that runs longer than scheduled or one that finishes too early? What techniques can be used to prevent these issues?

When evaluating whether a course running too long or finishing too early is more problematic, both scenarios can present challenges, but their impact can vary depending on context and expectations.

Challenges

Course Taking Too Long:

Participant Fatigue: Extended sessions can lead to participant fatigue, diminishing engagement and retention of information.
Scheduling Conflicts: Overrunning can conflict with participants’ other commitments, potentially causing frustration.
Reduced Effectiveness: Stretching content can dilute the impact and clarity of essential material.

Course Finishing Too Early:

Unmet Expectations: Participants may feel shortchanged if the course doesn't fully utilize the allocated time.
Lack of Depth: Finishing early might indicate insufficient coverage of topics, leaving participants with unresolved questions.
Perceived Inefficiency: Participants might question the course's value if it concludes sooner than expected.

By employing strategies mentioned, you can minimize the challenges of courses running too long or finishing too early, ensuring a more efficient and engaging learning experience.

If your course takes longer than expected, here are several steps you can take to manage the situation effectively:

Communicate and Apologize: Acknowledge the delay and apologize to participants for any inconvenience caused. Transparency builds trust and shows respect for their time.
Assess and Prioritize: Allow participants to leave. For the remaining participants quickly assess which remaining content is essential and prioritize its delivery. Focus on key takeaways or topics that provide the most value to the participants.

If your training course is finishing earlier than planned, here are several strategies to make the most of the remaining time:

Engage with Expanded Content: Use the extra time to delve deeper into topics that may have been covered briefly. Offer more detailed explanations, case studies, or examples to enhance understanding.
Facilitate a Q&A Session: Encourage participants to ask questions. This not only clarifies any doubts they might have but also helps fill the extra time productively.
Solicit Feedback: Use the remaining time to gather feedback on the course content and delivery. This can provide valuable insights for improvements and future sessions.
Provide Additional Resources: Share supplementary materials, such as articles, videos, or online resources, for those interested in exploring the subject further on their own. Have additional "nice-to-know" slides prepared as a backup, such as those on gamification or other engaging topics.