Ep 15: Psychomotor Skill Training: How to Optimize Learning

On this episode, Allen Oelschlaeger is joined by Randy Revling, a retired Sheriff’s captain with over 30 years of experience as a law enforcement instructor. Randy developed the original instructor development course (IDC) used by the State of Wisconsin and has personally taught over 600 instructor schools for a wide range of disciplines. Unlike most trainers, Randy has documented positive results of his training methods. The discussion focuses on how to optimize “learning” — defined as creating relatively permanent changes in student behavior that results in the benefits expected from the training. Some of the core principles discussed include: • To optimize learning, the importance of soliciting emotion and making the training practical and relevant to the student • People learn by doing, not by listening to a lecture • To drive learning, the need for a stimulus that is created by practicing inside a real-life and relevant scenario • The four steps that must be completed before delivering any training • The reason why teaching should occur inside scenario practice, rather than before this practice • The application of Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Training Evaluation Model to psychomotor skill training • How to effectively engage with students who start class with a bad attitude • The potentially conflicting goals of a training class generating “learning” versus generating good evaluations