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Telling Ain't Training
This book is an entertaining and practical guide for every trainer and performance improvement professional as it tackles the three universal and persistent questions of the profession—how do learners learn, why do learners learn, and how do you ensure that learning sticks. This interactive book with it fun and breezy style illustrate the authors' point of view that learning should be active and enjoyable. Playful illustrations demonstrate the solid research that back up the authors' contentions and help readers separate learning myth from fact to dispel beliefs and practices that often harm the instructional process.
208 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2002
About the author
Harold D. Stolovitch
20 books7 followersHarold D. Stolovitch is principal of the international consulting firm HSA Learning & Performance Solutions LLC. He's worked with major corporations such as Bank of Montreal, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, Merck, Sun Microsystems, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
He is a professor emeritus of workplace learning and performance at the University of Montreal.
Stolovitch has won numerous awards for his contributions to the fields of instructional technology and performance technology, including the 2001 International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Distinguished Professional Achievement award and ISPI’s highest award, Member for Life. He also received the 2003 President’s Award for Lifetime Achievements from the Canadian Society for Training and Development. And in 2004, Stolovitch and his team won the ASTD Outstanding Research Award for their work on incentives, motivation, and workplace performance.
He is a professor emeritus of workplace learning and performance at the University of Montreal.
Stolovitch has won numerous awards for his contributions to the fields of instructional technology and performance technology, including the 2001 International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Distinguished Professional Achievement award and ISPI’s highest award, Member for Life. He also received the 2003 President’s Award for Lifetime Achievements from the Canadian Society for Training and Development. And in 2004, Stolovitch and his team won the ASTD Outstanding Research Award for their work on incentives, motivation, and workplace performance.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 19, 2013
I borrowed this book from our office library and liked it enough that I ordered my own copy so I could underline it and keep it on hand as a reference. It’s simply one of the more practical books I’ve read on the subject.
Who should read this book? Anyone who has anything to do with adult training but particularly people whose job it is to design training sessions. It is as much for experience trainers as it is for beginners. If I had read it before, I would have avowed a lot of mistakes.
It manages to be an easy and pleasant read while teaching us a lot at the same time. With a limited amount of pages, it goes fairly deep in each subject.
The whole book revolves about the learners and what helps people learn so the theories and techniques expressed in this book can be applied to any adult training whether technical or soft skills and whether in class or Elearning. They are all based on solid researches and debunk a few myths along the way. The authors ,Harlod D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps, try to apply their mantra “Learner centered, performance based” as much as feasible in a book and, as a result, I remember more that I usually do when I finished a book.
Particularly invaluable were the following chapters:
• How do adapt to for differences in Ability, Prior knowledge
and Motivation in our learners (chapter 4)
• Four key adults learning principles (chapter 5)
• The five steps model to creating training session (chapter 6)
• Getting learners to remember (chapter 7)
• Testing (chapter 9)
• Learning with technologies (chapter 11)
As you might have noticed, I listed almost all chapters and it doesn’t mean that the one I didn’t list should be skipped. The whole book is that useful. I wish the authors had included more activities that can be directly applied to Elearning or been more specific about adapting the activities that were suggested but it is a minor reproach to what is one of the best books I’ve read on the subject. The bibliography at the end is in itself worth the price of Telling Ain’t Training.
Who should read this book? Anyone who has anything to do with adult training but particularly people whose job it is to design training sessions. It is as much for experience trainers as it is for beginners. If I had read it before, I would have avowed a lot of mistakes.
It manages to be an easy and pleasant read while teaching us a lot at the same time. With a limited amount of pages, it goes fairly deep in each subject.
The whole book revolves about the learners and what helps people learn so the theories and techniques expressed in this book can be applied to any adult training whether technical or soft skills and whether in class or Elearning. They are all based on solid researches and debunk a few myths along the way. The authors ,Harlod D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps, try to apply their mantra “Learner centered, performance based” as much as feasible in a book and, as a result, I remember more that I usually do when I finished a book.
Particularly invaluable were the following chapters:
• How do adapt to for differences in Ability, Prior knowledge
and Motivation in our learners (chapter 4)
• Four key adults learning principles (chapter 5)
• The five steps model to creating training session (chapter 6)
• Getting learners to remember (chapter 7)
• Testing (chapter 9)
• Learning with technologies (chapter 11)
As you might have noticed, I listed almost all chapters and it doesn’t mean that the one I didn’t list should be skipped. The whole book is that useful. I wish the authors had included more activities that can be directly applied to Elearning or been more specific about adapting the activities that were suggested but it is a minor reproach to what is one of the best books I’ve read on the subject. The bibliography at the end is in itself worth the price of Telling Ain’t Training.
November 16, 2022
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Education is the result of a variety of life experiences and highly generalized learning principles and events.
2. Challenged AND supported. Practice AND Feedback.
3. Performance objectives are the milestone.
- Our tests are the checkpoints.
4. Learning: ability + prior knowledge + motivation.
5. Our instruction should provide only what the learner is lacking.
6. Good class = relevant from personal/professional perspective; content in a meaningful way, get involved, tools.
7. Four (4) chunks maximum to digest at one time…create meaningful chunks that condense several pieces of information into one.
8. The main challenge with information in long-term memory is retrieval.
9. The more a learner’s senses we engage in organized and meaningful ways, the more easily learning can occur.
10. The more a learner values what is to be learned, the higher the motivation.
- Perceived value of motivation.
1. Education is the result of a variety of life experiences and highly generalized learning principles and events.
2. Challenged AND supported. Practice AND Feedback.
3. Performance objectives are the milestone.
- Our tests are the checkpoints.
4. Learning: ability + prior knowledge + motivation.
5. Our instruction should provide only what the learner is lacking.
6. Good class = relevant from personal/professional perspective; content in a meaningful way, get involved, tools.
7. Four (4) chunks maximum to digest at one time…create meaningful chunks that condense several pieces of information into one.
8. The main challenge with information in long-term memory is retrieval.
9. The more a learner’s senses we engage in organized and meaningful ways, the more easily learning can occur.
10. The more a learner values what is to be learned, the higher the motivation.
- Perceived value of motivation.
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June 4, 2016Trainers PLEASE read this book so I can enjoy your session.
August 20, 2023
İçinde çok değerli bilgiler, araştırma sonuçları, uygulanabilir yöntemler ve tavsiyeler olmasına rağmen, bu kitabı okurken bir yandan da bir eğitim tasarlayabilirim diye yola çıktığım için ben de biraz hayal kırıklığı yarattı.
Evet, eğitiminizi nasıl daha etkili hale getirebileceginizi, egitim sonrası başarılı sonuçlara nasıl ulasilacagina değiniyor, bununla ilgili güzel yöntemler ve tavsiyeler veriyor (hatta sonu 5 ile biten 2 basamaklı sayıların karelerini 10 sn'den daha kısa sürede hesaplayabilmeyi de öğretiyor) ama bir "eğitim tasarlama kılavuzu" görevi görmüyor. Ya da belki de ben öyle görmeyi başaramadım.
Her egitmenin, eğitim vermek isteyenlerin kesin okuduğu ve mutlaka okuması gerektiğine hala inanıyorum. Ancak benim gibi, "bu kitabı okuyup, şahane bir eğitim tasarlarim" diye düşünüyorsanız, lütfen çareyi başka yerlerde arayın!
Evet, eğitiminizi nasıl daha etkili hale getirebileceginizi, egitim sonrası başarılı sonuçlara nasıl ulasilacagina değiniyor, bununla ilgili güzel yöntemler ve tavsiyeler veriyor (hatta sonu 5 ile biten 2 basamaklı sayıların karelerini 10 sn'den daha kısa sürede hesaplayabilmeyi de öğretiyor) ama bir "eğitim tasarlama kılavuzu" görevi görmüyor. Ya da belki de ben öyle görmeyi başaramadım.
Her egitmenin, eğitim vermek isteyenlerin kesin okuduğu ve mutlaka okuması gerektiğine hala inanıyorum. Ancak benim gibi, "bu kitabı okuyup, şahane bir eğitim tasarlarim" diye düşünüyorsanız, lütfen çareyi başka yerlerde arayın!
January 19, 2023
Very practical and with advice for quick wins.
Facused on how to improve overall learn g and takle learning needs
The chapter on e-learning is a bit misleading. Focuses more on how to evaluate if e-learning is the right approach rather than what best practices to implement once you have made the decision that e-learning is the right way.
Still, fully recommended also for a refreshing update on adult learning.
Facused on how to improve overall learn g and takle learning needs
The chapter on e-learning is a bit misleading. Focuses more on how to evaluate if e-learning is the right approach rather than what best practices to implement once you have made the decision that e-learning is the right way.
Still, fully recommended also for a refreshing update on adult learning.
April 15, 2019
Nice book to look at for people who are new to training.
Read the book, it some nice sections and couple of good activities that you can use during the training sessions.
One of the best takeaway for me were the quiz at the end of each chapter followed by the detailed answers to check the conceptual understanding.
Read the book, it some nice sections and couple of good activities that you can use during the training sessions.
One of the best takeaway for me were the quiz at the end of each chapter followed by the detailed answers to check the conceptual understanding.
September 2, 2020
Read this book for work. It had some helpful information for professional training, but it is really geared more to technical or new hire training. This is the 2nd edition and since it's nine years old, it would be good to have an update--especially for the chapters on technology in training. It would be good to address virtual training as well for today's world.
November 10, 2022
I have read this to assist in a course I am doing. This book had a lot of interesting ideas and exercises to keep you thinking along the way and to teach you something new. The book's theme is 'learner centred, performance based' which is to be used as the backbone advice for all training you may implement. Certainly alot of food for thought to consider.
August 15, 2018
The 25 games towards the end were very good. The rest, not so much.
October 15, 2018
A good start for a trainer or training creators. this is beginner's work though. a fast introductory read.
November 6, 2018
Great book. Helpful. Hands-on .
May 21, 2019
The book is very good but becomes redundant. I'll be using it as a reference in the future.
November 13, 2020
A must-read for teachers and trainers of adults.
April 30, 2021
The best practical guide for teaching adults either in person or online. Practical tips, free resources and lesson and activity ideas.
February 15, 2017
Great for trainers in any industry!
March 20, 2015
Good content and well structured, but it still overcomplicates the training function. The two chapters on technology and training are downright disheartening - filled with negativity and cynicism. The authors could be right, but learning and performance professionals are increasingly expected to leverage technology to make training dollars go further - this text to offer solutions to that dilemma!
July 26, 2015
I liked the book. I think it will be very useful for me as I continue my formal education in training and instructional design. The book makes it clear that most of the training out there is a form of telling, and that this is not a very productive approach to adult learning, and suggest ways to make adult learning more learner-centered. I would recommend this book as a good way to get some good background in the training field.
September 2, 2015
As I'm getting more into the training/instructional design area, this was an extremely valuable and entertaining book. It's written in a way that mimics its lessons--it's interactive, puts into practice what it preaches, and uses language that's relatable. Definitely at the top of my "training/OD/ID" bookshelf. And they have a conference! I'm very interested in attending the conference (what a cool idea to tie the two together!)
December 3, 2015
Well organized book that did a fine job of utilizing its own principles throughout. I especially liked the idea of asking questions to make the audience think and stay involved in the learning process.
This could very easily be a 5 star book to someone more heavily involved in teaching on a daily basis.
This could very easily be a 5 star book to someone more heavily involved in teaching on a daily basis.
February 5, 2013
Really interesting and very practical, I bought it because my company is launching a training programme and it enabled me to get good ideas on how to actually train our employees.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews