A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Icebreakers

A short planned activity whose purpose is to create a comfortable atmosphere that makes participants feel more at ease with each other and the instructor. Icebreakers include: energizers, tension relievers, games, brain teasers and getting-acquainted exercises.

Implementation Phase

The fifth phase in FKA’s Instructional Systems Design Methodology. During this phase pilots are conducted, formal training is disseminated or delivered, and bridging activities are completed by the identified target population.

In-Basket

An application method where material is placed in the learner's in-basket and he/she must take whatever action is necessary to place it in the out-basket.

Incentives

One of eight performance factors; a deficiency in these can result in poor performance. Incentives include any forms of financial or recognition rewards. Financial rewards include: salaries, bonuses and stock sharing awards. Recognition rewards include: preferred work assignments, locations and shifts; time off; discretionary treatment; and non-monetary awards.

Incident Process

A form of case study application where an incomplete description of a situation is presented. Learners must determine what facts or materials are missing and ask the instructor to provide them; however, they are given only the information they specifically ask for and nothing extra.

Individual Presentation

A presentation method involving one learner who prepares a short lesson on a topic and presents it to the rest of the group.

Initiators of Training Needs Analysis

There are three reasons to begin a training needs analysis:

• Performance problems/opportunities are identified and training is identified as the solution
• New employees, systems, policies, guidelines or technology have been introduced into the organization
• It is time for scheduled/routine training to be developed

Input

Any action from the learner that causes a change in a technology-based program. It may come from a touch-screen; keyboard, mouse or other peripheral.

Instructional Strategy

FKA’s Instructional Systems Design Methodology identifies seven instructional strategies: Leader-Led (LL), Self Instruction (SI), Self-Directed Learning (SDL), Computer-Based (CBT), Web-Based (WBT), On-the-Job (OJT) or Stand-Alone Job Aid. To select the most appropriate strategy for a situation, you must consider the instructional strategy framework, along with the content itself and any context constraints.

Instructional Strategy Framework

When selecting an appropriate instructional strategy for a given situation you look at the need for group vs. individual instruction, facilitated vs. unfacilitated instruction and local vs. remote delivery mechanisms. When defining a technology-based solution, the need for synchronous vs. asynchronous communication is considered.

Instructional Systems Design (ISD)

(1) An orderly training development process moving from analysis, to design, to development, to implementation and evaluation, often referred to as ADDIE. Also known as Systems Approach to Training (SAT).

(2) FKA has its own ISD Methodology that starts with needs identification, a critical phase that contains all the required pre-project investigations, recommendations and decisions. Another difference is FKA’s analysis phase which defines four types of performance analysis (job, competency, content and concept) that are synthesized into a comprehensive Model of Performance. Finally the FKA cycle shows the validation steps at all stages.

Instructor-Led Training (ILT)

See Leader-Led Instruction.

Instructor Guide

Written document that directs the instructor in the presentation, application and feedback components for the course. See also Lesson Plan.

Instrument

A tool used to collect and organize information, e.g., questionnaires, scales, tests.

Interactive Instruction

A style of instruction that keeps learners actively involved in the learning through the “VIVE” formula:

• Variety – Use different presentation methods, application methods and media to keep interest high.
• Interaction – Engage learners with meaningful questions.
• Visuals – Use colored charts, tables, pictures, models, props, video, animation…
• Examples – Use relevant examples from the work world to keep learners motivated.

VIVE should be a goal for all instructional strategies.

Internal Consistency

Applied to set of items on a test to measure the reliability that the scores of the individual items correlate with one another. In other words, one criteria for a test to be deemed reliable is that the scores on individual questions are similar to each other.

Interrater Reliability

Applied to performance-based tests or questions scored by human raters. It measures how consistent and dependable the scores are across raters.

Interview

A formal or informal meeting in which the person initiating the discussion solicits information from a person or group of people. Interviews can be conducted face-to-face, over the phone or using virtual meeting software.

Irrelevant Question

A weak learning interaction in which the learner is asked to give an answer or response that is NOT relevant to the skills or knowledge to be learned, e.g., the test for understanding questions concern nice-to-know content that is not critical to performance.

Item

A statement, question, exercise or task on a test for which the test-taker must provide some form of response.

Item Analysis

Statistical analysis that is applied to individual items to assess their quality. It may also involve item difficulty analysis and distractor analysis.

Item Difficulty Index