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Breaking the Ice: Getting started with an ABET Programme

Starting an ABET programme at a new company can be a daunting experience.

Think about the company culture.

Does your company support the ABET programme? Do they understand the requirements of the programme? Does the company encourage a culture of learning amongst all of their staff, or are the ABET learners the only people to be engaging in further learning? It's important to know the answers to all of these and similar questions because it will affect the way the learners perceive the ABET programme. As a facilitator, you can't change the company culture, but you can change your own style to work within it. Ultimately, this will ensure success for the programme and for the learners themselves.

Put the learners at ease, but make expectations clear.

Learners starting on an ABET programme, no matter what their level or educational background, will feel slightly daunted by prospect of going to study again. Add to this the anxiety of some learners of having never used a computer before and you have a group of some potentially uncomfortable people. Because of this, it is important to allay the fears of the learners. Keep things informal and casual and ask the learners for their opinions on how ideally they would like the training to run.

Having said this, it is also important to set out the expectations for the course. Don't be reluctant to go through exactly what the learners have to do on a daily basis if the course is to be a success. I don't think this will make the learners anxious, in fact, I would feel a whole lot better if I knew exactly what was expected of me and what I'm getting myself in for!

Make sure there are systems in place to promote effective learning.

As the facilitator, you need to take responsibility, inconjunction with the ABET coordinator at the company, for creating an environment in which learners feel comfortable to learn. For my company, this means setting up a timetable so they know exactly where and when they need to come to class and when they need to use the computer. The timetable is also endorsed by management so that learners feel that they have the support of management to do training. The timetable also sets out then the learners are expected to work in their own time, so that learners can plan their lives around the expectations of the course.

It's also important to have an effective communication system, as the facilitator may not be able to see learners every week. We have a pin board on which I place notices. Learners are expected to check the board regularly. We also have a set place for learners to put their books for marking each week. Little things like this help to make the learning environment structured and professional.

Orientate the learners on the computer and in the training room.

Many learners will be using a computer for the first time, so it is essential that they are orientated on the computer. In my group, most of the learners could use the computer, but there was one learner who had not used a computer. Going through the mouse tutor really helped this learner and one of the other more computer-literate learners assisted. It was great to see how this learner became more and more competent with the mouse as she progressed through the mouse tutor. We also went through the login procedure and I plan to type out a login checklist that I will place at the ABET computer to remind learners how to login.

I'm looking forward to our ABET programme and I will keep you updated on progress.

Let me know about anything else that you do at the beginning of an ABET programme at expert@mediaworks.co.za