Book Review

The Complete Computer Trainer by Paul Clothier (1996, NY: McGraw Hill Companies.Journal of Business and Training Education Vol. 6, Spring, 1997, pp. 101-111.

By Judith J. Lambrecht

Many teachers in both the public schools and in industry are engaged in teaching students how to use applications software--software such as word processors, data bases, spreadsheets, graphics programs, and e-mail. Even so, there are surprisingly few professional methods books directed specifically at questions about how to teach in this area. This absence is especially stark when compared to the number of books available for learning applications software itself--books which are plentiful and appear on bookstore shelves as quickly as new software versions. Paul Clothier's book, The Complete Computer Trainer, has the promise of providing useful insights for many applications software teachers and of leading them to more effective teaching practices. He partially succeeds in this goal, if one is truly part of the audience of computer trainers that he has in mind. His writing is engaging, and both his biographical sketch and his teaching anecdotes support the assumption that he is an effective teacher and successful in the field of computer training.

The fact that the field of practice is called "computer training" is possible evidence of the restricted portion of the teaching field that Clothier addresses in this book. He is talking to industry trainers, not public school teachers, This audience of industry trainers may work for a single company, for a dedicated computer training institute or organization, or be private consultants, but they all have two key traits in common that differentiate them from public school teachers:  their content is generally chosen for them by their clients, and they see their students for short periods of time in courses with pre-set, intensive sessions--one eight-hour day up to perhaps three eight-hour days. The learners are apparently largely comprised of persons employed by the company/client  which has hired the trainer. So prevalent is this format of training that its existence as the primary frame of reference is neither made explicit, nor is this model examined for its impact on the training effectiveness itself. This is one of several unexamined assumptions in this book of generally useful advice about teaching applications software.

Practical Teaching Advice

Several sections of the book make it worth reading for anyone teaching computing applications. It is full of practical advice--the kind of advice that can come only from teachers who have had considerable experience teaching a subject they love and reflect on what has been effective for the learners and what has not.  Paul Clothier cares about the learners and respects their presence in his class as students.  He is respectful of their learning attempts and their questions, and he wants them to leave his training sessions with the in-depth understanding of software procedures that will transfer to later job applications and to learning other software. He advocates what could be labeled as a constructivist approach to teaching-- an approach largely comprised of questioning and encouraging independent thinking by the learners. He believes, in essence, that "By stopping and inquiring, trainees come engaged in thinking about the logic of the program--the key to learning any software" (p. 2).

His   chapter on "Encouraging Independence" is particularly good. It is full of useful examples of different types of questioning techniques and little snippets of anecdotes from his files of actual teaching situations. He is no advocate of excessive "telling," nor is he a fan of the kind of instructional materials which lead students through software procedures step-by-step, but do not lead to understanding--the kind of instructional materials that keep everyone busy, minimize questions, but leave students wondering later how they actually did what they saw on their screens. His focus on questioning and encouragement of student speculation leads to the strong admonition to never touch a student's keyboard, nor to allow another student to do so. He is a strong advocate of developing broader concepts about software, followed up by the explicit procedures and the vocabulary that accompany these concepts and procedures.

This preference for student freedom to question and explore is especially evident in the chapter on "”Teaching Windows Programs.”  While this chapter reinforces ideas introduced early in the book, it is almost the last chapter-- perhaps an afterthought. It is not clear why chapters are sequenced as they are. Nevertheless, the GUI environment unavoidably asks students to use their intuition about what is possible and provides three or four ways for accomplishing the same tasks--not an environment for expecting uniform class progress. A particularly helpful section of this chapter is the identification of twelve typical problems that users have when learning Windows programs, such as not selecting text or graphics before choosing a function, or not being able to use the scroll bars. This is the type of pedagogical knowledge that teacher must have, but which can only be gained through teaching, observing students' difficulties, and talking with them. This is especially true if teachers/trainers have not had these problems themselves.  Here, again, the goal is not necessarily to help students avoid these common problems, but rather to help students understand why the problems occurred as they correct them.

Another strong chapter is that on "Training Delivery," where reinforces with numerous examples the four-step model of providing the conceptual and procedural overview of a topic, providing an assisted exercise, then an unassisted exercise, and finally ending with a review, clarifications, and questions. This chapter has specific suggestions for computer classroom setup, for visual aids--diagrams that help students visualize software concepts, and for actual delivery of presentations by the trainer. With regard to classroom setup, there is no explicit discussion of the assumption that there will be one computer per student; this is considered to be self-evident. Even with this assumption, though, discussion is given to the importance of student interactions and to the possibilities of paired learning activities.

While not labeled as such, Clothier argues for a functional context for learning, allowing learners to see the big picture before moving into the technical detail of accomplishing a task. He talks at length about the power of analogies or metaphors for the concepts learners need to master, and he provides several good examples (such as avoiding the error of selecting a section of text by starting in the middle by viewing the text as a floor to be painted; one would need to start in one of the corners!). Selecting good metaphors can be very group, software, or student-generation specific. Teachers will appreciate the hint that a good way for a trainer to learn about effective analogies or metaphors is to ask learners how they would explain a given concept to a co-worker.

The chapter on "The Character of the Trainer" follows in a similar style of student-centered teaching. Throughout this chapter there is further evidence of respect for the learners, the slow ones, the fearful ones, and the ones who answer questions in error. It is in this chapter that Clothier's language changes from that of "delivery" and "training"-- terms that otherwise drive this book--to that of "teaching" and "coaching." The specific recommendations for teaching practices are coupled with the admonition to "be oneself"-- to reflect a genuine enthusiasm for one's subject and to use humor only as it fits naturally into one's personality.

Another strong chapter that follows the tone of those already mentioned is that of "Dealing with Difficult Learners," a chapter that will be appreciated by any computing teacher who has encountered the types of personalities that emerge when people try to master computers. This and other chapters are full of suggestions on how to provide for differences in abilities, how to set ground rules so that break times and ending times are used appropriately, and how to varying teaching practices in order to keep both students and teacher interested and engaged.

Other Positive aspects of this book that computer teachers will find valuable are the lists of resources for computer trainers  --  books, magazines, professional organizations, and a wealth of Internet resources. Contemporary topics, such as distance learning, just-in-time training, use of multi-media, and electronic performance support systems receive brief discussion. Candid comments are made about the limitations and merits of classroom instruction. The essentially social nature of learning is recognized as the compelling need that keeps classroom teaching viable.

Can Learning be "Delivered"?

For all its wealth of practical information, there are some omissions in this book that would prevent it from becoming a single course textbook for teacher preparation, should one be looking for such a textbook, as I frequently am. There are numerous unexamined assumptions and a generally narrow conception of computer education in The Complete Computer Trainer.  Clothier seems to experience teaching as a holistic, social enterprise in which adults make meaning out of the computer exercises by linking these activities with prior experiences and understandings.  He describes a very functional context for teaching and makes frequent constructivist assumptions about how learning takes places. Together with this, however, he is compelled to use the strong language of "training," "delivery of instruction", and even "delivery of learning".  His brief ending chapter on "How We Learn" presents an information-processing orientation to learning with a model of information transfer into short-term memory followed by integration into long-term memory.  This is in contrast to an earlier section on "Accelerated Learning" which contains more explicit descriptions of functional context learning (thought not labeled as such) in which meaningful learning goals are established with the learners, discovery learning is encouraged, and verbalization of concepts by students is recommended to encourage conceptual reorganization.  Clothiers seems to want to claim allegiance to the strong systems approach which generally characterizes computer systems development while, in contrast, his own experience as a teacher wants to suggest a more holistic, less predictable and more socially sensitive learning environment. He does not recognize the conflict.

Perhaps the weakest chapter in the book is the one on "Evaluating Computer Training." This brief chapter is at least candid in recognizing that frequently organizations never know the outcomes of planned, course-based instructional experiences. At best, detailed evaluation checklists completed by the trainees may reveal the topics about which the learners thought they learned the most.  At best, on-the-job performance may indicate that skills have increased and other intangible benefits have been gained, such as increased confidence, feelings of comfort with the technology, and an interest in acquiring further skills. But there is no real discussion of measuring performance outcomes. Perhaps this is because the model of all-day or multiple-day, intensive training sessions is accepted and time is just not available to evaluate actual learning outcomes with real work samples. While Clothier makes regular reference to the need to related in- class training exercises to the trainees' actual work needs, the demand for intensive, away from the work setting, whole-class instruction makes this very difficult.  But the model is not questioned. Intensive 4-, 6-, or 8-hour class sessions designed to "cover" a certain number of software features is the industry norm.

Performance testing is not part of the portfolio of teaching practices of corporate computer trainers. Neither are concepts such as "distributed" versus "massed" practice of skills, nor "transfer of problem-solving skills" to other contexts. Issues of "reliability" and "validity" of evaluation instruments are also absent from the discussion. In fact, with regard to validity, the on-the-job work context is not recognized as markedly affecting what will actually be accomplished with applications software once a trainee returns to work. While Clothier recognizes the need to support the development of independent learning skills, the context in which these skills will either be nurtured or discouraged is not discussed. The framework for teaching does not allow it. The constraints are built in. This may be why the chapter about "Designing Instruction" is very brief. Also, contrary to normal instructional design practices, the chapter on "Designing Instruction" follows both of the chapters entitled "Evaluating Computer Training' and "Courseware and Documentation."  This unusual sequencing may imply that certain decisions have already beer made about what is possible, so asking fundamental questions as a designer, about instructional needs and evaluating actual outcomes could move into territory that questions the whole enterprise.

The Role of the Computer Trainer

Computer training is a fairly new teaching field--perhaps twenty years old as most. The profession is comprised largely of persons such as Paul Clothier and other trainers he describes who come into training because they are good at usinc applications software. They may have been the office computer guru who helps everyone else figure out how to usE the software that other persons have mandated as the company's software choice.  They move into training as something they think they would like to try, and they do—they are "natural born teachers."  One result of this informal selection process is that some of the broader concerns that generally are thought to accompany formal, professional teacher preparation are not present. Applications software training is accepted as a narrow enterprise of teaching software use--even though using software well unavoidably means understanding the logic of the software and how given business tasks can be expediter by its use.

In the world of the "complete computer trainer" there is no attempt to ask trainees to look more broadly at compute use in general, their place in the organization as software users and their own potential for growth in the field. Trainees are seldom asked to critique software and make software choices.  In fact, Clothier has a sympathetic description of teaching class in which the trainees are persons who have reluctantly been asked to give up a well-learned software package to move to a newer version or to a different brand of an application.  But in this case, the role of the trainer is to be sympathetic to the situation and not to criticize the old, well-loved software There is no time in the intensive training sessions to as trainees to question corporate decisions about software selections, even though the trainees may be in the been positions to offer suggestions about how work might be done more effectively using given technology. Nor are any attempt made to ask trainees how they would like to learn to us software and whether the intensive all-day sessions really allow them to apply applications to areas of their work that could benefit from such software tools.

Perhaps one of the most telling sections of this book with regard to the differentiated roles of computer users are the different types of training that, thus, might be made available is a brief section on "Technical Training" in a chapti called "More Training Suggestions." The area of "Technical Training" is not the same as "Applications Training." This book is concerned largely with "Applications Training."  But "Technical Training" is a higher-level enterprise.  Unlike training on word processors, e-mail, spreadsheets, etc., technical training focuses on higher-end products such as operating systems, networking systems, and CAD products. It is not as procedurally oriented as applications training. The users are more experienced and can figure out the procedures for themselves. There is less "hand-holding" and more focus on concepts, more lecturing, more technical content to master, and generally higher expectations. What Clothier does not say however, is that the audience for technical training is probably male, while the audience for applications training may t predominantly female.  While there are exceptions to the generalization--as in Clothier's example of the attorneys who needed to learn spreadsheets--there is no doubt that the preponderance of administrative support workers who use applications software are mostly  women, and  the preponderance of technical support staff who administer networks are mostly men.

Why do computer-related career options continue to be so stereotyped? Why are applications software users not asked to see their employment opportunities more broadly or to value their work experiences more highly--to see that they have understandings about the needs of their work settings that would contribute to corporate planning and design or selection of computer software and not to be passive recipients of decisions made by others? Such role consequences are not discussed by the "complete computer trainer," though a more complete computer education would unavoidable need to look more broadly at these career options. What is available, who can pursue it, and what education or training can lead to these wider options?

Conclusion

A person need not be a corporate computer trainer in order to enjoy Paul Clothier's writing, his practical advice, and the genuineness of his concerns for his students'/trainees' learning. This perspective is important as more people, in school and already out, need to learn about applications software. Using such software is likely to be part of many persons' jobs, unless they have support staff to whom they can delegate such skilled responsibilities. People will need to taken advantage of organized group learning opportunities as well as need to know how to learn independently as software continues to change and evolve in its capabilities. Teaching beginners well will enable this sought-after learning independence, and such independence is Clothier's clear and unambiguous goal.

While this book lacks the structure of a consistent conceptual framework and may be limited by the assumptions inherent in the intensity of short, highly concentrated industry-focused training sessions, it has a clear message. Even teachers who can get to know their students better and work with them for longer periods of time need to remember that teacher-student rapport must be earned. Such rapport is essential for effective teaching because ultimately students themselves determine what they learn. Teachers or trainers, however they wish to label themselves, can be most supportive of this learning process when they respect the student/trainee role, the apprehensions of making one's ignorance and accomplishments public, and the inevitable need to approach computing software from the perspective of one's past experiences and the expectations of the settings in which the software is to be used.

Dr. Judith J. Lambrecht is a Professor in the Dept. of Work, Community, and Family Education and also the Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul.