Communication skills

Training of Trainers (ToT)

How to design, deliver and evaluate effective training for adults.

Request a quote › View the curriculum

Duration

3 days, 24 hours

Format

In person / online / hybrid

Learning outcomes

writing clear learning objectives and building a course programme and session plan
choosing methods to fit the audience and the goal, engaging participants and managing group dynamics
handling difficult situations, giving constructive feedback and evaluating training results
the principles of adult learning (andragogy) and Kolb’s experiential learning cycle

About the course

Training of Trainers (ToT) is a programme that prepares professionals to design, deliver and evaluate effective training. It is built on the principles of adult learning: people learn better when learning is linked to their own experience and real problems, and when they take an active part rather than listen passively. During the course, participants will learn to write learning objectives, build a course programme and session plan, choose interactive methods, engage the audience and manage group dynamics, give constructive feedback, evaluate training results, and apply the skills they have gained in their own courses.

Who it is for

This course is designed for those who run, or are preparing to run, courses, seminars and workshops: new and practising trainers, HR and learning professionals, in-house experts, mentors and managers. It is also suitable for those who want to pass on their professional experience to others in a structured and engaging way.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge

the principles of adult learning (andragogy) and Kolb’s experiential learning cycle
the stages of training design, from needs analysis to evaluating results (the ADDIE model)
the fundamentals of group dynamics and of evaluating training effectiveness (Kirkpatrick’s four levels)

Practical skills

writing clear learning objectives and building a course programme and session plan
choosing methods to fit the audience and the goal, engaging participants and managing group dynamics
handling difficult situations, giving constructive feedback and evaluating training results

Why choose this course

Being a good specialist does not automatically mean being able to teach others well. Adults learn differently: what matters to them is their own experience, practical application and understanding why they need to learn something.

This course helps you design a training step by step, choose the right methods, engage participants, manage the group and evaluate how far the training has changed the way they work.

If you want your courses to be not a lecture but an experience after which people start doing things differently, this is the right choice.

Curriculum

24 hours

The curriculum follows the same path as any good training course: from the principles of adult learning and the role of the trainer to course design, interactive delivery, group management, feedback and evaluating results. The course consists of 4 modules and ends with participants delivering their own mini-sessions and receiving individual feedback.

Total: 24 hours
Modules: 4
Topics: 12
Practical: 58%

ToT 01 Foundations of adult learning and the role of the trainer 6 hours
ToT 02 Designing a training course 6 hours
ToT 03 Delivery, engagement and group dynamics 6 hours
ToT 04 Feedback, evaluation and practice delivery 6 hours

TheoryPracticalEach segment = 1 academic hour

ToT 01 Foundations of adult learning and the role of the trainer 3 theory · 3 practice · 6 h

1 Introductions, expectations, the trainer’s role and competencies: lecturer or facilitator? 2
2 Andragogy: how adults learn (Knowles’ principles) 2
3 Kolb’s experiential learning cycle as the basis for building a course 2

ToT 02 Designing a training course 3 theory · 3 practice · 6 h

1 Training needs analysis and getting to know the audience 2
2 Writing learning objectives (SMART, Bloom’s taxonomy) 2
3 Course structure and session plan: the ADDIE model, timing, materials and visuals 2

ToT 03 Delivery, engagement and group dynamics 2 theory · 4 practice · 6 h

1 Interactive methods: discussion, role play, case studies, group work, icebreakers 3
2 Group dynamics (Tuckman’s stages) and handling difficult situations and participants 2
3 Trainer presence: voice, the art of asking questions, managing time and energy 1

ToT 04 Feedback, evaluation and practice delivery 2 theory · 4 practice · 6 h

1 Constructive feedback: how to give it and how to receive it 2
2 Evaluating training effectiveness: Kirkpatrick’s four levels 1
3 Practice delivery: participants’ mini-sessions, video recording and individual feedback 3

Frequently asked questions

How is a trainer different from a lecturer?

A lecturer mainly passes on knowledge, while a trainer creates the conditions in which participants learn through their own experience, discussion and practice. A trainer aims not only at knowledge but at a change in behaviour and in the way people work.

Do I need experience of running courses?

No. The course suits both newcomers and practising trainers. Newcomers get a complete system for building a course, and experienced trainers get new methods and feedback on their own delivery style.

What will I have by the end of the course?

You will develop the programme and session plan for a short course of your own, deliver part of it to the group and receive individual feedback from the trainer and the other participants.