I learned that I passed the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) Knowledge Exam on June 4, 2014. My first thought: Whew! My second thought: Now what?
My work product is due on August 22—just shy of 11 weeks away. By June 23, I have decided I will lead a training session, and have selected the training topic and completed the learning objectives.
Now, I need to figure out the details. First, I have to determine where the training program will take place, who will participate, and what the group’s training needs are. Next, I must figure out how to best deliver the topic according to the key actions in the work product guidelines. For instance, can I provide a room with adequate space, seating, lighting, privacy, materials, and snacks? Can I link the learning objectives to the learning activities? Can I tie the current instruction to previous instruction to make it relevant and memorable? Can I get the audience to actively participate? Can I adjust my delivery style on the fly to meet participants’ needs?
I start by reading Part III of the CPLP Certification Handbook, which describes the work product. I review Appendices P and Q, which explain the key actions for my area of expertise, training delivery. I realize that I need to create a training video and start to panic. I know nothing about video production, splicing, and editing, and neither does anyone I know. I don’t even own a video camera. Fortunately, Appendix J has specific instructions on the video media requirements, including how to record and edit a video. Thank you, ATD, for making this clear!
I move on to determining the evidence required for my chosen area of expertise. I need three video clips of one classroom-based learning event with a minimum of six learners. The total time of the three clips can’t exceed 20 minutes. That’s going to be challenging, because in 20 minutes I must cover seven key actions:
- conveys objectives
- establishes credibility
- creates a positive learning climate
- encourages participation and builds motivation
- delivers various learning methodologies
- facilitates learning
- delivers constructive feedback.
I also have to do pre- and post-training work, including managing the learning environment and preparing for training delivery, aligning learning solutions with course objectives and learner needs, and ensuring learning outcomes and evaluation solutions.
My training sessions are scheduled for July 15 and 16, so I now have less than a month to finish the plan. I decide I will choose the better of the two learning events to use for my work product. I write the instructions, make the materials, and determine how I will evaluate success. I create a post-instruction test and evaluations for the course and the instructor.
The first training day arrives: the room and video camera are set up, the equipment has been tested, and the materials are ready. The day goes well, but time management is difficult, because I’d never done the role play before. I make adjustments for the second day, and it goes a bit faster and smoother.
Video of both days is created and given to me for editing. I take a few days to decompress before looking at the video, and finally review it on July 21. I decide the second training is better for the work product.
Splicing the video turns out to be the most frustrating part of the process. First, I have technical difficulties, both viewing the video and downloading the program I need to splice it. I then have to learn to splice the video to provide evidence of each key action. The deadline to mail my work product keeps getting closer, but I try to stay calm. I can do this.
I end up reviewing the video about 100 times. Ever gotten sick of hearing yourself talk? Well, this will certainly do it. Start and stop, start and stop, trying to find evidence that I covered a key action. This is much more difficult than you would think, because you may cover three key actions in 10 seconds and then none for the next 10 minutes.
I splice and splice and splice and am still at 42 minutes. I splice more and get down to 35 minutes. I’ve spliced so much awesome material that I want to cry, but I have no choice. I have to get the video down to 20 minutes.
I finally get it down to 19:31, and I hope that I have sufficiently covered the key actions. I then review the final video to write down the timecodes for each key action, so that I can list them in the narratives we are required to include in our work product. The narratives illustrate the video for the reviewers: they describe the scene, and what key action is being covered.
I then put the finishing touches on my work product. I include the post-instruction test to prove that the instruction was effective, and review the instructor evaluation to describe what I could have improved.
It is now August 16. I type and assemble everything and package it all up. The Certification Institute receives my work product on August 18—four days before the deadline.
This work product is not for the faint of heart, but once it’s done, the worst part—the waiting—begins.
Learn more about the CPLP certification.
