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Operator Training Tips For Training Today's Operator — And Making It Stick Introducing three training trends that improve operators' understanding and plant performance wateronline.com ■ Water Online The Magazine 8 T raining operators is often an afterthought in the water industry — but it shouldn't be. Increased demands and a changing workforce present train- ing challenges. Tod ay's operators run complicated treatment plants and face tight permit limits. New treatment processes and technologies require training to be operated effectively. Utilities also face significant risk from loss of institutional knowledge as baby boomers retire and leave the workforce. Given these constraints, quality and customized training has become a necessity. Three emerging educational trends are gaining popularity as means to improve the training experience and information retention of operators. They are adult learning research, the use of technology, and flipped classrooms. Applying these lessons to professional development and operator training is important to the continued success of the water and waste- water industry. Adult Learning Most of our experience with learning comes from our own schooling. However, research has shown that adults learn much differently than children, separating the studies of andragogy (Greek for adult learning) from pedagogy (child learning). The lessons show that adult learning styles require changes in the way training is prepared and delivered. Malcolm Knowles, author of The Adult Learner and respected leader in the field of adult learning, offers six key points which serve both as guidelines to lesson planning and as explanations of potential barriers to retained learning: 1. Adults need to know why they should learn something. 2. Adults need to be self-directing. 3. Adults have greater volume and depth of experiences. 4. Adults become ready to learn only when life situations demand it. 5. Adults have a task-centered orientation focusing on how to use the information. 6. Adults need to perceive benefits to themselves. These six keys can be boiled down to the adult learner's core questions: • Why do I care? • How do I use it? Well-designed operator training programs take these questions into account when structuring both the training agenda and materials presented. This can be done by clearly defining the purpose and context of the training material and then building upon the trainees' experiences and daily tasks to add value (and motivation) to their learning. The purpose of a training session should be to grab the attention and inter- est of attendees in a way that makes them retain the informa- tion conveyed and immediately begin considering reason- able means of applying the information to their real-world experiences. The context of the training serves to focus the learning on those potential applications. One way to define context is by "following the flow" through a treatment plant and highlighting flow paths, key equipment, and interactions. Figure 1 shows an example of location context. A "parking lot" where information, references, or key questions are stored to the side of the main lesson can help anchor lessons to the purpose of the training. Use Of Technology Traditional methods of knowledge transfer can be misapplied to today's workforce. Millennials grew up with instant access to electronic information. The traditional use of printed refer- ences and droning lectures do not dovetail with expectations for rapid uptake and easy access. Therefore, information must be delivered in graphical form, with links to detailed and interactive information. "Flying" through a 3D CAD model is a great way to grab attention, as shown in Figure 2. Successful training presentations use methods and styles that mimic the way information is presented today, such as pop-ups or running bars. Rather than showing updated scores, these pop-ups provide elemental or crucial knowledge nuggets. Animated calculations can demonstrate the correct techniques to building and solving the algebraic or geometric By Jeffrey Berlin and Steve Walker Figure 1. Following the wastewater flow provides context to process training. This color-coded aerial photograph shows primary effluent, mixed liquor, and secondary effluent process flows. 8 _ V E R T _ 0 2 1 4 E Z i n e _ C a r o l l o _ D G . i n d d 1 8_VERT_0214 EZine_Carollo_DG.indd 1 1 / 3 1 / 2 0 1 4 1 : 0 2 : 5 3 P M 1/31/2014 1:02:53 PM