Train the Trainer – Teaching and Instruction Skills

Three disciplines that are often confused

Teaching, instruction and communication are different disciplines. We work on each separately because they call for different techniques — and because subject-matter experts are often confident in one and less experienced in the others.

• Teaching: how people learn and understand — and how to structure a session so participants can use the learning afterwards.
• Instruction: how someone learns to perform a specific task correctly — step by step, with checks that the task can be completed correctly and independently.
• Communication and presentation: how specialist knowledge becomes clear and useful to people who are not specialists.

Who the programmes are designed for

• Specialists and subject-matter experts who teach colleagues, new employees or customers.
• Internal instructors responsible for helping others perform a task correctly.
• Consultants and support professionals who need to make complex material useful to others.
• Organisations that want to build their own teaching capability rather than rely entirely on external providers.

VITEK — our method for instruction and on-the-job training

VITEK is Cronquist Consult’s own tool for instruction and on-the-job training. It is used when learning takes place alongside the work: learning domains, factors that support learning, perception, goals and motivation, and four-step instruction.

VITEK is one method within the broader field, not the name of the service. Teaching a group calls for session design, presentation, visual techniques and feedback. Training one person at a machine, workstation or screen calls for VITEK and structured on-the-job instruction.

How a programme is typically built

1. 1ClarificationWho needs to teach whom, what they need to learn, and whether the real setting is a classroom, on-the-job instruction, a customer presentation or a combination.
2. 2FoundationHow people learn: learning domains, perception, motivation and the factors that support learning.
3. 3PracticeParticipants teach and instruct using their own subject matter, observed or recorded, with four-step instruction as a recurring method where relevant.
4. 4Feedback and repetitionStructured feedback from the facilitator and peers, followed by another round in which the adjustments are put into practice.
5. 5EmbeddingClear agreements on what teaching and instruction will look like in daily work and who will follow up.

Tailored to the organisation — not an open course

We do not offer Train the Trainer as a fixed open course. Each programme is built around the organisation, the subject matter and the participants’ starting point. A programme for IT specialists therefore looks different from one for operational or production employees.

Frequently asked questions

Is Train the Trainer the same as on-the-job training?

No. On-the-job training concerns teaching one person at the task, where we use VITEK and four-step instruction. Train the Trainer is broader and also covers teaching groups and communicating specialist material. The disciplines are connected, but they are not the same.

Can the programme be delivered in English?

Yes. We have delivered teaching, instruction and communication programmes in both Danish and English.

How long does a programme take?

It depends on the assignment. We have delivered both short, intensive internal programmes and longer programmes within leadership development. The duration is agreed once we understand the audience and subject matter.