Transfer of learning is the dependency of human conduct, learning, or performance on prior experience

1. PR O FESSIO N AL
E xcel l en ce
Transfer of Learning
Moving from classroom training to job
performance

2. Presentation Overview
This presentation is designed for:
 Supervisors
 Administrators
 Field Program Specialists
 Training coordinators

3. Presentation Overview
The purpose of this presentation is to help
managers enhance their ability to:
 promote staff members’ readiness to learn
 create and sustain a constructive learning
environment in their work unit
 use transfer of learning strategies to promote
staff members’ job performance

4. Presentation Overview
This presentation includes the following
topics:
 Transfer of learning definition
 Key players in the transfer of learning
process and their roles
 Supervisory responses that promote transfer
of learning
 Strategies to promote transfer of learning

5. Transfer of Learning
"That almost magical link between
classroom performance and
something which is supposed to
happen in the real world"
- J. M. Swinney.

6. What is Transfer of Learning?
 Transfer of learning is the application of knowledge,
skills, and attitudes acquired in a training setting to
the job. This encompasses what happens in
agencies, before, during and after staff attend training
to either support or undermine the likelihood that
what is learned will actually be applied and result in
improved job performance.
With practice on the job, the level of an individual’s skill
will increase beyond the level demonstrated at the end
of training.

7. Organizations expend a large amount of staff
time and money on formal training programs
every year. In order to maximize the investment
in training, everyone involved in the training
process and the entire organization
needs to be concerned about the
transfer issue.

8. As a supervisor/manager you play a major role
in helping to promote the transfer of learning.
Your responses to the trainee and your attitude
about the training can either help or hurt this
process.

9. Supervisory Responses
In order for transfer of
learning to be
successful,
supervisors must
assume an
"encouraging" and a
"requiring” response
to staff development
activities.
Encouraging response:
• Discuss the training course with the case
manager before he/she goes to the class
• Attempt to create a readiness to learn
• Encourage the case manager to apply
learning upon returning to the job
Requiring response:
•
•
•
•
Know what the staff member learned
Design activities to promote transfer
Provide coaching and feedback
Assess achievement

10. Taking a
“preventing,”
“discouraging” or
even “neutral”
position to
professional
development activities
results in barriers to
the transfer of
learning process.
Preventing response:
“I know what you learned in
training, but we don’t do it
like that.”
Discouraging response:
“That’s good information, but
it’s not realistic.”
Neutral response:
“Whatever makes you happy
as long as you get your work
done."

11. Training Partnership
The three primary players in the transfer of learning
effort are the trainees, the trainer, and
management. This is referred to as the training
partnership.
Management includes
direct supervisors,
administrators, Field
Program Specialists,
and Training
Coordinators.
Trainers includes
curriculum
designers, subject
matter experts, and
the instructor who
actually delivers the
training.

12. Each of the primary partners has a specific role
to play and actions to take, or not take, before,
during, and after training occurs. These actions
will affect the likelihood that transfer will occur.
In fact, as a result of research, we can rank the
significance of each combination of role player
and time period on a scale of 1 to 9.

13. Transfer of Learning Matrix
Which combination of role player and time period do you
think is the most significant in promoting learning transfer?
(Take a minute to think about this before going to the next slide).
1 = most significant/powerful in promoting transfer
9= least significant/powerful in promoting transfer
Before
During
After
Supervisor/
Management
?
?
?
Trainer/
Curriculum
Developer
?
?
?
Trainee
?
?
?

14. Before
During
After
Supervisor/
Management
1
8
3
Trainer/Curriculum
Developer
2
4
9
7
5
6
Trainee
The most powerful factor in promoting the transfer of learning is what
the supervisor does BEFORE the training even occurs. Notice that
the supervisor/management occupies two of the top three positions in
the matrix.

15. Transfer of Learning Strategies
So, what are some things that management
(supervisors, administrators, Field Program
Specialists, and Training Coordinators) can do
to promote transfer of learning?
Let’s look at strategies for before, during, and
after training.

16. Management Actions BEFORE Training
Meet with staff members before they go to class. Discuss what the
course is about, why it’s important, and your expectations of them
as learners. Send the message that you believe in their ability to
learn and to improve their practice.
Make a plan with case managers to cover caseloads while they
are in training. Explain that you do not expect them to take phone
calls or answer Email during the training day.
Encourage case managers to go to training with specific cases in
mind. This will allow staff to actively apply what they are learning to
the identified case.
Send co-workers to training together. Inform them they will be
required to jointly report on the training when they return. Consider
having them work collaboratively to improve their performance in the
areas explored in training.

17. Management Actions DURING Training
Establish and follow a policy that no interruptions will be allowed
during training sessions. This includes interruptions from you too!
Holding training sessions away from the worksite, when possible, will
help to support this policy.
Communicate your support for the training program. How do you
send this message? Attend the training session with your staff and
actively participate in the class; express your support for the use of
new knowledge and skills; be a good model and demonstrate the
desired new behaviors.
Monitor attendance and attention to training. If you can’t attend
training sessions with your staff, try dropping in for brief periods of
time. Make arrangements to share this task with other supervisors
who also have staff attending the training. This can help to alert
trainees that their supervisors support and value the potential
learning.

18. Management Actions AFTER Training
Meet with staff after training to debrief. Discuss any barriers to
transfer that need to be addressed, explore possibilities for use of
the training material, and convey your support for their efforts to
learn and apply new skills on the job.
Provide opportunities for staff to apply the skills they learned. This
includes giving them the time and space they need and providing
positive reinforcement when they are successful.
Consider pairing a newly trained staff member with an experienced
staff member who clearly demonstrates the desired skills. This person
can serve as a peer coach who can provide guidance, model good
practice, and provide immediate correction, if needed.
Support and require the use of job aids. Instead of staff putting their
participant guides and other job aids on a shelf or in a drawer after
training, imagine how performance could be improved if they actually
used this material on the job. If job aids were not provided in training,
encourage employees to create their own and share with each other.

19. Just For Fun
Just for fun, let’s take a little quiz about transfer
of learning to wrap up this presentation.

20. True or False?
Transfer of Learning is primarily an issue of
concern when people are learning technical
skills.
What do you think – true or false?
Go to the next slide for the
correct answer

21. False
Transfer of learning is relevant to all
kinds of knowledge and skills.
Learning is important-but performance is the ultimate goal

22. True or False?
Whether adults transfer their learning is their
business, not the agency’s business
What do you think – true or false?
Go to the next slide for the
correct answer

23. Mostly False
It’s true that we can’t force people to use new
learning, but what is the point of organizationsponsored development, if the organization
can’t expect to receive a return on its training
investment?
We can’t force, but we can motivate and
create the proper environment….and we can
hold people accountable for their
performance.

24. True or False?
If participants are happy or satisfied at the end
of a training course, it usually means that they
will use the skills that they’ve learned.
What do you think – true or false?
Go to the next slide for the
correct answer

25. False
Research indicates there is no significant relationship
between:
- perceptions of enjoyment of a training and
performance
- perceptions of the instructor’s effectiveness and
performance
- perceptions of the amount learned and performance
We have to be deliberate and strategic about transfer of learning and
not assume that a “good” training will automatically result in
improved performance. It’s not just the learning of new skills that
produces better outcomes, it is the transfer of that learning into more
effective and efficient performance that ensures success.

26. References and Recommended
Readings
Broad, M.L. & Newstrom, J.W. (1992). Transfer of training: Action-packed strategies
to ensure high payoff from training investments. New York: Addison-Wesley.
Caffarella, R.S. (2002). Planning programs for adult learners: A practical guide for
educators, trainers, and staff developers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Zenger, J., Folkman, J., & Sherwin, R. (2005, Jan.). The promise of phase 3. T+D
Magazine, 30-34.
Gregoire, T.K., Propp, J. & Poertner, J. (1998). The supervisor's role in the transfer
of training. Administration in Social Work (22), 1-18.
Websites:
http://humanresources.about.com/od/trainingtransfer/a/training_work_2.htm

27. Training Request
Interested in having a “live” presentation on
transfer of learning? We can provide a short
training session for supervisors and
administrators at your location.
Contact:
Amy Mobley
ammobley@dhr.state.ga.us

28. A Closing Word
We hope you found this brief overview of transfer of
learning helpful. For more strategies, check out the
Professional Excellence Resource Library on the
Education and Training Services website. Here you will
find tools for supervisors related to specific Professional
Excellence courses. This will be updated periodically
as new courses and aids are developed.
http://www.dfcs.dhr.georgia.gov/portal/site/DHRDFCS/menuitem.8237042e9dbda3aa50c8798dd03036a
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