Internet Training Helpful Hints

The Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC) is partnering with EPA’s Technology Innovation Program (EPA-TIP) and others to provide a unique opportunity for the environmental community (state and federal regulators, responsible parties, consultants, and public and tribal stakeholders) to learn about the technical and regulatory issues of innovative environmental characterization and cleanup technologies. These training events, along with the ITRC guidance documents and network of experts, provide resources to assist the environmental community in making quality, expedited decisions when determining the appropriateness of environmental technologies as part of effective environmental waste management. To date, this successful program has trained nearly 20,000 participants from 50 states and over 40 countries–and from the comfort of their own offices via the Internet.

NOTE TO INSTRUCTORS:

You have a very exciting opportunity to share your ITRC Team's expertise with the environmental community not just in the United States, but also around the world. With this opportunity also comes responsibility. Your are not only representing yourself - - you are representing your ITRC Technical Team, and the entire ITRC organization - - so pleasemake sure that you take this responsibility seriously and conduct yourself in a manner that provides value toourcustomers. ITRC courses typically have a minimum of 2 instructors (maximum of 4) with at least one being from a state regulatory agency. Each instructor should be an active member of the ITRC technical developing the training course. Instructors should focus on educating the audience and providing the audience with the decision-making tools (including the ITRC guidance documents) to help them implement new technologies and approaches properly and efficiently. Instructors should not market a specific technique or technology product.

Curriculum development process:

Typically ITRC Internet-based training courses are based on technical and regulatory guidance documents and developed in parallel with document during the six months prior to document finalization. Teams should plan for at least six months to develop the curriculum, practice the presentation, and dry run the course with the State POCs. Six to eight weeks following as successful dry run a public offering can be delivered.

How it works!

Generically speaking the ITRC internet training sessions are set for 2 hour periods – 1 ½ hours for introductions, formal instruction, and wrap-up and ½ hour for question and answer periods. The participants are from around the country and around the world. A typical Internet-based training may have an audience of 100 to 300 or more – primarily regulators and consultants as well as responsible parties and stakeholders.

Our ITRC training courses are typically focused on an ITRC Technical and Regulatory Guidance Document(s) (e.g., Systematic Approach to In Situ Bioremediation: Nitrates, Carbon Tetrachloride & Perchlorate. In addition to information contained in the documents significant technical information is built into the presentation to meet the audience needs. The training is a resource to assist the environmental community in making quality, expedited decisions when determining the appropriateness of environmental technologies as part of effective environmental waste management.

Below is an example internet training session agenda:

11:00 – 11:05: Instructors and attendees call-in to give everyone a few minutes to before the training begins
Moderator
11:05 – 11:15: Opening remarks, introductions, overview of today’s training, ITRC overview
Moderator/ITRC Rep.
11:15 – 11:50: Regulatory and/or Technical Presentation
Instructor(s)
11:50 – 12:05: Question and Answer period
Moderators control flow of questions both from phone and simulcast audience
Instructors answer questions and respond to comments
12:05 – 12:40: Technical and/or Regulatory Presentation
12:40 – 12:55: Question and Answer period
Moderator control flow of questions both from phone and simulcast audience
Instructors answer questions and respond to comments
12:55 – 1:00: Wrap-up, announcement of future training and other related event, run through links page, and request for feedback

Below are some helpful hints based on lessons learned from previous instructors/moderators and feedback from our previous audiences:

Tell them: As you develop the course curriculum keep in mind the teaching tool….”Tell them”….”Tell them what you are going to tell them”…….”Tell them what you told them”. This will help provide the participants with a road map of your presentation and a summary to reinforce key points.
Focus on your audience: In ITRC the focus is on the state regulator so focus your curriculum on what a state regulator needs to know to improve their decision-making capacity on environmental innovative technologies and approaches. Many consultants, federal personnel and others participate on our training courses but if you can hit the state regulator needs you will likely be providing valuable information to the broader audience as well.
Refer to the ITRC guidance document: Refer to the ITRC guidance document serving as the basis for the training course. You don’t have to teach them everything in the document but provide them enough information so that they will see the document as a tool for them. Also, reference other ITRC tools and resources that are relevant.
Announce which slide you are on: Each participant(s) controls which slide they are on. It’s easy for them to get lost, so it is extremely important the instructors announce the slide number they are speaking on each time they move to a new slide.
Have a hard copy of your slides available: Always have a hard copy of your slides and notes available in case you lose power or you computer connection fails.
Be Prepared for the unexpected: You never know what is going to happen on a call. For example, just in case your fellow instructor has to leave in the middle of his/her presentation due to a fire drill in his/her office (or some other unforeseen reason) be sure you can pick of their portion of the presentation if needed.
Speak up –use your handset: Despite our best efforts, some locations have difficulty hearing the presentation, so it is important to speak louder than you might think. Participants may be in a conference room with a speakerphone. Use a handset from your land line (don’t use a speaker phone or cell phone).
Eliminate background noise from your office: Put your phone on mute if you are note speaking or make sure you are quiet and not shuffling papers or having side conversations. If you have a cubicle arrange a room to conduct the training where you will not be interrupted.
Your audience is across the country, not across the room: Speakers need to get comfortable speaking to a virtual audience who is staring at a computer. Because you cannot see audience reactions you cannot get that instant feedback of expressions on people’s faces. Instructors will become more comfortable with this after a few offerings of the training course. If you are unsure as to which slide you are on or if you are being heard clearly, please ask the moderator for assistance.
Animate your voice: Don’t just read the information on the slides – embellish it. Instructors are there to add value and share their expertise, not narrate text everyone can read. Participants notice that practice immediately and comment negatively.
Anticipate and prompt audience for questions: As you make the presentation, give the audience some examples or questions that may stimulate them to think about how it applies to their work and that will prompt them to want more information. Set them up for some questions.
Question-and-answer periods: Typically, there are two question-and-answer periods during a 2-hour training session (see generic plan above). During the question-and-answer period, the moderator will provide a flow to questions submitted both by telephone and by simulcast participants. The moderator will see the simulcast questions on their screens and pose them to the instructor(s) as appropriate. Question-and-answer periods are short, so answer the questions completely but be concise. If there are more questions than time, the moderator will e-mail simulcast questions to the instructors for their response to the training participant. Students with additional questions can contact the instructors directly via e-mail or phone based on the provided contact information.
Have fun! Relax: An instructor's tension is recognizable and impacts the confidence the students have in you. Enjoy this opportunity to share your knowledge and your ITRC leadership.
Glass of water: It is a good idea to keep something to drink close by in case your voice begins to crack during your presentation.
Others to rely on: There is an ITRC moderator to assist with the flow of the call, agenda pace, and question-and-answer periods. The moderator may prompt you to speak louder or to identify which slide you are on if you are not communicating effectively. Also, the moderator will help your presentation stay on time and ask you to speed up if appropriate to ensure the training finishes in the allotted time.
Do Not Promote Specific Products or Companies: Do not advocate specific companies or products. Our training is about providing information to make better decisions not to advertise or promote individual companies.

Internet training preparation tools and guidance are available through the ITRC at: under “teams” go to “other” then click on “Team Resources” then enter password “techreg” then click on “Internet-Based Training Guide”. This on-line guide provides information needed by your team to develop and deliver an ITRC internet training course. For additional information contact Mary Yelken (402-325-9615 or ).