News

Linking Technical Experts and Trainers - As Presented by Center Senior Advisor Dr. Chuck Hodell

Posted August 2013

The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)  has just published a new guide for trainers and instructional design professionals working with technical subject matter experts.  Entitled SMEs from the Ground Up: A No Nonsense Approach to Trainer-Expert Collaboration, the book was written by the Center’s senior program director for instructional design, Chuck Hodell.  This volume supplements Dr. Hodell’s prior ASTD book, ISD from the Ground Up.  In both books, Chuck blends well-researched educational principles with real-life experiences that illustrate what works and what doesn’t.  SMEs walks the reader through the process of building subject matter expert committees,  the challenges of adhering to deliverable schedules, managing version control and communicating with the “sentinel” SMEs who need to report back to top management on budget and timeline.  Chuck also addresses the transition that some SMEs want to make from being expert technicians to become trainers and instructional designers.  These points are supplemented by real world experiences Chuck has had with the instructional designers and SMEs which are part of the Center’s Transit Elevator-Escalator Training Consortium.
SMEs from the Ground Up is available for $38.95 from ASTD’s online store:  www.store.astd.org