Management checking we are paying attention in training sessions

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Can anyone realistically take in 100 percent of content / information during training sessions ?

I've always really struggled with this. Even at school.

My attention wanes, but management have started to pick on people to summarise topics we've covered during training and are pretty nasty if people can't do this well when put on the spot.

It's not happened to me yet but I'm stressing out.

I also need time to learn new things and we keep having sudden meetings put in our diaries to do presentations and get questions fired at us to see where we are with our knowledge. I've done OK so far but worried I'll get it wrong and face the wrath of our VP.

Is this normal ? I'm really stressed.

Would it help to write your notes up as slides very roughly after each session? Might help you to organise things into chunks. When I write up minutes and reports, I have the audio on the background as I’m typing from my notes, and can pause/go back to capture key words/phrases. Start with - objective of the training - key points you will cover - etc

This job will ruin your mental health. Start looking for another one, they are bullying you.

Oh wow someone has to pay attention at work. Shock horror

I think you know that’s not the poster’s issue. It’s having tests and presentations sprung on unexpectedly.

So l was a teacher for 25 years. It’s normal to assess understanding in a lesson. But you use it to find gaps in knowledge, not just to quote back.

l agree with the pyramid upthread. There’s an old Chinese proverb about teaching.

I listen and l hear
l watch and l see
l do and l understand.

Ask for less lecture/talk training and more practical hands on training.

I started out thinking we do online learning and you don’t pass it without passing the quiz at the end, but as I read the thread I concluded they are a shit place to work op. I think just start looking for a job, you can’t change this level of toxic

That's quite normal in any of the NHS training courses I've been on. They either hand out a "test" at the end or you are asked questions. How else are they supposed to know if you have gained knowledge?

Oh wow a shitty comment.

The problem with this is it takes time to fully absorb knowledge. Not just one morning of power points where everyone falls asleep.

In education, a student needs exposure to the same material 5 times to properly embed knowledge. Most things are usually forgotten after the first lesson. Which is why you begin the next lesson with previous learning.

Yes, it’s a completely normal training technique and this, or a test at the end is recommended to check your audience is understanding you.

if you’re put on the spot and can’t remember everything, just summarise what you can remember. A good trainer will then say, “yes that’s absolutely correct, and don’t forget that we must also do xyz”

Yes it's normal and expected for either your trainer or manager to check your understanding.
If you have a learning disability then you need to raise this.

The sudden meetings if they really are that seem unacceptable behaviour. I wonder if there are some who have failed in the past, and instead of dealing with individuals, are applying a blanket approach.

The problem with this is it takes time to fully absorb knowledge. Not just one morning of power points where everyone falls asleep.

The OP, however said they changed things 6 weeks ago.

I think this depends on what your job is.
If you have customers / the public / clients / patients / service users, who approach you for information, then I actually do think you would need to be able to respond to the questions as they happen. In which case, 6 weeks after things have changed, I don't think it would be unreasonable to expect any customer facing member of the team to be able to answer questions on the new product.

It's really hard to say without us knowing the job, and actually being there when you are being asked, as, on the surface, I can think of plenty of jobs roles where you do need to be able to respond knowledgably and think "on your feet", so it isn't unreasonable (in those jobs) that the managers would expect you to be able to.

The worst method of delivering any information is via PowerPoint. Passive learning. Everyone, even adults switch off after 20 minutes. Anyone can drone on.

They need to make it interesting so people remember stuff.

25 years a secondary teacher. Even A level lose the will to live after 40 mins of death by PowerPoint.

If they want staff to remember they should pay for better training.

Just try not to drool if you drop off to sleep.

Has it?

Surely the way to manage this is to take notes and then when someone springs on you for this instant feedback or presentation, you very slowly and deliberately say 'yes I'll just get my notes on this' and go through the notes, taking your time, making time to breath

Take the control back from the person expecting you to jump, take your time, make them wait, get your facts right from your notes and read them back

Training delivered in a positive and interactive way, with quick fire questions is fine. Your management is actually impeding everyone's learning as who can learn when they're constantly in a high state of anxiety. That level of pressure makes people ill.

it sounds....pretty fucking weird?

Not sure where in tech you are, but a lot of STEM training would be:

"check on YouTube for free as a 12 year old kid will have made a masterclass on it". For free!

Is the training actually on anything essential? These aren't necessary professional exams I take it?

Or have the highers up at your company agreed to give a lot of money to the external trainers (like Fujitsu and the Post Office)?

A lot of these "general training" providers are dodgy AF and total rackets and often people need to be coerced into attending if optional.

And now they have to "prove how the training was worth the ridiculous amount they charged"?

It sounds like a bad decision high up which hasn't paid off.

The VP had cocktails with someone charming and signed something dodgy and now needs a scapegoat so has asked the managers to do the dirty work.

"We spend £5000 a day on this course, and don't get the 45% improvement in profit we expected!"

Now they're trying to blame it on the people attending the courses....the reason for this waste of money was the guys attending weren't motivated enough...

That isn't possible in workplace training courses though. These are usually one day courses maximum. So something like three hours of note-taking, a quick test at the end, then you're handed a certificate for your portfolio.

learning styles have been fully debunked

How? We don't all learn the same way. I don't like podcasts and videos, I prefer reading things unless it's something like pilates when a video is best.