| The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of Accelerated Learning methods in a corporate training program. More specifically, the researcher wanted to know if Accelerated Learning significantly improved the employee's job knowledge, skills, and on-the-job performance when compared with traditional training methods. The Accelerated Learning training involved concepts and methods originally developed by Georgi Lozanov (1978) and adapted by Don Schuster (1986, 1989, 1991), Colin Rose (1985), Lynn Dhority (1991), Allyn Prichard and Jean Taylor (1980), and others. Traditional training methods include commonly used learning activities such as case problems, role play situations, short lectures with visual aids, question-and-answer sessions, and hands-on practice.;The research design was a preexperimental design with a control group which used traditional training methods (26 participants) and an experimental group which involved Accelerated Learning methods (36 participants). Participants were in a required 64-hour new employee training program in a major financial organization in a midwestern city. One in-house trainer delivered all the training programs. To minimize contamination between the two methodologies, the trainer had minimal exposure to Accelerated Learning until after the control group had been trained and tested. Three different measurements were used to gather data from participants at the end of training: a cognitive, paper-and-pencil test to determine job knowledge; a computer skills test in a job simulation to determine transfer of skills to the job; and a telephone customer service simulation to determine transfer of skills to the job. A fourth measure, on-the-job performance data, was collected one month after the end of training. Data were analyzed through the use of frequency reports, reliability tests, t-tests of two means, and ANOVA techniques.;The findings of the study support the research hypotheses that the experimental group will perform at a significantly higher level (p $le$.05) than the control group on a cognitive test of learning and on a computer skills test.;Although participants in the Accelerated Learning group outperformed the traditional training group, the findings do not support the research hypotheses that the experimental group will perform significantly better on a telephone customer service skills test or on actual on-the-job performance measured one month after the end of training.;The findings of this study suggest that Accelerated Learning is a worthy teaching/learning method and may hold much potential for improving the effectiveness of training and development programs. |
