Training for Today and Tomorrow

Tiffany R. Wang (Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln) is an associate professor of communication studies and the basic course coordinator at the University of Montevallo. She is the executive director of the Central States Communication Association, the recipient of numerous national and international research and teaching awards, and an active trainer and speaker, providing instruction and guest lectures for nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. Dr. Wang's research interests include instructional communication, communication education, and family communication.

This text provides students with a concise, yet thorough, introduction to concepts and principles in Training and Development. It includes basic case study examples which students can work on, as well as profiles of T&D professionals who have undergraduate/graduate degrees in Communication Studies and which students can relate to." -Andrew S. Rancer, University of Akron The purpose of the text is quite clear-Wang is offering an upper-level, undergraduate textbook that provides an overview of Training and Development as both a function of modern organizations and as a skill-set that students can learn to perform (at least at an introductory level). This is a reader-friendly textbook that lends practical value and professional examples to the sometimes vague or general focus of a communication program (particularly a program that isn't focused on journalism, media, and/or public relations areas). The professional profiles are a highlight as well as Chapter 10 and the description and variety of careers." -Elaine D. Zelley, La Salle University "I really enjoyed the inclusion of a case study at the beginning of each chapter. One of the difficult things about skills-based courses is it's hard to imagine how to actually perform the skill, her case studies will help with that. Overall, I found her arrangement and reasoning for the book very compelling...The topic of inclusivity [in Ch 7, "Training Presentation and Delivery"] is very important but often overlooked in training contexts. Including that as the first section of chapter helped to really highlight the importance of inclusivity and allowed [the author] to demonstrate just how important it is to the training world. This addition of inclusivity also helps to set [this] book apart from other books on the topic... This [textbook is] a modern take on T&D that gives a great explanation of what T&D is, how to run a training, and the different career paths." -Caroline Waldbuesser, Western Connecticut State University "I like the text as a comprehensive introduction to the field of training and development. It takes an applied process approach that is firmly grounded in theory and empirical research." -Kendra Knight, DePaul University "I think this book would help me cover the important learning outcomes in my course. I feel confident that by reading this book, students would acquire the knowledge needed to develop and conduct a formal training session... [In Ch 7, "Training Presentation and Delivery"] I think [the author] did a fantastic job describing inclusivity, connectedness, participation, and engagement. I agree that all four of those areas are crucial to building relationships with trainees. A person not familiar with instructional communication research could read this chapter and gain incredible insight on effective teaching behaviors in the trainer-trainee relationship." -Jordan Atkinson, Missouri Western State University "The section on inclusivity, connectiveness, and participation [in Ch 7, "Training Presentation and Delivery"] is missing from my current textbook. I am thankful for this inclusion in the textbook. Overall, this chapter was a breath of fresh air. I have not seen the material on presentation and delivery presented in this manner." -Creshema R. Murray, University of Houston-Downton