Train-the-Trainer by DataHomeLab
Concept

A-W-A-R-E model

The A-W-A-R-E model is a five-category content checklist for the pre-instructional brief: Aim, Why, Administration, Revision, Elements. Run the five letters before any brief to confirm nothing essential is missing. It is a coverage aide-mémoire, not a delivery script: order and depth still fit the lesson and the room.

The five categories

Letter Category What the brief covers
A Aim Overall mission statement for the lesson, usually condensed from the lesson plan objectives
W Why? Attention getter plus the need (why this lesson matters)
A Administration How the lesson will run: safety, introductions, method/scope, hand-outs, references
R Revision Diagnostic of existing knowledge/experience so the lesson is pitched correctly
E Elements Technical content broken into briefable units from the lesson plan

A: Aim

Single mission statement the brief opens and closes with. Traceable to session objectives, knowledge objectives, and proficiency criteria. Every later part of the brief and session should answer back to it.

W: Why?

Two sub-parts.

Attention getter (pick one, keep it short and on-topic):

  • Video
  • Related story or incident
  • Personal experience
  • Icebreaker that opens communication

Hook attention onto the topic; then transition to the need.

Need: why the lesson exists (regulatory requirement, exam, line safety event, standard). Trainees should know what is expected and what standard applies.

A: Administration

Meta-operational content: how the lesson physically runs.

  • Safety brief (mandatory before simulator entry).
  • Personal introduction (self and trainees; rapport and apprehension check).
  • Method / scope: for theory, type of instruction (lecture, interactive discussion, aids); for practical/simulator sessions, scene-setting (airport, runway, weather, start position, day/night).
  • Hand-out material that will be distributed.
  • References trainees can return to after the session.

R: Revision

Establish what the trainees already know so you pitch correctly. Not always fully possible, but attempt it. Prefer reasoning probes over recall tests ("How does the FCOM treat this case?"). Skipping revision means pitching to the lesson plan's assumed level rather than the people in the room.

E: Elements

Technical material decomposed into manageable units. Complex topics (for example ETOPS) become briefable blocks (rules, scenario, alternate approach, decision model, CRM) rather than one undifferentiated dump. Often the whiteboard topic list. The brief teaches how (look, move, timing, fix); manuals already cover what.

Failure modes by letter

Letter Failure mode What goes wrong Instructor fix
A Bad Aim Vague opener with no trace to objectives or proficiency ("today we'll cover some systems") Condense one mission statement from session objectives; open and close with it
W Digressive Why Long anecdote or icebreaker that never reaches the need One short hook, then external justification: regulation, exam, line event, standard
A Admin-only brief Safety, introductions, and run-of-show with no technical body Administration sets how; Elements must still land with teach-how, not logistics alone
R Fake Revision Rhetorical "you all know this" or recall quiz with no depth change Reasoning probes; let answers change emphasis, sequence, or examples in E
E Elements dump One undifferentiated topic list or FCOM walk-through Break into briefable units sized to time; pair each with how it will be flown or facilitated

Bad brief → good brief

Bad (failure modes from the table above): Administration plus a topic label: safety done, "we'll run engine failures," debrief later. Missing condensed Aim, no Why (attention getter + need), no scene-setting Administration, no Revision probe, no Elements with teach-how.

Good (all five letters present): Open with a single Aim traceable to session objectives; Why = short attention getter then need (regulation, line event, or standard); Administration = safety, introductions, method/scope (airport, runway, weather, start position for practical sessions); Revision = reasoning probe on what the crew already commands (FCOM/QRH treatment, not recall quiz); Elements = briefable units with keywords, common errors, and teach-how the manuals do not supply alone; reprise Aim at close. Per Ch 6.2, manuals carry what; the instructor owns how in the brief.

How the model is structured

Aim sets destination; Why creates engagement; Administration covers operational meta-content; Revision calibrates to the room; Elements is the technical body. Omit any letter and the brief is incomplete.

A-W-A-R-E describes content. The four-step sequence of a pre-flight brief (Relax, Introduction, Session Profile, Summary/Airex) describes flow. Use both: sequence for what to do next, and A-W-A-R-E for whether content is complete.

For recurrent EBT modules, Appendix 4 also prescribes a six-element briefing pattern (Introductions, Confirmation of understanding, Objective, Planning time, Manoeuvres Validation, Conclusion). A-W-A-R-E remains the general instructional content model; the six-element pattern is the EBT-specific operational sequence. They nest rather than compete: Aim/Why/Elements map into Objective and Manoeuvres Validation; Administration and rapport map into Introductions and Confirmation; planning windows are EBT-specific Administration.

Instructor use

Letter-specific hinges: what each category should change before doors close:

  • A (Aim): Pre-flight all five letters under time pressure; keep the aim visible on board or in a spoken reprise so W and E do not wander off-contract.
  • W (Why): Pick one attention getter for this audience and topic: a clip when the scenario is visual, a line incident when recurrent, icebreaker only when rapport is the binding constraint. Transition to need within minutes.
  • A (Administration): Treat Method as scene-setting the crew can model before entry; safety before simulator is non-negotiable. Hand-outs and references make the lesson redoable after the room.
  • R (Revision): Reasoning probes, not recall tests. Answers here set What to Teach and How to Teach it. Depth in E and Demonstrate–Direct–Monitor (DDM) mix in conduct follow from R, not from the lesson plan alone.
  • E (Elements): Decompose to briefable units; pre-empt common errors and keywords; teach how because trainees already know what from the manuals.

Cross-letter: after the session, the debrief should point back to Aim and Elements; the contract set here is what the debrief loop closes.

Connections

  • The briefing, conduct and debriefing loop. A-W-A-R-E is the content model for the briefing half of the arc.
  • Training aids. Whiteboard, models, and photos carry Aim, Revision, and Elements; aids are rehearsed as part of brief preparation.
  • Facilitation. Method/scope should set expectation for participation (interactive versus lecture) before the session starts.
  • Instruction versus facilitation. Briefing can mix both techniques; clear Aim and Method reduce mid-session technique thrash.
  • C-A-L model. Pre-LOS note "capture issues for debrief" improves later C-A-L agenda quality.
  • Evidence-based training. EBT six-element briefing pattern sits alongside A-W-A-R-E for recurrent modules.
  • Set and closure. Lesson-level set that A-W-A-R-E operationalises in the brief (especially Why and Revision).
  • Questioning technique. Revision and Elements often run on probing questions, not monologue.

Sources