If we speak from a PowerPoint to our audience, they will hear it. If we create interactive situations, they will most likely learn it. When we design learner-centric training, it’s important to shift the focus from the trainer to the learners. This means that instead of focusing on delivering content, trainers should create interactions and activities that allow learners to process the new information on their own through dialogue.
When they do this, they can gain visibility into what is going on in their learning and help facilitate it when needed. Another important factor is to bring variety to the training experience.
Breaking it into parts
When we have a 75-minute sequence, we can split this into three parts: 1) trainer-led actions, 2) pair activities, and 3) group reflections.
This approach has several advantages. The group is actively solving problems, engaging in learning. They will have an opportunity to exchange ideas and test solutions with each other, and gather knowledge. This also empowers them to take responsibility for their own learning and eventually take ownership of the new knowledge they have built.
Transparency of thinking
This can be facilitated with digital tools such as Google docs or Slido. For example, the trainer may give a task for the team to solve and they need to write their notes on a shared document. Visibility to the teams’ reasoning and thinking helps the trainer to see where they have been struggling. Shared notes also benefit the team themselves. It’s important to make erroneous thinking visible because that too is part of learning.
We at Splended facilitate social learning with careful learning design. It is important that training is an active and social experience where both confidence and skills grow.
Tips to making it interactive
- Keep trainer-led actions at 15 minutes max.
- Use joint note-taking activities
- Vary between pair activities and team activities
- Give task options they can choose from
- Listen and encourage questions
Splended helps teams learn together with an experienced trainer. We appreciate a quality learning experience that considers how knowledge is built in interactions, joint problem-solving activities and being guided by true professionals from the field. We coach our trainers with 20+ years of learning design experience that is backed in educational science.
Interested? Let us know.
