Interactive Learning
Have you ever gone through a
training course where all the instructor did was talk and talk and talk,
and at the end of the course you were more confused than when you were
going in?
Many adults learn through interaction.
The ability to discuss with fellow trainees the topics and share their
own experiences with one another helps to not only improve learning
retention but to make it easier for the trainor to communicate with
the group on a more personal level.
Here are some useful tips to
increase the enjoyment and learning factor with your next training initiative:
- Encourage members to share experiences.
This works to break the ice and allows others to contribute
- Try not to single certain people out. Some
people do not like to be picked on and will only inhibit themselves
further unless the environment is amicable and non-judgemental
- Hold training in a well-lit room, particularly
with lots of natural light. People react better and are more willing
to participate in surroundings that have a natural and bright feel
to them.
- Group discussion may be difficult at first,
but it's a perfect way to get people to really absorb the material.
Relate it to an aspect of their own working lives and they'll more
likely open up.
A lot of the time when people
go into a training course it's usually because they're either a) forced
to by their supervisors, or b) required to due to being mandatory. The
leading expectation is that these courses will be completely devoid
of human contact or life and the trainees will be less likely to fully
absorb the material being presented.
When the trainer makes the effort
to include everyone in the session and makes it interesting, the success
rate of training and learning retention will definitely increase in
comparison to the typically-dry and less-interactive approach that is
often taken.
