Tip #356: Make Learning Sweet

“Give people a fact or an idea and you enlighten their minds; tell them a story and you touch their souls.” Hasidic proverb

Welcome to 2011!

There is an old Talmudic (Jewish) custom. When a boy goes to study the Torah (which is a religious text) they have him touch a page of the Torah and then dip his finger in honey to learn that learning is sweet.

There are many ways to make learning sweet. Taken literally, I bring bowls of candy. I create a comfortable learning environment with seating arranged in pods, kinesthetic objects on the participants’ tables (Koosh balls, pipe cleaners, glitter wands, etc.), and colorful kites on the walls.

I sweeten learning by treating the participants with respect, drawing them in to obtain their buy-in to the content, showing colorful comics that capture key concepts on the PowerPoint, and using learning activities that are intended to build their confidence in their own competence.

What are your favorite ways to make learning sweet?

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #355: Light Candles

A great attitude does much more than turn on the lights in our worlds; it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before the change. Earl Nightingale

There is too much pain and misery in the world today. May you always have the strength of will, generosity of spirit and physical health to use your gifts to make a positive difference in the lives of those you touch.

I will light candles this Christmas

Candles of joy, despite all sadness,

Candles of hope where despair keeps watch.

Candles of courage where fear is every present,

Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days,

Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens.

Candles of love to inspire all my living,

Candles that will burn all the year long.

Howard Thurman

We’ll see you in 2011.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah


Without music, life would be a mistake. Friedrich Nietzsche

For my father, Seymour Solon Levine, 1922-2010

Tip #354: Avoid the Mistake of Thinking Participatory Learning Activities are a Gimmick

The better a man is the more mistakes he will make for the more things he will try.
Peter Drucker

One reason that participatory learning activities get a bad reputation is the fact that some trainers incorporate them solely to add an element of fun and excitement. For participants who are stretched thin at work and feel that every minute of training should be of practical use, having to participate in extended fun and games that have no relevance to the training content is a waste of their time.

Please avoid these three mistakes when thinking about participatory learning activities:

Mistake #1: Believing participatory learning activities are pure entertainment rather than a training necessity.

There are four reasons for using participatory learning activities, and none of these are merely the result of the curriculum designer's whim:

1. Participants have to be actively involved to demonstrate their comprehension and ability to use their learned skills to apply, analyze, evaluate and create. If the desired learning level is higher than knowledge, the only way to achieve this is through participatory learning activities.

2. Brain studies have determined that the memory is based on emotions. The more senses involved, the more effective the learning and the greater probability of retention. That is why the "whole body" learning experience of participatory learning activities is so important.

3. Only participatory learning activities will satisfy the needs of different learning styles to do more than simply sit, listen and read the PowerPoint slides accompanying a lecture. They also enable participants to verbalize, have a hands on experience, and move.

4. Participatory learning activities are the best way for a trainer to determine if the participants are learning what they need to learn during the course of the training. At the very least, lecturers can check participant comprehension using questionnaires, pop ups, shout outs, or case studies.

Mistake #2: Thinking participatory learning does not belong in technical training.

Training based on an expert lecturer has been the paradigm for technical training. However, it is a mistake to think that the delivery of technical training needs to be driven by a subject matter expert rather than by the participants.

The subject matter expert is most significant during the design of the training program. Why? Design decisions regarding the training content, the desired level of learning, and the best way for participants to demonstrate their learning are all based on the subject matter expert's knowledge and experience.

The other problem with this paradigm is that lecture can only achieve the learning level of knowledge. All higher levels of learning (comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation and creation) require participatory learning activities. In fact, programs that are intended to build technical skills have the greatest need for participants to demonstrate their new degree of competency in the classroom.

Mistake #3: Overlooking the recuperative power of energizers.

Learning is hard work. An energizer is a fast and simple way to reinvigorate participants when their energy starts to lag. This includes any brief participatory activity that physically engages the participants. The brain needs a lot of oxygen to function at peak efficiency. Getting participants up and moving around will cause them to breathe more deeply, resulting in more oxygen in their brains.

Have them stand up and throw balls to each other for the duration of a short upbeat song. Have them line up by the month and day of their birth and then count off to create new table groups. Plug in a relay race, where teams of participants need to identify key content that begins with each letter of the topic. All of these activities take only a few minutes and generate a lot of new energy in the group.

The decision to incorporate participatory learning activities is not based on a whim. The desired level of learning for the key training content determines the nature of the learning activities. Participatory learning activities are essential for successful learning in any training program. They are not intended, and should never be used, simply as gimmicks irrelevant to the learning objectives and the learning process.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #353: Avoid Mistakes When Using Audiovisuals in Training: Make It Easier on Yourself

“Experience is the name we give to our mistakes.” Oscar Wilde

There are very simple steps that a trainer can take to save time and energy when designing, delivering and duplicating content on audiovisuals. Just avoid these four mistakes:

Mistake #1: Not having a pointer

There are inexpensive laser pointers, there are laser pointers incorporated into remotes for computer and LCD, there are even wooden and metal extendable pointers. Get one and use it, because pointing your finger at a projected image or text is absolutely useless to the participants. Even if you are standing right next to the screen, it is unlikely that your finger will reach whatever it is that you are pointing out.

Mistake #2: Not considering movies or animations

PowerPoint is not the only game in town. Don’t forget the possibility of using movie clips, animations or YouTube videos as your audiovisuals. They can serve as case studies, provide examples, model desired skills, and/or prompt analysis and discussion.

Just make sure that whatever you choose to use is short, relevant, and supplemented with a participant assignment to be completed during or after they are shown. Either don’t dim the lights- or plan to serve popcorn and hand out pillows!

Mistake #3: Not taking digital photos of completed flip charts

Whether you or the participants created the content on flip charts, you can save everyone a lot of time and energy if you take digital photos and email them to the participants after the workshop. This will validate the importance of their work products during the session. It will also lessen any stress they may feel about copying down what is on the flip charts during the session. If you have ever promised to send the information on the flip charts to participants in the past and have spent hours transcribing the information, you will particularly appreciate the ease of using a camera instead.

Mistake #4: Not having a backup plan

Be prepared. Have your PowerPoint slides on a USB flash drive. In the event that equipment fails or is incompatible, you can easily plug into a different computer. Bring a printout of any slides. In a pinch, you can write the text on flip chart pages. Whatever you do, don’t panic. A training program can still engage the participants and be an entertaining and effective learning experience without any audiovisual aids.

Trainers who avoid these four mistakes will have a much easier time designing, delivering and duplicating the content on their audiovisuals.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #352: Avoid Mistakes When Using Audiovisuals in Training: It’s All in the Preparation

“It isn't making mistakes that's critical; it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.” Donald Rumsfeld

Being prepared should be part of the trainer’s code when it comes to audiovisuals. If you don’t avoid these four mistakes, you are likely to have a lot of trouble and frustration when you try to use your audiovisuals.

Mistake #1: Not checking and preparing equipment

All trainers have stories about audiovisual equipment that didn’t work. Get to the training room early enough to make sure that everything works properly and has the correct connectors, wires and remotes. To be safe, bring your own remote with extra batteries and, when possible, your own extension cord with the number of plug-ins you will need. Practice using the remote. Check any extension cords to make sure that they are flat on the floor and not a tripping hazard for you or the participants. Bring wide masking tape so that you can tape the cords to the floor if the training facility does not provide plastic mats that cover the cords.

Mistake #2: Not checking sight lines

There is no point in using audiovisual aids if all of the participants cannot see them. Once the training room is set up with tables, chairs, flip charts, screen, LCD stand, or whatever furnishings and equipment you use, make sure to check sight lines from each chair. In larger rooms, you may need to project higher on a wall so that participants in the back of the room can see the entire slide. You may need to write only on the top half of flip charts for the very same reason, because participants in the back may not be able to see the bottom half of the chart.

Mistake #3: Not preparing markers

It is an unhappy reality that flip chart markers easily dry out. If the participants or you forget to securely close the cap on the markers, they dry out even faster. As a result, it is wise to check your markers to see if the ink still flows freely before each training session. It is also wise to have a backup set of markers. This way, you will be prepared if a marker dries out during the session.

Mistake #4: Not having the right adhesives

Every trainer who travels should have a kit with painter’s masking tape, poster putty, stick pins and straight pins. Many hotel and conference rooms use dividing walls with nubby fabric on them. Even if the flip chart pages are self-sticking, certain smooth wall surfaces will still require that you use masking tape to make sure the pages stay up on the walls. Your kit will ensure that you will be prepared for any wall surface.

It just takes a little pre-planning to avoid these four mistakes so that you are able to use your audiovisuals easily and effectively. In next week’s Tip, we will look at four more mistakes to avoid when using audiovisuals.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #351: Avoid Mistakes When Using Audiovisuals in Training: It’s All in the Presentation

“When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.” Paul “Bear” Bryant

The misuse of audiovisuals can seriously detract from an effective training. Avoid these four mistakes:

Mistake #1: Not removing or turning off AV

We consciously use audiovisuals to focus the participants on a key point or picture. However, we forget that, unless we remove the flip chart or turn off the PowerPoint, that is where their focus will remain. When the audiovisual has served its purpose, remove it or turn it off. Flip the page on the flip chart easel or use a computer key or remote to blacken the screen until you need the next slide.

Mistake #2: Staying anchored to the projected AV

In this day and age, there is absolutely no reason why a trainer needs to continually stand close to the projector or computer. There are lots of inexpensive remote controls on the market. A trainer who is tied to the audiovisual equipment is just as static and uninteresting to watch as a trainer who is tied to a lectern. Besides, it is pretty difficult to physically engage with participants when you can’t move.

Mistake #3: Placing all content on the AV

If all of the training content is really on the PowerPoint, then there are two basic conclusions to make. First, either there are a lot of slides or the font size is too small to read and the slide is too filled with text. Second, there is no real need for a trip to a training room. Save travel costs, cancel the training and simply mail the PowerPoint out to the participants.

Mistake #4: Keeping the room lights dim

Yes, we want the participants to be able to see any projected audiovisuals. Yes, dimming the lights can make those projections easier to see on the screen. But there are three problems if you keep the room dim. First, if the participants are only expected to sit and watch the screen without taking notes, they will easily fall into a relaxed mode and possibly nod off. Second, the energy in the room will dissipate quickly. Third, if the participants are expected to take notes, they won’t be able to see. So find a happy medium. If possible, just dim the row of lights directly in front of the screen. If that is not possible, make sure that the projected audiovisual can be clearly seen in full light.

Avoiding these four mistakes and improving how the audiovisuals are presented should improve the participant’s learning experience. In next week’s Tip, we will look at four more mistakes to avoid when using audiovisuals.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah

Tip #350: Avoid Mistakes When Using Audiovisuals in Training: Don't Misuse Them

“Experience is the name we give to our mistakes.” Oscar Wilde

Trainers have a plethora of audiovisual options from which to choose. Some trainers don’t realize that there is more to life than PowerPoint. They also overuse or misuse audiovisuals. Here are four mistakes that trainers should avoid.

Mistake #1: Consistently using AV to entertain rather than educate

Trainers who flash through a large number of funny but irrelevant slides are wasting precious training time in the same manner that a trainer who begins a session by telling lots of jokes that have nothing to do with the training itself.

If you are a trainer, your mission is to educate. It is just fine to make your training program entertaining, but make sure that the audiovisuals you use relate to and do not detract from the training content. For example, if you use accelerated learning techniques, you might have a slide or cartoon that relates to the metaphor for the training, such as a photo of people white water rafting for a stress management class. You may use entertaining photos, animations or cartoons that reinforce a key point.

But please don’t use so many bells and whistles with your PowerPoint slides that the participants are focused more on the movement of the text than the content of the text.

Mistake #2: Reading the AV with your back to group

There are four things wrong with this picture. First, it is never a good idea to have your back to the participants. It is typically not our most appealing side. Second, when you face away from the group, it breaks contact with the participants. Third, it makes it hard to hear your voice. Fourth, there should only be a few key points up on the screen. So if you have to read the slide, there is probably too much content on it.

Mistake #3: Not using audiovisuals to supplement a lecture

If you are giving a lecture (or better yet, a lecturette), then the reason should be that you have information none of the participants possess. That being the case, you will be providing new learning that needs to accommodate different learning styles. The aural learners will be very happy with the lecture. However, without text, color and/or pictures to view, the visual learners will be left wanting. So make sure to use audiovisuals to supplement your lectures.

Mistake #4: Not using flip charts effectively

Flip charts are wonderful audiovisual aids when they are used properly. Write large, using colors easy to see, such as blue, purple, black, or dark green. Make sure that each page has a title, because we typically use flip charts when we want to retain and post key information.

Use a page for only one topic. Do not save paper by writing different topic points on the same page, even if there is plenty of extra room on the page. It will confuse the participants. Consider jazzing up the flip chart by using colorful markers to create a frame. Try holding two different colored markers in one hand as you frame the page.

Avoiding these four mistakes and using audiovisuals properly should improve your training delivery and presentation. In next week’s Tip, we will add four more mistakes to avoid when using audiovisuals.

May your learning be sweet.

Deborah