Designing Effective Learning Experiences

for Technology Training

January 19, 2005

N-TEN Webinar

By Beth Kanter

What Well Cover

1. 2. 3. 4. When training fails Crash course: learning theory Using learning styles Blending technology content with learning activities 5. Anatomy Lesson: 90-minute workshop 6. Summary and Q&A

Logistics
Interactivity
Raise your hand button for questions/polls Chat for ? or brainstorm Voice line heavily facilitated

Mute Your Phone

*6 to mute *7 to un-mute I can control your phones

Introductions
Quick Poll Share one title of a technology training workshop you are designing or recently delivered

What happens when training fails?

I said, sit!

The 5 Fatal Reasons

1. Reading all slides 2. Too long, too much information 3. Lack of interaction 4. Lifeless presenter

5. Room & tech problems

What Workshop Participants

Hate Most
Too much information Lack of interaction Lifeless presenter

Want Most
Clarity Interaction & Connection Enthusiasm

Apply these 7 principles of learning theory to your workshop design and delivery

#1:Get past the brains crap filter

Role Play Exercise: Why? Who Cares? So What?

Person A: Describe the topic youre going to be training on in one sentence. Person B: Asks "Why?" Person A: Provide an answer Person B: Who cares? Person A: Provide an answer (without killing the other person) Person B: So? Person A: Provide an answer

#2. The power of visual processing!

Use diagrams, pictures, visual metaphors

Exercise: Power of Visuals

From the airport, take the road that goes out to the rental parking lot and follow it past the barrier around the lot until you get to the end where you connect up with the road out. Take the road, and just before it veers right, youll see a triple fork. If you take the left branch, youll head west and away from the lake. Dont do that! Straight puts you under the viaduct and really off track. Take the right branch and, at the next for, bear right to the roundabout where you go not quite halfway around to the second road. Thats 378 East, although it really goes South, so dont be worried. From then on, its a straight shot to our house.

How much of the details do you remember?

Does the visual make it easier to remember?

Debrief
Why incorporate an exercise like this in your presentation?

#3. Use "chunking" to reduce cognitive overhead and help the learner remember.

The process of how training info sticks!

Bad Chunking

Good Chunking

#4.

Pacing

#5. Variety

#6. Emotions Matter!

#7. Learning is a two-way channel.

Active engagement with the content requires participant interactivity based on learning styles

7 Learning Theory Principles

Get the past the brains crap filter Power of visuals Chunking Pacing Variety + surprise = Learning Emotions matter! Learning is a two-way channel.

Going Deeper

Questions?

Online Learning Styles Survey http://www.mitest.com/o7inte~1.htm

If you took it already and have your results, please raise your hand!

Who is this man?

Exercise
1. Im going to ask you to raise your hand if a particular preferred learning style is yours. (That is, it was one of the your top 2 or 3 scores) 2. Im say your name and ask you this question: Given that your preferred learning style is X, what helps you learn best? 3. Answer on the phone

Verbal/Linguistic Visual Movement Logical Intrapersonal (self) Interpersonal (others)

Example
Learning Style Verbal/Linguistic Visual Learner Interaction With Content Create handout with theory and ask to read and discuss in small group or large group. Use the diagram with pictures/symbols to represent the different styles and use interactive presentation or also incorporate in handout above. Have key points for each one on large piece paper on the wall and ask group to read them and stand in front of the one that matches their style. Learning style bingo game. Give them the assessment tool to discover learning style and write up description of activities Small group or share pair to discuss preferred learning styles and least preferred learning styles and report to full group.

Movement

Logical Intrapersonal Interpersonal

Going Deeper

Blending Your Technology Content With Learning Styles To Create Activities .

Brainstorm Exercise: Task

A workshop title and learning goal or concept

Yours or mine ..
Slide with two learning styles and sample activities Brainstorm how to adapt activities to the topic.

Brainstorm Exercise: Process

1.Pick 4-5 people to use the phone to verbally brainstorm, talkers 2. Rest of group listens 3.Listeners can contribute ideas via the chat 4. I will be the verbal advocate for chat.

#2 Computer security workshop and want learners to understand the importance of making backups Linguistic
Reading study written materials Verbal Debate present both sides of an issue

Visual

Guided imagery/visualizing create pictures/images of different items in the mind Drawing create a graphic representation of the concept

#1 Computer security workshop and want learners to understand the importance of making backups
Kinesthetic
Dramatic enactment a skit which shows the ideas, processes, or ideas Body tableaus arrange a group to express an idea, concept, or process

Interpersonal

Sensing others motivations explore a topic through why others acted in a certain way or made certain decisions.
Peer Coaching Small group where the groups provides feedback and advice on solving a problem.

#3: Identify audiences for a web site or Internet strategy

Silent reflection each individual completes a worksheet Creativity Trigger use strategies to stimulate creative thinking within oneself Outlining invent point by point logical explanations for different items Number sequences/patterns investigate numerical facts or statistics on a topic Graphic Organizers Concept map, diagrams, or classification matrix

Intrapersonal

Logic Smart

#5 : Design an activity that helps people identify common roadblocks to sharing data within their organizations and strategies to overcome roadblocks. Interpersonal
Sensing others motivations explore a topic through why others acted in a certain way or made certain decisions. Peer Coaching Small group where the groups provides feedback and advice on solving a problem.

Linguistic

Reading study written materials Verbal Debate present both sides of an issue

#5: The difference between flat and relational databases.

Drawing create a graphic representation of the concept Pattern/designs create abstract patterns and designs to represent the relationships of different pieces of knowledge Human graph stand along a continuum to express agreement/understanding of a concept or idea. Body Tableaus arrange a group to express an idea, concept, or process. Physical Game create a contest/game based on specific knowledge about a topic.

Visual

Kinesthetic

#6 Workshop on protecting your computer from spam and viruses. Create activity that helps people understand how to look at email critically to determine whether its fraud or legitimate email.

Interpersonal

Sensing others motivations explore a topic through why others acted in a certain way or made certain decisions. Peer Coaching Small group where the groups provides feedback and advice on solving a problem. Outlining invent point by point logical explanations for different items Problem-Solving list appropriate procedures for different situations Syllogisms make closed logical if then statements about a topic or thing.

Logic Smart

#7 Workshop on managing tech volunteer relationships effectively. Design activity that helps people understand how to set clear goals.

Linguistic

Reading study written materials Interviewing gather information by asking questions Storytelling/story creation make up/tell stories about anything one is learning.

Kinesthetic

Role playing/mime show understanding of different concepts through skits and charades Impersonations pretend to be someone else in words, deeds, actions, and facial expressions Dramatic enactment create a mini-drama which shows the dynamic interplay of ideas or processes

Anatomy Lesson: 90-Minute Workshop

Introduction Content Participant Interaction Content Participant Interaction Summary 15 min 15 min 15 min 15 min 15 min 15 min

Introduction
Agenda overview Objectives Logistics Introduction or Icebreaker Lighting Bolt

Icebreakers

The Lighting Bolt!

The Content: How to make it fun?

How?
Ask questions Create a conversation Intersperse tasks Guided note-taking Handouts Visuals Humor Ask if everyone is with you Reinforce questions

Participant Interactivity: Design

Does the activity address different learning styles? Will the activity help the participant gain knowledge, practice or learn a skill, or change an attitude? Reinforce your content Do all participants have the minimum skills to contribute and learn from the experience? Is the activity comfortable for the culture of the group?

Participant Interactivity: Logistics

Appropriate for the size? Can you provide easy, simple instructions? What is the timing and sequencing? How may logistics impact the design? Will a debriefing be helpful to the learning?

Summary, Q&A, Lighting Bolt

Summary
Think about content and learning equally. Thread participant interactivity throughout your workshop Dont be afraid to shake things up! The art of training is a learning process! So, make sure your learn as much from your mistakes as your successes.

Questions?

Using learning styles will help your training stick!