Alphabet Review Here’s a simple and quick review that you can use to start a second episode of a live virtual workshop, before or after a break or mid-morning/mid-afternoon in the physical training room or any time you just want to change things up a little but still keep the focus upon content. nb- with […]

Start With The Known We often forget that learners enter their training with past/current experience and knowledge. Tapping into this at the start gives: The trainer an indication of the groups general level eg beginner/advanced. Gets learners thinking about the upcoming content and connecting it to their own world. Gives the hook to help the […]

This Is What We Want – 3 Agenda Activities The following ideas are ideal for face-to-face training but work equally well with live virtual training. As part of our opening, we need to: bring learners mentally as well as physically into the room connect our learners together connect our learns to the content These 3 […]

The Power Of Priming Often, pre-communication (the ‘Welcome’ and logistics sent prior to training) and priming (the introduction of content prior to live training) are seen to belong only to face-to-face training. But we should be maximising the benefit of both pre- communication and priming for all modes of learning, especially live virtual training (webinar). […]

My Name Is ‘Add Collaboration’ Try This Live Virtual Training Close When Using Zoom Ask learners to think about what their: -Next action will be following their training –Key take-away from their training –Biggest AhHa is etc Ask them to rename themselves with that thought (see image). Read out a few This gets learners to […]

Simple Virtual Training Handouts I’m sure that you wouldn’t consider facilitating face-to-face training without supplying learners with some sort of workbook to make their notes. SO – why would you not do this for Live Virtual Training (or eLearning or Digital Lesson)? Handouts don’t need to be big or expensive. In fact, when we get […]

Variety Is Key Updated for virtual training The Brain Craves Variety Ever wondered why it’s difficult to hold learners attention or why they seem to become disengaged? Well, it’s probably because the workshop structure is routine, the same, like every other workshop. The brain only notices things when they’re different. So, to grab your learners […]

Learners Get A Blank Workbook Learners Get A Blank Workbook As trainers, we know that it makes sense to provide workbooks for our learners to make their own notes. But, the investment needed is quite high – not only from a monetary perspective. Workbooks can be: Very time consuming to design and keep updated Often […]

35:1 Here’s a great activity when you want your learners to agree upon their top 3 challenges.  Often the more outspoken learners will suggest what these challenges are – which may or may not be true for all.  You will also get some, “Yes but what about”, or “I don’t agree with ….”  This activity: […]

Hidden Treasure Encourages Pre-Workshop Reading Research shows that with pre-exposure of upcoming new ideas prior to a learners’ workshop and constant priming throughout the workshop, retention can be increased by up to 34% (Source: Mack, A, Rock 1998 – Inattentional Blindness).  In other words, if learners come into contact with new ideas and terminology prior […]

What Would You Want? Research from the world of neuroscience suggests that if we can get learners thinking, reading, discussing content prior to their arrival for their workshop, it can increase the potential for retention by up to 34%.  This is due to the building of connections in the brain to the content that we can then […]

Carousel Walk Here’s a great interactive review technique (actually my favourite review technique) that involves all your learners, lets you step back and can be utilised at different points during your workshop such as: After lunch. To start day 2+ of a workshop. To close a workshop. To start part 2 of a workshop where […]

Learners Learn Best In Context “Here’s your tip – Learners Learn Best In Context.” OR “Have you ever been in the situation of having to offer content and your learners just don’t seem to be interested?  Well, after reading this tip you’ll find it easy to: Grab your learners attention. Get learners buy-in for any […]

Chunking Beats Constant Input Chunking Beats Constant Input “Too Much, Too Fast, Won’t Last” ie As a learner it’s best to learn in nibbles. Ideally around 7-minute nibbles or chunks. Why? Because the part of the brain that helps in the formation of memory and learning (the hippocampus) has a small storage capacity, roughly 7-minutes […]

Variety Beats SamenessVariety Beats Sameness It’s said that, Variety is the spice of life I’d add, “and is key to learning” Think about what you give your attention to and when your mind starts to wander. We tend to give our attention to: “Any stimuli introduced into our immediate environment, which is either new (novel) […]

Content vs Context Think back to the last: eLearning module you actually worked through the last webinar you were subjected to the last compliance training you were part of etc. You probably: Switched off mentally. Started doing other things while supposedly listening. Didn’t want to be there. Left feeling it had been a waste of […]

Do Something Different Hand out relevant props, link content to a magic trick, ask learners to work with someone not in their team, get learners to create a content video with their smartphone … Why? First the Science When you want to get content into your learners Long Term Memory (Prefrontal Cortex) you need to […]

Noughts And Crosses Stuck for a review technique to: restart after lunch open the second or third day of a multiple day workshop a review to use during your next webinar then try this! Noughts and Crosses Review in the Training Room Place some flip chart sheets around the room – either on the wall, […]