We’ve all experience bad training in our lives. Slow, formulaic - a firehose of facts.
But is it credible (rather than cheesy) to make training actually enjoyable?
In 2014, biologist Scott Freeman and colleagues analysed 225 studies comparing traditional lecturing with active learning, where people discuss, solve problems and do things rather than just listen.
The result: people taught by lecture alone were 1.5 times more likely to fail. Average failure rates were 33.8% under lecturing and 21.8% under active learning.
The content that’s easy to dismiss as frivolous (games, discussions, practice, a bit of play) is usually what makes people active -and activity is what sticks.
How can you make your training more active?
Cut the talking time: If you're presenting for more than ten minutes straight, give people something to do.
Get people practising: A role play, a real problem, a quick practice round - all of these let the first attempt at practice happen in the session.
Let people talk to each other: Pairs and small groups get everyone involved.
Use play on purpose: A game or a laugh isn't a break from learning when it gets people doing the thinking.
In short, boring is broken and learning is a contact sport. If you’d like to chat learning design book a free 30 minute consultation.
Source
Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H. and Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415.