Page 195 - The Creative Training Idea Book Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning

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184 The Creative Training Idea Book
Will it contribute to an energized, interactive environment?
Does it mirror planned content, delivery, and trainer style?
Does it allow ease of visibility and hearing for everyone in the room?

MAXIMIZING INVOLVEMENT AND LEARNING

A key element in getting learners involved and in encouraging information and knowl-
edge exchange revolves around how you set up the learning environment. Depending
on what your learning goals are and how involved you want participants to be, there are
many options for furniture configuration. Figures 5-1 through 5-19 show the most
common types of possible seating style options available to you.

BRIGHT I DEA

Facilitator Table and Equipment Location
or your work area, eliminate overhead projector stands that are typically too
Fsmall. Add a 6-foot instructor’s table in front of the room instead. Rather than
arranging the table in the traditional horizontal position, place it vertically (length-
wise) toward the audience. This eliminates the physical barrier between you and
your group. It also provides a platform on which to put your overhead projector at
the end closest to your participants. This gives you the remainder of the tabletop,
partially obstructed from participant view, to place a watch out of sight. In addition
to allowing private time monitoring, you can also lay out transparencies, lesson
plans, props, and other resources you need for the session. You can further clean
up your tabletop area by using an Overhead Projector Organizer Pockets (see
Creative Presentation Resources in Resources for Trainers section of the appendices)
that consists of three small plastic pouches with Velcro attachements to the edge of
your projector frame. You can keep noisemakers, markers, pointers, and other
small items in the pockets, ready to use, but out of the way.
When using flip charts in conjunction with an instructor’s table, position them
for maximum effectiveness and access. For example, if you have a remote control,
you can place the VCR/monitor on a stand opposite of where you are located while
placing a flip chart closer to you. The position of the flip chart will be dependent on
whether you are left or right handed as you’ll want to use your nondominant hand
to turn pages as you write with your dominant hand (see Seating Style configura-
tions to see how this would look in conjunction with furniture).