Page 264 - The Creative Training Idea Book Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning

lucas chap 07 11/20/02 12:29 PM Page 253
Engaging and Energizing Learners 253
To recapture childhood wonder is to secure a driving force for
grownup thoughts.
—Charles Sherrington

BRIGHT I DEA
Interim Review Status Check
o determine how participants perceive session content, stop after an hour or
Tmore has passed and form small groups of four to eight learners. Explain that
you will give an introductory statement that each one in their group will complete
based on course content. The statement can be anything you wish or you can use,
“Up to this point this session is . . .” or “The most useful thing I have learned thus
far is . . .” Tell participants that they cannot repeat something another person in their
group has already said. As they proceed through the activity, walk around the room
and eavesdrop to see what they are saying.
Through this type of an activity, you can help determine if there is an unresolved
issue you need to address, what participants feel is important, or to what extent the
session is meeting their needs. Make any adjustments in the session as necessary
or reemphasize key points they seem to have missed once you have heard their
comments.

INTERIM REVIEWS

Earlier in the book, you read about interim reviews and how they can be used at various
points to verify that participants are getting key information from the session. Placed at
various points throughout your sessions, the reviews provide an opportunity to rein-
force learning, cause a break in the flow of information, identify issues or points that need
additional review or reinforcement, and provide fun while rewarding participants. While
doing the reviews, learners consciously review material presented. This effort helps
solidify the material in their memories so that they can later recall and act on it.
The following are some possible review techniques that I have used in a variety of
training programs. After completing some of these reviews, you may also want to spend
time discussing session content and discussing real-world applications as a class.

Play “What if”

Ask a series of open-ended questions that start with, “What if . . .” related to session con-
cepts. Have individuals randomly answer the questions. For example, in a session on
conflict resolution, you might ask, “What if someone disagreed with you and instead of