Page 351 - The Creative Training Idea Book Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning

lucas chap 09 11/20/02 1:02 PM Page 340
340 The Creative Training Idea Book
Gather Participants
It is helpful from a psychological perspective to group people together in a training
room, especially in a large conference room. You read about the importance of room
size and configuration in Chapter 5. By having participants move to the front of a room,
you bring them into closer proximity and can better see and interact with them. People
who are shy or resistant typically often sit in the rear of a room. By forcing them for-
ward, you help them better bond with the group and mentally form a more cohesive
entity not present when people are scattered. Doing this also saves time when forming
small groups because they can more quickly assemble. Dale Carnegie 37 once noted, “A
man in a large audience tends to lose his individuality. He becomes a member of the
crowd and is swayed far more easily than he would be as a single individual. He will
laugh at and applaud things that would leave him unmoved if he were only one of half
a dozen people listening to you.”

Move with a Purpose
Each time you change locations in the room, you should do so for a reason. Continu-
ous walking from one point to another can appear as nervousness, whereas planned
movement can actually aid facilitation. Experienced trainers have known for years that
you can control your audience and the quality and amount of discussion by moving
closer or farther from participants throughout a session. For example, if you want to
emphasize a point or engage a specific individual in your group, you might casually
move forward toward the person as you continue to talk. Or, if you have two partici-
pants who have lost focus and are having a side conversation, you can often stop the
discussion without having to say a word. Simply by closing the distance, making eye
contact with the learners involved, and continuing to speak, you nonverbally say, “I’m
talking to you,” or “This is important, pay attention.”
From a learning standpoint, consider that for the brain to maximize potential, it
needs a continual stream of new information or input. If you stand in one place, the
brain becomes bored. This accounts for refocused attention on the part of many par-
ticipants. They then look elsewhere—doodle, work on or read other material, or start
mentally processing material outside of the program content (daydream)—when you
are stagnant or do not visually and mentally stimulate them.
As you read in earlier chapters, the brain processes information actively as it mem-
orizes it. As part of that effort, a participant’s eyes will typically move to a known area.
Many researchers believe that there are at least six basic eye “thinking” positions (see
Figure 9-3). Law enforcement professionals and others who interrogate and interview
for a living have attempted to use this knowledge to gauge whether a person is being
truthful. Unfortunately, an experienced liar or someone with certain psychiatric condi-
tions can easily deceive and modify his or her behavior.
You can also use this research as an additional tool for helping determine participant
understanding and brain activity. However, like any other element of human nature, this
is only a general guide because each person differs in ability and brain functioning.