One of my first coaches with Langevin who had experience as a minister, used this quote to point out if there is lack of clarity in the mind of the trainer, there darn sure will be in the minds of the learners. This is especially true when it comes to the setup instructions for exercises in the classroom.
Learner-Centered
In learner-centered training there are many opportunities for the learners to practice using the content being presented through frequent application exercises. Whether the exercise involves calibrating an instrument or analyzing a problem, the learners’ involvement makes the training more engaging – and therefore, more effective. However, these opportunities can also be counterproductive, as introducing these exercises presents one more opportunity for confusion in the classroom. ”What am I supposed to do?” ”What does she want?” ”What’s the end product?” If these questions arise in the mind of one or more learners, not only has the exercise become more difficult, but the credibility of the instructor and training session is at risk. Plato said “the beginning is the most important part.” This certainly is correct for exercises.
Tips
Here are some tips I’ve found effective in working towards the ever elusive goal of crystal-clear exercise setup:
- Clearly indicate that an exercise is about to begin. Use something like “Now let’s practice.” This acts as an attention getter because the participants now know they are done with passively receiving information and are now accountable for action.
- For complicated exercises or exercises that are new to you, use written instructions. A PowerPoint slide, a handout, a page in the course manual, or a flipchart page are all ways of providing a visual key for the learner.
- Your verbal setup should be a clear, step-by-step set of instructions. Your designers may help by writing this into your lesson plan. If not, take the time to write it out yourself beforehand – it will help clarify your thinking.
- Ask for clarifying questions from the participants. “What questions do you have about the exercise?”
- Give an example of the end product. For example, if you have ten items that have to be written according to what you just presented, work through the first item with the whole group so they can see exactly what they must produce.
- Restate the exercise. Briefly summarize your instructions while you still have them as whole group.
- Monitor performance. Unobtrusively monitor the activity so you can answer any questions and remove any roadblocks. Don’t be too quick to intervene though, as this might dampen participation.
Sound like a lot of work? That’s why a crystal-clear setup is challenging for any instructor! I’m still working on it; so, if I’ve forgotten anything, please add your comments.
Happy training!
Paul
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Great ideas to remember – thanks Paul. One I might add is on the back end – evaluating how it went. I like to ask that after the debrief of the learning. Sometimes folks will let you know they were a little confused, its was easy/hard, etc. I also take into account if they performed the practice as instructed. If not, maybe I need to evaluate how I am convenying those instructions. Ciao!