Whenever I see a live performance, whether it’s theater, music, or comedy, the ending is usually greeted with a round of applause (and sometimes even a standing ovation!) It’s our way of showing appreciation and praise for the performance. Now, I certainly don’t expect a “standing o” but I do hope that my participants are enthusiastic about what they learned and are satisfied with each session I conduct.
It got me thinking about what is the best way to end a workshop. In our Instructional Design for New Designers workshop, we recommend summarizing the session by asking questions and restating your objective. In our course, 25 Creative Ways to Add Excitement to Your Training,” we suggest many review techniques. Here are some of my favorites:
- Review Tree/Map – Have participants draw a mind map or review tree, summarizing all the key ideas covered in class.
- Art Project – Distribute clay, toys, blocks, etc. Have learners create a representation of something important learned in class. Afterwards, ask learners to present and describe their creation.
- Pull it Out of the Hat – Collect a variety of items like a hand clapper, toy microphone, masking tape, playing card, and place them in a bag. Ask each learner to select one item from the bag (without looking) and describe how it relates to something learned in class.
- Pass the Ball – Toss a ball to learners and ask them to pass it around while you play some music. Stop the music – the person with the ball describes the best part of the course or their personal AHA moment and then sits down. Continue passing the ball until each person has an opportunity to speak.
I’ll be honest; I love these techniques and use them often. Of course, I always discuss Langevin’s after course support. We are here for follow-up with questions and I always encourage our clients to stay in touch by checking out our training blogs, following Ralph Langevin on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, and joining our Alumni Group on Linkedin.
But how do you motivate your learners to apply what they’ve learned in training? And how do you inspire them as they’re walking out the door? Do you share an interesting quote or tell an inspirational story? I would love to hear how you close your sessions with a bang! Oh and if you are getting that standing ovation, can you tell us how you’re doing it?!
Marsha
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