Cambridge Training College Britain 1
Professional
Trainer
Cambridge Training College Britain 2
The Contents
Subject1: Training and Training styles:
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What is a trainer?
Can anyone be a trainer?
Why be a trainer?
What kind of trainers are there?
How to become a trainer.
Division of Training
The difference between training and education?
The difference between teaching and training? (Adult learning)
Learning styles & methods (adding accelerate to training)
Best 10 learning tips
Worst 10 Learning habits
Learning and creating Learning skills/ habits
Teaching methods/ approaches/ theories
Finding and developing your own style
Trainer skills
Trainer skills update
Subject 2: Presentation Skills:
 Motivation and learning
 Self – confidence and learning
 Presentation skills
 Time management
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Subject 3: Research and Writing Skills:
 Research skills
 Writing Skills
 Developing the course/ plan/ workshop/ seminars (instructional
design)
a) Study the audience
b) Ice breakers
c) Topical presentations of usable/ required/ useful info
d) Learning games
e) Charts/ flipcharts/ brainstorming
f) Flash cards
g) Overhead projectors
h) Tape recorder/ CD player/ DVD player/ DVD w materials
on them
i) Handouts
j) Training tools: The Trainer’s toolkit
k) Stats
l) Exercises: written/ oral/ practical in the form of journals/
worksheets/ books/ guides/ manuals
m) Diagrams/ models/ illustrations
n) Case studies
o) Role plays
p) Mentors
 Supervisors
Subject 4: Communication strategies
 Communication skills
 The 7 gears of communication
 Body language in the class room (projection and perception)
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 Keep it interesting
Subject 5: NLP and Training
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Training the trainer and NLP
Subject 6: Problem Solving:
 Conflict and problem solving
 Possible problems and possible solutions
Tests and Evaluations
 Assessment tools for the Learner:
a) Needs assessment before anything.
b) Personality tests
c) Learning modality tests
d) IQ tests
e) Written/ oral/ comprehension/ aptitude tests
f) Learning habits tests
g) Specialty language
h) Emotional intelligence
 Developing the training staff:
a) Support
b) Upgrading
c) Resources/ library/ feedback/ newsletter/ info bank/
references/ freebies
33) Student evaluation;
34) Trainer evaluation/ course evaluation
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Subject1: Training and Training styles:
What is a Trainer?
Definition of TRAINER: one that trains as per the Merriam-Webster
dictionary.
A trainer is usually someone who ‘teaches’ others how to do/ achieve
something. A teacher of kinds.
Some corporations call their trainers “facilitators.” This is possibly meant to
be shorthand for “facilitator of learning.” However, is “facilitator” really an
appropriate term when the “facilitator” exclusively lectures and uses Power
Point? Are facilitating a strategic planning session and teaching someone
how to do that really the same thing?
Even the roots of the two words interplay. “Educe,” the root of “educate,”
literally means “to bring out.” That is what the best trainers do…but isn’t it
also what facilitators do? The root of “facilitate,” of course, is “facile,” or to
make a process “easy.”
The greatest trainers and facilitators do share many characteristics and
behaviors. However, I believe the role of trainer and facilitator are
ineluctably different and that it’s important to distinguish between them.
This will not only help reduce confusion about the terms, but ensure they
retain real meaning.
4 Major Differences Between Facilitator and Trainer Roles
Great Facilitator
Great Adult Educator (Trainer)
Is not necessarily a content expert.
Is a content expert.
Is an expert in many forms of group
process (including inter-and-intragroup conflict resolution, strategic
Is not necessarily expert in many
forms of group process. Instead, continually develops new methods to
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planning, team building, etc.)
help participants achieve specific
learning outcomes.
Often helps the group to define and
verbalize its own outcomes (e.g. to
solve a specific problem or develop a
new procedure.)When outcomes are
externally prescribed, helps the group
develop, implement and “own” action
steps to achieve the outcomes.
Most often in corporate, organizational or higher education settings,
the trainer does not help each learner
group establish its own learning outcomes. (That’s a whole other
approach, called Popular Education.)
However, the trainer may be
involved in implementing and/or
analyzing the results of training
needs assessments. These should
include input from representative
(potential) participants as well as
other stakeholders.
Sees facilitation as a process to help Often focuses on training’s impact
achieve specific “bits” of broad orga- on actual, discrete job performance
nizational goals.
or tasks. Trainer may evaluate
training’s effectiveness long after the
training event takes place.
Elements the Two Roles Share
Both great facilitators and the best trainers…
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Help the group achieve specific outcomes through the use of
active, participatory, participant-centered methods.
regularly evaluate the process in real time, and can measure how well
the participants achieved the stated outcomes at the end of the process.
have made themselves familiar with the organizational culture and
context in which they are working, and ensure the processes “fit” that
culture.
stimulate dialogue and interaction between participants, not just
between themselves and the participants.
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Can Anyone be a Trainer?
The answer is generally yes. Anyone can be a trainer, providing they have
the knowledge, the ability, the will to learn and upgrade as well as to adapt
and grow all the time. Anyone who can rise up to the challenge can be a
trainer. Becoming a trainer is a possibility for someone from any walk of
life. You do not need to be a therapist or have other formal credentials. This
is a human process open to any person. Focusing joins naturally with any
kind of work in which you are attending to an ongoing process. For example,
it can fit seamlessly into your work if you help others move forward or find
more ease, or your work is about finding the right expression for something.
You might be a nurse, a doctor, a massage therapist, a child care worker, a
teacher, a home schooling parent, a secretary, a manager, a pastor or
spiritual director, a hospice worker, a designer, a housewife, a retired
person... Even if you start out learning Focusing so that you can use it in
your own work life, you may find as you begin to apply it that you have a
growing desire to teach it to others. For instance, a therapist may originally
learn Focusing to use with their own clients, and later begin to see that they
could train other therapists in their agency to use Focusing in their work, as
well.
A training professional must have a business orientation, a concern for
improving performance and the outcomes.
They must also be able to recognize and admit when training is not the
appropriate solution.
They should possess very fine ‘people skills’, and be able to easily adapt to
different people, cultures, situations, etc.
Perhaps last but not least, a trainer must master and develop training skills,
which must also be updated constantly.
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Why become a trainer?
Being a trainer is a very gratifying profession. Teaching others gives one the
feeling of having done something useful, something worthwhile. It’s also a
challenge since it’s an ever-changing field.
Below are some of the characteristics of effective trainers:
Objective; Diagnostician; Respectful of participants; emotionally stable;
participant/ learner centered; open and honest; positive self-concept;
enthusiastic; good voice presence; tactful; approachable and warm; uses a
variety of methods; had a good sense humor; understanding and empathetic;
articulate; credible; with a positive attitude; good listener; a good coach and
co-ordinator; ability to relate to all people; patient; creative and flexible; able
to relate the material to the learners effectively; goal-oriented; organized and
knowledgeable; professional appearance and presentation; presence and in
control of emotions/ temper; good listener.
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How to become a trainer
Personal trainers need to have a multitude of skills. You should be
analytical, patient, nurturing, persistent, organized, an effective motivator
and, most importantly, a good listener. You should love working with
different kinds of people and be a self-motivator. You don't have to look like
a body builder to be a fitness trainer, but you should definitely lead a healthy
lifestyle to be a good role model for your clients.
Becoming ever more qualified and up to date with training news and
happenings is a must for any successful trainer. Professional Training -thetrainer education and certification is required.
The Three Top, Absolutely Essential Attributes to Become a Trainer
1. Content Knowledge
Of course, this is first, but it can’t “go without saying.” If you don’t know
your subject, you shouldn’t be training it. However, you DON’T have to
know every last detail before you’re ready to train.
2. Willingness To Have Fun
This one’s a potential danger zone. Some trainers have so much fun
themselves that they remain oblivious of the participants’ needs, insights,
and potential contributions.
Having fun doesn’t mean you are able to toss out jokes. Willingness to have
fun means relaxing WHILE you energize yourself, connecting with the
participants WHILE you focus on content and time management, and
enjoying the participants WHILE retaining your unique role as trainer. It’s
easy to say and sometimes very hard to do!
3. Use of a Well-Structured Training Design
Have you ever wondered about the source of the following issues?
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• Bad marks on your training evaluations (excluding comments about cold
coffee or overly warm training rooms)
• Participant hostility, side conversations or passive-aggressiveness
• Lack of participation
• People sleeping
The invisible culprit is often how the session is designed, not the
presentation skills of the trainer. Design affects everything related to the
training.
Training design is architecture. A badly–designed course will sag, fracture,
and maybe not even last through the next hurricane (or training session.)
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What kind of trainers are there?
There are trainers for every walk of life, from fitness trainers, to personal life
coaches, to corporate trainers. Our main focus is the Train the Trainer
trainers.
Divisions of training
1. TYPES OF TRAINING
o
Induction or Orientation Training
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Job Training
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Safety Training
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Promotional Training
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Refresher Training
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Remedial Training
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Internship Training
2. INDUCTION/ORIENTATION
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Introducing a new employee to the organization and its procedures, rules
and regulations.
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Every new employee needs to be made familiar with his job, his
superiors and subordinates and with the rules and regulations of the
Organization.
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It is short and informative
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Given immediately after recruitment
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Eg. Induction programme at the Marriot Hotel is a two day event which
includes - Presentation Sessions and Interaction with Top management,
games, team building approach etc.
3. ORIENTATION
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The primary reason for orientation programs is that the sooner
employees know basic information related to their job, the sooner they
can become productive.
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It also reduces their nervousness and uncertainty, and leads to more
satisfaction so they are less likely to quit
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Orientation training is used to develop a positive attitude in employees.
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The time spent conducting a session shows that the organization
values the new employees.
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4. USE OF HANDBOOK
Employee Handbook: A document that describes an organization’s
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conditions for employment
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policies regarding employees
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(time off, hours of work, benefits),
administrative procedures
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(such as attendance, behavior on the job, performance of
duties),
(filling out timesheets and travel expense reports), and
related matters.
5. JOB TRAINING
o
To increase the knowledge and skills of an employee for improving
performance on the job.
o
It may include
o
Informing about machine and its handling
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Process of production
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Methods to be used
o
The purpose is to reduce accidents, waste, and inefficiency in
performance
6. SAFETY TRAINING
o
Training provided to minimize accidents and damage to the machinery
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o
It involves instruction in the use of safety devices and in safety
consciousness.
7. PROMOTIONAL TRAINING
o
It involves training of existing employees to enable them to perform
higher level jobs.
o
Employees with potential are selected and are given training before their
promotion.
8. REFRESHER TRAINING
o
Also called Retraining
o
Purpose is to acquaint the existing employees with the latest methods of
performing their jobs and improve their efficiency further i.e. to avoid
personnel obsolescence
o
It is essential because-
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To relearn
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To keep pace with the technological changes in the field
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When newly created jobs are given to existing employees
9. REMEDIAL TRAINING
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To overcome the shortcomings in the behavior and performance of old
employees
o
It may include unlearning certain inappropriate methods and techniques
o
Should be conducted by Psychological experts
10.INTERNSHIP TRAINING
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Under this educational or vocational institutes enter in an arrangement
with an industrial enterprise for providing practical knowledge to its
students
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The organization providing the training may even absorb the candidates
post training
METHODS OF TRAINING
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o
ON THE JOB TRAINING – The development of a manager’s abilities
can take place on the job. The four techniques for on-the job
development are:
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COACHING
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MENTORING
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JOB ROTATION
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JOB INSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE (JIT)
2. COACHING
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Coaching is one of the training methods, which is considered as a
corrective method for inadequate performance.
o
A coach is the best training plan for the CEO’s because It is one-to-one
interaction It can be done at the convenience of CEO It can be done on
phone, meetings, through e-mails, chat It provides an opportunity to
receive feedback from an expert It helps in identifying weaknesses and
focus on the area that needs improvement
3. MENTORING
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Mentoring is an ongoing relationship that is developed between a senior
and junior employee.
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Some key points on Mentoring
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Mentoring focus on attitude development
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Conducted for management-level employees
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Mentoring is done by someone inside the company
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It is one-to-one interaction
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It helps in identifying weaknesses and focus on the area that needs
improvement
4. JOB ROTATION
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This approach allows the manger to operate in diverse roles and
understand the different issues that crop up.
o
Benefits of Job Rotation Some of the major benefits of job rotation are:
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It provides the employees with opportunities to broaden the horizon of
knowledge, skills, and abilities by working in different departments,
business units, functions, and countries
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Identification of Knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) required
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It determines the areas where improvement is required
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Assessment of the employees who have the potential and calibre for
filling the position
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What is the difference between training and teaching?
Teaching and training may be thought of as the same thing, but they, in fact,
have many differences. While they are both appropriate in certain
circumstances, sometimes the presence of one may be to the detriment of the
other. Often, a balance between both is necessary.
Strictly Defined
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Teaching is typically defined as, "to cause to know something, to guide the
studies of, to impart knowledge or to instruct by example, precept or
experience." Training seeks "to form by instruction, discipline or drill" or "to
make prepared for a test or skill." Training usually has a more specific focus
than teaching, which seeks to instill a deeper knowledge over a longer period
of time. Training, on the other hand, seeks to help someone master a specific
skill, or skill set, until he is able to execute it efficiently. Training is usually
a one-time or short-term event, as with job training.
Implied Differences
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Teaching is usually broader in focus than training. It generally is theoretical,
while training is the practical application of knowledge. Also, teaching seeks
to impart new knowledge, while training equips the already knowledgeable
with tools and techniques to develop a specific skill set. One of teaching's
goals is to enrich the mind, while training's end is to mold habits or
performance. "Training provides depth of knowledge in a specific sphere,
while teaching provides breadth of knowledge in all spheres." Teaching is
usually within the context of the academic world, while training is generally
associated with the commercial realm. Another difference is found between
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thought and action. "It has been said that the essence of teaching is causing
another to know. It may similarly be said that the essence of training is
causing another to do." Also, teaching usually deals with a subject or topic,
while training deals with a duty or function. Teachers generally give
students feedback, while trainers receive feedback from trainees.
Teaching and Training Working Together
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There are times when teaching and training must work in tandem. For
example, an excellent singer may be wonderfully trained, but not necessarily
taught about the theory of her craft. For example, she may not know how a
certain muscle moves when she sings. Most importantly, she must have
strong training in order to perform the physical tasks that make up a great
performance. However, learning is involved here as well. She inevitably will
be required to sing in a specific style, therefore, learning various styles will
allow her to apply her training appropriately. For this purpose, then, it
appears that teaching should precede training. However, the process of
training, in this situation, can be of higher benefit to the singer.
When Teaching Interferes with Training
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There is always a danger that training may interfere with teaching merely
but teaching can, in certain circumstances, interfere with training. Again, in
the singer's case, thinking about what she is doing or analyzing it, as she
would do when learning, would actually distract her from the task at hand.
The part of her brain that allows her to perform physically is different from
that which is involved in knowledge acquisition. The second she begins
analyzing what she is doing, she will lose touch with her free-flowing
actions. She must instead focus on training, including developing her
muscles and mind to perform the action of singing.
Balancing the Two
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Enhancing teaching and training, each with the other, is generally necessary.
If someone has the academic or theoretical knowledge required to flourish in
a position, or at a function, she will no doubt need some kind of skill-set
training at one point or another. On the other side, training will always be
enriched when a deeper, longer-term knowledge is continually sought and
acquired. Finding a balance between the two creates a person who not only
can understand and perform, but also, who can contribute, invent and lead.
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Teaching:
Training:
Giving knowledge
Sharing Knowledge
Theoretical
Real – life or Practical
Passive participation
Active Participation
Watch me
Lets do it together
Try it yourself
Try and improve it further
THE ADULT LEARNER
Teaching people of different ages requires many different things such as
approach, technique, tools, etc.
When dealing with the younger learner in a more strict environment such as
schools, etc. are taught with the Pedagogical Model .
The Pedagogical Model includes:
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The teacher being responsible for the learning, including what and
how is learned. The teacher is active and the learner passive.
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The learner has little or no experience versus the teacher being smart
and all knowing, and keeps dumping not always useful, topical or
understood information on the learner.
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The learners are’ motivated’ to learn because they have to, to pass
tests, exams, get a promotion.
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The learning is only information-centered. The teacher covers the
material, no more, no less.
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Motivation is external. Its pressure ‘motivation’.
The ANDROGICAL Model however:
 The adult learner is self directed, they want to take responsibility for
their learning, their goals, planning, outcomes and how they will
further use the learning. To them learning is a two-way
communication not just a passive experience of taking in information.
 Adult learners like to experience what they have learned, not just
parrot the knowledge for the sake of passing an exam or the like. They
assimilate new information and put it to practice to test if it works or
not. Adult learners already have some experience and knowledge
hence it would be wise to see what the assessments what they really
need.
 Adults are ready to learn when in need of the knowledge/ information/
skill. They require specific knowledge and go for it. The learning has
to be practical, to the point, focused. The skills have to make them
more proficient, confident, expert and fast.
 Adults prefer knowledge that helps them solve problems, complete
projects , etc more efficiently and expertly. Adults are motivated to
learn when they see and eventual useful/ helpful outcome of the
learning. What is taught has to be directly relevant to the need of the
adult learner.
 Adults have ‘internal’ motivation to learn, for self-esteem,
recognition, love of learning, better life, promotion, etc.
 Adults need to be involved in the planning, implementation, and
assessment of their learning process.
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The difference between studying and learning?
What we learn depends on how we learn, and why we have to learn it.
Recent research on the ways in which students in higher education tackle
their day-to-day academic work has drawn attention to the need to think of
learning as the outcome of a whole range of interacting factors. Of course,
how well we learn depends on our intelligence-or rather the level of our
various intelligences in relation to the task we have to do. It has been clear
for many years that achievement in formal educational contexts also depends
on effort, and on the general level of student motivation. But increasingly,
research on student learning has been describing additional influences on
academic learning. These influences depend, in part, on the individual
characteristics of learners, and on their past experiences in education. They
also depend on current experience within the courses they are taking-the
quality of the teaching, and above all on the nature of the assessment
procedures. We now have a set of related concepts which allow us to
understand why some students do well, while others do badly.
The starting point has to be the reasons for which a student is taking a
particular course. Some students enter higher education mainly for the
intellectual challenge, or to prove they are capable of degree level work.
They have an academic orientation. Others are more concerned with
obtaining a qualification which will ensure a safe job. This is a vocational
orientation. These different purposes inevitably affect not just the degree of
effort they will put into the course, but also the kind of effort, as we shall
see.
Students also come into higher education with different beliefs about what
learning itself actually means. When adults from a range of ages and
educational backgrounds are asked to explain what they understood by
"learning," a series of contrasting conceptions is found which can be seen as
a hierarchy, increasing in both sophistication and complexity. Adults hold
very different conceptions of learning. It has been found that many people
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who have left school early see learning as just the result of building up
separate bits of knowledge, like bricks in a wall. This view seems to be
reinforced by traditional forms of education which test mainly the
acquisition of facts, and also by quiz shows which reward the same kind of
knowledge! Closely allied to this simplest conception is the idea that
learning depends on memorizing what has to be learned. But to be useful,
information eventually has to be applied in some way; this leads to a rather
more sophisticated conception.
When students are asked to carry out an academic task, like preparing for a
tutorial or writing an essay, the way in which they tackle that task depends
on why they are taking the course and on what they believe learning requires
of them. This means that when they think about how to tackle the task,
different students actually have rather different intentions. And those
intentions have proved to be closely related to how they go about learning,
and the quality of the learning they achieve.
Learning styles & Methods
David Kolb’s development of the four-step process led to an identification of
four distinct learning styles.
The divergent learning style
People with divergent learning styles are best at using the experiential and
reflection steps in learning. If this is your style, you probably have the ability
to view specific situations from many perspectives. For example, you may
enjoy brainstorming and small group discussions. You also like to gather
information and probably have broad interests. You may prefer to watch
events rather than participate in them.
To increase your learning power, you also need to place emphasis on the
other steps in the learning process. This means forming conclusions from
your information, planning the application of these conclusions, and actually
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implementing them. For example, after watching a role play or listening to a
discussion, summarize your observations into clear conclusions. Then decide
how and when to test these conclusions in your own situations. Establish
criteria to evaluate if the new idea really worked. Do this at the end of every
activity in which you are an observer.
To further increase your leaning power, take a more active role in the
workshop than you might normally choose. Volunteer to be in the role plays,
or to lead group discussions. This may be uncomfortable at first but it will
give you an opportunity to experiment with your conclusions. It will also
give you more experience with trial-and-error learning, something you may
tend to avoid in real-life situations.
You may find it useful to discuss workshop topics with someone who has a
converger learning style. This person will help you see possible conclusions
and applications you might overlook. You in turn may help them see
information they might overlook, and develop more perspective.
You may have a tendency to concentrate on the human side of problems or
topics or exercises. This reflects your ability to understand or to empathize
with others’ feelings or points of view, but you may also have a tendency to
avoid drawing conclusions about the quantitative or technical aspects of the
situation. Try to develop these skills:
 Collect and analyze numerical data.
 Look for overall patterns in any feedback you get.
 Put your own feelings aside for a moment and take a more objective
look.
The assimilative style
People with an assimilative learning style are best at using the reflection and
generalization steps in the learning process. If this is your style, you have the
ability to create theoretical models (ideas that predict outcomes and
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descriptions of how different factors interact). You most likely enjoy
inductive reasoning and distill disparate observations into logical
explanations.
To increase your learning power, you also need to place more emphasis on
application and experiential steps in the learning process. This involves
speeding up your learning cycle by moving into action sooner. For example,
after watching a role play or listening to a discussion, think about ways to
immediately apply your conclusions. Look for opportunities to test your new
idea during the workshop and personally experience the results. This may
require you to conceptualize smaller scale experiments, not the large scale
efforts you may prefer.
To further increase your learning, be more aware of the feelings and
reactions of individuals (including yourself). You may have a tendency to
discount intuitive or emotional information. But a lot can be learned from a
person’s tone of voice, facial expressions, and other body language. Much of
this data is preliminary in nature and hard to analyze in a logical fashion, but
it provides an early warning about how things are going or how an idea has
been understood.
You may have a preference for examining the quantitative or “thing” aspect
s of a situation. Your conclusions may be based primarily on policies,
official relations, or formulas developed in other situations. This can cause
you to be over-cautious about experimenting and miss opportunities for
learning. No two situations are exactly alike. Put more effort into trying
ideas, skills, or concepts. Then pay attention to the way things actually
happen. It is often different than the way things are “supposed” to happen.
Your ability to deal with non-quantitative data will increase if your get
involved in interpersonal activities (role plays, simulations, discussions)
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more frequently. Take an active role and express your feelings. Others will
do the same and this will give you experience handling this data.
Get into discussions with people whose primary learning style is
accommodative. Note the value they place on intuition as a decision-making
device. Research shows that in many situations intuition is more effective
than logic. Try to implement their suggestions even if they can’t provide a
supporting rationale; or perhaps you can help them think through the
rationale. You may want to add these learning skills to your current ones:
 Seeking and exploring possibilities
 Influencing others
 Being personally involved
Deal with the people side of issues you work on, particularly how to get the
support of key individuals whose help you will need.
The convergent style
People with a convergent learning style are best at using the generalization
and experiential steps in the learning process. If this is your style, you have
the ability to find practical application for ideas, concepts, and theories. In
particular, you enjoy situations in which there is a single or best answer to a
question or problem. You may usually assume there is one best answer and
use technical analysis to reveal it. You too may prefer to deal with technical
issues rather than people issues.
To increase your learning power, you need to place even more emphasis on
the application and reflection steps in the learning process. This means
placing a higher value on gathering and understanding non-quantitative
information by looking at a situation from different perspectives. The result
may seem to slow your learning process down, but in fact, it will speed the
long-term accuracy by ensuring you are learning the most important things.
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For example, while watching a role play or listening to a lecture, you may be
thinking about how the topic or technique applies to your situation. Before
making a decision however, try to get other people’s perspectives. Listen to
their ideas, comments, and questions. You may discover the situation has
elements you weren’t considering. This may influence how you apply your
learning.
To further increase your learning, try to take a less active role in the
workshop than you might usually take. Spend some time really listening to
others’ ideas. Try to see the world as they see it, to understand their feelings
and values. Play an observer role from time to time and avoid making
judgments or decisions about how well others are doing. Instead, try to
understand why they are saying or doing something. This may lead you to
new and eventually useful information.
You will find it important to discuss workshop topics with someone who has
a divergent learning style. This person will see both questions and
possibilities you might tend to ignore or avoid. You may help them see how
to apply some of their ideas.
You may have a tendency to concentrate on the “thing” side of problems,
topics, or exercises. You may underestimate the impact people’s values and
emotions have on the way systems actually work. Avoid coming to quick
conclusions.
The particular learning skills you want to add to the ones you already have
include:
 Listening with an open mind
 Gathering information
 Imagining the implications of situations
The accommodative style
People with the accommodative learning style are best at using the
experiential and application steps in the learning process. If this is your
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style, you have the ability to learn primarily from hands-on experience. You
probably enjoy carrying out plans and involving yourself in new and
challenging experiences.
Your tendency may be to act on intuition and gut feel rather than careful
analysis. When a thoughtful approach does not seem to be working out, you
will be quick to discard it and improvise. To increase your learning power,
you need to place even more emphasis on the reflection and generalization
steps in the learning process. This means collecting and analyzing more
information about the results of your efforts. Your batting average in the trial
and error method of learning will increase if you learn more than you
currently do from each of your trials.
When watching a role play, you may feel frustrated and prefer to be doing
the play yourself. Your tendency might be to think of how you would do the
same activity. However, to develop your reflective skills, you should
examine other, less personal aspects of the situation. Here are questions you
might ask:
 What basic point does the exercise prove or disprove?
 What other information aside from your personal experience do you
have that relates to the same topic?
 Does this exercise help you understand why certain techniques work,
not just what the techniques are, or how to use them?
To further increase your learning power, try to take a less physically active
part in the workshop than you might normally choose. Be more mentally
active. Volunteer to be an observer in some exercises, not a doer. This will
give you an opportunity to reflect on other people’s experiences and learn
from their trial and error.
You will find it useful to discuss workshop topics with someone who has an
assimilative learning style. This person will help you see information you
might otherwise miss. They will also help you see the hidden logic and
patterns in situations. You can often use this perspective to guide your
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intuition. You in turn can help them see new possibilities and opportunities
to try out their ideas.
You may have a tendency to concentrate on the urgent aspects of a situation,
favoring immediate utility over long-term understanding. To increase your
learning, keep notes on your experiences, analyze them, and look for
patterns. In other words, look for the forest as well as the trees. Take more
time to get other people’s perspective on what has happened (or what you
are about to do) during the workshop. The particular skills you want to add
to your current ones are:
 Organizing information
 Build conceptual models
 Test theories and ideas
 1st stage of learning: experience
 Now you are ready to take the group through an experiential stage of
learning: an exercise on using that planner. Give each person two
pages from a planner: a month-at-a-glance page and a daily page.
(typically you would use the current month or an upcoming month
and a day in the next week.) As they work on the month at a glance,
ask them to fill in important family dates, personal healthcare or
development days, any meetings they know they will be attending,
and any tasks that must be done, keeping in mind, “if the task takes
more than 30 minutes, schedule it.”
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 Then, we’ll move onto the daily page: their day, as they know it to be,
the next day they are back at work. Are there established routines they
will follow, such as checking e-mails? Are there activities or jobs that
must be done? How long will each job take? Are there people they
must call? That daily page usually has room for scheduling, as well as
your to-do list and the people you must contact. This can be
documentation for what you do: a good enough reason in and of itself
to justify using a planner.
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 2nd stage of learning: reflection
 Give people some opportunity to think about what they have just
experienced and jot down some notes on what worked/what didn’t
work for them.
 3rd stage of learning: generalization
 Now ask them to share their thoughts with two to three others in a
small group and suggest some guidelines for the type of planner that
will work best, or some guidelines you have found helpful for using a
planner.
 4th stage of learning: application
 In this example, and in many other teaching points, application will
not be until they are back in their own workplace. However, an
application for our example might be buying a planner, or if those
working through the exercise already have a planner, the application
would be using it effectively.
 Orientation
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 Objectives and agenda
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 1st stage of learning: experiential
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 2nd stage of learning: reflection
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 3rd stage of learning: generalization
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 4th stage of learning: application
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Learning Methods
Mind Mapping is an important technique that improves the way you record
information, and supports and enhances your creative problem solving. By
using Mind Maps, you can quickly identify and understand the structure of a
subject. You can see the way that pieces of information fit together, as well
as recording the raw facts contained in normal notes. More than this, Mind
Maps encourage creative problem solving, as they hold information in a
format that your mind finds easy to remember and quick to review.
Popularized by Tony Buzan, Mind Maps abandon the list format of
conventional note taking. They do this in favor of a two-dimensional
structure. A good Mind Map shows the 'shape' of the subject, the relative
importance of individual points, and the way in which facts relate to one
another.
Mind Maps are more compact than conventional notes, often taking up one
side of paper. This helps you to make associations easily. If you find out
more information after you have drawn the main Mind Map, then you can
easily integrate it with little disruption.
Mind Maps are also useful for:
 Summarizing information.
 Consolidating information from different research sources.
 Thinking through complex problems.
 Presenting information in a format that shows the overall structure of
your subject as a type of affinity diagram.
They are very quick to review as you can often refresh information in your
mind just by glancing at one. And in the same way, they can be effective
mnemonics: Remembering the shape and structure of a Mind Map can give
you the cues you need to remember the information within it. As such, they
engage much more of your brain in the process of assimilating and
connecting facts, compared with conventional notes.
To make notes on a subject using a Mind Map, draw it in the following way:
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1. Write the title of the subject you're exploring in the center of the page,
and draw a circle around it. As you come across major subdivisions or
subheadings of the topic (or important facts that relate to the subject)
draw lines out from this circle. Label these lines with these subdivisions
or subheadings. As you "burrow" into the subject and uncover another
level of information (further subheadings, or individual facts) belonging
to the subheadings above, draw these as lines linked to the subheading
lines. Finally, for individual facts or ideas, draw lines out from the
appropriate heading line and label them. As you come across new
information, link it in to the Mind Map appropriately.
A complete Mind Map may have main topic lines radiating in all directions
from the center. Sub-topics and facts will branch off these, like branches and
twigs from the trunk of a tree. You do not need to worry about the structure
produced, as this will evolve of its own accord.
Your Mind Maps are your own property: once you understand how to make
notes in the Mind Map format, you can develop your own conventions to
take them further. The following suggestions may help to increase their
effectiveness:
 Use single words or simple phrases for information: Most words in
normal writing are padding, as they ensure that facts are conveyed in
the correct context, and in a format that is pleasant to read. In your own
Mind Maps, single strong words and meaningful phrases can convey
the same meaning more potently. Excess words just clutter the Mind
Map.
 Print words: Joined up or indistinct writing can be more difficult to
read.
 Use color to separate different ideas: This will help you to separate
ideas where necessary. It also helps you to visualize of the Mind Map
for recall. Color also helps to show the organization of the subject.
 Use symbols and images: Where a symbol or picture means something
to you, use it. Pictures can help you to remember information more
effectively than words.
 Using cross-linkages: Information in one part of the Mind Map may
relate to another part. Here you can draw in lines to show the crosslinkages. This helps you to see how one part of the subject affects
another.
Most of us need knowledge in some form to do our jobs well. Perhaps you
need to understand how your customer database is designed, so that you can
extract a particular report. Maybe you need to know the best way to get
senior managers to approve a business case. Or perhaps, even, you need to
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know how your boss prefers to receive bad news, so that you can deliver this
as painlessly as possible.
All of these things require specific knowledge. No matter what your job is,
you need this knowledge if you're going to do a good job.
This seems obvious, right?
But how does your organization HANDLE all of this knowledge? When you
have a question, is it easy for you to find an answer, or do you have to search
for hours or days to find what you need to know?
This is why knowledge management is so important. Knowledge
management is the practice of organizing, storing, and sharing vital
information, so that everyone can benefit from its use.
In this article, we'll look at exactly what knowledge management is, and how
you can start organizing knowledge within your own organization, thereby
saving money and increase productivity.
What Is Knowledge?
Words like "data," "information," and "knowledge" are often used
interchangeably. But there are some important differences:
 Data is a specific fact or figure, without any context. For example, the
number 1,000 is a piece of data, as is the name George Jones. Without
anything else to define them, these two items of data are meaningless.
 Information is data that's organized. So, pieces of information are
"George Jones is a BOSS" and "1,000 widgets." We have more details,
so now the data makes more sense to us.
 Knowledge, then, builds on the information to give us context.
Knowledge is "George Jones is the BOSS of our company's biggest
competitor, and his company ships 1,000 widgets every hour."
The key difference between knowledge and information is that knowledge
gives us the power to take action. We can USE it.
There are also two different types of knowledge, explicit and tacit:
 Explicit knowledge includes things that you can easily pass on to
someone else by teaching it or putting it into a database or a book.
Explaining your company's safety protocols to a new team member is
demonstrating explicit knowledge.
Benefits of Knowledge Management
The major benefit of knowledge management is that information is easily
shared between staff members, and that knowledge isn't lost if someone goes
on vacation, gets sick, or leaves the company.
This can result in substantial savings to an organization's bottom line. People
are easily brought up to speed, and valuable knowledge assets are never lost
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(which means that you don't lose time and money when people have to learn
new information quickly).
Because ideas can be shared easily, knowledge management may also
increase innovation and help create better customer relationships. And if the
company has a global team, knowledge management can create a more
powerful workforce when all of those different cultures are brought together
to share assets.
Knowledge management gives staff members the knowledge they need to do
their jobs better. This makes them more productive.
There are two different ways of managing knowledge: using technologybased systems, or using softer systems.
 Technology-based systems - These can include a collaborative wiki,
where everyone can add and edit information. Or, it can include
programs or databases on the company's intranet, with information
organized so that everyone can access them.
 Any technology-based system will have challenges. For instance, who
will manage the project? Who will keep the information up to date?
How will people access the information?
 There's no "one size fits all" approach here. Every company and culture
is different.
 Softer systems - These are things like specific actions or meetings that
take place to share knowledge and help people connect with one
another.
 Consider the following methods as part of your soft knowledge
management systems:
 Shadowing.
 Mentoring.
 Instant messaging and intranet forums.
 Voluntary groups, also called communities of practice, that help
team members doing the same thing in different areas to meet
informally and share information.
Keep in mind that technology-based knowledge management systems are
great at capturing explicit knowledge, but not so great at capturing tacit
knowledge..
This is why knowledge management approaches should try to use both
approaches.
 Start with a small team - It's very easy to get overwhelmed with the
amount of knowledge that could be shared. Start with a small group, in
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one department, and grow from there. This will help you figure out
what information you'd like to keep, and how you'd like to organize it.
Help staff feel comfortable about sharing knowledge - It might be
hard to "sell" knowledge management to your team. After all, you're
asking them to share their hard-won knowledge and experience, the
very things that make them valuable to the company. (This can be a
powerful incentive for people not to share their knowledge!)
Make knowledge sharing part of the company culture, and something
that EVERYONE does. This will help make team members feel more
comfortable about getting involved. And, consider bringing knowledge
sharing into your formal approach to performance management, so that
people are rewarded for sharing information freely.
Make it as easy as possible for your team to share information Everyone is busy. If being part of a knowledge management program is
difficult or time-consuming, people may not want to be involved. The
easier it is for people to participate, the more likely you are to succeed.
Plan for retiring team members - Retirement is a major reason why
so many organizations are trying to quickly implement knowledge
management systems right now. If you're facing a baby-boomer
generation that's about to walk out of the door, it makes sense to start
collecting their experience first.
 Whether they're project documents, trade journals, blogs, business
books or e-books, most of us read regularly as part of our jobs, and to
develop our skills and knowledge.
 But do you ever read what should be a useful document, yet fail to
gain any helpful information from it? Or, do you have to re-read
something several times to get a full understanding of the content?
 In this article, we're looking at strategies that will help you read more
effectively. These approaches will help you get the maximum benefit
from your reading, with the minimum effort.
 Think About What You Want to Know
 Before you start reading anything, ask yourself why you're reading it.
Are you reading with a purpose, or just for pleasure? What do you
want to know after you've read it?
 Once you know your purpose, you can examine the resource to see
whether it's going to help you.
 For example, with a book, an easy way of doing this is to look at the
introduction and the chapter headings. The introduction should let you
know who the book is intended for, and what it covers. Chapter
headings will give you an overall view of the structure of the subject.
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Ask yourself whether the resource meets your needs, and try to work
out if it will give you the right amount of knowledge. If you think that
the resource isn't ideal, don't waste time reading it.
Remember that this also applies to content that you subscribe to, such
as journals or magazines, and web-based RSS and social media news
feeds - don't be afraid to prune these resources if you are not getting
value from some publishers.
Know How Deeply to Study the Material
Where you only need the shallowest knowledge of a subject, you can
skim material. Here you read only chapter headings, introductions,
and summaries.
If you need a moderate level of information on a subject, then you can
scan the text. This is when you read the chapter introductions and
summaries in detail. You can then speed read the contents of the
chapters, picking out and understanding key words and concepts.
(When looking at material in this way, it's often worth paying
attention to diagrams and graphs.)
Only when you need full knowledge of a subject is it worth studying
the text in detail. Here it's best to skim the material first to get an
overview of the subject. This gives you an understanding of its
structure, into which you can then fit the detail gained from a full
reading of the material
Read Actively
When you're reading a document or book in detail, it helps if you
practice "active reading" by highlighting and underlining key
information, and taking notes as you progress. Doing this also helps
you keep your mind focused on the material, and stops you thinking
about other things.
Different types of documents hold information in different places and
in different ways, and they have different depths and breadths of
coverage.
By understanding the layout of the material you're reading, you can
extract the information you want efficiently.
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These tend to give a fragmented coverage of an area. They will
typically only concentrate on the most interesting and glamorous parts
of a topic - this helps them boost circulation! As such, they will often
ignore less interesting information that may be essential to a full
understanding of a subject, and they may include low value content to
"pad out" advertising.
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The most effective way of getting information from magazines is to
scan the contents tables or indexes and turn directly to interesting
articles. If you find an article useful, then cut it out and file it in a
folder specifically covering that sort of information. In this way you
will build up sets of related articles that may begin to explain the
subject.
 Newspapers tend to be arranged in sections. If you read a paper often,
you can quickly learn which sections are useful, and which ones you
can skip altogether.
There are three main types of article in magazines and newspapers:
 News Articles - these are designed to explain the key points first, and
then flesh these out with detail. So, the most important information is
presented first, with information being less and less useful as the article
progresses.
 Opinion Articles - these present a point of view. Here the most
important information is contained in the introduction and the summary,
with the middle of the article containing supporting arguments.
 Feature Articles - these are written to provide entertainment or
background on a subject. Typically the most important information is in
the body of the text.
If you know what you want from an article, and recognize its type, you can
get information from it quickly and efficiently.
When you're reading a document or book, it's easy to accept the writer's
structure of thought. This means that you may not notice when important
information has been left out, or that an irrelevant detail has been included.
An effective way to combat this is to make up your own table of contents
before you start reading. Ask yourself what sections or topics you are
xpecting to see in this document, and what questions you want to have
answered by the end of the text.
Although doing this before you start reading the document may sound like a
strange strategy, it's useful, because it helps you spot holes in the author's
argument. Writing out your own table of contents also helps you address
your own questions, and think about what you're expecting to learn from the
text.
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Best 10 learning tips
Most adults are aware that careful time management will help them
accomplish all that they want and need to do at home and on the job. Many
of them also developed this skill during their student years, and if you can do
the same, you will find it is a valuable asset that you will use throughout
your life.
1. Choose a definite time and a place for studying
Decide what to study and where you will study it during the open periods on
your daily schedule, keeping in mind that you will want to avoid studying
late at night in order for your efforts to have their desired effect. Make sure
that you have adequate desk space, good lighting, and a comfortable
temperature as you study.
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2. Prioritize your work.
With priorities in mind, begin your study period with the tasks that you feel
are the most difficult or require a significant amount of concentration.
3. Be honest with yourself
You alone know whether you will do your best studying early in the
morning or in the middle of the afternoon between classes. You may need a
light snack or some background music to create the right atmosphere, and if
you feel “trapped” in your dorm room, get some fresh air and take a walk
over to the college library to do your work.
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4. Get the most out of your assigned reading.
Read the course material before class so that you will be able to follow your
instructor’s lead and have your questions answered as well. Taking notes on
what you read will help you to understand it, and they will also be an
excellent way to review what you are studying before a test.
5. Don’t sit passively through class.
Lectures are also a time when you can take notes or use a tape recorder, so
that you can go over the lesson later on your own and determine what your
instructor is emphasizing.
1. Read effectively
With a typical textbook, try reading the summary at the end of a chapter
first, along with the questions listed. Then, as you carefully read the main
text, you will be able to focus on the major points and determine what the
author is trying to say.
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7. Find a study group that works for you
Meet with one or more fellow students to discuss your class, and learn to
work with those who are really interested in their courses. This type of
proactive socializing is not only valuable for your classes, but is a healthy
part of college life.
8. Remember to get help when you need it
If you feel stressed or suffer “burn out,” or if you need some guidance in
order to complete a particular course successfully, meet with a counselor or
professor so that you can work on the problem together.
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9. Don’t let work obligations hinder your progress
Many students who have part-time or full-time jobs do well in their courses
because they have become skilled in managing their time, while others are
overwhelmed and end up dropping out. If you feel that you are drifting into
the second category, take some corrective steps while there is still time.
10. Don’t cram before that exam
Occasionally, you may have to stay up late to complete a project or written
assignment, but consistency in studying and long-range planning are two of
your best tools in preparing for those “finals,” rather than making a feeble,
last-minute attempt to catch up with the others in your class
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Worst 10 learning habits
It is important to find your personal best way to study, as you may hate
music, while others love it. The following list is a generalization of all
problems that students have encountered while studying. Some may apply to
you, while others not. Either way, we have provided an explanation and
"fix" to the problem.
1. Studying with friends
1. Explanation: while fun, sometimes you may lose out on
quality study time by socializing.
2. Fix: find one good study-buddy if you like group studying.
Otherwise, "just say no" when everyone wants to study
together.
Too much music
0. Explanation: noise and music can interfere with the brain's
ability to comprehend new information. It can also distract
you from focusing on the material at hand.
1. Fix: if you need music in the background, find a specific type
(usually classical) that works well for you. Don't keep
changing it around. When there are no lyrics, then it is easier
to focus on the words on the paper in your hand.
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Bad environment
0. Explanation: a poor study environment can ruin all quality
time. If you are uncomfortable at a chair, desk, room, the
temperature is too cold or too hot, you will be unsuccessful
studying.
1. Fix: test out different sites until you find the best place for
you. It may be the library, it may be your room, your bed,
your best friend's backhouse. Who knows? Find what works
best for you and stick with it.
Last minute cramming
0. Explanation: while many people swear by the cramming
method, it is ultimately terrible at long term knowledge
retention and can cause undue stress.
1. Fix: study for days up until the test. Or, if you do prefer
cramming, try cramming two nights prior to the exam so that
the final night will not consist of stress. Rather it will be a
night for review.
Eating
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0. Explanation: eating too much food during studying can
disrupt retention of material. It can also take too much time
away. You may want to snack lightly during studying, but not
eat enormous meals.
1. Fix: keep a small bag of snacks by your study area. You won't
have to leave the area just to pick up food when you get
hungry.
Drinking
0. Explanation: drinking is a double-edged sword. Never drink
alcohol while studying. However, it is important to stay
awake and hydrated.
1. Fix: have a glass of water (or soda with caffeine) by your
side. Be very careful not to spill it onto your books and
papers.
Working in your bed
0. Explanation: while it may be comfortable, your bed can also
sooth you to sleep instead of study.
1. Fix: sit at a desk in your room instead of on your bed. Do not
study on your bed late at night, as you will be tempted to fall
asleep.
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Multi-tasking
0. Explanation: many people are able to multi-task, meaning
they can do several different things at once. This can be good
for daily tasks. When it comes to studying, you may not retain
as much material as if you were to focus purely on one task.
1. Fix: before a big exam, drop everything else for at least 24
hours and focus purely on the studying. When it is complete,
you can return to your multi-tasking.
Studying during a commute
0. Explanation: many people enjoy reading on a train, bus, or car
to work and school. These environments are wonderful for
light reads, but not necessarily for intense studying.
1. Fix: use the commute (if you have one) for light studying,
such as memorization, repetition, and review. Do not use this
time to learn new information.
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Outside stress
0. Explanation: it is inevitable to allow outside problems into
your study world. They exist and cannot be turned off light
electricity.
1. Fix: there is no perfect way out of eliminating outside stress
to a study area. The best advice we can give you is to find a
location that eliminates all superficial stress enough that will
allow you even a few hours to focus on writing, studying,
reviewing.
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Learning and creating learning skills/ habits
Good study habits are crucial when it comes to getting the grade. If your
goal for each class you enroll is to learn the material… you won’t have to
worry about anything except for showing up on time for exams.
…What would you have to worry about if you know the material? Trying to
get the grades without knowing the material will only run your wheels…it’s
a waste of time.
I’ve got a list of practical good study habits that you’ll want to develop.
They’ll help you learn the material by practicing it.
Play around with them to fit your own personal needs, but be sure to not
change the fundamentals of them. Don’t forget…the whole point is to help
you practice the material.
1: Go to class
You won’t to do well if you don't have the information. 80% of getting the
grades is just showing up, so be there. This should be your top priority when
it comes to building study habits.
If you don’t go to class…you’ll miss need-to-know information, pop quizzes
and any other important updates.
There are exceptions to every rule…and if you’re the exception you’ll
already know. If you don’t…just go to class. Don’t ruin your grades taking a
risk.
It’s always easier to do well in classes that you enjoy, so make sure that you
like the major you’re pursuing too.
2: Take notes and record lecture
Now that you're up and at class, copy down the info your professor gives
you. You'll need your notes to refer back to when you study for exams or
work on projects.
Some professors get ansy if you don’t ask them to record their lectures
before hand, so ask them in case.
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Depending on the class, I would either use my laptop or blank paper. If the
class had a bunch of diagrams and graphs…I would use the blank paper. For
classes with just straight notes… it was quicker to type them.
3: Review notes the day you take them
Make it absolute that no matter what, you review your notes the day you
take them. All it takes is some re-reading or/and or practice problems.
The goal is to understand what you were taught the same day. If that means
re-working physics problems, getting tutoring, or reading, then do it. The
more work you review a little at a time, the better your grades will be.
This study habit will make the biggest difference to your grades because
reviewing your notes the same day helps solidify the information in your
mind. By looking at the information twice, first during class and second
afterwards, you really help your mind remember better.
If you don’t understand the material the day you are presented with it,
technically, you’re behind. You can’t afford to get behind, so do your best.
When you get behind in your material, you will find yourself cramming
before exams, midterms and finals. Don't be one of those who wait until the
last minute to study. It's more fun to get sleep and do well on your exam.
Reviewing notes the day they’re taken will pay off in the long run. You’ll
feel good knowing you don’t need a 98% on your final in order to get a good
grade.
4: Review all notes before exam
Two or three days before your exam, start re-reading and reviewing your
notes. Start early so you can make sure you fix any mistakes in your learning
so you will be ready for your exam.
Reviewing doesn’t mean learning for the first time. It means practicing for
the exam. The goal of good study habits is to solidify the material, so you
won’t feel the test day stress.
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5: Practice makes perfect
The last tip in developing these study habits helps you practice the material.
Like taking the ACT, studying for your classes is really about practicing for
your exams…sometimes you can't just re-read notes and understand.
Classes involving problem-solving require you to work on your problemsolving skills in order to get the grade. So practice working those physics,
math, chemistry, etc problems.
If you're taking more liberal classes and have in-class essays with mystery
questions, practice writing essays on class material.
Come up with some questions that your professor could ask you and just
write an essay in the allocated time you'll have to actually do it.
As you build your habits, get into a groove. The more you do it, the more
natural it’ll feel. You might need to improve other helpful skills to build
your study habits too…like time management, productivity and getting
enough sleep.
Apply these study habits and expect to see improvements each semester…so
expect to be amazed. Most A students use these study habits, so you’re on
the right track.
In order to give A-quality work, you need to build A-quality skills.
Building A-quality, good study habits are tough at first, but the things that
are worth it. Get yourself into the groove of developing these good study
habits, and getting good grades will feel natural.
First you have to become properly motivated. Huh? Yes, I know you want
to learn as much as possible.
But — what? What, exactly, is it that you are looking for, you and your
teacher?
To find out, one has to be motivated to find the answers. Just reading one
paragraph after another, with tidbits of information strewn here and
there,wastes a lot of time and at the end you say to yourself:
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Now what? What is the important information to be retained?
Luckily it is a textbook you are supposed to read, not a novel. Unlike
novels, modern textbooks give sample questions at the end of each chapter
or near the end of the book. Look them up now. Those are sample
questions you are required to answer correctly as affirmation of your
learning progress. Of course you do not know the answers to them, mostly,
but that is not the purpose. Make a mental note of the questions or write
some down, whatever your modus operandi.
Now comes the fun part: Take wild guesses at what other questions might be
asked about the subject matter in this chapter? Don’t be shy. Take hints by
also looking at the contents table. Ask others.
This will definitely arouse your curiosity and that assures that you become
properly motivated. Having questions in your mind which need answers you
are now ready to read with purpose, you stay alert, you empower the
learning process.
To concentrate properly on a subject matter and keep paying attention is
vital to the learning process. It certainly takes willpower and persistence.
Sometimes, however, it is difficult to concentrate. In those cases it is
beneficial to study only in short bursts. Don’t waste a whole day or evening
to accomplish little. Try 10 minutes at first, concentrating as hard as you
can, then gradually build up to one- and two hour sessions. Less study time
is not effective. Do not day-dream. If you catch yourself day-dreaming
STOP it immediately. Take a 3-minutes break to clear your head. Stand up,
walk around, think of something else but then get right back to the job at
hand. It is not going to go away and you might as well tackle it now; bite
the bullet, so to speak.
Every 15 to 20 minutes schedule a 2-minute Study Break (not a relaxation
break with snacks) to recall what you have studied and to check through it
once more. Vocalize important parts. It provides a feedback as you literally
hear (in addition to seeing) the words. It also forces you to organize the
material in a way that is natural for memory improvement. If you made
question notes, look at them now and see if any questions were answered by
this time and how. If not, the material may be covered later. Do not worry
about it at this time. But in the end all questions must be answered before
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going on Recalling a fact is what studying is about. Remember, though, that
knowing something also means being able to predict a previously unknown
outcome from a collection of other, sometimes non-related facts. But for
our purpose, remembering and recalling the subject matter and concepts in
the textbook will tell your teacher how much you have learned in class.As
much as you may dislike it, recall is best accomplished by REPETITION
COMBINED WITH SELF-TESTING. Sorry about that. Drumming a fact
into your head repeatedly is still the best and fastest way to remember
something. As far as we know, remembering is a process in the brain which
sprouts dendrites, like branches on a tree, to grow connections between
synapses. To physically grow a connection takes time and is facilitated by
repetition. The learning process proceeds in a ‘stairway’ fashion. At first
there is a long plateau with little learning taking place and people become
discouraged. Then, suddenly, progress is made in numerous little steps.
This is followed by another plateau and further little progress steps
thereafter. This is a completely natural process which cannot be changed.
Observe a plant leaf very closely under a microscope and you will find that
it grows in little steps at a time, with longer pauses in-between, until the
maximum size is reached. Only you know where your maximum potential
lies. Do you hate tests? Everybody does. But they are essential for longterm learning. Assume you learn a foreign language. Most people are
advised to study until one gets a word right (repetition), and then go to the
next word. That is NOT the best method for long-term retention. Students
that kept studying the words over and over without subsequent self-testing
recalled only 10% to 60% of the words after one week, vs. 63% to 95% of
those students that made extensive use of self-testing after their practice
sessions.
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Teaching methods/ approaches/ theories
Teaching is a complex, multifaceted activity, often requiring us as
instructors to juggle multiple tasks and goals simultaneously and flexibly.
The following small but powerful set of principles can make teaching both
more effective and more efficient, by helping us create the conditions that
support student learning and minimize the need for revising materials,
content, and policies. While implementing these principles requires a
commitment in time and effort, it often saves time and energy later on.
Effective teaching involves acquiring relevant knowledge about students and
using that knowledge to inform our course design and classroom teaching.
When we teach, we do not just teach the content, we teach students the
content. A variety of student characteristics can affect learning. For example,
students’ cultural and generational backgrounds influence how they see the
world; disciplinary backgrounds lead students to approach problems in
different ways; and students’ prior knowledge (both accurate and inaccurate
aspects) shapes new learning. Although we cannot adequately measure all of
these characteristics, gathering the most relevant information as early as
possible in course planning and continuing to do so during the semester can
(a) inform course design (e.g., decisions about objectives, pacing, examples,
format), (b) help explain student difficulties (e.g., identification of common
misconceptions), and (c) guide instructional adaptations (e.g., recognition of
the need for additional practice).
Effective teaching involves aligning the three major components of
instruction: learning objectives, assessments, and instructional activities.
Taking the time to do this upfront saves time in the end and leads to a better
course. Teaching is more effective and student learning is enhanced when
(a) we, as instructors, articulate a clear set of learning objectives (i.e., the
knowledge and skills that we expect students to demonstrate by the end of a
course); (b) the instructional activities (e.g., case studies, labs, discussions,
readings) support these learning objectives by providing goal-oriented
practice; and (c) the assessments (e.g., tests, papers, problem sets,
performances) provide opportunities for students to demonstrate and practice
the knowledge and skills articulated in the objectives, and for instructors to
offer targeted feedback that can guide further learning.
Effective teaching involves articulating explicit expectations regarding
learning objectives and policies.
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There is amazing variation in what is expected of students across classrooms
and even within a given discipline. For example, what constitutes evidence
may differ greatly across courses; what is permissible collaboration in one
course could be considered cheating in another. As a result, students’
expectations may not match ours. Thus, being clear about our expectations
and communicating them explicitly helps students learn more and perform
better. Articulating our learning objectives (i.e., the knowledge and skills
that we expect students to demonstrate by the end of a course) gives students
a clear target to aim for and enables them to monitor their progress along the
way. Similarly, being explicit about course policies (e.g., on class
participation, laptop use, and late assignment) in the syllabus and in class
allows us to resolve differences early and tends to reduce conflicts and
tensions that may arise. Altogether, being explicit leads to a more productive
learning environment for all students.
Effective teaching involves prioritizing the knowledge and skills we choose
to focus on.
Coverage is the enemy: Don’t try to do too much in a single course. Too
many topics work against student learning, so it is necessary for us to make
decisions – sometimes difficult ones – about what we will and will not
include in a course. This involves (a) recognizing the parameters of the
course (e.g., class size, students’ backgrounds and experiences, course
position in the curriculum sequence, number of course units), (b) setting our
priorities for student learning, and (c) determining a set of objectives that
can be reasonably accomplished.
Effective teaching involves recognizing and overcoming our expert blind
spots.
We are not our students! As experts, we tend to access and apply knowledge
automatically and unconsciously (e.g., make connections, draw on relevant
bodies of knowledge, and choose appropriate strategies) and so we often
skip or combine critical steps when we teach. Students, on the other hand,
don’t yet have sufficient background and experience to make these leaps and
can become confused, draw incorrect conclusions, or fail to develop
important skills. They need instructors to break tasks into component steps,
explain connections explicitly, and model processes in detail. Though it is
difficult for experts to do this, we need to identify and explicitly
communicate to students the knowledge and skills we take for granted, so
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that students can see expert thinking in action and practice applying it
themselves.
Effective teaching involves adopting appropriate teaching roles to support
our learning goals.
Even though students are ultimately responsible for their own learning, the
roles we assume as instructors are critical in guiding students’ thinking and
behavior. We can take on a variety of roles in our teaching (e.g. synthesizer,
moderator, challenger, commentator). These roles should be chosen in
service of the learning objectives and in support of the instructional
activities. For example, if the objective is for students to be able to analyze
arguments from a case or written text, the most productive instructor role
might be to frame, guide and moderate a discussion. If the objective is to
help students learn to defend their positions or creative choices as they
present their work, our role might be to challenge them to explain their
decisions and consider alternative perspectives. Such roles may be constant
or variable across the semester depending on the learning objectives.
Effective teaching involves progressively refining our courses based on
reflection and feedback.
Teaching requires adapting. We need to continually reflect on our teaching
and be ready to make changes when appropriate (e.g., something is not
working, we want to try something new, the student population has changed,
or there are emerging issues in our fields). Knowing what and how to
change requires us to examine relevant information on our own teaching
effectiveness. Much of this information already exists (e.g., student work,
previous semesters’ course evaluations, dynamics of class participation), or
we may need to seek additional feedback with help from the university
teaching center (e.g., interpreting early course evaluations, conducting focus
groups, designing pre- and posttests). Based on such data, we might modify
the learning objectives, content, structure, or format of a course, or otherwise
adjust our teaching. Small, purposeful changes driven by feedback and our
priorities are most likely to be manageable and effective.
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Finding and developing your own style
It takes years to find your own teaching style. You hardly realize it when
you start out on your career, but you subconsciously emulate the teachers
you admired, or your mentor's teaching style because that's the quickest way
to learn the trade. After a while, there are techniques or attitudes you'll leave
behind - or come back to - dipping into this and that until you feel happy
with the way you are in class. Sometimes it takes an unexpected caricature
by the pupils to discover more about your own style. Sometimes we're too
busy teaching, marking and preparing to think about just what kind of
teacher we've become or would like to be.
As a teacher, it is your job to be able to reach all of the students so they learn
as much as possible. Sometimes it may seem like a struggle, but by
determining and understanding your teaching style, you may figure out how
to reach more of your students. There is no right or wrong way to teach and
style is a subjective thing, but here are some ways to figure out which style
most closely resembles what you prefer.
1. Formal Authority.
Do you focus mostly on delivering content? If you have a
teacher-centered style, you could prefer formal authority.
Educators who teach in the formal authority style generally feel it
is their job to show the students the material and explain how to
understand it. These types of teachers tend to lecture more and do
not necessarily give a lot of time for student participation during
class. Formal authority teachers need to feel they are in control
and may not need to form relationships with their students beyond
the classroom.
2. Demonstrator.
A demonstrator or personal model teacher also focuses on
delivering content, but through modeling instead of lecturing. By
showing the students the correct way to do the task at hand,
demonstrators act as coaches and value student participation as an
important facet of the lesson. If you try to incorporate instruction
for different learning styles into your materials, then you could fit
into this category.
 Facilitator.
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
Perhaps you feel students should be responsible for their own
learning and be more independent in their lessons. Most likely,
then, you are most comfortable using the facilitator style of
teaching. This type of teacher embraces group projects with peerto-peer tutoring and learning groups. Activities are a big part of
your curriculum and you try to vary the instruction often to allow
creativity.
Delegator.
The delegator puts even more emphasis on student independence
than the facilitator. If you allow your students to choose what types
of assessments and projects to do on their own with little to no input
from you, then you are a delegator. You expect students to learn
how to work in a group and also to stay on task when working
independently. By letting your students explore and design their
own projects around the set curriculum, you hope to teach them
more than just the subject at hand.
It is important to remember the effect that the teacher has on the learner. Just
as the learner has a favoured learning style, the teacher has a preferred
teaching style. Your teaching style has a powerful effect on the dynamics of
their learning experience and you should adapt it or adopt other styles that
are appropriate to the purpose of your teaching, accordingly.
You will have developed your teaching style by a mix of what comes
naturally to you, and from your experience. There may have been some
particular role models whom you have admired who have influenced your
style. You might have unconsciously tried to emulate a teacher who you
have found inspiring in the past, or purposely avoided being like a teacher
with an off putting style. You might have a quiet, introverted personality and
tend towards the all-round flexible and adaptable teacher. Or you may be an
extrovert and enjoy the big conference teaching style. How you perform as a
teacher will have been influenced by the training and feedback you received
when preparing for your teaching role.
If you know what your preferred teaching style is you should be more aware
as to whether it suits the learning style and needs of your learners. Then you
should be able to swop or adapt your teaching style to engage with them
more effectively and hopefully have more impact on their gain in
knowledge, skills and better attitudes. Well that theory makes good sense
anyway. If you are to adapt your teaching style to their learning styles and
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needs, and to the nature of the topic you are teaching or circumstances you
are in, then you need to be optimally aware of your teaching style references,
and how you can switch styles to order.
There are four main approaches to tailoring your teaching to an individual
learner’s needs:
1 Matching. Introverts do better with well-structured situations, so a straight
facts no nonsense teaching style might suit these type of learners.
Extroverts do better with less structured situations – so the all-round flexible
and adaptable teaching style would fit well with extrovert learners
2 Allowing choice. Since learners come from a range of backgrounds and
have different ways of learning, and varying aims you should aim for
flexibility in your teaching. So the all-round flexible and adaptable teacher
should be good here. It may be that a one-off teaching style is useful too
where you take advantage of opportunities to teach as they crop up and can
tailor your style and content to the specific episode of teaching
3 Providing several different methods of learning on the same course. This
way students can mix and match. They will always find something that suits
them. The all-round flexible and adaptable teaching . The sensitive studentcentred teacher will craft their teaching to the various learning styles of the
group of learners and specific needs of individual learners. The content
might include coverage of factual material where the official curriculum
teaching style has a place to cover formal content. An adaptable and
experienced teacher should be able to deliver their teaching in various
teaching styles. A rigid teacher with a one only teaching style would be
better to work as one of a group of teachers and facilitators to provide a
variety of styles that can deliver the several different methods of learning
required. The big conference teaching style could be useful too to provide
variety, and it might be relevant to include one or more big plenary lectures
as an essential format or desirable option for learners as part of their course
4 Independent study. Complete freedom to study gives good results
especially with more mature students. The all-round flexible and adaptable
teacher will cope well here.
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Trainer Skills
The teacher of adults has a different job from the one who teaches children.
If you're teaching adult students, it's important to understand the five
principles of teaching adults. It's important to know how adults learn.
Malcolm Knowles, a pioneer in the study of adult learning, observed that
adults learn best when:
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
They understand why something is important to know or do.
They have the freedom to learn in their own way.
Learning is experiential.
The time is right for them to learn.
The process is positive and encouraging.
Principle 1: Make Sure Your Adult Students Understand “Why”
Most adult students are in your classroom because they want to be. Some of
them are there because they have Continuing Education requirements to
keep a certificate current, but most are there because they’ve chosen to learn
something new.
This principle is not about why your students are in your classroom, but
about why each thing you teach them is an important part of the learning. I’ll
use my own pickle-making lesson as an example.
When I learned to make pickles, my teacher and neighbor, Marilyn,
explained:



It’s important to soak the cucumbers in ice water over night. This helps
make the pickles crisp.
If you put a towel under the jars in the canner, they won’t bounce against
each other and break.
When sterilizing the jars, it’s important to fill each at least halfway with
water, AND fill the canner they’re sitting in with water. Too little water
and the towel mentioned in the previous bullet will catch on fire. You
know this kind of information comes from experience.
Principle 2: Respect that Your Students Have Different Learning Styles
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There are three general learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.
Visual learners rely on pictures. They love graphs, diagrams, and
illustrations. “Show me,” is their motto. They often sit in the front of the
classroom to avoid visual obstructions and to watch you, the teacher. They
want to know what the subject looks like. You can best communicate with
them by providing handouts, writing on the white board, and using phrases
like, “Do you see how this works?”
Auditory learners listen carefully to all sounds associated with the learning.
“Tell me,” is their motto. They will pay close attention to the sound of your
voice and all of its subtle messages, and they will actively participate in
discussions. You can best communicate with them by speaking clearly,
asking questions, and using phrases like, “How does that sound to you?”
Kinesthetic learners need to physically do something to understand it. Their
motto is “Let me do it.” They trust their feelings and emotions about what
they’re learning and how you’re teaching it. They want to actually touch
what they’re learning. They are the ones who will get up and help you with
role playing. You can best communicate with them by involving volunteers,
allowing them to practice what they’re learning, and using phrases like,
“How do you feel about that?”
Pickle Example: I’m generally a kinesthetic learner. Marilyn talked to me
about her pickling process, explaining why she uses the ingredients she does,
and showed me how she dips a liquid measuring cup into the hot brine and
pours it into the jar using a wide-mouthed funnel, but my greatest learning
came when I fumbled through the second jar all by myself.
Most people use all three styles while they’re learning, and of course, this is
logical since we all have five senses, barring any disabilities, but one style
almost always is preferred.
The big question is, “How do you, as the teacher, know which student has
which learning style?” Without training in neuro-linguistics, it might be
difficult, but conducting a short learning style assessment at the beginning of
your class would benefit you and the students. This information is as
valuable to the student as it is to you.
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There are several learning style assessments available online, some better
than others. I like the one at Ageless Learner.
Share your thoughts about learning styles.
Principle 3: Allow Your Students to Experience What They’re Learning
Experience can take many forms. Any activity that gets your students
involved makes the learning experiential. This includes small group
discussions, experiments, role playing, skits, building something at their
table or desk, writing or drawing something specific – activity of any kind.
Activities also keep people energized, especially activities that involve
getting up and moving about.
The other aspect of this principle is honoring the life experiences your
students bring to the classroom. Be sure to tap into that wealth
of wisdom whenever it’s appropriate. You’ll have to be a good timekeeper
because people can talk for hours when asked for personal experiences, but
the extra facilitation needed will be well worth the gems your students have
to share.
Pickle Example: Once Marilyn had shown me how to prepare one jar, she
busied herself in the kitchen doing her own thing, close enough to keep an
eye on me and to answer my questions, but allowing me the autonomy to go
at my own speed. When I made mistakes, she didn’t interfere unless I asked.
She gave me the space and the time to correct them on my own.
Principle 4: When the Student Is Ready, the Teacher Appears
“When the student is ready, the teacher appears” is a Buddhist proverb
packed with wisdom. No matter how hard a teacher tries, if the student isn’t
ready to learn, chances are good he or she won’t. What does this mean for
you as a teacher of adults? Luckily, your students are in your classroom
because they want to be. They’ve already determined that the time is right.
It’s your job to listen carefully for teaching moments and take advantage of
them. When a student says or does something that triggers a topic on your
agenda, be flexible and teach it right then. If that would wreak havoc on
your schedule, which is often the case, teach a bit about it rather than saying
flat out that they’ll have to wait until later in the program. By then, you may
have lost their interest.
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Pickle Example: My mom canned pickles all during my childhood years, but
I had no interest in participating, or even in eating them, sadly. Several years
ago, I helped Marilyn can pickles, and even then, I was simply helping and
not really learning. When I finally started enjoying pickles and planted my
own cucumbers, then I was ready to learn, and Marilyn was right there to
teach me.
Principle 5: Encourage Your Adult Students
For most adults, being out of the classroom for even a few years can make
going back to school intimidating. If they haven’t taken a class in decades,
it’s understandable that they would have some degree of apprehension about
what it will be like and how well they’ll do. It can be tough to be a rookie
when you’ve been an expert in your field for many, many years. Nobody
enjoys feeling foolish.
Your job as a teacher of adult students includes being positive and
encouraging. Patience helps too. Give your older students time to respond
when you ask a question. They may need a few moments to consider their
answer. Recognize the contributions they make, even when small. Give them
words of encouragement whenever the opportunity arises. Most adults will
rise to your expectations if you’re clear about them.
A word of caution here. Being positive and encouraging is not the same as
being condescending. Always remember that your students are adults.
Speaking to them in the tone of voice you might use with a child is
offensive, and the damage can be very difficult to overcome. Genuine
encouragement from one person to another, regardless of age, is a wonderful
point of human interaction.
Pickle example: I’m a worrier. I worried about spilling brine all over
Marilyn’s stove, about dropping the full jars as I lifted them out of the hot
bath, about making a mess of her kitchen. Marilyn assured me that spills
were easily cleaned up, especially when vinegar was involved since it’s used
for cleaning anyway! She encouraged me as I gingerly moved boiling hot
jars. Throughout the pickle-making process, Marilyn remained calm,
unruffled. She paused by me every once in a while to comment, “Oh, don’t
they look beautiful!”
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Because of Marilyn’s understanding of how to teach me, her adult student,
the art of making dill pickles, I now have the confidence to make them in my
own kitchen, and I can’t wait for my next batch of cucumbers to be ready.
This is your challenge as a teacher of adults. Beyond teaching your subject,
you have the opportunity to inspire confidence and passion in another human
being. That kind of teaching changes lives.
The basic characteristics of competitive, skilled trainers
Effective Trainers:
 Know their subject matter.
They have researched their topic and are well
informed; learners perceive them as credible.
 Take the time to get to know
their audience.
They demonstrate respect for, and listen to, the
learners. They call learners by name, if possible.
 Are nonjudgmental
They validate everyone’s experiences and their
right to their own perspective.
 They respect differences of
opinion and life choices.
They know that key learning can take place when
people express different viewpoints and bring their
own perspectives into the adult learning classroom.
 Are culturally sensitive.
They are aware that their cultural background
shapes their views and beliefs, just as the
perspectives of learners are shaped by their own
culture and life experiences.
 Are self-aware.
They recognize their own biases and act in a
professional manner when their “hot buttons” are
pushed.
 Are inclusive.
They encourage all learners to share their
experiences and contribute to the group-learning
process in their unique ways.
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 Are lively, enthusiastic and
original.
They use humor, contrasts, metaphors and
suspense. They keep their listeners interested and
challenge their thinking.
 Use a variety of vocal qualities
They vary their pitch, speaking rate, and volume.
They avoid speaking in monotones.
 Use “body language”
effectively.
Their body posture, gestures, and facial expressions
are natural and meaningful, reinforcing their
subject matter.
 Make their remarks clear and
easy to remember.
They present one idea at a time and show
relationships between ideas. They summarize when
necessary.
 Illustrate their points.
They use examples, charts, and visual and audio
aids to illustrate subject matter.
They are comfortable with conflict resolution and
 Understand group dynamics and know how to facilitate an inclusive course or
are comfortable managing
workshop, where everyone’s participation is
groups.
encouraged.
 Are flexible.
They read and interpret learners’ responses—verbal
and nonverbal—and adapt training plans to meet
their needs. They are “in charge” without being
overly controlling.
 Are open to new ideas and
perspectives.
They are aware that they do not know all the
answers. They recognize that as well as offering
their audience new knowledge or perspectives; they
can also learn from course participants.
 Are compassionate.
They understand that the topics addressed during
training may have an emotional impact on learners.
They are empathetic and understanding about
learners’ emotional reactions.
 Are receptive to feedback.
They encourage co-trainers and learners to give
them feedback, both informally and through formal
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evaluation. When they receive negative feedback
about their performance, they critically analyze this
feedback instead of becoming defensive.
 Continuously work to improve
their teaching and training.
Even the most experienced trainers can improve
their training skills. Effective trainers seek out
opportunities to learn new skills and use negative
feedback as an opportunity to improve.
Competencies for adult educators
Fill out the questionnaire below.
 Place an “r” at each competency required for performing the role you
are in or are preparing for.
 Place a “p” at those competencies you have now.
Description
1)
Ability to describe and apply what we know from research
applies to the average adult learner in terms of needs, interests,
motivation, capabilities, and developmental characteristics.
2)
Ability to describe the difference between children as learners
and adult learners, and the implications of these differences for
teaching and learning.
3)
Ability to assess the effects on learning that external forces
such as groups, organizations, and communities can have on
learners.
4)
Ability to describe the four stages of adult learning and to
assess the impact they may have on particular adult learning
situations.
Scale
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5)
Ability to conceptualize and explain the role of teacher,
facilitator, and instructor.
6)
Ability to feel comfortable in the role of teacher, facilitator,
and instructor.
7)
Ability to establish a warm, mutually respectful, facilitative
relationship with learners.
8)
Ability to create a physical and psychological climate of
comfort, interactivity, openness, and mutual trust.
9)
Ability to engage learners to take on the responsibility for selfdiagnosis of needs for learning.
10) Ability to engage learners in participating, sharing, and
exchanging viewpoints, sharing responsibilities and decisionmaking with them as appropriate.
11) Knowledge of the rationales for selecting a variety of materials,
methods, and techniques for achieving particular learning
objectives.
12) Skill in using a broad range of materials, methods, and
techniques and in inventing techniques to fit new situations.
13) Ability to involve learners (when appropriate) in the planning,
conducting, and evaluating of learning activities.
14) Ability to accept feedback from learners and apply that
feedback in order to create more meaningful learning
opportunities for them.
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15) Ability to make use of small group processes effectively.
16) Ability to design learning experiences that take into account
individual differences among learners.
17) Ability to work effectively with various audiences within the
organization to collaboratively plan training.
18) Ability to design and use promotion, publicity, and public
relations strategies appropriately and effectively.
19) Ability to design and operate programs within the framework
of a limited budget.
20) Ability and willingness to experiment with program
innovations and to assess their results.
From this self-analysis and group discussion, what do you believe are the
critical skills for you to focus on if you want to enhance your facilitation
skills?
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Trainer skills update
Preparing to Learn
As I think about my most successful experience as a trainer. I remember…
(Describe what you think made it successful, from your point of view)
What I like most about being a trainer is…
My favorite instruction technique is…
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What I find most difficult about training is…
You oversee training and possibly deliver it. How can you ensure that your
training actually improves workplace performance? Follow these training
laws in the order below. They will help ensure success, both for online
training and in the classroom.
1. Answer the “Big Why.” What is your justification and motivation for
training? “Training should be the intervention of last resort.” Can you solve
your workplace challenge in some other way? Ask yourself and your
agency: “What do we want to change? How will we know it has changed
after training?” (Identify what you will measure—for example, number of
complaints, kudos, mistakes, etc.) Do not move ahead if you can’t answer
these questions.
2. Know your participants. (“Who”) Who is the audience? Why? What are
the characteristics of this group? What pre-requisites do they need? What are
their anxieties and concerns? You must be able to name and describe the
audience to ensure the right training for the right participants.
3. Brainstorm content. (“What”) Do NOT depend solely on your own
knowledge of the subject. Pick the brains of: • Subject matter experts •
Members of the target audience • Supervisors and managers • Existing
research to garner the widest, most robust view of the topic. Try not to
"focus down" and solidify the content quite yet.
4. Develop a clear purpose statement based on your findings in #2 and #3
above. The purpose statement guides the entire session. It focuses the
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content to keep the design on track. Use this “formula:” "The purpose of
this training is to (VERB) (WHAT) to (WHOM)." Examples: The purpose
of this training is to teach managers the basics of Excel; The purpose of this
training is to orient new employees to our training policies. Simple as these
statements are, you’ll be surprised at how challenging they can be to
develop. That’s because you are forcing your brain to really define what
each training is all about. Include the purpose statement in any description of
the class, and on the participant materials.
5. Develop demonstrable learning outcomes (objectives). Consider each
learning outcome as an empty “bucket” for content. Organize your content
by placing it in the right buckets. ONLY add content that helps to achieve
each outcome. Start each outcome with the words: "As a result of this
session, participants will be able to…" Determine which PowerPoint slides,
worksheets, and activities will fit into each bucket. LEAVE OUT any
content that doesn’t fit into a bucket.
6. Determine how you will assess learning during the lesson. Plan to assess
“where participants are” at least once during the lesson. Here is one great
way: Two Insights, One Area of Confusion Have participants write two
insights and one area of confusion based on the information you have
provided. Collect, read, and address to the class. Additional assessment
strategies can be found here.
7. Determine how you will evaluate learning after the lesson. How will you
know if the training addressed those issues your agency wanted to change?
What will you measure—complaints, kudos, mistakes? Managers—you’ve
just gotten a whole semester’s worth of training guidance. Follow these
seven laws, and your sessions will truly impact workplace performance.
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Subject 2: Presentation Skills
Motivation and learning
The effectiveness of your teaching will not just be dependent on your style
and content. Motivation will be key too. That is, yours as a teacher to adopt
or adapt your teaching style to match the purpose and learners’ needs and
your ability to motivate learners through adopting a teaching style that is
effective. Motivation has been defined as ‘that within the individual, rather
than without, which incites him or her to action’.
1 Motivation may be positive or negative. With positive motivation your
learners will be keen to learn more about a subject because of your skill as
an inspiring teacher, because the subject interests them a great deal or they
can see the relevance to their future career progress. With negative
motivation the learners may do things because of the fear of failure or
punishment or other adverse things that could happen to them if they do not
do something. Positive motivation tends to leads to deeper understanding
and better long term learning than negative methods, which can lead to
superficial learning that is often forgotten.
Motivating Students to Learn
1. Use behavioral techniques to help students exert themselves and work toward
remote goals.
2. Make sure that students know what they are to do, how to proceed, and how
to determine when they have achieved goals.
3. Do everything possible to satisfy deficiency needs -- physiological, safety,
belongingness, and esteem.
a. Accommodate the instructional program to the physiological needs of your
students.
b. Make your room physically and psychologically safe.
c. Show your students that you take an interest in them and that they belong in
your classroom.
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d. Arrange learning experiences so that all students can gain at least a degree of
esteem.
4. Enhance the attractions and minimize the dangers of growth choices.
5. Direct learning experiences toward feelings of success in an effort to
encourage an orientation toward achievement, a positive self-concept, and a
strong sense of self-efficacy.
a. Make use of objectives that are challenging but attainable and, when
appropriate, that involve student input.
b. Provide knowledge of results by emphasizing the positive.
6. Try to encourage the development of need achievement, self-confidence, and
self-direction in students who need these qualities.
a. Use achievement-motivation training techniques.
b. Use cooperative-learning methods.
7. Try to make learning interesting by emphasizing activity, investigation,
adventure, social interaction, and usefulness.
Motivation Exercise: My Life Curve
Purpose
In this exercise, delegates get to examine their past and represent it in a
visually exciting way. It encourages individuals to open up and share what
they think of their most important experiences in life. Ideally, it is better to
carry out this exercise after other exercises or ice breakers so that delegates
would have become more familiar with each other before participating in
this exercise.
Objective
Draw a curve based on past positive and negative events in your life.
What You Need

A large sheet, preferably a flipchart for each delegate.
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Setup
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Divide the delegates into groups of 3 or 4.
Distribute the flipcharts to delegates.
Ask the delegates to draw a horizontal line on their papers. The left
side represents the past and the right represents now. This forms the
axis of time.
Ask them to move forward in time from the beginning and represent
their experiences as a curve. Use the following rules:
 Make a positive curve or a mountain peak for positive
experiences
 Make a negative curve or a valley for a negative experience.
 The stronger the impact of the experience on your life, the
larger the peak or valley.
Tag and date the peaks or valleys to make the curves more
representative.
Ask delegates to share your their curves with others in their groups as
they develop them.
Allocate 10 minutes for this exercise.
Once everyone has completed their curves, bring them back together
and ask them to explain their curves to everyone else.
Follow with a discussion
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 5 minutes.
Activity: 10 min exercise + 15 min sharing = 25 minutes
Group Feedback: 5 minutes.
Discussion
What did you think of this exercise? What did you learn from your life
curves? Which areas do you want to repeat again? Which areas do you want
to avoid? What does this mean to your life?
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Self- Confidence and Learning
Self-confidence and student learning are linked. Students who have high
self-esteem and are confident perform better academically and retain
learning more easily. Family, teachers, friends and the environment all play
active roles in influencing whether or not a student has positive self-esteem
and or lacks confidence. It is vital that a student is surrounded by
encouraging and nurturing people and activities to build their selfconfidence from an early age.
A teacher's role in instilling self-confidence in their students is paramount,
as students tend to believe what their teachers think of them. When a teacher
holds each of her students in high regard and believes that all of them are
capable of performing at a high academic standard, students begin to believe
that themselves. Teachers who think all their students are competent create a
self-fulfilling prophecy that all students are capable of achieving academic
success.
Teachers need to create classroom environments that foster confidencebuilding skills such as allowing students to partake in a talent show, or a
presentation on a special skill they have. If students are given opportunities
to show their positive side, this builds self-confidence.
Students who have a high level of self-confidence perform better
academically. Students who believe they are competent learners thrive under
challenging conditions and see it as a way to become better students. Having
self-confidence allows students to share ideas with their peers more easily
than those who lack confidence.
Students who lack self-confidence might benefit from workshops in their
school, library, Internet, or anyplace that offers a chance for them to improve
their self image, and as a result, boost their learning.
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Presentation skills
Planning the presentation involves much of the work that you’re going to do
before you actually deliver it. This a very important part and also one that
many people should consider improving their skills in. A key part of this
planning is to research your presentation audience, because the better you
know the audience the more you are in tune with them and the less the
chance of misunderstandings, etc. You should also have a clear purpose for
your presentation (s).
Delivering an effective presentation to people is difficult. Because listeners
have better access to information since the internet became commonplace,
audiences expect more content from speakers today. In addition, because of
the entertainment slant of most media today, audiences want a presentation
delivered with animation, humor, and pizzazz.
Begin with something to get the attention of the audience. This might be a
startling statement, statistic, or your own story.
Whatever technique you use, when you grab the attention of the audience
you are on your way to a successful speech.
Second, be energetic in delivery. Speak with variety in your voice. Slow
down for a dramatic point and speed up to show excitement. Pause
occasionally for effect. Gesture to show how big or wide or tall or small an
object is that you are describing. Demonstrate how something works or
looks or moves as you tell about it. Show facial expression as you speak.
Smile when talking about something pleasant and let your face show other
emotions as you tell about an event or activity.
Structure your speech. Don’t have more than two or three main points, and
preview in the beginning what those points will be. With each point, have
two or three pieces of support, such as examples, definitions, testimony, or
statistics. Visual aids are important when you want your audience to
understand a process or concept or understand a financial goal. Line graphs
are best for trends.
Tie your points together with transitions. When you have an introduction,
two or three main points with support for each, appropriate transitions, and a
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conclusion, you will have your speech organized in a way that the audience
can follow you easily. Tell your own story somewhere in the presentation-especially in a technical presentation. Include a personal experience that
connects to your speech content, and the audience will connect with you.
You want to help the audience link emotionally with what you are talking
about, and the personal experience does that. To add interest and
understanding to your speech, include a visual aid. A visual aid could be an
object, a flip chart, a PowerPoint presentation, overhead projector slides, or a
dry erase board. Whatever visual you are using, make sure everyone can see
it.
Introduce the visual properly rather than simply throwing it at your
audience; explain what the visual will do before you unveil it. Don’t allow
the visual to become a silent demonstration. Keep talking as you show the
visual. You are still the main event and your visual is an aid. Look at your
audience, not your visual. When the visual is not in use, hide it from the
audience.
If you are delivering a persuasive speech, in addition to your own stories
include testimony of experts whom the audience respects and whose views
reinforce your points. Add a key statistic when possible to show the
seriousness of what you are discussing. Look at the audience as you speak. If
it is a small audience, you can look at each person in a short period of time.
If it is a large audience, look at the audience in small “clumps” and move
from one clump to another. One way to insure good eye contact is to look at
your audience before you start to speak.
One of the ways to have consistently good eye contact is not to read your
speech. Use note cards that have key words on them. The word or phrase
should trigger the thought in your mind and then you can speak it.
Consider using a touch of humor in your speech. Don’t panic at this
suggestion; you are not becoming a comedian but rather lightening up a
serious speech so that people will be more accepting and interested in your
ideas. Humor will help you to be perceived as an amiable person, and it is
hard for people to disagree or be bored if they are smiling at you
Leave the audience with something to think about. People remember best
what you say last.
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These skills will keep you afloat.
There are many parallels between swimming in open water (the English call
it "wild swimming") and giving a great presentation. These skills will keep
you afloat, no matter how choppy the water.
1. Be totally present.
When I swim, my focus is completely on what I’m doing. I’m not thinking
about anything except moving forward. I am aware of each stroke, and often
“course-correct” when I feel my form getting lazy.
Great presenters have this same focus. They inhabit their bodies. They don’t
wish they were somewhere else, doing something else. They totally commit
to the activity of presenting.
2. Ignore the environment at your own risk.
The minute I enter the open water, I begin a wilderness adventure. Unlike a
pool, open water offers seaweed, sea animals, hidden objects, floating logs,
jellyfish, currents, waves, swells, and…well, you get the difference.
If I swim blindly, I may run into something. This happened recently to a coswimmer who was so focused on winning our race that he ran into a
submerged piling and broke his nose.
Presenters, too, can "break their noses" by barreling along with little
sensitivity to the environment. Environmental input takes many forms,
including disinterested or enthusiastic participants, room acoustics, hecklers,
heat or cold, and ambient noise. Presenters who shut themselves off from
this input risk failure. Great presenters retain their sensitivity to the
environment, without letting it overwhelm them.
3. Discovery is key.
While swimming, I have discovered iridescent seaweed, a Weber grill, and
curious seals with puppy faces. I have also discovered my own physical
limits. Every time I swim, I discover something new, even if it is just the
way the sun shines through the water (or not).
Great presenters do this too. No matter how many times they’ve given a
presentation, they discover new ways of saying things. They may develop
new handouts or slides, or develop new questions to ask the audience.
Boring presenters are those who never risk discovering new ways to present.
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Take these lessons to heart. When you invest yourself totally in the act of
presenting, it all becomes easy. You’ll glide through your presentation like a
fish.
Three rules for excellent presentations:
1. Provide the gist, the core concept, first.
Verbalize and show your session’s purpose within the first few minutes of
your presentation or training. Medina claims that you will see a 40%
improvement in understanding if you provide general concepts first.
2. Give an overview of the class at the beginning, and sprinkle liberal
repetitions of ‘where we are now’ throughout.
Provide clear transitions and summaries throughout your session. Clearly
and repetitively explain linkages.
3. Bait the hook.
Every ten minutes, Medina gives his audiences a break from the firehose of
information by sending “emotionally competent stimuli” (yet another word
for ‘hook.’) A hook can be a surprising fact, anecdote, or question, and must
trigger an emotion: anxiety, laughter, nostalgia, etc. It must also be relevant.
Use hooks at the beginning of each module.
Research suggests that by using these skills, you will prevent your audiences
from “checking out” during your presentation. Not only that, but these 3 tips
will enable you to enjoy presenting more. Have fun!
Personal Impact Exercise: This is Me
Purpose
Use this exercise to get delegates describe themselves as they like and
showcase it to others. There is a lot you can learn when people have to state
something about themselves. The choice of words, pictures and diagrams
can mean a lot on what their life priorities are which can be surprising at
times. This exercise is suitable for team building and helping a group of a
people to understand each other better.
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Objective
Present yourself on a flipchart as you wish and showcase it to others.
What You Need
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Flipcharts.
Colour pens.
A place to hang all the flipcharts used by delegates.
Setup
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Distribute the flipcharts to all delegates.
Explain that they must populate the flipchart as they desire. They can
use words, diagrams, pictures, icons or anything they wish on the
flipchart to describe themselves.
They must also write their names somewhere on the flipchart. The
choice is theirs so long as their name is written on it.
Allocate 10 minutes for this exercise.
At the end of the allocated time, ask delegates to hang their flipcharts
on the walls in the training room.
Allow 15 minutes for everyone to go around and observe everyone’s
flipcharts. Delegates can ask each other questions about what they see
and also explain to those who ask.
As an option, especially if you have many delegates, you can run this
exercise just before going to tea break or lunch. Once everyone has
drawn their flipcharts, hang them on the walls and state that it is now
break time. They can use the break time to explore the flipcharts and
have conversations with each other. This allows more time and also
the social nature of the break time combined with eating can further
help to bring people closer together and give them something to talk
about with each other.
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes
Activity: 10 min making flipcharts + 15 flipchart observations = 25 minutes
Group Feedback: 0 minutes
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Discussion
N/A
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Time Management
At the heart of time management is an important shift in focus:
Concentrate on results, not on being busy
Many people spend their days in a frenzy of activity, but achieve very little
because they are not concentrating on the right things.
The 80:20 Rule
This is neatly summed up in the Pareto Principle, or the '80:20 Rule'. This
argues that typically 80% of unfocussed effort generates only 20% of
results. The remaining 80% of results are achieved with only 20% of the
effort. While the ratio is not always 80:20, this broad pattern of a small
proportion of activity generating non-scalar returns recurs so frequently as to
be the norm in many areas.
By applying the time management tips and skills in this section you can
optimize your effort to ensure that you concentrate as much of your time and
energy as possible on the high payoff tasks. This ensures that you achieve
the greatest benefit possible with the limited amount of time available to
you.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Perhaps you feel overloaded, and you often have to work late to hit your
deadlines. Or maybe your days seem to go from one crisis to another, and
this is stressful and demoralizing.
Many of us know that we could be managing our time more effectively; but
it can be difficult to identify the mistakes that we're making, and to know
how we could improve.
When we do manage our time well, however, we're exceptionally productive
at work, and our stress levels drop. We can devote time to the interesting,
high-reward projects that can make a real difference to a career. In short,
we're happier!
Here are ten of the most common time management mistakes, as well as
identifying strategies and tips that you can use to overcome them. These ten
mistakes are:
1. Failing to Keep a To-Do List
Do you ever have that nagging feeling that you've forgotten to do an
important piece of work? If so, you probably don't use a To-Do List to keep
on top of things.
The trick with using To-Do Lists effectively lies in prioritizing the tasks on
your list. If you have large projects on your list, then, unless you're careful,
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the entries for these can be vague and ineffective. Make sure that you break
large tasks or projects down into specific, actionable steps - then you won't
overlook something important.
2. Not Setting Personal Goals
Do you know where you'd like to be in six months? What about this time
next year, or even 10 years from now? If not, it's time to set some personal
goals!
Personal goal setting is essential to managing your time well, because goals
give you a destination and vision to work toward. When you know where
you want to go, you can manage your priorities, time, and resources to get
there. Goals also help you decide what's worth spending your time on, and
what's just a distraction.
Focus on your long-term goals without overlooking your short term
priorities.
3. Not Prioritizing
Your assistant has just walked in with a crisis that she needs you to deal with
right now, but you're in the middle of brainstorming ideas for a new client.
You're sure that you've almost come up with a brilliant idea for their
marketing campaign, but now you risk losing the thread of your thinking
because of this "emergency."
Sometimes, it's hard to know how to prioritize, especially when you're
facing a flood of seemingly-urgent tasks. However, it's essential to learn
how to prioritize tasks effectively if you want to manage your time better.
4. Failing to Manage Distractions
Do you know that some of us can lose as much as two hours a day to
distractions? Think how much you could get done if you had that time back!
Whether they come from emails, IM chats, colleagues in a crisis, or phone
calls from clients, distractions prevent us from achieving flow, which is the
satisfying and seemingly effortless work that we do when we're 100 percent
engaged in a task.
If you want to gain control of your day and do your best work, it's vital to
know how to minimize distractions and manage interruptions effectively.
For instance, turn off your IM chat when you need to focus, and let people
know if they're distracting you too often.
5. Procrastination
Procrastination occurs when you put off tasks that you should be focusing on
right now. When you procrastinate, you feel guilty that you haven't started;
you come to dread doing the task; and, eventually, everything catches up
with you when you fail to complete the work on time.
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For instance, one useful strategy is to tell yourself that you're only going to
start on a project for ten minutes. Often, procrastinators feel that they have to
complete a task from start to finish, and this high expectation makes them
feel overwhelmed and anxious. Instead, focus on devoting a small amount of
time to starting.
6. Taking on too Much
Are you a person who has a hard time saying "no" to people? If so, you
probably have far too many projects and commitments on your plate. This
can lead to poor performance, stress, and low morale.
Or, you might be a micromanager: someone who insists on controlling or
doing all of the work themselves, because they can't trust anyone else to do
it correctly.
7. Thriving on "Busy"
Some people get a rush from being busy. The narrowly-met deadlines, the
endless emails, the piles of files needing attention on the desk, the frantic
race to the meeting... What an adrenaline buzz!
The problem is that an "addiction to busyness" rarely means that you're
effective, and it can lead to stress.
Instead, try to slow down, and learn to manage your time better.
8. Multitasking
To get on top of her workload, Joan regularly writes emails while she chats
on the phone to her clients. However, while Joan thinks that this is a good
use of her time, the truth is that it can take 30-60 percent more time to finish
a list of jobs when you multitask, compared with completing the same list of
tasks in sequence.
9. Not Taking Breaks
It's nice to think that you can work for 8-10 hours straight, especially when
you're working to a deadline. But it's impossible for anyone to focus and
produce really high-quality work without giving their brains some time to
rest and recharge.
So, don't dismiss breaks as "wasting time."
10. Ineffectively Scheduling Tasks
Are you a morning person? Or do you find your energy picking up once the
sun begins to set in the evening? All of us have different rhythms, that is,
different times of day when we feel most productive and energetic.
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Subject 3: Research and Writing Skills
Research skills
Research is searching carefully, with a method, so that you can answer a
question. It is wider than finding out a fact and more focused than reading
widely around a subject.
What role does the research play in your plan of work?
Is the research going to provide a context to help students interpret sources
(a text, original document, work of art or music)?
Is research to achieve a more authentic or meaningful creative outcome (e.g.
a story set in historical period)?
Will the research be a mix of experiment and factual research to help
students solve a problem, test a hypothesis or design something useful?
Is the research an end in itself so that the product will be a presentation of
what they found out and how they did it?
When does the research play a role?
How much time will it be allowed?
Will you make them stop at a certain point, even if there is more to find out?
Will there be different stages and types of research e.g. background facts,
testing opinions, sourcing materials and so on?
Who or what will determine the research?
Do you want to emphasise openness, giving students freedom to decide on
questions and topics, with the outcome determined by the beginnings?
Or will the necessary goal determine the direction of the research?
Is it possible to give opportunities for students both to explore questions set
by others and to set their own questions?
Is it possible for you to allow students to design their own experiments,
surveys or prototypes before you demonstrate established tests for particular
problems?
How will you model research?
Can you act as a researcher alongside them, to show what it is that you still
need to learn and to show the best ways to research?
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Can you employ a professional researcher, or a subject specialist or creative
practitioner who is engaged in research? If so, what will their role be? For
example, will they be evaluators of the project, subject experts to guide them
to information, modellers of a research process or trainers in creative skills?
Do you need to provide any conceptual models to help the students prepare
to do research?
How will you ensure they go beyond copying and pasting; or simple
reporting of facts found?
Do you intend to use cultural sources (texts, images, sounds, objects) as the
starting point, so that students interpretations of them can lead to questions
and deeper enquiries? Will cultural sources (other than factual texts) provide
data or answers to their enquiries? What methods will you use to interrogate
and interpret those sources?
How will you enable their access to information?
Will you need to collaborate with another subject teacher, or plan with
librarians or resource assistants?
Will the students be involved in deciding what reference materials and
information-seeking methods they will use?
How will you help students to do their own searching for information? How
will you guide them to look beyond the obvious sources? Is it possible to
throw them in the deep end, getting them to reflect on their challenges as
they go?
Can the students research collaboratively in groups, forming a community of
enquiry, as well as doing personal research?
What will the students do with their research ?
How will the students communicate their discoveries and remaining
questions to others?
Will the research be used to make a design, a solution, a new system, a new
interpretation of an artwork, an informative presentation, a creative
outcome?
Research skills help us to find information in different places. These skills
will help you to:



know how to plan a research topic
know how to do a research topic
know about different kinds of information books
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



learn about the layout of a library and how books such as information
books are arranged there
know how to use the Internet
know how to look up a menu on a recommended web- site
practise locating information in a library, a book, CD- ROM or on a
web site
Research skills fall into the following cathegories:
• Self‐directed and motivated
If you need someone to push you to do your research, it
often doesn’t work well
• Research driven by passion:
– CC it / Community/upper/peer recognition
– Intellectual curiosity
–Make impact (on the research field, practice, world)
– Learning new things
–– Better understanding understanding (of things)
– Better career path
• Work hard and strategically
– “strategically” related to engineering skills
strategically related to engineering skills
– effectively and efficiently
• Problem solving skills
Examples of lacking debugging skills
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– A student came to me informing me that the Java code doesn’t compile,
giving some error messages; I found out that that the student didn’t set class
path correctly for the required jar files.
– A student complained to a d third‐party tool’s developers that the new
release of the tool didn’t work with an example input; I found out that the
example input didn’t even work with the old release
– A student presented me a Java file telling me that the file cannot be
processed by a tool whereas the tool can deal with other files; I had to
narrow down the cause to specific constructs for the student
Tool‐development skills
– Programming skills
– Program understanding skills
– Software reuse skills (sometimes you can reuse without requiring to
understand every \ thing)
– Think about alterative easier way of implemenation
•• Searching skills (“Google” skills)
– Which keywords to pick
–How to find out what you want in query result sets
– How to refine keywords based on query result sets
• Engineering skills
Cost benefit analysis
– Example cost:
• How much development effort?
• How much evaluation effort?
• Any existing infrastructures to exploit or reuse?
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– Example benefit:
• How much novelty of the work?
• How much research/practical value of the work?
• How much you accumulate infrastructures for next idea?
• How much you get yourself skills to get into an area if you
want? (real option value) • Always think about alternative (easier) ways of
implementation
• Help decide do it (or not) or do it now (or later)
Risk‐reduction skills (spiral model)
– Research full of risk (just like software development)
• Initial ideas/whole direction may not work
• Choosing the wrong existing infrastructure
• You misinterpret your advisor’s ideas/mind
– Counter‐measures
• (Heavy) manual feasibility study phase, e.g., mining code
for bugs
• At least you need to find out one convincing, motivating example before
you go ahead
• Prototype features iteratively and try subjects to get feedback
• Innovation skills
Critical thinking/questioning skills/assessment skills
– Not every idea of your advisor or authority in your
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area is correct or the best
– Questioning almost anything (not just questioning
others and also yourself)
• Ex. A student questions almost every idea that I gave him
(not enough, need constructive solving skills)
– Capability of judging research is not easy (Ex.reviewing papers)
• Requiring the knowledge breadth and depth of the
• Always think about whether and how the paper convinces
the readers that the work is indeed useful.
• Communication skills
Technical writing
– Avoid lacking of logical thinking, ex.
• Use before define, define without explanation
• No strong causal/transition relationships between sentences
– Countering careless mistakes
• Use spell check (or style check in MS Wordd)
• Customize style‐check with historical issue patterns
• Ask for peer review before submitting to your addvisor
– Learn from patterns and anti‐patterns
Oral communication
– Presentation skills
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– Effective meeting with advisor (be prepared)
•• Bring in an agenda (discussion items listed)
• Prepare backup discussion items in case you still have time in your
allocated time
• Use written materials to help oral communication
– 55‐mins elevator talk
• Most students would start with low‐level details of their
research, forgetting about the motivation, problem domain
• Lose the big picture due to being too familiar or excited
about the solutions
• Learning skill
Traditional learning skills
• Be mindful and learn from your successful and failing experience
– After you finish doing something, you shall be able to abstract and
summarize your lessons learned and convey to others your tips
• Studying for a course, applying for grad schools, contacting professors
during application, getting started in a new research area, working with your
advisor, writing high‐quality papers, preparing for job interviews and
applying for jobs, negotiating your hiring packages, writing funding
proposals, increasing visibility in the community
– Opportunities are visible to only people who keep their eyes wide open
and think proactively.
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How to Write Training Materials Concisely
An important part of delivering quality training is to prepare your content
beforehand and make it engaging.
A good trainer should be capable of adapting to his client’s needs (such as a
company who hires you) but also understand what delegates want (the staff
the company sends to you to train). When preparing your training materials,
you may need to modify a few sections from the ready-made materials, bring
new sections from other courses you already have or simply extend some
sessions to increase your focus on certain topics.
Structure of Training Materials
 Objective. What would delegates learn by the end of this session?
 Purpose. What is this session trying to achieve?
 Content. What is the general content of the session? Each session
relies heavily on accelerated learning principles to increase the
likelihood of learning for delegates. Please view the Accelerated
Learning Principles supplied with this pack for more details.
 Exercises. A training course is not a lecture. Delegates are not
expected to sit in a class and be subjected to transfer of knowledge
from an expert (such as a lecturer) to them. Instead, a trainer
facilitates the training so that delegates can learn the skills on their
own with the supervision of the trainer using his or her expertise in
the domain. The distinction is rather important and many trainers
unfortunately adopt the lecturing style when training which is not
effective and delegates are likely to forget what they have been told
shortly after the course. Exercises, as shown by Accelerated Learning
Principles, greatly help the delegates to retain the knowledge well
after the course is finished. In our courses, theory is always followed
by exercises so delegates can try out the techniques themselves. If
you plan to extend the course, you must follow with this style to keep
everything consistent and also maintain the quality of your training
courses.
 Confirmation of application. How do the skills relate to real life
scenarios? At the end of each session, you must ask delegates to
confirm the use of what they have learned in their daily activities. If
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delegates cannot relate what they have been thought to their needs,
there is little chance that they will use them. A verbal confirmation
helps them to commit to use of new approaches and encourages them
to become more productive.
Integration Guidelines
When you want to add your own content, you are advised to consider the
following two critical points so that the course’s balance is preserved. The
two important points you need to consider are pace and energy:
 Pace. A critical element when designing content or delivering it is to
make sure it is provided at the right speed. This depends on the
available time and your specific delegates. Generally, you need to
pace the content for delegates who are not familiar with the topic.
Hence, you need to go slowly enough and repeat certain areas in
different ways to make sure everyone follows you. However, you
need to make sure you are not going too slowly. If your delegates
think that your content is obvious, they start to switch off.
Unfortunately, the switch off behaviour can be persistent even when
you move on to other topics. It is as if once delegates decide there is
not much here for them, they automatically start to focus on
something else usually portrayed by daydreaming behaviour, checking
mobile phones, talking to each other, etc. Be sensitive to this kind of
behaviour and take it as an early sign that you might be going slowly
for certain delegates. A solution is to address these delegates more
than others with more advanced content to keep them interested and
challenged. This is part of the execution of the course which is
something you should master through practice.
 Energy. Delegates can become exhausted based on what you demand
from them. If they have to repeatedly solve puzzles and participate in
difficult or highly engaging exercises, they can become tired towards
the end of the course. This leads to reduced intake exactly when are
likely to be covering the most important parts of the course, or parts
that are most fruitful. The beginning parts of the course must contain
more theory as delegates are fresh and need content so they can warm
up. After lunch, sitting and listening can lead to sleep. To avoid this,
you should engage the delegates with exercises. Not only this helps
them not to fall sleep, but it also gives you an opportunity to ask them
to put what they have learned so far into practice. The sessions after
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lunch should ideally have more exercises than those presented before
lunch. Ideally, you can finish the course by an end of the course
exercise that covers the most important parts of the course in one
single activity. This is not always possible, so you may need to skip
this part or simply go through a series of sessions each with its own
exercise.
Writing Clearly
Knowing how to write for your delegates is a key skill. In this section, a
number of common language techniques are introduced which you must be
aware of when writing for others so that you can have the highest impact.
Rule 1: Write for Others.
There is a famous quote that,
“Amateurs write for themselves, professionals write for others”.
There is a lot of wisdom in this. If you want your content to be read, and
more critically to be remembered, make sure you have the audience in your
mind at all times. This means:
 If they are not interested, don’t expand the topic beyond necessity.
 If it is a new topic they have not explored in the past, take the time to
walk them through it. Either mention a topic and explain what it is, or
just skip it altogether. There is no point to confuse your audience by
half-baked concepts that you did not have enough time to explain.
This will only confuse them.
Rule 2: Keep it Simple.
Don’t overcomplicate the language or the description. As in any language
there is more than one way to explain a topic. You should use a simple
approach to maximise efficiency of your training delivery. Reduce the
redundancy of words in your sentences. Here are some examples:
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Instead of writing this...
In spite of the fact
Triangular in shape
A large number of
In order to
On the part of
Along the lines of
Give consideration to
In the likelihood of
It would seem reasonable to
believe
The data appears to show
In the not too distant future
During the period that
On the contrary
Write this...
Although
Triangular
Many
To
By
Like
Consider
If
I believe
I think
Soon
While
Instead
Rule 3: Use Positive Language
A positive language is clear and concise. A negative language brings a new
concept to memory which you may actually want to eliminate by your
negative sentence. For example, if you say to a child, “Don’t touch the
paint”, the child just hears the last part because she has to think of the
concept “touching the paint” before she can parse your command, “don’t
touch it”. This is applicable to adults as well as children and is a logical byproduct of the way the brain process a linear stream of words.
Another popular example is when people finish their mails or emails by
stating, “Please don’t hesitate to contact me”. The strongest word here is
“hesitate” which is quite negative and if you really want them to contact
you, it is the last thing you want to say. Some other negative examples to
avoid are as follows:
Instead of writing this...
Write this...
I will not be late
I’ll be on time.
There is no doubt that this legislation Legislation is unlikely to succeed
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will not succeed
It is not a good idea not to greet
people warmly in a meeting
Greet people in a meeting
Rule 4: Don’t Over-Generalise or Conceptualise
Sometimes, in order to be politically correct and logically precise we fall
backwards and make something simple quite complicated. Avoid it as much
as you can. Here are some examples:
Instead of writing this...
Unfavourable weather conditions
Written communication
Refreshment facilities
Error condition
Carrying out alternations
Write this...
Bad weather
Report
Coffee machine
Mistake
Change
The general guideline here is to use fewer words when you can. English in
particular is a great language that makes it easy to reduce the length of
sentences due to sheer number of available words and its simple grammar.
Put it Altogether
Use the above rules when preparing your content or when delivering it. As
always, the best way to learn is by example. Here are some more statements
to help you out. In each row, which sentence in sounds better?
Instead of writing this...
Write this...
It was felt that the nominated
The management should investigate
management, as a first step, should
and report the analysis.
carry out an analysis of the situation
and document them appropriately for
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further investigation.
The comparative desirability of
Prototype A versus Prototype B on
the basis of cost should not be
underestimated.
As a demand-driven approach to
human resource and skills
development, the Training will build
and strengthen relationships with and
among workplace partners and better
engage employers and unions to
respond to the challenges of
workplace skills development.
The impossibility of the position is
evident.
Methods and Activities
Next, assess the learning plan:
We should go for cheaper of
Prototype A or B.
Training strengthens relationships in
the workplace.
It is impossible
Structures
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Objectives
Methods
Timing
Quality
How it feels
Make revisions and repeat the process as necessary.
Verbs for Writing Clear, Concise Training Objectives
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Add
Arrange
Assemble
Build
Calculate
Carry
Choose
Collect
Color
Compute
Demonstrate
Count
Describe
Distribute
Draft
Estimate
Explain
Identify
Initiate
Label
List
Rewrite
Select
Supervise
Train
Be CREATIF!
Most trainers know that a little bit
of humor can lighten any training
session. Sometimes, though, we
can get so focused on bringing
great content that we forget to
work in time for reflection,
laughter, or even bathroom breaks!
Let’s spend some time talking
about adding fun and games to
your training session.
Are you naturally funny? Part
comedian? If not, do not despair!
You do not have to be funny to
inject humor into your training.
Some guidelines on how to use
humor can help you to see it in the
everyday things that take place
around us. Just remember to be
CREATIF.
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Clean
As a trainer, your reputation can
make or break you. No matter
what or who is in your audience, in
order to deliver what you have
been hired to do, gain respect (and
be invited to do more training!),
your material needs to be clean. It
doesn’t matter how much crude or
crass language your audience may
use, a professional trainer keeps
their material clean. Racial jokes,
gender bashing, swearing, or
demeaning jokes do not enhance
the quality of your training, and do
not belong in the professional
trainer’s toolkit. Keep your
program clean or your pantry will
be lean!
Rehearsed
Just like other facets of training,
humor must be practiced to be
delivered effectively. You may be
tempted to practice in front of your
family or friends, but they may not
know how to offer you
constructive feedback properly.
Don’t bother practicing in front of
a mirror, because then we tend to
focus on how we look more so
than the overall effect of our
presentation. It’s hard to deliver
your story when you look in the
mirror and realize that one of your
eyes is bigger than the other!
Practice your entire speech, story,
or workshop out loud and standing
up as if you are in front of a
classroom, or on a podium. That
way you will become familiar with
the impact of moving and using
your body language to make a
point. You are also much more
able to address issues of timing
and movements (or blocking). You
can also consult a coach, or join a
trainer’s group, a good
toastmaster’s program, or a
mastermind group to really
supercharge your ability levels.
Failure to prepare adequately is an
area where plenty of new trainers
make mistakes.
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Energizing
A good anecdote or training game
can really energize a group. Even
if the story is something sad or
serious make sure that by the time
that you complete the debriefing or
wrap up, the group has recovered
and is feeling energized by
working with you. Some subjects
like conflict resolution, managing
change, or learning to negotiate,
can be pretty heavy going. Make
sure that as you wrap up your story
or event, you also lift up the
energy of the group.
Action oriented
As trainers, we need to find words
and stories that motivate and
inspire. Standing at the front of the
room listing off a bunch of “don’t
do this” and “don’t do that” is
boring for your participants, and
akin to reading directly off of
PowerPoint slides. Your audience
will snore. Instead, craft your
stories and anecdotes with a call to
action. Think of a phrase or jingle
that will stick in their memories
and remind them of what they are
going to do. Start with a verb and
keep it short and musical. Three to
five words are very effective,
especially if they rhyme. Think of
some familiar jingles from the
advertising community, and play
with the words. Make your
training motivating! (There’s your
call to action.)
Truth
Many situations in our lives make
wonderful training stories if they
are told with attention to pacing
(the speed at which you deliver the
story) and good articulation (so
that no one misses a word or the
point of your story). We also
benefit from practice to work out
the best gestures or props. Your
story is much stronger when it is
based on something real and it
relates somehow to the training
that you are providing. Don’t slip
in your favorite story just because
it usually gets a laugh. The more
work experience you have and
training you do, the greater your
own collection of stories will
become. If you rely on adventures
(or mishaps!) that have actually
happened to you, your stories will
be authentic and real to your
audience because you will deliver
it with all the emotion and impact
that was there for the actual event.
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It makes a relevant point
Adult learners want the content to
reflect the objectives of the
training. If your favorite story does
not fit, save it for another training
day and use something that will
work. Don’t try to work in humor
to spice up your training unless it
fits nicely with the objectives that
you have established. At the same
time, recognize that one story can
be told from a different angle or
with different emphasis so that it
can be re-used.
Fun
When you are preparing your
training session, make sure that it
is really you talking. Don’t try to
be someone else that you think is
funny, and don’t try to copy
someone else. If you do, people
will recognize that you are trying
to be someone you are not, which
takes away from your credibility.
Have you ever been in a course or
workshop where you felt like your
eyes were rolling into the back of
your head? Where the trainer was
droning on incessantly – perhaps
with very important content – but
you could not stay focused on
what they are saying? People’s
attention spans are short, and
overwhelmed people have even
shorter ones! Be sure to inject
some lighter content, which can
include games, energizers, and
icebreakers to keep training fun,
and keep your participants
engaged.
Types of Games
Choosing the right game is really
important. One of the signs of a
good trainer is one that knows how
to choose and even modify a game
to fit the situation. A good
resource library of games is
important so that you don’t find
yourself re-using a few games over
and over, especially if you are an
in-house trainer developing
workshops for the same people.
There are lots of excellent books
available as well as ideas on the
Internet. Check with your local
library or bookstore, or search for
“training games.” You can also
speak to other trainers about games
that have worked well for them.
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Although “game” is kind of a
broad term, below are some loose
definitions that might help you
select the right activity for the
objectives that you have set. Some
of these heading really overlap one
another, as you will see. The
definitions are here to give us a
better understanding of the range
of activities that we may want to
apply when we are injecting from
fun into our training.
Game
A game is an exercise that
normally has a set of rules and an
element of competition. Games
also normally include some
element of reward or pay off.
Although traditional games include
competing against some one or
another team, they are also many
non-competitive games available.
Games can include physical
challenges, intellectual skills, or
chance.
Icebreakers
Icebreakers are normally used as
an exercise to introduce group
members to one another, infuse
some energy into the beginning of
a workshop, and to lead into the
topic material. Depending on the
length of your workshop, an
icebreaker for a day-long event
might be five to ten minutes. For
longer training, where it is
important that participants really
get to know one another, an initial
icebreaker might be a half hour to
an hour and a half.
6
Energizer
An energizer is a brief pick-me-up designed to invigorate a group if energy
in the room is waning, or to bring them back together following a break.
Energizers may be a short version of any game or icebreaker, or a brief set
of stretches. They are completed within approximately two to five minutes.
Simulations
A simulation is used to train future operators when the equipment that they
will use is either very expensive or dangerous. Simulations are designed to
be as realistic as possible so that participants can learn from the situation
without worrying about damage or financial cost. Examples of simulations
include flight simulators, driving simulators, or war games.
Brain teasers
Not really a game and not exactly a simulation, brain teasers are puzzles to
keep participants busy or to highlight key points. Brain teasers have the
flexibility for a creative trainer to create their own rules to fit a particular
session. They can include perception exercises, joining the dots, or drawing
activities.
Role Plays
Role-playing is a helpful way to gauge how participants are learning
material or how they react to certain situations. They are very useful way to
practice new skills in a non-threatening environment, where a participant
learns to apply behavioral or speaking techniques to a situation and gets
feedback without making a mistake in front of their own customers or
clients. Role-plays can be helpful in teaching conflict management,
counseling, sales, negotiating, and many other skills.
7
Case Studies
Case studies are stories normally extracted from a participant’s workplace or
industry. It may also be a simulated scenario. They may be studied by
individuals or groups and then analyzed to demonstrate particular training
points or to stimulate discussion.
Facilitator Responsibilities
Your responsibilities as a facilitator include keeping your participants
engaged. No matter how brilliant we think we are, people are able to think
much more quickly than we can talk, and so it can be challenging to keep a
group engaged. Although training is a very serious business, the use of
games and related activities all reflect the principles of adult learning. As a
facilitator, you need to all make sure that your participants do not become so
engrossed in an activity that they miss the learning objectives. You must also
recognize that games, simulations, role play, and related activities can speed
up the learning process and reinforce the course objectives.
It is equally important that you debrief the group on every exercise that you
conduct. First, you need to ensure that the exercise is linked to the objectives
and that participants understand the goal that was set. Secondly, and perhaps
more importantly, you are responsible for keeping your group together.
Although you will always establish your training as taking place in a safe
environment, some exercises can take a group through self-disclosure or risk
taking that may leave them feeling out of sorts or very uncomfortable.
Debriefing allows the opportunity for participants to get their feelings out in
the open, to question the process or outcomes while the activity is fresh in
their mind and they remain within the safety of the training room. Debriefing
also allows everyone, including the trainer, to talk about the outcomes of the
exercise. Was it what everyone expected? Would it apply in a real situation?
How would you have responded if this had happened?
8
PowerPoint Slides
PowerPoint slides are one of the most popular presentation/training tools in
use today. They are easy to create and update, and most programs make it
easy to generate instructor and student notes. They are also reusable and
efficient.
However, there can be too much of a good thing. To make sure your
PowerPoint slides work for you, keep these tips in mind.
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
Use a consistent theme (colors, fonts, and styles).
Make sure you use a large font.
Keep graphics and animations to a minimum.
Use a projector rather than showing the slides off your computer
screen.
 List talking points on the slides – don’t read off of them.
 Practice, practice, practice!
Also, make sure you always have a backup plan, such as a printout of your
slides that you can transfer to flip chart, whiteboard, or overhead.
Overhead (Transparencies)
Many trainers still find that transparencies are an excellent training tool.
They are inexpensive, easy to use, and easy to create. As well, you can
easily jot your notes on the cardboard frames. You can also put sheets of 8
1/2 x 11 inch paper with additional notes between the overheads.
9
Generally, the transparency carries your major message, especially if it's a
text visual, and your notes simply remind you of any further statistical
evidence you may want to present. Remember to keep your writing large and
clear. As well, make sure the lighting in the room is appropriate.
Make sure you have a flip chart, chalkboard, or whiteboard available in case
the projector is missing or broken.
Flip Charts
You will find flip charts in almost every training room. Although they are
flexible and easy to use, they are too small for more than 40 people. To
ensure your flip chart is readable, buy lined paper, or lightly draw lines in
pencil before the workshop. You can also pre-write some pages and tuck
them away for when you need them. As well, you can remove and tape up
different pages of the flip chart for reference throughout the session.
When writing on flip charts, make sure you use dark blue, black, or brown
ink for writing. Save the brighter colors for highlighting and arrows. As
well, use the top two thirds of the page only, to make sure all participants
can see the writing.
10
Make sure you have plenty of paper, tape, and extra markers available.
Whiteboard or Chalkboard
Whiteboards and chalkboards are also inexpensive, flexible, and easy to use.
Chalkboards are less commonly used, since they are messy and some people
are allergic to chalk.
For either method, make sure you write clearly and in large letters. For the
whiteboard, remember the same color guidelines as for flip charts (blue,
brown, or black ink for writing; brighter colors for highlighting or drawing).
Make sure you have plenty of chalk or markers and several erasers handy.
11
Creating Supporting Materials
When writing a training program, you will typically compile your notes to
help guide you through the day. Other materials that you want to prepare
may include student guides, PowerPoint slides, and handouts.
Student Guides
Having a student workbook (like this one!) that the students can follow
along in, write information in, and use as a resource later on, can be
valuable.
Some points to remember:

Make sure to include reference pages for the student workbook in
your instructor guide.
 Leave some information out of the guide (i.e., include places for them
to fill in information).
 Make sure you don’t spend the training session reading to
participants.
Handouts
Many instructors use handouts to highlight particular points and to provide
students with a post-workshop reference. Handouts are much easier for the
student to digest and are often easier to produce than an entire student guide.
Some points to remember:

Make sure your handouts are well-written, easy to read, and
professional looking. Photocopies of handwritten notes will not
impress anyone.
 Make sure you make enough copies for everyone.
 You may want to include fill-in-the-blanks or other spaces to write.
12

If you have many handouts, you may want to bind them together to
help you (and participants) stay organized.
Electronic Slides
When done properly, electronic slides can help you keep participants
engaged. However, there is the risk of “PowerPointlessness,” where
participants feel like they are being taught by the presentation.
To avoid this, try these tips.
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Include only key points on your slide, such as discussion questions or
topic points. Use these points as a launch pad for your lecture or
discussion.
If you want participants to focus on something other than the
presentation, press the B or the W key on your keyboard to change the
slides to a solid black or white screen. Just press the key again to
return to your presentation.
Make use of built-in themes to keep your presentation consistent. You
want participants to focus on the content, not flashy animations or
colors.
Most presentation programs allow you to print slide notes for students
to follow along with.
Make sure slides are readable.
Ensure that the slides match your notes and supporting material.
Practice beforehand.
13
Developing Training staff:
The training staff, i.e. the trainers should always be up to speck. They
should always be trained in the newest methodology, technology, etc. A
trainer just like a doctor studies his/ her whole life, because in these two
professions things constantly, change, evolve, improve.
a) Support
There are many ways in which the trainer is supported and constantly
‘upgraded’ if this can be said.
There are course available, one on one, as a group, online, refresher
courses, topical courses, workshops all at different levels and
specification to suit the trainer’s needs.
There are also endless resource sites where the trainers can get ideas,
freebies, support, blogs, have their questions answered, free articles,
plans, hints, posts from other trainers. The options are limitless. Some
are mentioned further on in the manual.
b) Resources/ library/ feedback/ newsletter/ info bank/ reference/
freebies
www.focusministries1.org/trainthetrainer.asp
www.transitionnetwork.org/support/training/train-trai..
www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/ttt.html
www.nationalserviceresources.org/files/Train-the-tra
www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/ttt.html
www.trainerslibrary.com
14
www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/ttt.html
www.inspiration.com/Educators/Trainer-Resources
www.itrainonline.org
www.nasm.org/trainer_resources/default.aspx?t=tab_mat
www.personaltrainertoday.com/
www.cash4goals.com/personal-trainers.html
www.fenman.co.uk/activities/
www.raining.nsbsa.org/info/Resources.aspx
www.ammedia.com
www,amanet.org
www.monadtrainersaide.com
www.creativelearningtools.com
www.cvmlearning.com
www.blanchardtraining.com
www.mwntormediaonline.com
www.vppi.com
www.HRDQ.com
www.humansyn.com
www.pfeiffer.com
15
www.tactoolsonline.com
www.talico.com
Developing the course/ plan/ workshop/ seminars
When developing a course we have to be sure of something before all
else: if our course is Learner-Centered rather than Information –
Centered.
When the trainer is delivering a Lerner centered training the following
apply:
 the objective of the trainer is to improve the participants
performance
 the underlying objective is to fully meet the participants’ need
to know and be able to apply
 the role of the trainer is to be the coach, the teacher, the
facilitator
 the tentative methods include the trainer asking questions; and
does 50% or less of the talking
 the roles the participants’/ learners are active participants in the
learning process, they learn by interacting and doing
 the feedback is obtained by the opportunity given to the learner
to apply the skills through role play, case studies, simulations
and other structured and topical exercise/ activity
 the purpose of the feedback is to observe if the participants can
apply the learned material or whether they need more practice
or instruction/ mentoring
16
When the trainer is delivering an Information centered training the
following apply:
 the stated objective is primarily to cover the material and
present the content
 the underlying objective is to show the trainer as the all
knowing expert
 the role of the teacher/ trainer/ facilitator is to lecture,
explain, demonstrate, do most of the talking while the
learners watch and listen
 the learners are only passive absorbers, taking in information
 feedback is obtained by the trainer asking the participants
whether they have any questions and asking questions about
what was just taught
 the purpose of the feedback is to understand if the
participants have understood the information and test how
much they have actually learned
From the above some things become clear in terms of what
determines the success of a training program:
 That the trainer is the one on whom the success or
failure of the program depends
 Truly effective trainers are those who manage to learn
to be flexible with their style and approach depending
on the needs of the learners
 The truly effective trainer leans more to the learnercentered than the information-centered approach.
17
Training Proposal Checklist
A training proposal should have each of these elements.
Name of Training Program
Compelling and persuasive executive summary
Subject
Training Need Justification
(Needs assessment, grant requirements, licensing
requirements)
Target Audience(s)
Learning Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Instructional design
Methodology
Format
Time (hours)
Duration (when offered)
Dates (if applicable)
18
Continuing Education Credits
Authorizations Required
(Program Level, Division Level, Board Level)
Research and rapport completed
Goals clearly stated
Budget
Other
Who should be involved in the needs assessment?
 Participants
 Supervisors
 Senior managers
Next, we will set objectives, the reasons for doing workshop and the desired
outcomes. The steps for this are:




Seek input
Determine whether objectives are doable
Prioritize in order of importance
Organize materials to support objectives
Next, think about the content; the agenda or learning points to be covered.
19
Energizer: Whose Ad is it?
Purpose
The purpose of this fun activity is to introduce something new about other
delegates. It is ideal to be used at the beginning of a course as an icebreaker.
It is especially effective for a group of people who don’t know each other
very well.
Objective
Delegates to introduce something about themselves using association.
What You Need

A copy of the activity sheet for each participant (See a copy at the
bottom of this page)
Setup



Give a copy of the activity sheet to each delegate.
Explain that delegates have 3 minutes to write down something about
themselves associated with the words given in the sheet. For example,
if the word ‘Leeds’ is in the activity sheet, they can write, “I spend a
year inLeeds doing my masters”.
At the end of 3 minutes ask delegates to share their information with
others.
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes.
Activity: 3 minutes
Group Feedback: 5 minutes.
20
Discussion
How did you like this exercise? Does associating facts with words help you
in remembering information about others more easily? How can you
improve this activity to make it more effective?
“Known by Association” Activity Sheet
Fire:
_____________________________________________________________
Hotel:
_____________________________________________________________
BMW:
_____________________________________________________________
World Cup:
_____________________________________________________________
Scotland:
_____________________________________________________________
Summer Festivals:
_____________________________________________________________
University:
_____________________________________________________________
Camping:
_____________________________________________________________
21
Ice Cream:
_____________________________________________________________
Comedy:
22
Energiser: Draw Your Life
Purpose
This is a fun activity which generates a lot of laughter and therefore is ideal
as an energiser especially after a long training session. This exercise works
best with groups of people who know each other already; however it can be
used with new teams as well.
Objective
Delegates to interpret and explain drawings by other participants.
What You Need
A sheet of flip chart paper for each participant
Coloured pens for delegates
Setup



Explain to participants that they have 5 minutes to draw a scene out of
their normal day in the office or at work. Encourage delegates to get
creative and use colours in their drawings.
Collect the flip chart sheets after 5 minutes and distribute them
randomly between delegates so that everyone has a sheet.
Ask for volunteers to stick their given flip chart sheets on the board or
wall and try to interpret and explain the drawing on it. Once their
explanation has finished, you can ask the drawer of the image to
clarify what the drawing means.
Timing
Explaining the Test: 5 minutes.
Activity: 5 minutes
Group Feedback: 10 minutes.
23
My Name Stands For...
Purpose
This is a fun ice breaker especially suitable in new teams where people are
not very familiar with their team mates.
Objective
Delegates to describe their personality, habits, hobbies and dreams using the
letters in their name.
Setup
 Each delegate has 5 minutes to come up with a number of adjectives
which best describes their personality, habits, hobbies and roles using
the letters in their name.
o Example: DAVID can stands for Dad, Able, Value, Interesting
and Dancer.
 After 5 minutes, ask each participant to introduce himself/herself to
the group and explain what the characters in his/her name stands for?
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes.
Activity: 5 min exercise + 5 min sharing = 10 minutes
a) Handouts
Handouts are very important in training the trainer.
They can serve many purposes, namely:
 For pre-teaching assessment
 For quizzes, tests, exams
24
 For presenting material
 For setting individual/ group tasks and exercises
 As a visual aid
 As a point of reference (summary, etc)

b) Training tools: The Trainer’s toolkit
c) Diagrams/ models/ demonstrations
d) Case studies
e) Role plays
f) Mentors
g) Supervisors
25
Subject 4: Communication Strategies
Communication skills
If anything, knowing that speech is not a perfect vehicle for thoughts and
ideas is part of the initial step in improving communication. Figuring out
how to communicate ideas, whether in business or other interpersonal
situations, requires constant practice. Part of the way you can continue to
evolve as a successful communicator is to learn how to better organize your
thoughts. Thoughts are often a jumble of different things, but learning how
to control them can improve how you articulate them. Some companies and
schools actually bring in yoga teachers or others with experience in
meditation to help soothe stress: it also has the side benefit making you a
calmer thinker, helping you to be better convey yourself. In a sales job—or
any job for that matter—learning how to express yourself efficiently can
make or fracture a deal and help or hurt build important client relationships.
Further, good communication is not about rivalry. It is not a competitive
sport where he who says the most things wins. Trying to make another
person see how great your idea will not charm anyone in the business world:
business is about collaboration, and attempting to convert people to your
perspective is harmful. Business works best when people in a company
contribute different ideas and different points of view, fertilizing a problem
with copious possible solutions. When conquer a conversation with an
idea—not matter how great it is—people resent you,
and brainstorming sessions often come to a halt. Others will feel their ideas,
and thusly their individuality, trampled upon. Though there is not guarantee
everyone will be fond of you at work, you can help to make yourself
respected by respecting the ideas of others. After all, learning how to
communicate effectively also requires learning how to learn to listen
effectively too. Good communication helps build strong business ties with
fellow employees, with bosses, and with clients.
What I most want to gain from this course is…
26
Be ready to share your thoughts and feelings with your colleagues who are
here today.
The idea that the left and right hemispheres exhibit different patterns of
thought has caught the public attention and have inspired several educational
theories, notably "Eight ways of knowing" by David Lazear , and numerous
other self-help books. However theses theories have also been heavily
criticized, and sometimes cast as pop-psychological myths .
Here we will investigate current understanding of left-right brain
functioning; look at some of the psychological and educational models
which result; an examine some of the educational implications. We will also
examine for of the critiques of the theory and a couple of speculative ideas
inspired by techniques in statistics and computer science. We start with a
brief look at the brain.
Basic brain biology
A simplified model of the human brain consists of many parts:



Brain stem, hind brain, mid brain & cerebellum - the most ancient
parts, connected to the spine, controls movement, breathing and
heartbeats.
Limbic system - consisting of many specialist organs including the
Hypothalamus, hippocampus -developed in mammals. Some memory
functions and generation of emotional responses.
Cerebral cortex - the distinguishing feature of human brains
The cortex is divided into two hemispheres, left and right connected by a
thick layer of cells called the corpus callosum. Most other parts of the brain
are also divided laterally.
27
Each hemisphere of the cortex can further be divided into four lobes:




Occipital - visual processing
Parietal - movement, orientation, calculation, recognition
Temporal - sound and speech processing, aspects of memory
Frontal - thinking, conceptualisation, planning.
The left hand eye is connected to the right hand occipital lobe and viceversa. The right hand side of the brain also controls the left hand side of the
body.
The outer surface of the cerebral cortex, commonly called the grey matter, is
made up of the cell bodies many million of neurons, which are the main
processing unit of the brain. Below the surface is the white matter, this
chiefly consists of dendrites and axons which connect neurons to each other.
A simplified model of the processing of a neuron is that it receives inputs
through its dendrites and depending upon the level of inputs it will fire a
signal along its axion. Towards the end of the axion its splits and connects to
dendrites of other neurons causing them to fire. While each individual
neuron performs a simple processing task, the very number of neurons give
the brain is power. More importantly it is the number of connections which
distinguish the way a brain function to the typical functioning a computer
28
today, the ratio of connections to processing unit is much larger in the brain
than in a computer.
The behaviourist work of Pavlov and Skinner led Donald Hebb to develop a
model of synapse in 1949 that could account for how associations could be
formed . This model has become the accepted model and is central to
questions on how memories form and learning takes place. Consider the
situation where two incoming neurons (A,B) synapse onto a third (C) and
(before learning) a signal from A will be strong enough to cause C to fire but
a signal from B will not. During learning when both A and B fire together
biochemical processes will strengthen the response to signals from B. After
learning a signal from B will be strong enough to cause C to fire. This
general model has been confirmed by decades of research in memory.
During learning specific cells change their properties which can be
morphological changes including growth of new dendratic spines, increase
in synapse numbers and dimensions and changes in electrical properties of a
synaps.
We will now examine the theories of how processing in the left and right
hand hemisphere differ.
Some specific differences between the two hemispheres resulted from this
and subsequent research. The right-brain is better at:
Specialities









Right Hemisphere
Copying of designs,
Discrimination of shapes
e.g. picking out a
camouflaged object,
Understanding geometric
properties,
Reading faces,
Music,
Global holistic
processing,
Understanding of
metaphors,
Expressing emotions,
Reading emotions.
Left Hemisphere
 Language skills,
 Skilled
movement,
 Analytical time
sequence
processing.
29
Shared





Sensations on both side of face,
Sound perceived by both ears,
Pain,
Hunger,
Position.
Emotions
Negative emotions (fearful
mournful feelings),
neurotransmitters Higher levels of
norepinephrine
Grey Matter White More white-matter (longer
Maatter ratio
axons) on right
Positive emotions
Higher levels of
dopamine
more grey-matter (cell
bodies) on the left.
One particular difference in patient with damage to one side of the brain is
how they copy a diagram. A patient with left brain damage will tend to copy
the overall outline of a diagram but not the details and a patient with right
brain damage will tend to get the details correct but not the overall
outline.(Carter)
Often the differences are small, but statistically significant. Some of the
results also vary for left handed people. Numerous researchers using have
confirmed these results using a variety of techniques. Functional brain
imaging using EEG and PET scans, which record brain activity while a
patient is performing a particular task are some of the more modern
techniques.
One curious fact is that women tend to have a more active corpus callosum
with 10% more neuron fibers . The level of connection will have a large
impact on mental processes.
Learning styles and personality
Ned Herrmann is "Father of brain dominance technology". He drew on the
work of Sperry and developed the theory brain dominance where people
develop a dominant mode of thinking preference. These can range from an
analytical "left brain" approach to "right brain" approaches involving pattern
matching and intuitive understanding. These preferences have their roots in
our genetic makeup and how it affects our underlying cognitive capabilities.
For example left-right handed preferences have been observed in the womb.
30
As we develop we tend to respond with our strongest abilities as these lead
to quicker short-term rewards. This can create a positive feedback system
that will strengthen those abilities. Eventually this can lead to a powerful
preference for one style over the other and a dislike and discomfort for other
modes of thinking.
Herrmann then went onto develop the four-quadrant model of cognitive
preferences and a questionnaire called the Herrmann Brain Dominance
Instrument (HBDI) , . The inspiration for this model came from dividing the
brain into as four different systems with four preferred styles:




A: Left cerebral hemisphere - analytical
B: Left limbic system - sequential
C: Right limbic system - interpersonal
D: Right cerebral hemisphere - imaginative
An immediate critique is that there seems to be little evidence for differences
in the left and right hand limbic systems. However, Herrmann's system does
not try to be an accurate model of the way the brain functions. Instead it
should really be thought of as a model of different styles, partially inspired
by the brain, but also the result of extensive questionnaires. As he refined his
questionnaires four (rather than just two) separate clusters seemed to emerge
which are reflected in the model. Considerable work has gone into testing
the validity of this system with overall positive results.
It is worth examining these four styles in more detail:
A Quadrant: Analytical thinking.


Key word: logical, factual, critical, technical and quantitative.
Preferred activities: collecting data, listening to informational
lectures, reading textbooks. Judging ideas based on facts,
criteria and logical reasoning.
B Quadrant: Sequential thinking.


Key word: conservative, structured, organised, detailed, and
planned.
Preferred activities: following directions, repetitive detailed
homework problems, time management and schedules.
31
C Quadrant: Interpersonal thinking


Key word: kinaesthetic, emotional, spiritual, sensory, feeling.
Preferred activities: listening to and sharing ideas, looking for
personal meaning, sensory input, and group study.
D Quadrant: Imaginative thinking.


Key word: Visual, holistic, intuitive, innovative, and
conceptual.
Preferred activities: Looking at the big picture, taking initiative,
simulations (what if questions), visual aids. Appreciate beauty
of a problem, brainstorming.
One of the central ideas of the Herrmann's approach it to develop "whole
brain thinking". This focussing on strengthening the week points by using
techniques that require a particular style of thinking. This can lead to
"Creative problem solving" where a combination of different techniques can
be used to arrive at a better solution.
Herrmann's theory offers a strong critique of traditional educational
practices. These can be viewed as focussing on sequential reasoning skills
and digestion of established theories. Creativity and C and D quadrant skills
are often overshadowed or actively discouraged .
An equivalent non-proprietary instrument developed was developed by
Eugene Raudsepp: online test.
A related but independent theory is Howard Gardner's 1983 theory of
Multiple Intelligences . Here he identified seven types of intelligence:







Verbal-linguistic,
Logical-mathematical,
Visual-spatial,
Body-kinesthetic,
Auditory-musical,
Inter-personal communication,
Intra-personal communication,
Gardner later added Naturalist Intelligence and Existentialist Intelligence.
Whilst Gardner had a background in neuro-psychology he does not appear to
32
make any specific links between brain science and his theories. Gardener is a
strong believer in the plurality of intelligences and does not consider these to
be the definitive set. He is also keen to differentiate intelligences from
learning styles. David Lazear's "Eight Ways of Knowing" expands upon this
theme giving many sample exercises for each mode, as well as a rather
uncritical review of the literature. The visual-spatial seems to have some
aspect of right brain styles.
Of these the logical-mathematical intelligence seems a questionable
grouping. Arithmetic is often associated with the left brain sequential
processing yet there is good evidence that mathematically gifted children
tend to be left handed implying a right-brain dominance . This could reflect
a difference between early mathematics which is often a repetitive rote
learning, and more advanced mathematics which often requires high levels
of visual-spatial reasoning and abstract thinking. The naturalistic grouping is
also questionable, some very different skills such as classifying flora and
fauna (very much a analytical/sequential skill in Herrmann's system) to
immersing yourself in a natural setting (accessing emotional and holistic
preferences).
Two other theories are also worthy of note: The 4MAT System of Learning
styles developed by Bernice McCarthy is derived from the Kolb learning
cycle and identifies four main types Divergers (Why questions),
Assimilators (What questions), Converges (How questions) and
Accommodators (What if questions). Studies have questioned the validity of
Kolb's model.
The VARK (Visual Auditory Reading Kinaesthetic) is another related
model. Whilst this shows some characteristics of a left-right distinction, such
as the presence of Visual and Kinaesthetic components associated with the
right hemisphere, it is more a model of perceptual style rather than cognitive
style. It does not address the different modes of thinking exhibited by
sequential/holistic styles.
The other is the, currently in vogue, Mayer-Briggs personality type index.
Here four axes are used to record a persons dominant personality type:
introversion/extraversion, sensing/intuitive, thinking/feeling and
judging/perceiving. This gives a total of sixteen different types. Recent
research (New Scientist, last year) has shown good correlation with some of
these types and the presentation of certain genes. There are many other
33
personality type theories and even C G Jung has got into the personality type
debate .
If a simplified form of Mayers-Briggs, without the introversion/extraversion
spectrum, is used it can be shown that it is essentially equivalent to the
HBDI after some rotation of coordinate . In particular sensing/intuitive
spectrum (openness to interpretation in the Big 5 model), fits well with a
simplified version of left-right hemisphere specialization. It is worth
expanding on this axis in more detail:
Information can be gathered through sensation (S), concentrating on facts
and details, or through a more intuitive (N) process that seeks and
constructs patterns and uses a global or holistic information gathering style
Educational Implications
If we accept the theory of left-right dominance and learning styles then there
are profound implications for education:
Most ... educators take the traditional view of students as being a
homogenous learning group, with similar interest in [and] aptitudes for the
subject. However, greater learning and understanding may be accomplished
if the learning group is thought of as being heterogeneous, that is, highly
dissimilar in interest and aptitudes.
These variations have implications throughout the process of education:




Selection of appropriate courses: both those suited to the learning
style of student, but also those aimed at strengthening certain aspects.
Methods of delivery of material: using techniques which appeal to a
range of senses but also with a mix of big picture and detail. Some
students may prefer to see the big picture first and then break it down,
other may prefer to study the details first working up in a logical
manner to more involved material.
Activities that appeal to and strengthen different styles.
Assessment methods that reward different styles but which also
stimulate different modes of thinking.
Awareness of a students learning styles may help in tailoring a course,
although there is a danger of pigeonholing.
34
Communication Exercise: Read Me
Purpose
This is an exercise in communication with the aim to increase awareness of
body language and non-verbal communications.
Objective
Delegates to recognise and develop sensitivity to different individual’s nonverbal communications, body language and responses.
What You Need


A copy of the worksheet for each participants (below)
Pens
Setup






Distribute the form to all delegates.
Ask the delegates to consider each case when they wanted to
communicate that feeling or need to others. Ask them to evaluate their
non-verbal body language for each case.
They must include how they felt emotionally, what were their posture,
eye movement and stress level for each case.
Give delegates 10 minutes to complete this exercise.
Ask the delegates to share their observations with each other and find
similarities or differences.
Follow with a discussion.
Timing
Explaining the Test: 5 minutes.
Activity: 15 minutes
Group Feedback: 10 minutes.
35
Discussion
Discuss how differences in personalities, expectations, needs and even
culture determines our non-verbal communications. Encourage delegates to
discuss the dangers of interpreting non-verbal communications without
considering individual differences.
Worksheet
I Want to Be:
Observed Body Language
Talked to
Respected
Admired
Comforted
Reassured
Acting Exercise: Act For Your Group Until You Win
36
Purpose
This exercise helps participants to practice acting in front of a small
audience. The ideal acting is one that conveys information as quickly and
efficiently as possible. It is designed to be competitive, so participants are
pushed to act better.
Objective
Guess what each act suggests and continue until a winning criterion is
reached.
What You Need

Open area for two groups so they can easily watch a person who acts
for each group. Ideally it is better if the two groups are isolated and
cannot see or hear each other.
Setup










Divide the delegates into two groups.
Ask each group to volunteer one person.
Ask the two volunteers to leave the room and then between
themselves think of an object. This can be any object in the world so
long as they can act it out.
Once they have decided, ask them to come back to their groups.
Ask the volunteers to act out the object (or its use) for their
corresponding groups. The rest of the team can ask closed questions
that lead to yes or no answers. The volunteers should continue to act
based on questions asked until one of the groups can guess the object.
Once a group guesses correctly, it is the end of the round. Both
volunteers should go to the winning group.
Ask groups to nominate two other people and start a new round. This
is a good opportunity for groups to exercise on group decision making
as part of a general strategy to win.
Continue until one group absorbs all the members.
Encourage groups to nominate in a way so that everyone gets a chance
to act at least once.
Bring back everyone and follow with a discussion.
37
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 5 minutes
Activity: 30 minutes or more depending on the number of participants
Group Feedback: 5 minutes
Discussion
How easy was it to act? Did it get easier to act and guess as you went on?
Did you borrow ideas from others to improve your acting? Which acting or
gestures impressed you the most?
Communication Exercise: Do You Trust Others?
Purpose
We all have different levels of trust in different situations. Sometimes the
variation is not much and sometimes it is too high. We seem to be defensive
and on guard while others feel comfortable. This is usually to do with our
previous experiences as we derive our grand rules from our life experience.
It pays to know how others feel in certain situations, so you can become
aware of your trust level and how you compare with others.
Objective
Rate your trust level with others based on a number of situations.
What You Need

A wall and a clear space.
Setup


Ask delegates to stand next to the wall, with their backs to it.
Explain that you are now going to present a number of situations. For
each situation, you want delegates to express how they rate their trust
in that situation. For no trust they should remain where they are. For
38



maximum unconditional trust, they should move three steps forwards.
Moving one or two steps means lower trust respectively.
After each situation, ask delegates to return to the wall and repeat the
process
State the following situations:
 Your manager wants you to work overtime on Saturdays.
 Your colleague wants you to carry out his important tasks for a
couple of days as he is off-sick.
 Your colleague wants to borrow your car for the weekend.
 Your colleague wants to borrow your book.
 Your boss wants to see you after work late on Friday.
Get back everyone together and follow with a discussion.
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes
Activity: 10 minutes
Group Feedback: 10 minutes
Discussion
Were you similar to others in your level of trust? In what situations most
people had the same trust level? In what situations, you felt very differently
to others? What does this exercise suggest? Which areas do you need to
work on, perhaps to increase your trust in areas that others rated more than
you?
Communication Skills Exercise: Getting to Know Each Other
Purpose
This activity helps the delegates to learn more about each other by
answering specific questions. You can easily bias the exercise by including
relevant questions to the course or to your overall objective.
Objective
Pick a question at random and answer it to the group.
39
What You Need


A hat
Several pieces of small papers such as non-sticky post-it notes.
Setup










Before the exercise, prepare the small pieces of paper by writing
questions on them. Examples of questions are provided below:
 “What was the highlight of your last week?”
 “What is one of your best habits?”
 “Explain one of your most embarrassing moments.”
 “What is the biggest lesson you have learned on inter-personal
relationships?”
 “What piece of your cloth best represents you and why?”
 “If you were given one million pounds, what would you do
with it?”
 “What is one of your worst habits?”
 “What were the qualities of your worst boss?”
 “What is your most productive time during the day? How about
during the week?”
Fold all the papers and place them in a hat.
Get everyone to sit around the hat.
Ask for a volunteer to start the activity by picking up a paper from the
hat, read the question and answer it to others.
Put the folded papers in a separate pile.
Carry on clockwise until everyone has answered.
Put the pile back into the hat and start a new round.
If anyone picked up a question that they have answered before, they
can drop it back into the hat and pick another one.
If someone doesn’t feel comfortable to answer a particular question,
don’t push them. Respect their wish, ask them to pick another
question and carry on.
Continue for a specific number of rounds or a specific amount of time.
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes.
Activity: 15 minutes
40
Group Feedback: 2 minutes.
Discussion
What do you think of this exercise? Do you feel you know each other much
more than you did before the exercise?
Variations
There are many possible variations in this exercise which you can implement
depending on your circumstances:




Divide everyone to groups of 4. Provide a separate hat to each group
along with a set of questions. Ask them to carry out the exercise as
explained. Some people may feel more comfortable to talk about
themselves in smaller groups and this setup encourages them to talk
more. You can regroup everyone after a few rounds to mix the
participants.
You can bias the exercise by asking specific questions. For example if
you are training them on Anger Management, you can present specific
questions on how they respond to anger.
Rather than going through a clockwise order, the person who answers
a question can nominate the next person to pick a question. This
encourages everyone to become more comfortable with each other.
When a question is picked, everyone can answer the question in turn
so everyone learns about everyone else based on that particular
question.
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Body language in the class room (projection is perception)
1. Trainers Body Language – Does it Impact a Training Session?
2. A trainer has to transmit information through various training sessions,
which can, at times, be lengthy.
It will be very difficult for him to keep his trainees attentive throughout the
session if he does not possess the skill to present the content in an engaging
manner.
Therefore, a trainer needs to know how to combine your spoken word with
appropriate gestures, voice modulation and eye contact so that your trainees
remain attentive and engaged.
Here are a few tips that can improve your non-verbal communication:
 Look Natural: Be yourself in the classroom. Ensure that your
demeanor is natural. If you have the habit of gesturing with your
hands while giving a lecture, do so.
 Do not look frozen or doubtful or this will distract the audience. You
need to deliver the message with clarity and conviction. Even though
you are not cent percent convinced by the ideas you’re going to
present, look convinced.
 Maintain Eye Contact: Never look up at the ceiling or down at the
floor or at the wall behind you. Instead, look at your audience. For
ease, arrange seating in a semi-circular position so that you can
maintain effective eye contact with all of them.
 Do not Look Monotonous: Speaking too softly or too loudly in the
same pitch cannot attract your audience. Modulate your voice as per
the situation.
 Avoid Babbling: Speak slowly and deliberately in a loud and clear
voice. This will show that you have a good command of the language
and are passionate about the concept you are speaking about. When
your audience sees that you are confident and in control, they will pay
attention to you. Your voice is the number one indicator of that. Thus,
as a trainer it is your responsibility to make the training program
effective.
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In this regard, apart from the activities and tools you use to present
training material, your body language, voice control and eye contact
can also make your training sessions more effective and fruitful.
Powerful Body Language Strategies
When conducting meetings and interacting with other people, your body
language can become a critical part of your communication and may even
come to define your success or failure.
There are a number of simple yet powerful strategies which can make your
encounters more productive and effective. If you are an office worker, you
can use these strategies to have an edge over your colleague, client or even
your boss. If you are a trainer you can use them to make your training more
effective and memorable.
These body language strategies are as follows:
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Observe your body posture
When presenting, talking or delivering you message, don’t cross your arms.
You will appear defensive and closed. Instead, show the palm of your hands,
adopt an open posture with open arms and uncrossed legs and show that you
are confident about your position. In particular, don’t ever close your arms
when answering questions after you have given a talk or presentation.
Conduct meetings while standing
Research shows that meetings conducted while standing take significantly
less time than those where people are sitting on comfortable chairs. Standing
meetings will be more efficient for your organisation and will also help the
staff to exercise their legs. This is particularly useful given today’s style of
office work. To start this, simply remove all chairs from your meeting
rooms, while providing whiteboards and marker pens. That’s all you need!
Talk within the first 30 seconds
When in the company of strangers, you may feel shy or conservative to
initiate a discussion or follow up on what is currently discussed. The best
way to remove your stress is to make sure you say something within the first
30 seconds of the encounter. Remember, this is not to say a simple “hi”. You
need to say something that can define you, so others can get a hint of the
‘type’ of person you are and understand that you are a player. If you don’t
say anything, you may find it more and more difficult to break in at later
stages, not to mention that others are more likely to ignore you altogether
even when you say something later on.
Watch the buttons and keep the room warm
While in a meeting, people who wear their jackets with closed buttons are
more likely to cross their arms and so become more defensive to new ideas
(or at least appear to be). Unbuttoning a jacket is a good sign that the person
is open to the idea they just heard and you can use this knowledge to your
advantage. People who appear defensive to each other can unnecessarily
bring a discussion to a halt. This also suggests the important of having warm
meeting rooms where you can expect the attendees to take their jackets off
and minimise the chances of crossing arms and closing bodies which will
eventually lead to ineffective discussions.
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Travel light
People with slim briefcases appear higher up in the hierarchy as they have
other people to carry the detailed paperwork for them. Going out to
important meetings without an overstuffed briefcase shows that you are a
person who cares about the core business and is in control of the situation.
However, be careful not to arrive at your destination unprepared or without
the right materials. That certainly doesn’t help you make the right
impression!
Try not to touch your face
Many gestures that involve touching the face or the head while talking give
away valuable signals to others. For example, touching the nose or the ears,
putting fingers on the mouth or the corner of the mouth indicate lying or an
attempt to mislead. Other gestures such as resting your chin on your fingers
suggest that you are not convinced about what you just heard which again
gives away your position. To keep your thoughts private, simply use a
general rule as follows; keep your hands away from your face and preferably
below your chin. This way, you keep your thoughts to yourself and also
appear more authoritative.
Place your competitors with their backs to an open space
Research shows that a person with an open back is stressed with signs of
increased heart rate, increased brain activity, rapid breathing and even
sweating. A person with an open back may unconsciously be afraid of
attacks from behind. This vulnerability may give you some advantages.
Naturally, if you find yourself in this position, come up with an excuse to
change your position. For example, you can say, “I have a bad back and I
feel a breeze on my back, I am going to sit over there. Hope that’s OK with
you.”
Body Language Exercise: Miscommunication
Purpose
This exercise highlights the importance of body language in communication.
45
Objective
Delegates should speak and listen while avoiding smiling and eye contact.
Setup


Delegates work in pairs:
 Person A: To talk about his/her hobby for one minute and to
avoid smiling
 Person B: To listen with interest and ask questions if want to.
Delegates in each pair then swap places:
 Person B: To talk about his/her hobby naturally.
 Person A: To listen without any eye contact or asking any
questions
Timing
Explaining the test: 5 minutes.
Activity: 7 minutes
Group feedback: 5 minutes.
Variations
If more time is available, both people in the pair can experience both
situations.
Discussion
Discuss the exercise by asking delegates the following questions:





How did they feel at the end of each conversation?
Did they feel ignored, frustrated or insulted?
How could the situation be improved?
How body language affects communication and binding?
What other methods can be used to provide an enjoyable and flawless
conversation?
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Non-Verbal Awareness Exercise: Use Your Senses
Purpose
The purpose of this exercise is to help delegates examine their non-verbal
senses and build their confidence in sensing others. It demonstrates the
power of our conscious and unconscious ability to sense other people.
Objective
Guess the identity of the person who touches you.
What You Need


A room with space to move around freely.
A blindfold
Setup









Ask a volunteer to come forward and stand facing a wall.
Ask the volunteer to wear the blindfold.
Ask the rest of the group to approach the volunteer one by one, touch
his shoulder and say their own name.
The volunteer must not look around or see who has approached him.
Next, repeat the process again though this time ask the group to
approach the volunteer in a different order, touch the volunteer but
without saying their own name.
The volunteer has to use his various senses to identify the person who
has touched him and state his name. Usually various senses are used
to do this such as feel of the touch, smell, sound of the approach and
so on.
If you have time, you can repeat the exercise with other volunteers.
Optionally you can run this as a competition by keeping the count of
successful guesses for each person so the person with the highest
score can get a prize.
Follow with a discussion.
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes
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Activity: 10 minutes
Group Feedback: 5 minutes
Discussion
How easy was it to identify the person who was touching you, if you were
the volunteer? What helped you guess the identity of others? What does this
exercise suggest about our non-verbal abilities?
Acting Exercise: Moving and Following
Purpose
This is quick acting exercise usually used to get delegates to familiarise with
space and movement. You can also use it as a fun energizer.
Objective
Follow specific instructions to move around a space in relation with other
people.
What You Need

An area where all delegates can fit and move freely.
Setup



Explain that there are a number of stages.
Ask everyone to stand in the environment, randomly spread out.
Run each stage for one minute or until a condition is met as described
in the instructions below.
Stage 1:

“On my mark, start moving around in the environment while
maintaining eye contact with one other person and without bumping
to anyone else.”
Stage 2:
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
“Move around the environment while keeping a fixed distance from
one other person.”
Stage 3:


“Mark two people and assume you are in a triangle with them. Move
around while maintaining the shape and size of your triangle.”
Continue until you reach equilibrium.
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes
Activity: 5 minutes
Group Feedback: 0 minutes
Discussion
Eye Contact
Purpose
This exercise helps the delegates to understand the importance of eye contact
and appreciate its social implications. People can also compare themselves
with others in making eye contact which is usually an eye opener for some.
The physical nature of the exercise and its light heartedness also makes it an
ideal choice as an icebreaker.
Objective
Make a series of eye contacts with others and maintain it while moving.
What You Need
Unobstructed space where all delegates can participate in this exercise as
one large group.
Setup
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







Ask the delegates to stand in a circle.
Ask them to keep their heads down and look at the floor.
People should not speak during this exercise.
On your signal, each person should look at other people in the circle.
If an eye contact is made, both people should come forward and then
swap positions while keeping the eye contact at all times until the
swapping is completed. Remind delegates to move carefully as others
will be doing the same thing.
As soon as the swap is finished, they should make an eye contact with
someone else and start the sequence again.
Allow 5 minutes for this exercise and then ask everyone to stop.
Follow with a discussion.
Timing
Explaining the Test: 5 minutes.
Activity: 5 minutes
Group Feedback: 10 minutes.
Discussion
What did you think of this exercise? Were you quick in making eye contact
with people? Did you make eye contact with people who you liked most?
Did you avoid certain people?
Some may feel it was difficult to make eye contact while others may suggest
it was very easy. What does this imply?
Did you laugh as you kept looking at each other? Does direct prolonged eye
contact create anxiety? Why is that? Why do we compensate by laughing?
What are the implications of this in our daily life?
50
Body Language Quiz
Purpose
This is quick quiz on body language. It encourages delegates to put their
knowledge on body language to test and see how well they can respond to
realistic situations.
Objective
Answer the quiz questions.
What You Need


Quiz questions provided below.
Quiz answers handout to be distributed at the end.
Setup



Distribute the quiz to the delegates and allocate 5 minutes for them to
complete it.
Finish by asking them to share their responses and follow with a
discussion.
Distribute the solution handouts.
Timing
Explaining the Test: 2 minutes.
Activity: 5 minutes
Group Feedback: 5 minutes.
QUIZ
Q1. Is it a good idea to have fire outside of restaurants? Would the restaurant
owner expect to get more customers in just because they have fire outside of
the restaurant?
Q2. You are keen to get your client to accept your proposal. To setup the
scene you have arranged for a restaurant meeting. After all, many important
decisions are made while in a social activity which usually involves eating.
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In the restaurant, you guide your client to a table that has some of the chairs
with their back to the wall and other chairs with their back to the rest of the
restaurant. Which chair would you choose to sit your client on and why?
Q3. You are a salesperson who is in a meeting with a customer. You also
have a technical member of your team with you. You, your client and your
colleague are in a meeting room and want to sit down. Which one of the
following configurations is most ideal?
A:
B:
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SOLUTIONS
A1. Yes, because fire is symbolic of cavemen behaviour and we may have
inherited the trait. When cavemen made the kill and brought back food to
their cave, they usually set up fires outside of caves to scare other animals
who might be interested in the food. They got the food cooked with fire and
ate it inside the cave.
A2. A chair with its back to a wall, so that your client has his back covered.
This makes him more comfortable and reduces his anxiety and he will have
less tension. As a result he is more likely to decide.
A3. Place the technical person opposite the client and sit with a 45 degree
angle to the client. This way, you have sided with the client and can ask
questions on behalf of your client from your technical person. If the
technical person appears difficult to your client, at least you are on their side
and you can help them out. Make sure your technical person knows what
you are doing, otherwise he may wrongly think that he is sidelined by both
of you and may get agitated which will not help your elaborate setup not to
mention that it may feed into classic technical versus salesperson friction.
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The 7 Gears of Communication
The fourth element of synergetic teaching is communication, which Charles
believes is second only to trust in its importance. “To a surprising degree,”
he says, “how you communicate determines your effectiveness as a teacher.
Relationships are built on communication and easily destroyed by it). He
stresses that two-way information exchanges between teacher and student:




Promote learning
Lead to deeper knowledge
Improve relationships
Energize the teaching process
However, Charles notes, “In most cases, teachers do too much imparting and
not enough exchanging”
Seven gears of communication
To keep classroom communication running like clockwork, Charles proposes
maintaining seven gears:
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1. Listening: When you are speaking with someone, make them the prime
focus of your attention.
2. Understanding: Try to see the other person’s point of view. Listen
within the student’s frame of reference rather than from your frame of
reference as an adult teacher.
3. Reacting helpfully: Pay attention to body language and tone of voice to
discern the underlying messages and needs behind the speaker’s words;
respond to those needs .
4. Encouraging: Continually ask yourself, “How can I be most helpful to
my students right now?” .
5. Persuading: Avoid arguing. Use “I” messages to communicate
concerns.
6. Disagreeing productively: Focus on the problem at hand, not on past
difficulties. Remain
honest and open. Look for areas of agreement. Take charge of negative
emotions; remain calm and objective. If your emotions prove too
strong, admit that “now is not a good time to discuss this” and schedule
a meeting for a later time.
7. Resolving problems amicably: Help craft a win-win solution; solicit
possible solutions from others in a class meeting. Allow students to save
face. Present solutions as if they are
joint agreements.
Congruent communication is “communication that is harmonious with
students’ feelings about situations and themselves” (56). To achieve
congruence, our communication should address the situation, rather than the
character of the student. We should avoid comments that (56):


Label students
Ask rhetorical “why” questions
55





Give moralistic lectures
Make caustic or sarcastic remarks
Deny students’ feelings
Demand students’ cooperation
Show a loss of temper or self-control
Roadblocks to communication
In a 2005 article on congruent communication, West Chester University
professor Dave Brown noted that “students will regularly make ill-mannered
comments. These social mistakes are a part of young adolescents’ growth as
they experiment in searching for their own identity. The way that educators
react to these frequent miscues impacts their relationships with students ...
Overly punitive actions exacerbate negative feelings between students and
teachers” .
Charles identifies several roadblocks to effective communication that teachers
should avoid :

Giving orders: "Get your name on that paper and get to work."

Warning: “I’m telling you for the last time to stop that, or I’m sending
you to the principal.”

Preaching: “If you don’t learn how to do this, you’ll never get into a
good college.”

Advising: “When I was your age, I used to study two hours every night.
You should try that.”

Criticizing: “You're being so foolish to do it that way.”

Questioning: “What’s wrong with you?”
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Keep it interesting
Many times teachers find it a struggle to keep students paying attention in
the classroom. You may have been teaching in forty-five minute periods for
years, and then suddenly your school has switched to block scheduling of
ninety minute periods. How can you keep students' attention? How can you
prevent them from falling asleep during your lectures? Here are some
helpful tips:
Strong Presence
Students will surely doze off if you aren't able to speak loudly, clearly and
with a bit of personality. Avoid speaking in monotone and try to make your
lectures lively. Students will be more apt to pay attention to a teacher who
smiles and establishes good rapport, than one who scowls and uses fear
tactics to keep students in line.
Interactive Lessons
Students of any age will appreciate lessons where they can get involved. Say
no to long teacher monologues and yes to asking questions. Allow students
to figure out information rather than have it fed to them by a spoon. If you
want to present a set of facts from a research document, break students into
groups and have them find the facts themselves. Students learn in a variety
57
of different styles, and you should incorporate audio, visual, and kinesthetic
aspects into your lesson plans.
Eye Contact
Don't be afraid to make eye contact, even with those students who you'd
rather see in detention than in your class. Eye contact lets students know that
you are in charge and that you are involving them in the lesson. It will also
discourage them from doing other work under the desk, catching some z's, or
chatting with their neighbors.
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Humor
You may not be a born comedian, but students appreciate when teachers can
make them laugh. Ask your students who the funniest teachers in the school
are. Spend some time talking to those teachers or observing them to see how
they can get students to laugh. Students learn better when they are having
fun, rather than when they feel threatened or pressured to achieve.
Confidence
As the teacher, you need to know your stuff well. Students will not be very
willing to pay attention to a teacher who has to continually look at the book
when giving a lecture. If you're teaching about the scientific method, you
should know it inside and out. Don't let students see you fumble, mix up the
order, or have to look in the book to answer a class question. Be wellprepared and look over your lesson plans prior to the class. If your class sees
that you really know what you're talking about, they'll put more value on
your words and listen more attentively.
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60
Subject 5: NLP and Training
Training the trainer and NLP
The term neuro-linguistic programming was first used by Dr Richard
Bandler and Professor John Grinder, at the University of California in Santa
Cruz in the mid-1970s. Grinder was an associate professor of linguistics and
Bandler was a student at the university. Bandler and Grinder wrote a series
of books in the late 1970s and then worked with a number other people, such
as Robert Dilts, to design training for people in areas of therapy,
communication and presentation skills.
What was different about their approach to the study of human behaviour
was their interest in highly effective people rather than just the study of the
general population or dysfunctional groups. They were particularly
interested in uncovering the things that made a difference between someone
who was good at what they did and someone who was outstanding.
To support this work they developed a methodology that has come to be
known as ‘modelling’. modelling, like any research approach, aims to drill
down into the detail of something which is observable, or which can be
uncovered through questioning. NLP modelling is unique in that it focuses
on the areas of language patterns, the details of internal imagery,
metaprogrammes (the NLP term for traits, personality type preferences and
some types of schema), beliefs, values and micro-body signals and patterns.
Bandler and Grinder’s interest in this area was inspired by discussions with
Gregory Bateson, who encouraged them to begin research in the areas of
therapy. Their first four books describe in detail their study of Virginia Satir,
the family therapist and Milton Erickson, the hypnotherapist. From Satir
they developed a language pattern model for reframing and influencing to
support effective change, and from Erickson they mapped the structure of
hypnotic communication patterns, influencing and rapport.
Further work outlined approaches for the manipulation of internal images to
change the emotional feelings associated with past experience and the
development of simple practical approaches for managing emotions. Their
latter work suggested that effective communicators and achievers do similar
things to what they had observed in Erickson and Satir. It is this extended
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body of knowledge that is widely published in books on NLP. Interest in
NLP has grown significantly in recent years. In part this has been the result
of television programmes by Paul McKenna (who makes use of NLP in his
therapeutic work). There has also been a significant increase in the
availability of NLP training and consequent publication of a number of
popular texts on the subject.
In recent years research has reinforced the central importance of teaching
and learning and effective classroom behaviours in achieving school
effectiveness alongside the importance of leadership. Numerous studies
recognise the importance of teacher skills development, particularly in the
areas of engagement, levels of interaction, questioning, positive atmosphere,
teacher expectations and challenge. Alongside this, writers such as John
West-Burnham have consistently championed the importance of
interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. As a ‘toolkit’ of approaches for
developing personal effectiveness, influence and communication, NLP
offers a wide range of approaches to support existing pedagogy and practice.
In terms of our own work and the training that we have delivered, the
response from teachers has been overwhelmingly positive and suggests that
NLP could make a significant contribution to areas of personalisation and
school leadership effectiveness.
A few years ago, when you first mentioned NLP to people in education very
few people knew what you were talking about. There is now a growing body
of practice that has emerged both formally through the inclusion of NLP in
government training programmes and through the crossing over of training
from personal development and business to the education sector. NLP itself
as a body of knowledge is surrounded by myths and opinions. In part this
has been the result of the somewhat complex language that surrounds NLP
and the fact that until recent years there was only a small body of research
from the fields of psychology that could be said to support the nature of the
ideas and approaches that NLP training provides. In recent years, the
findings of cognitive neuroscience about the relationship between the mind,
brain and language have been used to provide a partial theoretical
explanation for much of what is taught in NLP. Although specific research
on NLP is still in its infancy there is a growing academic interest in this area.
NLP tools and approaches can be said to fit into four categories:

Outcomes
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Strategies and approaches for self-motivation and the motivation of others.

Rapport
Approaches for building rapport and influencing others.

Flexibility
Techniques for developing personal flexibility and awareness of others.

Language
Language models from hypnosis and therapy.
As well are defining areas of theory and practice in each of these areas, there
are specific techniques to support the exploration of values, challenging of
limiting beliefs, influencing, communication and motivation.
One technique which Bandler and Grinder modelled from Milton Erickson is
called pacing and leading. Pacing and leading is considered in NLP to be the
basis of effective influencing and is the same basic approach used in
hypnotic induction as part of hypnotherapy. Pacing and leading is when you
seek to influence others by meeting people half-way and matching them
where they currently are, in some way (pacing). Having matched their
current behaviour, language, body signals, ways of seeing the world you are
then in a position to take them where you want them to go (leading). In
terms of body signals, Milton Erickson mirrored his patients’ body language.
Erickson, a post-polio patient, was severely restricted in his movements but
had become very effective making small gestures and movements that
responded to the body movements of his patients. He also paced their
experience and language before beginning to influence by making
increasingly strong suggestions.
Teachers on the training we have delivered have found hypnotic language
patterns to be particularly helpful in the classroom for setting up lessons,
establishing rules and explanations, encouraging and motivating students
and dealing with unwanted behaviours as well as being an effective tool
in leadership.
At the heart of influential language is the idea of presupposition.
Presuppositions are the unsaid meanings and information in a sentence or
63
phrases. For example, if someone were to say: ‘Either now or in a moment
you can think of a time when language has been important to you.’ You are
very likely to follow this instruction. This is because the first part of the
sentence presupposes that you are going to do what has been suggested. This
particular pattern is called a double bind. In other words it gives you two
choices or options both of which result in the same outcome. There is
something about the element of choice that leads people to accept the
suggestion without challenge. A classroom example might be: ‘Would you
prefer to begin the questions section or draw the map first?’ The
presupposition is that the person will start work now, whichever way he or
she chooses to do it and that both things need to be done.
Another very useful language technique is the yes set, which again comes
from hypnosis. Yes sets are frequently used in sales, advertising and
effective public speaking. The approach is known as ‘the foot-in-the-door
technique’ in psychology, after a famous experiment in the 1960s. In a
language context, if you tell someone three undeniable facts, one after
another, and follow it with a suggestion, they are very likely to accept what
has been suggested.
I have told you a little about influential language, the background to NLP
and yes set, now would be a good time to find out more, wouldn’t it? If you
didn’t notice the yes set in the last sentence feel free to go back and look at it
again. The pattern at the end of the sentence is called a yes tag and is quite
difficult to say no to when used in this sort of context. Yes tags are
particularly effective after explaining rules, to reinforce the point and gain
agreement.
Another area of NLP that has found a specific school-based application is
perceptual positions. This is an approach that is frequently applied in
coaching to help people deal with difficult people, assess relationships and
understand conflict. The approach involves mentally adopting three different
mental positions in order to explore a situation: self, other and observer. In
the self perspective, we see the world through our own eyes. In the other
perspective, we see the world through eyes of someone else, through their
values, their perspective. Finally, in the third position, the observer position,
we are looking at the situation as an external observer. This other position is
a dissociated and unconnected one emotionally. This technique can be used
in conversation, or more formally, by arranging three chairs or spaces on the
floor and moving between them. In a school context teachers have found it
64
helpful in dealing with bullying and indeed several whole-school strategies
have begun to be developed using this approach.
NLP has been criticised at times for being a collection of disconnected tools
and techniques without a fundamental theoretical base. At first glance this
can certainly appear to be the case. However, such observations fail to take
into account that the effectiveness of NLP approaches are likely to be the
result of the application of several approaches at once rather than a single
technique. For example, effective influencing is more likely to take place
when rapport, effective language patterns and a positive mental image of
success are applied together rather than one technique alone. In this sense
research into NLP faces similar methodological challenges to researching
effective pedagogy. As with classroom effectiveness, where a series of
elements and factors come into play with several needing to be present to
ensure high effectiveness, so it would appear to be with interpersonal and
intrapersonal effectiveness. This said, cognitive psychology and cognitive
neuroscience research that has taken place since Bandler and Grinder’s early
work and development has provided a number of theories and studies which
support a many key areas of NLP and suggest that they may be the practical
application (in a technological sense) of cognitive neurological phenomena.
This parallel is most obvious in areas such as research into positive mental
imagery, hypnosis, mirror neurons and micro-facial expressions. Although,
as described above, the effectiveness and impact of techniques is only just
beginning to be researched.
We have found that using NLP in the classroom has an immediate effect as
it does not require a teacher to replace existing practice but allows for the
improvement of the effectiveness of existing practice. Is all of this new?
Well not really, just as Bandler and Grinder found these things being done
by highly effective communicators in therapy and other areas of personal
development, so the same things can be found in effective teachers who have
learned no NLP. Applying NLP training formally for teachers is allowing a
more detailed and specific dialogue about teacher effectiveness in the areas
of interpersonal influence, communication and resilience together with the
development of a community of practice. In our book we suggest that NLP
may be the ‘technology of emotional intelligence’ and certainly there are
tools and techniques to support emotional and social intelligence across all
the competences identified in the literature. Of course, the effectiveness and
impact of these tools in a teaching context remains to be firmly established
research wise.
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Subject 6: Problem Solving
Conflict and problem solving
One of the most exciting aspects of life is the array of choices that we have
on a daily basis. Some of our decisions are simple, like deciding what to eat
for dinner or what shirt to wear. However, some choices are challenging and
take careful thought and consideration.
When we are confronted with these types of decisions, it can be very
difficult to decide on the best option, and we may be plagued by indecision.
We may be forced to choose between two equally good options, or perhaps,
we may have to pick between two choices that both have drawbacks. We
may waver back and forth between different alternatives and may feel
paralyzed to make the decision.
This is a very normal reaction to tough choices in our lives, and we all, at
times, experience a sense of being unable to decide on some option.
However, researchers have developed a technique that many people have
found useful when they are trying to make a difficult decision or solve a
problem that seems unsolvable. This procedure involves a series of steps that
you can go through on your own when you are confronted with a decision or
problem that needs to be solved. This approach may not work perfectly for
all difficulties, but it may help with many of the problems you are
confronted with in your life.
1. This step involves recognizing that a problem
exists and that solving the difficulty is a
worthwhile endeavor. It is important that you
approach the decision-making process with a
positive attitude and view the situation as an
opportunity or challenge. You should try to
approach the situation with confidence and with a
willingness to devote some time and effort to
finding an appropriate solution to your problem.
Remember, you are a competent person, and the
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problem you are facing can likely be solved with a
little hard work.
2. Before you start to tackle the current problem, it is
important to clearly understand the difficulty and
why you are unhappy with the current situation.
This may seem obvious, but it is important that
you really think about and gather information
about the problem, and make sure that the problem
you are trying to solve is the "real" problem. That
is, sometimes people find a different problem than
the one that is really distressing them, and focus on
this one, since it is easier than dealing with the real
problem. This step really involves your thinking
about the difficulty you are having, understanding
the problem, and contemplating why the situation
is distressing. Some people think of problems as a
discrepancy between what they want and what the
current situation is like. It is useful during this
stage to think about how the current situation is
different from how you would like it to be, and
what your goals are for the state of affairs. If you
are currently facing many difficult decisions, it
may be helpful to prioritize those problems and
deal with them one at a time.
3. During this stage, you should ask yourself, "What
have I done in this situation in the past, and how
well has that worked?" If you find that what you
have done in the past has not been as effective as
you would like, it would be useful to generate
some other solutions that may work better. Even if
your behavior in the past has worked like you
wanted it to, you should think of other solutions as
well, because you may come up with an even
better idea. When you start to think of possible
solutions, don't limit yourself; think of as many
possible options as you can, even if they seem
unrealistic. You can always discard implausible
ideas later, and coming up with these may help
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generate even better solutions. You may want to
write a list of possible options, or ask others what
some solutions they might have for your problem.
4. Now you are ready to narrow down some of the
options that you have generated in the previous
step. It is important that you examine each of the
options, and think about how realistic each is, how
likely you would be to implement that solution,
and the potential drawbacks of each. For example,
if your solution costs a great deal of money or
requires many hours of effort each day, this may
be too difficult to implement. You should also
consider the likelihood that each option has in
terms of your being able to achieve the goals that
you want regarding the solution. As you start to
narrow down your choices, remember, no problem
solution is perfect and all will have drawbacks, but
you can always revise the solution if it does not
work the way you want it to work.
5. Once you have examined all your options and
decided on one that seems to accomplish your
goals and minimizes the costs, it is time to test it
out. Make sure that when you implement this
solution, you do so whole-heartedly and give it
your best effort. During this stage, you should
continue to examine the chosen solution and the
degree to which it is "solving" your problem. If
you find that the solution is too hard to implement
or it is just not working, revise it or try something
else. Trying to solve these problems is never an
easy task, and it may take several solutions before
something works. But, don't give up hope, because
with persistence and your best effort, many
difficult decisions and problems can be made
better!
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No More Soap: Make it Assertive
Purpose
Many countries around the world regularly broadcast soap operas on TV;
social programs which usually contain a lot of angry and emotional
discussions between various extreme characters.
This exercise helps delegates to use the scenarios on such programs and turn
them around with assertive communication.
Objective
Watch a conversation in a soap opera and convert it to an assertive
communication.
What You Need


Several carefully selected parts of a soap opera suitable to show in a
training class. Make sure you can show this in your class based on
your local rules and regulations. There needs to be a main character
whose responses would be the focus of this exercise.
The part your select should contain a serious and emotionally charged
conversation where various characters disagree with each other in a
heated conversation.
Setup




Show the chosen part of the soap opera.
Divide the delegates to as many groups with members equal to the
number of characters in the scene. For example, if the scene has 3
characters, divide the delegates to groups of 3. If 1 person was left, let
him join another group as an observer. If 2 people were left, ask them
to roleplay only two characters (if possible).
Ask each group to choose who in their group roleplays each character.
The person nominated for the main character in the soap opera should
only respond assertively. Other characters can respond as they like;
assertively, passively, or aggressively. They can imitate whatever
style was used in the soap opera, though as the roleplay goes on they
should respond based on what they hear from the other characters.
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



Allocate 10 minutes for this roleplay.
Bring everyone back together and ask all groups to share their
experience.
You can repeat the exercise with other videos and rotate the characters
in groups so that everyone gets a chance to be the main character and
practice responding assertively.
Follow with a discussion.
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 5 minutes
Activity: 5 min showing soap opera + 10 min per roleplay + 5 min feedback
= 20 minutes per selected video
Group Feedback: 10 minutes
Discussion
Was your role play conversation better that the one in the soap opera? How
did it develop over time? How did you feel while you were going through it?
What does this suggest about the importance of assertive communication?
Did this exercise change the way you look at soap operas?
Variation
You can force the characters to only role play using assertive
communication. This allows everyone to simultaneously practice assertive
communication. The challenge is somewhat reduced due to lack of an
aggressive character but the exercise will be shorter.
Conflict Resolution Exercise: Help Me Out!
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Purpose
The aim of this exercise is to draw attention to the number of conflicts and
similar stressful situations experienced by delegates in one week and use
others in the group to come up with reasonable solutions for each conflict.
Objective
Students to recall 3 conflicts they have experienced in the past 3 days and
receive some solutions from others.
What You Need

A copy of “Conflict sheet” for every delegate (included below)
Setup





Distribute “Conflict sheet” to each participant.
Ask delegates to sit in a circle.
Ask the delegates to use the table and record 3 conflicts that they were
involved in, in the last 3 days.
Ask delegates to record the ‘toxic words’ that triggered the conflicts
and made them feel that they had to protest and defend themselves.
Allocate 10 minutes for this part.
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



Ask a volunteer delegate to read the first conflict cases they have
identified.
The person on the left should then proceed to provide a solution to
resolve the conflict.
Ask this person to present his own conflict and again the next people
on the left should provide the solutions.
Continues with this cycle until all cases have been presented.
Timing
Explaining the Test: 5 minutes.
Activity: 10 minutes
Group Feedback: 15 minutes.
Discussion
How did recalling a conflict make you feel? Could you have handled that
particular situation differently? What was the trigger word that made you
feel you are in a conflicting situation? How helpful were other’s
suggestions? Could you use the new suggestions to resolve your conflict or
prevent them from happening in the first place?
Conflict Sheet
Please fill in the table with 3 conflicts that you were involved in, in the last
three days.
Subject of the
Conflict
People Involved
What happened?
Trigger
Word
Example:
My partner and
I
My partner accused me of
being untidy by saying:
Always
Washing dishes
“You always leave a pile
of dirty dishes in the sink
for days”
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1:
2:
3:
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Solving Shared Problems
Purpose
This activity demonstrates the importance of sharing problems with team
mates and shows an effective way of receiving a collection of different
solutions for a particular problem.
Objective
A problem solving exercise which encourages participants to share their
problems with their team mates and receive a collection of different
solutions from them.
What You Need
 A4 paper for each participant.
 Flipchart
Setup
 Ask each participant to write down on their paper a current problem
they are facing at workplace. Give delegates 3 minutes for this part of
the activity.
 Collect the papers from delegates and write one of them on a flip chart
or whiteboard.
 Ask each delegate to come up with a solution or advice for that
problem.
 Repeat this procedure until all the problems have been addressed.
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes.
Activity: 3 min coming with problem + 15 min on solutions = 18 minutes
Group Feedback: 10 minutes.
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Discussion
How effective was this exercise as a problem solver? Were any of the
solutions or advice helpful in solving problems? Would you consider using
this technique in your workplace? Can you suggest any modifications to this
technique?
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Tests and Evaluations:
Assessment tools for the learner:
a) Needs assessment before anything else:

First of all the need for training
needs to be identified.
The trainer/ training body needs to look at the individual and/
or the company that requires the training, their values, goals,
mission, vision and needs. Furthermore, at this stage the bidget
of the client should be clearly stated.
After the above has been achieved a clear objective of the
training should be prepared for and delivered. The objectives
must always be realistic, achievable, and affordable.
*
Second, to determine the needs
and hence the assessment method.
The techniques that should be used to do such could include
some or many of the below: surveys, interviews, observations, looking at
past training documentation and outcomes.
* Third, data needs to be
collected for the assessments, which includes the above mentioned as well as
the listed below
.Personality tests
.Learning modality tests
. IQ tests
. written/ oral/ comprehension/ aptitude test
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. Learning habits tests/ Specialty language/ . Emotional intelligence
As well as observation, performance feedbacks and appraisals, training
evaluations, work samples, job descriptions, etc.
From the above we should select the method most appropriate to the kind of
training and desired outcome of goals set.
* Fourth, to analyze all the
data/ info collected in regard to the above. For qualitative data such as
interviews, questionnaires and observation a content analysis, sorting into
cathegories and identifying common traits would work
For quantitative data such as closed ended questions etc, a statistical analysis
would work.
*Fifth, give feedback to
the person/ group/ company requesting the training, preferably in a
written report.
Emotional Intelligence Exercise: Increase Your Self-Awareness
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Purpose
Knowing how we feel is part of our self-awareness. The more we are aware
of our feelings, the better we can control our behaviours and understand
those of others. This exercise helps delegates to become more aware of their
emotions and learn to describe them. It also encourages them to think of
ways to get to a target emotion, such as happiness.
Objective
Indicate how you feel now and find out as many emotions as you can.
What You Need

Blank 3” by 5” cards.
Setup
PART 1:







Run this exercise after a break as you are about to start a session.
When the delegates come in, ask them “How do you feel?”.
Invariably, most people would say they are fine.
Once everyone is sited, explain that you just asked everyone if they
were fine. Ask, “Why do we almost always say we are fine, even
though when we are not?”
Expand the conversation based on the responses you get. Use the
following as example questions:
“Do you find it easy to talk about your feelings?”
“What makes it hard to talk about your feelings?”
“Can you consciously shift your feelings from one to another?”
PART 2:


Explain that it is beneficial to know the range of feeling a person can
experience so you are aware of how else you can feel and how others
might be feeling at any given moment. You can then take steps to
change the way you feel.
Place the blank cards as a stack for everyone to access.
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



Ask all delegates to work together to identify as many emotions as
they can and write one emotion on each card.
Ask delegates to spread these cards on a table so everyone can see
them. This helps them to avoid making duplicates.
Encourage them to move around the table and get inspired by
emotions already written down to find more emotions.
Allocate about 10 minutes for this part.
PART 3:






Collect the cards and place them upside down on the table, either as a
stack or spread them out.
Ask each delegate to pick two cards at random.
One by one, ask delegate to reveal their cards and explain what it
takes to get from one state to another. If they are negative emotions,
what does it take to get to a positive state?
After the explanation, encourage others to join and provide their
answers as well.
Repeat until everyone has participated.
Follow with a discussion.
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 0 minutes
Activity: 10 min PART 1 + 10 min PART 2 + 15 min PART 3 = 35 minutes
Group Feedback: 10 minutes
Discussion
Do you think you came up with many emotions? Was it easy? Are you
surprised there are so many emotions? Was it easy to switch from one
emotion to another?
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List of Emotions
Here are some examples of emotions for your reference:
aggressive
angry
anticipation
awe
bad
boiling
bold
brave
calm
careful
chicken
clumsy
cold
comfortable
contempt
content
cowardly
crazy
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curious
dejected
depressed
disgust
disappointment
down
dread
embarrassed
energy
enthusiastic
excited
fine
flattered
free
frightened
fury
glad
good
great
hateful
happy
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helpful
helpless
hot
hurt
hysterical
important
impressed
indifferent
invisible
itchy
joy
joyful
kind
lazy
like an idiot
love
mad
mean
miserable
nauseated
needed
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nice
nuts
overjoyed
optimistic
poor
proud
put-down
puzzled
rage
remorse
rich
sad
safe
scared
shocked
shy
sick
silly
sleepy
sly
smart
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sorry
strong
stupid
surprised
submission
terrible
thankful
thin
tired
trust
unhappy
unimportant
unprotected
upset
warm
weak
wealthy
weird
well
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The Fogging Technique
Purpose
How to accept criticism without letting it bring you down.
Technique
Act like a fog! Imagine you are fog. When someone throws a stone at you,
you absorb that stone without throwing the stone back. This is a very easy
and effective technique to use against people who keep criticising you
repeatedly.
Examples. Suppose someone accuses you like this:




“You just don’t understand”
“You are lazy”
“You are always late”
“You don’t feel responsible”
You should simply accept the criticism, true or not, and then repeat it back
to the person who criticised you.




“Yes, I just don’t understand”
“Yes, I am lazy sometimes”
“Yes, I was late”
“Yes, I just don’t take responsibility”
Keep doing this and the person who is throwing the stones at you will
eventually run out of them. This is an elegant and simple method to avoid a
back and forth argument and just let the other persons rage flow out of him.
Practice this with someone you know well, by telling them to criticise you
rapidly and follow the fogging technique and see how it feels.
Use wisely and in appropriate circumstances.
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Student evaluation
There are several stages of assessment throughout the training.
The first stage of assessment comes at the beginning of any training
program. It is needed to create a base for developing the program and
establish an asessment criteria for the student, the course and the trainer at
the end of the day.
It starts with assessing the needs of the learners/ the company/ corporation/
team etc., that is in need of the training. That achieves several things.
First, it shows in training is indeed needed
Second it shows what is the kind of training needed
Third it illustrates why the training is needed.
Fourth it’ll determine the scope and content of the training
Fifth it will elicit the desired outcomes/ goals.
Sixth it provides a basis of measurement.
Seventh is to gain support of management
The second stage we encounter for assessment is assessing the participants
pre-training.
This is usually carried out with questionnaires, which will give insight into:
How to design the program so it’s at a level appropriate for the learner, not
giving them stuff they already know and by the same token not giving them
things that are way over their heads.
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It also helps identify participants that are more familiar with the subject
matter than the others.
The third time will be all throughout the training, assessing understanding,
effectiveness, etc.
The assessment instruments play an important part in the training. They need
to be properly chosen and introduced, this being especially important with
self-assessments.
The assessment should be properly explain as to how and why before being
introduced.
The first thing to do is to explain that this is not a test but an assessment.
People tend to panic at the word test. The way it should be done should be
demonstrated to avoid any mistakes/ misunderstandings.
Appropriate time should be given to the participants to complete the
assessment.
After completion, they should put it aside until all others are done.
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Trainer/ course evaluation
Evaluation is as important a part of a training program as it the training
itself.
Some of the main reasons to evaluate are:
 To determine if the training has achieved its objectives and goals and to
what degree
 To assess the value of training programs
 To identify areas of the program that need improvement and also areas that
were really good to identify the appropriate audience for upcoming
programs
 To review and reinforce main program parts for participants
 To b able to sell a program to management and participants
Evaluation doesn’t just happen at a given time, it’s a continuing process.
We can evaluate during the training sessions, through the participation, case
studies, exercises, assessments, etc., to see how well the skills/ knowledge
have been mastered.
We can evaluate at the end of a session, through questionnaires.
We can evaluate after the training itself, from a few weeks to several months
after the completion of training, the participant will be observed at work.
Several different ‘bodies’ can be involved in evaluation. The participants are
the first directly involved, as well as the organizers, the superiors, as well as
the trainers themselves. Also senior management will need to be involved at
sometime.
The process of evaluation can be a lengthy one. The evaluation methods are
almost identical to those used for assessments.
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Before beginning evaluation it is very important to know what you want to
evaluate.
One common method is to :
Step one: The Reaction; judge the reaction of the participants, to determine
customer satisfaction. This is usually done at the end of the program.
Step two: The Learning; determine what knowledge or skill did the
participants retain. This is usually done by the participants themselves as
well as the trainer and it’s process that starts at the beginning of the training
and continues throughout and also after the completion. It gives some clear
indications as to whether the goals of the program have been achieved.
Step three: The Behavior; observe the participants behavior after the
training, usage of knowledge and skills. Everyone can participate in this,
from the participants to their colleagues, bosses, subordinates. This can go
on for some months after the completion of the program. It determines the
extent to which the participant has learned and is applying the knowledge/
skill.
Step four: The Results; what was the impact the learning had/ has on the
work, performance as a whole and even the company as a result. Usually
after step three, this is indefinite.