Every trainer would like to know whether he or she is delivering the best learning experience possible. Today we’re taking a look at a few things to consider.
 |
Here is an exercise from Michael Nolan, president of Friesen, Kaye and Associates (FKA), to help you recognize what makes a great trainer and learn how to improve your own skills:
- Draw a line down the middle of a blank piece of paper.
- Draw a happy face on one side of the paper and a sad face on the other.
- Think of any positive learning experience in your life—from high school, college, a sports practice, a piano lesson, or work-related training.
- Under the happy face, write down what made learning happen in that experience. Was it because you had the opportunity to practice your skill? Your instructor was passionate about the subject matter? You received constructive feedback? You had a patient teacher?
- Then, think about a negative learning experience in your life.
- Under the sad face, write down what made the experience a negative one. Was it because the instructor was not engaging? There was no opportunity to practice what you were supposed to learn? The speaker had a monotone voice? You did not see the relevance to your job?
To view best practices for adult learning principals from FKA’s Instructional Techniques Workshop, visit http://fka.com/files/Adult%20Learning%20Principals.pdf.