Follow This Foolproof Formula to Deliver Impactful Learning Experiences (Part 3 of 4)

Use these 5 easy strategies to entertain your participants.

Photo by maxbelchenko on Shutterstock

Every effective learning experience is built on four essential elements — the 4Ns. These elements are simple yet powerful. When executed correctly, participants will leave your sessions feeling informed, engaged, entertained, and inspired.

Throughout this article series, we’ll explore five practical strategies for each element, supported by insights and examples from my over two decades as a Learning & Development professional.

The third N is Entertain.

Training is impactful when participants have fun, memorable experiences which reinforce the content and provide an outlet for creative expression.

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Strategy #1: Create a stimulating learning environment.

There are four basic ingredients for training. First, you need a purpose. Why is the training needed and what specific outcome(s) should it achieve? Second, you need a program — instructionally-sound course content, materials, and activities. Third, you need people — an experienced, knowledgeable facilitator and participants who are ready, willing, and able to learn. Finally, you need a place — an appropriate venue for the training.

While the significance of the first three ingredients is undeniable, many L&D professionals miscalculate the tremendous value of the location where learning happens.

The physical or virtual learning space is instrumental in stimulating your learners’ active participation, deepened exploration, and productive collaboration.

Photo by Michael Dechev on Shutterstock

a. Configure the space to maximize your learners’ engagement.

Fortunately, you don’t need to be a certified interior designer to accomplish this. In a physical training space, a U-shaped or horseshoe seating arrangement is ideal in most instances. It ensures your learners have a clear line of sight to you, one another, and the projection screen.

In the previous article on engagement, we discussed how the most effective facilitators incorporate movement to stimulate their learners’ participation. Unlike a traditional classroom layout, a horseshoe arrangement provides ample open space for you to walk around and engage directly with your learners. A pod seating arrangement, such as the one shown in the photo above, is particularly effective for small group work and collaboration.

For virtual learning experiences, I suggest creating a checklist of default settings to use when configuring permissions for your training room.

Your list should address activating the interactive tools for your learners to chat. And to use annotations, access the whiteboard, and share their screens. As you prepare your room, you’ll also want to ensure your learners’ access to the microphone and camera features is enabled.

To boost engagement, consider turning on the reaction features which allow your learners to raise their virtual hand (ask a question), click thumbs up or down to indicate yes or no, and use emoticons to give instant feedback. Breakout rooms are a convenient alternative to mimic how learners would collaborate in small groups if they were in a physical training room. Depending upon the platform you use, you can create the rooms in advance, pre-assign your learners, and even set the amount of time after which the rooms will automatically close.

Read the remainder of this article for free on Medium here.