How can you improve information retention in instructor-led training?

After conducting a listening tour with learners across all levels of my organization, I like to list out some common themes that I discovered that could help me in my design: particularly any cultural strengths that I should lean into to help my content feel authentic to the company.

Audience analysis happens at two places, one when you are building the program, two when you are conducting the program. While building you keep in mind who they are, what they do, what challenges they face and what would be the easiest and strongest method to deliver the program. If for a particular client, you look for instances and examples of situations. Learning styles helps a lot but is restrictive. When delivering, you look at the who is in the room, what are they hoping to learn, what individual or as a group challenges they face and what engagement methods will work for the group.

I strongly believe that we have to be very intentional about what we are going to deliver to our audience. For example, if we are delivering content to sales leaders, the question to ask is what matters to them in their roles and their future roles. Having content applicable to them would certainly build engagement and a higher level of learning impact.

Avoid "Death by Powerpoint". Lectures should be no more than 40% of the time with focus on exercises and activities that drive home the learning objectives. Remember that people retain more information if they go over that information at least three times. I have them review the learnings from the previous day each morning as well as reinforcement through exercises. Remember that different people learn and retain differently. Some people like visual, some audible and some prefer discussion. A mix of all is the best plan.

I believe that understanding of WHY the students are in any particular class/course is a critical 1st question to ask ourself as the educator. Getting a context around "for what reasons" these individuals spend their time to learn helps shape the environment.

An example that I've used, would be multiple (albeit short) case studies. Starts with some explanation, possible actions or methods, then go on to simulation. Start from minor problems, then continue with more extensive ones, and then another one that needs delicate/specific approach to handle. Let them brainstorm, and decide by themselves. Record their actions/choices, and ask for second opinions outside of class. Have a short discussion about the results, and be open to opportunity of having multiple solutions. Case studies help to understand problems that are commonly happened, or even the possible outcomes. It incorporated real-life situation and ways to handle problems differently based on specific needs.

It is also important that the learners participate fully during the training. This can be achieved by inserting little tasks or discussions that require their own input during the course of the training.

It’s fascinating in the Driver Training world as much as any continual partial assessment role, what was once deemed multitasking, where using an analogy of imagine a sports person, trying to play the game, and having never watched it from afar that would make it near impossible to fully comprehend, and understand the top down approachusing visual teach the teacher we know that when you teach someone else to do something you’re also teaching yourself so I teach Trainor coach must modify and use all training techniques to increase the performance based outcome that is required from each client or group live, dynamic training videos, not simulation create a dynamic difference

All of the suggestions are very good but in the end, I always add some form of hands on learning! While working with teachers I wanted them to grasp how important it was to understand the process of giving and receiving instructions. I had a short activity using very innate objects and paired teachers with their backs to each other. One gave the instruction and built their object and the other performed the task without seeing the others work. They realized very quickly once they compared objects how easy it was to assume they had provided good instructions. This always generated a robust discussion. It should also be noted I did this activity at over 300 schools and Kindergarten teachers were always the best in delivering instruction.

Many trainings these days are virtual and remote. Keeping focus is difficult so, short 20min segments, interspaced with slido quiz, open-mike q&a at the end and ability to type in questions throughout. Use Slido or similar to learn expectations of session early and understand if expectations met at the end...this way you can continuously build audience knowledge. Let your audience know this is not a one off session but a continuous conversation.

With a visual or verbal, you can hear and see your clients attention dissipate, and then intuitively change what how when why in your delivery methodology the intuitive part of being an effective trainer teacher coach significantly enhancers your clients learning outcomes by simply being adaptive, and always open to change, although that is a learnt methodology when your teacher is teaching youit’s not something we are intrinsically born with as many human learning styles avoid change for many reasons, but one of the most common is the what if fear of the unknown issue that easily managed

I tend to believe that breaking this rule down into parts has helped with the Retrospective of ROI analysis with our stakeholders... 1. Teaching Opportunities: Encourage participants to teach concepts to their peers, facilitating a collaborative learning environment. Incorporate group discussions, presentations, or peer-teaching sessions. 2. Interactive Methods: Use interactive activities like case studies, simulations, or group exercises to engage participants actively in the learning process. This helps reinforce understanding and retention. 3. Passive Learning: Reserve a smaller portion for traditional lectures or presentations. Supplement these with visuals, hands-on activities, and discussions to enhance engagement and retention.

Agree. Reinforce .Encourage interaction at logical points in the form of a summary, quiz or test your understanding or recaps, mnemonics or relate to a real life example such that the learners retain the concept

L'essentiel tient en quelques mots : - répondre aux besoins des apprenants (d'où la nécessité d'une enquête préalable) - sans les noyer sous une montagne d'informations incompréhensibles (donc indigestes) - ni être trop vulgarisateur Pour ma part, j'y ajoute une touche de bonne humeur et d'échanges, car l'humain est très important. Et on retient plus facilement ce qui nous a procuré du plaisir.

We're all aware of how even the most captivating training can become distracting if it stretches on for too long. While informing learners about scheduled breaks is helpful, unexpected breaks with refreshments can significantly uplift the atmosphere and boost engagement.

In my experience, facilitating practice in addition to those summaries, reviews and quizzes works wonders with retention. Adult learning principles point out that, adults are practical. If they do not put to use new learning that’s come to them via an ILT, that information is discarded and replaced by other learning’s that can be applied & used. If there’s a new ILT designed, make sure that your learning objectives allow for on the job application, then, create the type of learning environment that supports its practical application. From here, people managers can enhance retention post training, by including new learnings in 1:1 discussions, allow on-the-job application, evaluate application, & finally, provide feedback &/or coaching.

One thing I've found helpful for participants is to encourage note taking and revisit the notes time and again by keeping them handy. It is about recreating the pattern to juice out max. learning and apply it in different scenarios. As a facilitator of learning, sharing a handout with key takeaways will allow learners to revisit the concept and reinforce their understanding.

I’ve found mind maps & diagrams that capture the learning topic in a single image to be quite useful in reinforcing the learning. These can help pull all the essential sub-topics or components of the training into a single visual – and provides something of a road map of the topic. Referring to this mind map repeatedly as you move from one sub-topic to the next in the training can help anchor the learning for the trainees because it provides context and a better sense of how things connect with each other. This then reinforces key points & makes it easier for trainees to not only recall the information but also to actually use the information practically.

Any learning design I have is trying to answer this question, "what is this got to do with me?" If I could answer this question during a training session, by the end of the session, participants would ask for notes and quick references. So the summary or key point is just a reminder of what has been shared and what resource is available. If the session does not answer the question properly, no amount of reinforcing key points would work.

I prioritize incorporating engaging activities, regardless of whether they are conducted face-to-face or online. The digital landscape offers a wealth of tools designed to create interactive and memorable learning experiences. These activities not only reinforce the material covered but also aid in enhancing information recall. More importantly, they play a crucial role in keeping the newly acquired knowledge fresh and accessible in the learners' minds for longer periods. This approach ensures that the training is not only educational but also enjoyable and impactful, fostering a more profound and lasting understanding of the subject matter.

Results skyrocket when you add coaching to training. For the learning to stick, it must be personalized by the learner. Coaching offers an opportunity to explore what they’ve learned within the context of their own worldview, experiences, beliefs, assumptions, preferences, etc. This meaning-making process helps learners to move past personal roadblocks, associate what they’ve learned with things that hold personal value, identify personal qualities that will lend confidence in leveraging the learning, and to develop clear plans for implementation.

A vast array of humans are afraid of voicing an opinion not because they don’t believe it’s valid or worth discussing but fear of a negative comment that society drives in media and fast paced media interaction, the keyboard warrior approach, As a teacher coach Trainer, it is very difficult and a learnt system that there is never a wrong answer, and that every question must be transferred to a positive outcome focusing on the problem focuses on the problem, focusing on the solution negates the problem always, and there is always a positive in all discussions even if it’s just thank you for that feedback But it is very difficult for a human brain to continue being negative and self doubting when success isn’t internalized not verbalized

Instructor-led doesn't mean Instructor-dominated. When possible, guiding discussion can lead to more - and more insightful - questions, which help with recalling and understanding the material. Rote memorization is the lowest position in Bloom's Taxonomy for a reason, instead consider having your student teach back to you or solve a problem with the material covered. How well they manage that can help you assess your teaching or their learning.

I highly recommend interaction. We dont want people switching off and one side delivery. with low attention spans, hooking the participant to what is being done in the class is important. Interaction serves this purpose along with ensuring the "learning from peers", which is part of the 70/20/10 rule. Feedback needs to be provided constructively with the intent to help/grow the person.

I loathe the feedback sandwich and it brings me back to my days in the military. Rather than give someone a right hook of criticism, my approach is always to ask the learner to consider how they've contributed and to encourage ILT settings to focus on creating space for the learner to consider how to make micro adjustments, instead of trying to change big things at once, and work toward continuous improvement.

Programs designed with follow up support or during learning journeys help solidify learning. I personally recommend coaching either individual or as a group for reinforcement, practice and queries. Giving a safe environment is imperative.

Provide opportunities to practice, make mistakes, and learn from the experience during the ILT session. Some additional ideas for follow-up support include open "office hours" with the instructor or other subject matter experts, a discussion forum to ask and answer peer questions, or additional microlearning and knowledge check reinforcement.

Learning is nothing without actually using the knowledge. Therefore I prefer to see Training as a part in a bigger change story. Based on PROSCI ADKAR, after all knowledge & ability measures reinforcement is needed. This can be done in peer groups, with Q&A sessions or by working with your manager on what you actually want to put into practice after a training. Most important is to see the training itself just as a step in a bigger story.

I’ve always found that hosting office hours to discuss the training the following week to be helpful. The information is still relatively fresh, and the employees may have had an opportunity to practice what was discussed in between, identifying any areas they need clarity or refreshing. Workflows and step by step guides handed out and available digitally allow the employee to also attempt the process after learning before the live discussions, as another memory jogging tool.

I love, love, love this concept, since it leads to the level 3 evaluations that L&D Facilitators and ILT Designers so desperately need! To have a 'smile sheet' (Level 1) and assessments (Level 2) are simple table-stakes for the job task at hand. A proper Level 3 will not only enhance YOUR ability to obtain feedback, but will ensure stakeholders are a part of the solution, as well. Your process for follow-up support let's your organization know that you are not just there to check a box, but that we are fully invested for the long run.

It is always imperative to revisit your learning objectives during your training session. Simple techniques such as spot checks, overhead questions, interactive assessments like Kahoot and Quizziz can be utilized. It is critical that the first three levels of the Bloom's Taxonomy: Remembering, Understanding, and Applying would be validated during the session. The stickiness of the learning session could be enhanced further by tying it up to relatable scenarios, realizing the WIIFM, or experiences in the learning environment that will help them retain information you have transferred.

1. Association Associating content with real-life scenarios helps individuals learn quickly and retain the information longer. 2. Engaging content Interactive content can include anything from hands-on activities to virtual simulations, games and quizzes. The more engaged learners are with the material they're presented with, the more likely they'll retain it. From articles to videos, podcasts, webinars, or infographics, content should be delivered in a way that captures the learners' attention and holds their interest. 3. Spaced Repetition Repeated recall of information improves retention to about 80 percent. One technique is for learners to have a post-course discussions.

To improve retention one needs to understand how adults learn. Andragogy (adults), pedagogy (children), and eldergogy (older adults) learn differently. Adults learn best when a problem-solving approach is used, and there is an immediate need for learning. They can effectively learn through self-directed activities rather than listening to lectures. For more, see "Cybersecurity Training: A Pathway to Readiness" I wrote with Chris Walker.

Bottom line, 2 things: practice practice practice and blend in social, independent and reinforced modalities. Practice means having people Learn, see and do Blending means reinforcement and pre-work - one is not done

In order for an adult to learn they need to be ready to learn. Therefore, there needs to be excitement that needs to be created. They need to know the Why, How, and What, if they want to learn. These elements need to be incorporated in training.