Using learning activities to help meet your training objectives

For employees, learning activities help reinforce the training message being conveyed. Developing memorable learning activities is one way to help accomplish training objectives.

The main factors to consider when selecting or designing learning activities include the:

• Resources available,
• Nature of the topic,
• Composition of the group, and
• Time available.

Resources available

The first consideration is the training budget.

• How much money is available to spend on training?
• Does the budget allow you to bring in outside instructors, or are you restricted to using the knowledge and experience of your in-house experts?
• Can you afford to purchase training aids such as videos, handbooks, or other tools for hands-on training?

Also consider the type of presentation equipment that is available, such as a DVD player, projector, computer, dry erase board, etc.

Nature of the topic

The nature of the topic that you are training on is also a consideration as you plan your training session.

Is the learning focused on physical skills or mental processes and attitudes?

If the learning is focused on physical skills, are you able to provide hands-on training? If so, where will you conduct this training session?

Select the location that will have the most impact for the lesson you are presenting.

If the learning is focused on mental processes and attitudes, select a training facility that will provide a good learning environment. This would include a room with adequate space, comfortable seating, and an atmosphere that is not noisy or disruptive.

Composition of the group

The number of students may limit how you approach activities. The larger the group, the more limited your activity choices.

Time available

As with everything else today, time for training is limited. Make every effort to design your learning activities to fit the time allotted.

Vary Your Activities

Research on how we learn suggests that we all have learning style preferences. Some people learn best in a lecture format, others learn best by participating in a hands-on activity.

Vary your activities within a training session so you can try to reach everybody’s strengths during the session.

Keys to remember: Memorable learning activities can reinforce the message you are trying to convey. Understanding the nature of your topic and the composition of your group are two key considerations when planning a session.