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Training courses where people learn via presentations, group discussions, case studies and perhaps some role playing are likely to figure quite high on the list for most companies. But how much of this is actually taken back to the workplace and transferred into improved performance? Traditional training courses are essentially a method of knowledge transfer with a small amount of skills development. As knowledge transfer goes they can be very effective, especially if delivered by a good trainer but it is somewhat hit and miss if this knowledge is applied effectively by the trainee upon their return to work. How much support will they receive from their manager? Will the learning be reinforced and reviewed at regular intervals? Will they get an opportunity to practice what they have learned? How much of the knowledge will be lost or watered down over time?
An alternative to sending staff on a training course is for the manager or an experienced team member to train them on the job. Coaching can be the most effective form of learning when it is done well. Knowledge can be transferred by the coach, skills can be developed in stages and both can be applied in live but supervised situations. This provides an opportunity for the work to be reviewed and feedback provide in order to facilitate rapid learning. Given that coaching is a widely effective form of experiential learning, what are the downsides? It requires a large investment of time by the coach. It requires a high level of coaching skill. Perhaps most significantly, it takes two people, the coach and the trainee, away from their normal tasks making them both less productive in the short term.
Another form of on the job training is to provide the trainee with a leap experience. This essentially involves providing the staff member with a specific job assignment or project aimed at developing a targeted skill set. This is raw experiential learning. If successful the individual is likely to learn rapidly, hence a leap experience. However, the downside of a leap experience is the risk of failure and the accompanying damage to both the person's confidence and the business.
When I set up the Experiential Learning Centre it was with the intention of combining the best of these learning methods in order to provide the most powerful developmental outcomes at the lowest possible risk. Together with a small team of learning and development experts, we designed a series of simulations and activities that mirrored a range of leadership, team working and business skills scenarios but delivered within the safety of a classroom environment. A great simulation in itself is not enough. In order to complete the learning experience each simulated programme needs to be supported by high quality facilitation and expert coaching. The results have been extremely powerful.
Trainees are able to learn by experience and transfer what they have learned back in the working environment in order to perform at a significantly higher level. In essence, what we have developed is a series of safe leap experiences which is the holy grail of staff development.
As one of our leadership facilitators, Jonathon Elliott says “It really is quite remarkable to see the learning that takes place during an experiential leadership event. Delegates don't just learn from being a leader themselves but also from how others go about leading and managing. Sometimes they will be on the receiving end of an activity in which there is a weak plan or where a conflict is poorly handled. Other times they will experience an exceptional piece of teamworking or find themselves being motivated at a high level. In both scenarios they are learning something that they will be able to take back to work and use immediately. At the end of an experiential event, people are noticeably at a significantly higher level of competence than when they joined the programme. They are able to apply what they have learned in a variety of situations and perform better.”
The reality is that many managers lack the time and ability to facilitate experiential learning in the workplace. The result is that staff are often unable to develop as well as they could or they are thrown in at the deep end, often with high risks attached. Simulated experiential learning provides a compelling alternative as long as it is supported by high quality facilitation and expert coaching interventions.
In all of life, reading or hearing about something is never as powerful as experiencing it for yourself. How much better do you understand geography after you've traveled somewhere on your own? And do you think you could ever learn to ski simply by watching a video? Only when you are out on the slopes can you fully grasp the meaning of planting a pole or putting all of your weight on your uphill foot.
In its most simple form, this is the essence of experiential learning, or learning by doing. Back in the 5th century BC, Confucius recognized the effectiveness of experiential learning when he said "I hear, I know. I see, I remember. I do, I understand." Since then, many philosophers, psychologists, sociologists and educators have touted the merits of learning by experience.
If you're an instructor, shifting curriculum to be more learner-centered and less lecture-focused can have a significant impact on how much your students comprehend and retain. Below are a few ideas on how to incorporate experiential learning in your curriculum.
Go Beyond Basics
Lesson slides and manuals have their place in keeping lessons on track and helping students know what to expect from the course. However, an overdependence on such tools leads to the traditional “lecture/listen” method, a more tedious and less engaging approach to training. When you go beyond static lectures and reading from PowerPoint slides, you become an active facilitator of learning. As an alternative to slideshows and books, you can use a variety of activities including discussions, group exercises, student "teach backs,” case studies, simulations and daily openers and closers.
Use Your Whole Brain
Design your training to incorporate all four lobes of the brain (memory, hearing, vision and motor skills). The more places learning enters the brain, the better recall students have. This means combining exercises where learners use multiple techniques, such as talking, asking questions, working in teams, listening, seeing, reading and recalling information. Through these varied activities, students create “muscle memory” that dramatically improves retention.
Mind the Gap
For learning to take place, information (or knowledge) must jump from one synapse in the brain to the next, across a gap called the “synaptic junction.” The wider this gap, the harder the jump. Many things impact the size of this gap: how much sleep someone had the night before, whether they are hungry or tense, if they feel fear, etc. As the instructor, you can narrow this gap by ensuring a comfortable and stress-free learning atmosphere where students feel at ease and ready to learn.
Acknowledge Learning Styles
Research has shown that people exhibit different learning preferences and aptitudes. Some people learn by doing, others by listening and reflecting; some display mathematical acuity, while others excel in language skills. Thus, an effective curriculum is one that incorporates activities to engage students in various ways. For example, you can do a simulation to appeal to spatial learners, then appeal to the more linguistically minded students with group discussions.
Watch and Learn
Observe student behavior to determine which concepts are taking hold and where there may be gaps. Daily exercises and “teach backs” can help you gauge how well your students understand the concepts, and give them the opportunity to talk about, share and demonstrate what they are learning. In the end, this translates to significantly better understanding, and ensures that the needs of all students are being addressed.
Results Matter
The proof is in the pudding. Experiential learning instructor Ginty Chalk believes that the true effectiveness of experiential learning can be seen once the students have changed their behavior. "We can all gain knowledge," she says, "but whether we use it to improve our skills or our job is the difference between merely gaining knowledge and actual learning.”