HOW TO MAKE "ACTIVE LEARNING" COME ALIVE!

Why are some training programs so dull, and others so full of active
participation? What makes one trainer plod along, while another is
well-known for bringing energy and effectiveness into the classroom?

Over the years I have developed a technique that generates active
participation, even with the most reserved students and in the most
conservative cultures. I use for workshops, teambuilding programs, course
modules and conferences. I use it once or twice for quick ice-breakers, and
over and over again for longer-term educational programs.

I call it "Ron's Active Learning Toolbox". This is how it works.

WHO: Who am I doing this with?

People want to be very clear about who they are working with. Is this an
exercise to be done alone? Am I supposed to work with a partner? Is this a task for everyone in the department to work on together? Or should we
tackle this with the folks seated around our table?

TIME: How much time have we got to do this?

Is this a task to be done in the next 10 minutes? Or should we prepare our
answers overnight? Is there a premium for speed ("Complete this as quickly as possible,") or is the amount of time clearly fixed ("You will have until 11:00am to finish.")

CONTENT: What are we focusing on?

Are we sharing opinions about a topic, or our experiences in the field? Are
we focusing on a case-study, a videotape, a recent presentation or an
article we've been asked to read?

OUTPUT: What output are we supposed to create?

Do you want us to come up with one answer for the group to share with
others? Or a list of five possibilities to discuss? Do you want us to
prioritise problems to be resolved? Or generate a list of action steps with
dates, responsibilities and intended outcomes?

When all four of these elements are clearly understood, people will
participate. When one or more of these areas are unclear, many will
hesitate to get involved.

Here are some examples of putting "Ron's Toolbox" to work.

1. Making Nametags: Working alone, take a blank nametag and magic markers. In a colorful but legible way, write the name you prefer and your
department. Then put the nametag on high enough for everyone to see. Do
this within one minute. (Who: alone. Time: 1 minute. Content: your name and department. Output: legible and visible nametags.)

2. Introductions: Sit in random groups of four. Take two minutes each to
describe the nature of your work and your internal or external customer
contact. Listen to what others in your group have to say. After each person
has spoken, take another 4 minutes to discuss what you have in common and what is different amongst you. (Who: groups of four. Time: 12 minutes
total. It helps to ring a bell at appropriate intervals to keep the groups
on time. Content: participants' work and customer contact. Output: relevant familiarization amongst four people in the group.)

3. Learning with a Videotape: Select a partner. Watch a ten minute video
segment together. Then discuss for four minutes what you and your partner
consider to be the top three learning points from the video. The partner
with longer hair (or darker shoes, or who lives farthest away from work)
should be ready to present your findings. (Who: you and a partner. Time: 10 minute video. 4 minute discussion. Content: a pre-selected videotape.
Output: one partner prepared to present three Key Learning Points.)

4. What are the Service Problems?: Sit with the members of your department. Select a scribe to work at a flipchart. In the next 5 minutes, brainstorm all the current service problems your department faces every day. Go for volume. The department with the longest list "wins." (Who: all department members, one scribe. Time: 5 minutes. Content: current service problems. Output: longest possible list.)

5. Focus on the Issues: As a department, review the prior list for 10
minutes. Consolidate the service problems into five or six key issues. Make
a new listing of those key issues on the flipchart. (Who: all department
members, one scribe. Time: 10 minutes. Content: previously generated list
of problems. Output: consolidated service issues.)

6. Prioritise for Improvement: Each department member takes five small
stickers. Write a single number on each sticker: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Everyone
now "votes" simultaneously to prioritise key issues by placing their
stickers on the flipchart. 5 = top priority. 1 = lowest priority. Tally the
votes. Re-write the list so the issue with the highest number is on top,
lowest on the bottom. (Who: all department members. Time: immediate.
Content: previous list of consolidated service issues. Output:
prioritization of issues.)

7. Keep Going: You can already imagine the next sequence of possible
"Toolbox" applications: Divide into groups based upon the top three issues.
Each group brainstorms a list of actionable solutions, then prioritizes the
list. Each group then presents their proposed and prioritized solutions. In
groups of three, others in the department listen to the presentation, then
generate and raise two appropriate questions for the presenters. The
process goes on and on, bounded only by your focus on results, and your
imagination.

This technique works best when people understand "what's in it for them?"
Here's a way to use the "Toolbox" to set this straight from the beginning:

"In groups of three, make a list of all the benefits to be gained by
learning more about this topic. You have three minutes to work together to
make this list. Afterwards, the person in your group with the shortest hair
(or most colorful shirt, or largest watch, or shortest tenure in the
organization) will be asked to stand and share an idea from your list. It
must be a different idea than those shared by any other group. Be sure your list is long enough so that your representative will still have something
to say!"

Can you see how this couples two applications of the "Toolbox" into an
engaging and effective exercise? With experience and experimentation, you
will find natural "Toolbox" sequences that work well for you, your
participants and your topic.

I use the "Active Learning Toolbox" to create participatory workshops,
conferences and programs just by constantly changing the answer to these
four essential questions: Who am I working with? How much time do we have? What are we focusing upon? What output do you want from us?

Now that you have "Ron's Active Learning Toolbox" you can do it, too. Good luck, and go to work!