What are some ways to keep trainees engaged during a long training session?
Training can be a rewarding and effective way to develop your team's skills and knowledge, but it can also be a challenge to keep trainees engaged during a long session. Whether you are delivering online or in-person training, you want to avoid boredom, distraction, and fatigue that can reduce the learning outcomes and satisfaction of your trainees. Here are some ways to keep trainees engaged during a long training session.
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Larysa Kalyta, MBAProfessor at George Brown College
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Piyush AdeshraLearning & Development Manager, Dubai | Learning Specialist-EAME, Top 50 HR Professionals 2024 by HRME, Top Training…
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Sheetal ShettyTalks about #Learning&Development #Training #Hospitality #Preopening #RealEstate #Development #Neverstoplearning…
One of the simplest and most effective ways to keep trainees engaged is to break down your training session into smaller segments. This can help you avoid overwhelming your trainees with too much information at once, and allow them to process and retain what they have learned. You can also use breaks to give your trainees some time to relax, refresh, and interact with each other. Depending on the length and format of your session, you can plan for breaks every 30 minutes to an hour, and vary the duration and activities of the breaks.
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To keep our learners engaged, we can do the following: 1) Have ice breaker before starting the day and after lunch breaks 2) Do not get hooked up to your phone during the breaks, instead, use this time to connect with them 3) Use appropriate questioning techniques to keep them engaged 4) A dash of humor is always welcomed 5) Invite a leadership member to come and speak about the topic for few minutes 6) Use online quiz and games 7) Continuous recap is also very important about the topic. (Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them and finally tell them what you told them.)
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Understanding the audience and setting training objectives to their level of understanding plays a key role in keeping learners engaged. While at the session, breaking learning sessions into a balance of theory, and practice using discussions, case studies, simulations, group work reduces the monotony if one way learning. This method also aid learning of various types of learners.
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If the training is practical this question wont arise. As practical training keep people engaged, no theories. Believe me. When you narrate in story telling thats when the trainees are always engaged. Ask questions. Do polls, engage them in short quizes.
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1.Understanding the objectives of Trainee. 2. Break down the training plan and review it from time to time. 3. Based on the different Trainee, utilize the different training methods and adjust it according to the progress. 4. Review it the whole training plan and fine tune it if necessary after finish the training plan.
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One of the biggest mistakes I see new trainers make is breaking on a schedule. It's important to plan your breaks for the flow of curriculum and timing, but it's also important to read the room. Maybe you planned for too many breaks and you're loosing their attention with too much chunking. Maybe your planned breaks are interfering with exceptionally good dialog around a topic. Maybe you just got back from a break, but they're all fidgeting and need some activity instead of a lecture right now. Don't be afraid to deviate from your plan if your learners need you to!
Another way to keep trainees engaged is to use different methods of delivering your content and assessing their understanding. You can mix up your methods to suit the learning objectives, the preferences of your trainees, and the resources available. For example, you can use lectures, videos, slides, demonstrations, case studies, quizzes, games, simulations, role plays, discussions, and feedback sessions. You can also use different media, such as text, images, audio, and video, to appeal to different learning styles and senses.
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The myth of learning modalities has been dispelled for quite some time now, but variation in both content delivery and engagement methodology remains critical to ensuring people remain active participants. That said, I’ve never been a big fan of doing something for the sake of interactivity, which is why doing the legwork of developing a strong understanding of critical learning outcomes and audience background is so critical.
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Make the training active learning. The mind can only absorb what the body can endure. All professional training should be authentic, with some formal learning elements, but most should be applied with authentic assessment.
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Do more with less! Just acknowledge that people learn differently and that you’re working for them and not for you. Adapt your plan to the way they respond, rather than pushing them to follow your way, even if you have the best intentions behind.
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Diversifying the delivery methods and assessment techniques not only caters to different learning styles but also keeps the training dynamic and engaging. Incorporating a variety of tools like videos, simulations, and interactive activities like role-plays ensures that the training is both informative and enjoyable. It’s great how you’re considering the preferences and learning needs of your trainees, as this can significantly enhance their engagement and retention.
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L'approche multimodale est très pertinente, mais j'aimerais souligner l'importance de l'intégration cohérente de ces différentes méthodes. Il s'agit d'assurer une transition fluide entre les différentes modalités pour maintenir l'engagement et éviter la surcharge cognitive inutile.
A third way to keep trainees engaged is to involve them actively in the learning process. You can do this by asking questions, encouraging participation, soliciting feedback, and creating opportunities for collaboration and interaction. You can also use techniques such as polling, brainstorming, problem-solving, and peer review to elicit input and opinions from your trainees. By involving your trainees, you can increase their motivation, interest, and confidence, as well as their sense of ownership and responsibility for their learning.
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I agree! People should be invited to co-create their own learning, share their experiences and insights and start applying what you’re sharing. Once they become protagonists of their own training and have a voice, it will become more meaningful.
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Involving trainees actively in the learning process is indeed a key factor in maintaining engagement. Methods like polling and brainstorming are excellent for fostering a collaborative environment. To add to these, consider incorporating group projects or assignments that require collective problem-solving. This not only enhances teamwork skills but also allows trainees to learn from each other’s perspectives and experiences. Additionally, incorporating real-life scenarios or case studies relevant to their roles can make learning more relatable and impactful.
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Pour impliquer les stagiaires, j’aime les faire participer aux choix des tâches qu’ils vont effectuer , leur permettre de gérer les priorités et me faire part de leurs préférences. Pour cela, je crée un bord de type « kanban » sur asana, avec la liste de toutes les tâches prévues et connues pour la durée du stage ( d autres peuvent se rajouter en cours de stage). Ensuite avec le stagiaire, nous définissons les tâches pour les 2 prochaines semaines . On fait un point tous les matins sur les avancées, problèmes etc. En fin des 2 semaines , nous faisons une rétrospective et on repart sur le même principe pour les 2 semaines suivantes . Les stagiaires apprécient ce mode participatif.
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L'implication active des participants est cruciale pour un apprentissage efficace. Cependant, comment pouvons-nous nous assurer que chaque stagiaire, y compris les plus introvertis, trouve sa place dans ces activités? Il me semble essentiel d'introduire des méthodes d'implication qui respectent différentes personnalités, comme des activités en petits groupes ou des feedback anonymes. Il est important d'adapter les techniques d'engagement aux différents styles d'apprentissage, pour qu'elles soient inclusives et efficaces pour tous les types d'apprenants, y compris ceux qui peuvent avoir des préférences différentes pour la collaboration et l'interaction.
A fourth way to keep trainees engaged is to make your training session relevant to their needs, goals, and contexts. You can do this by aligning your content and objectives with the expectations and outcomes of your trainees, and by showing them how the training will benefit them personally and professionally. You can also use examples, scenarios, and stories that relate to their experiences, challenges, and situations, and that illustrate the application and value of the training. By making your training session relevant, you can enhance the relevance, meaning, and transfer of learning for your trainees.
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It is fundamental! If I don’t find or understand the purpose or relevance of the training, why should I care? That’s why understanding your audience and asking a few questions at the beginning will help you to adapt your content to their needs and connect!
A fifth way to keep trainees engaged is to reward them for their efforts, achievements, and contributions. You can do this by providing positive feedback, recognition, and praise, as well as incentives, prizes, and certificates. You can also use gamification elements, such as points, badges, levels, and leaderboards, to create a fun and competitive environment that motivates and rewards your trainees. By rewarding your trainees, you can boost their morale, self-esteem, and satisfaction, as well as their engagement and retention of the training.
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I don’t fully agree. Maybe as a hook or as a temporary strategy would partially work. However, extrinsic motivation is insufficient to make a long-lasting impact.
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If this is an internal training, you can ask the trainees (as the reward) to nominate the next trainer/speaker. By allowing trainees to have a say in who will be speaking, they will feel more invested in the training session and more likely to engage with the guest speaker. This approach can also help ensure that the guest speaker's expertise is relevant and valuable to the trainees.
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Bien que les récompenses externes soient efficaces, je crois qu'il est également crucial de renforcer la motivation intrinsèque des participants. Comment pouvons-nous non seulement reconnaître les réalisations, et aussi encourager un désir d'apprentissage continu et d'autonomie dans le développement professionnel ?
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Make the training material worthy of our trainees' time, present it passionately and make it fun engaging the audience, and building the trust level by finding common points, known as "commonality". Just like you, I enjoy watching "Mad Men" and "Emily in Paris" series. Let us see if our findings match. Make your audience vote on critical issues by slido.com, ignite instructive discussions, in order to keep the conversation going. Let us remember two findings from neuroscience: it takes 6-13 times to perceive a phenomenon in order to memorize it for long time, and if the learned material is re-visited within the first 24 hours, it will maximize memorizing it and minimize forgetfulness. Our energy level has to be higher than audience's.
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An additional avenue to keep trainees engaged during a long training period is through networking and travel. Is there an opportunity to send trainees to other offices to learn from distant employees or 3rd party customers in a new market? Establishing relationships within the whole company and not only one department will help retain employees long term.
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Chocolate Everyone loves chocolate Also donuts Basically anything yummy that feels a bit naughty goes down well at a training session. I often bring brownies - usually does the job nicely. Why? 1. Because training is inevitably viewed as being boring - especially by trainees who have recently left school or uni and so equate training as being back in the classroom or lecture theatre 2. You were never allowed to eat in classroom at school so this shows the trainees that this is different 3. They are more likely to like you and therefore be more engaged in what you are saying Also, if you run another training session they are way more likely to tell other people about it and bring someone else along next time :)
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L'une des clefs est de renforcer chez l'apprenant le sentiment d'efficacité personnelle. Il s'agit du jugement que porte une personne sur sa propre capacité à accomplir une tâche, une activité. Quelques astuces : 1. Fixer des objectifs atteignables 2. Encourager l'auto-évaluation basée sur la méthode des faits significatifs 3. Célébrer les réussites 4. Aider les participants à fixer leurs prochains défis 5. Favoriser le travail en équipe 6. Intégrer dans la formation des activités au plus près des attendus sur le terrain
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Sprinkle the training session with information nuggets that are currently happening in the world. This will help the trainees place the knowledge they are gaining/have gained in the larger schema of things.
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