Have Learners EAT, Ditch the PowerPoint
By Liz Wheeler
Traditional pedagogical methods encourage promoting revealing
theory and perhaps then attempting to bring awareness as to why you're learning
the information. However, a much more effective method most of the time-and one
that meshes better with how the brain works and assimilates information-is to
first introduce information through something like a role play on the topic. In
other words, have learners Experience the information first. Then you can hold
a discussion or debrief on the role play thereby bringing Awareness. Then, if
needed, provide additional Theory at the end to tie up loose ends that may need
to be covered but were not brought up by learners.
Pete Goede, corporate trainer with Turck, Inc., in Plymouth,
Minn., believes in the EAT theory. Have learners share an Experience, bring
them to an Awareness of what they experienced, and then share the Theory behind
that experience with them.
"Ditch the PowerPoint," Goede said. "If you want to cover
[something] in a presentation, the question will come up in a lab. Do a
hands-on with little to no explanation and whatever you wanted to cover in a
PowerPoint will come up during a discussion surrounding the lab," Goede said.
The EAT Theory is one of the foundations for our workshops
and is covered in Participant-Centered
Presentation Skills. Our next session is September 11-13, 2011 and is
offered as a pre-conference session in Minneapolis.
This tip from Goede
originally appeared in Creative Training Techniques
newsletter, November 2010.
