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.
