Technical training has a reputation for being dull and boring. Because of this, teaching this topic effectively can be very complicated. Understanding how to make your technical training concepts engaging is the key to a successful training session.
Technical training has a reputation for being dull and boring. Because of this, teaching this topic effectively can be very complicated. Understanding how to make your technical training concepts engaging is the key to a successful training session.
by Angela Maiers
As technology improves, webinars are becoming an increasingly common component of workplace training. They provide trainers with even more tools and opportunities for engagement than a typical classroom environment.
It’s common for trainers to save the last 10-15 minutes of their session for questions. Sometimes those minutes are more uncomfortable than they are helpful. So, although this may seem like a good way to end the session, there are even better ways to do so.
There’s a big difference between opening a training session and simply beginning. A strong opener—done when class begins or after returning from break—is a purposeful activity that’s directly related to the content being taught. It’s not a 10-minute monologue, it’s not a list of how the day will pan out, it’s not even the course objectives. The goal? To extend a warm welcome, grab your participants’ attention, break preoccupation, allow for networking, and move them into a place of learning. You want to connect with your audience, you want them to feel comfortable with one another, and you ultimately want them to remember what you’re about to teach. Openers help create an environment that’s conducive to learning.
Do you feel like your class or training session just kind of ends with a whimper rather than a firecracker bang? It doesn’t have to be that way. You can make a memorable impression by closing your session with impact and purpose. This does not include filling up every last minute with content or “wrapping up” by asking the group if they have questions. Instead, reserve the last 10-15 minutes of your session for a powerful ending.
Did you know PowerPoint has been around for 27 years? Just like you, it has experience and knowledge, and just like you, it has to up its game during presentations or people will tune out.
Learning objectives aren’t just a list of what you’re covering in class. Good learning objectives are what you want your students/trainees to learn or achieve (“by the end of this course, you will be able to...”). If you don’t know the end goal—and you don’t have certain measurable checkpoints—you can get lost along the way. Here are some tips to help you get started:
When you’re presenting and you’re passionate about the subject matter, or familiar with the content and just can’t wait to share what you know, it can feel awkward to stop and pause. A well-timed pause, though, is just as valuable to your audience as it is to you as the speaker.
We've all been to presentations that inform us, persuade us, instruct us, inspire us, and even entertain us. The best ones leave a lasting impression. Why? They had a clear purpose—and the speaker's enthusiasm was likely contagious.
Difficult participants—they seem to find their way to just about every classroom. Trainers are eager to learn tools to handle these uncomfortable and sometimes awkward situations. Here are some tips on working with unwilling (or just unaware), yet still difficult trainees from author John Townsend.
Have you ever been to mandated training that you thought would never end? As the trainer drones on, you find yourself thinking about dinner, daydreaming about the weekend, doodling in your notebook, thinking about anything other than what you’re supposed to be focusing on. A big part of the problem is boring lecture-based training. Spice it up with instructor-led, participant-centered training.
