In designing participant-centered training, many instructors use questions to help process information. In addition to process-type questions, we may want to ask questions that focus on specific thoughts, feelings and behaviors. We as instructors have to remember the old adage in education, “Training is not about the instructor; it is about the student.”
The training purpose is about what participants learned from the experience - not what the instructor knew about the subject matter. Perhaps if we used participation more in training and asked some of the following questions, more might be learned.
Here are 10 questions to consider the next time you use participation in your training:
1. What are the similarities in the way you supported each other here and how you support others back at the work site? What are the differences?
2. What impact does trust have in your relationship with others at work?
3. What were some of the effective forms of communication that you used in completing the task? Ineffective forms of communication?
4. How were differences in opinion handled?
5. In what ways could the group's process of communication be improved to enhance its problem-solving skills?
6. How could you improve your communications and networking?
7. How did the group make decisions for completing the tasks during the activity?
8. Did everyone express his or her opinions when a choice was available?
9. What did you like about the manner in which the group made decisions? What didn't you like?
10. What is the best way for this group to make decisions?
As instructors/teachers/trainers, we should always be looking for ways to increase participation. We didn't learn to roller skate or drive a car by reading a manual. Nor did we learn to use the computer software or build a widget by watching others. In all cases, we did our best learning by doing. Experience always is the best teacher. An African proverb puts it this way: smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.
So let the participation begin!
This article was re-uploaded from our internal archive.
