Blended learning

Blended learning is particularly effective when the best of both worlds is used — that is, the best features of online and the best of a face-to-face session. It is a “blend” of many activities to achieve a learning outcome. For example, it could begin with a traditional classroom, followed by asynchronous online work and self-study, and a 90-minute virtual classroom and self-assessment to wrap up. Mentoring or peer support could provide additional support.

Both participants and the organization benefit. Less time may be spent attending classes when content can be learned by reading or self-study, which learners can complete at their own pace and at a convenient time. Time in the face-to-face classroom is spent in building relationships that enhance peer feedback and also provides an opportunity for skill practice.

Flipped classroom

Flipped classrooms were first popularized by Khan Academy. Participants study and explore concepts, data, and information through reading, watching videos, or viewing a lesson online before attending the face-to-face classroom. Time in the classroom is spent on role plays, practice activities, case studies, and exercises related to using the skills in the real world. The facilitator does less presenting of new concepts and spends more time coaching the participants.

Problems with a lecture

“So what’s so bad about a lecture?” you may ask. You’ve probably heard hundreds of lectures in school, and you survived them. It’s not that a lecture is bad, but there are better ways. First, consider some of the problems with a lecture:

• It doesn’t involve the participants.
• It ignores participants’ experience.
• It rarely stimulates excitement and involvement.
• Because of minimal feedback, the trainer has no way of knowing whether participants understand the concepts.
• It’s one-way communication, often resulting in passive learners who don’t have an opportunity to clarify material.
• People may leave with incorrect information.
• It can be dull and boring.
• Holding individuals’ attention for long periods of time is impossible.
• Success depends on a lecturer’s speaking ability.
• It creates a poor transfer of learning.

You may be able to think of other problems with lecturing as well.

Some appropriate times for a lecture

Despite the numerous problems with a lecture, as discussed in the previous section, there may be times when delivering a short lecture — or, as I like to call it, a lecturette — is best. Here are some of those times (and perhaps you’ve been in situations like these):

• A short presentation of less than ten minutes followed by another activity can be appropriate for introducing key conceptual ideas.
• When used in conjunction with a variety of activities, a lecture can be a refreshing way for participants to just listen while they learn.
• If you need to disseminate a large amount of information in a short period of time, a lecture may be appropriate. However, it should be accompanied by a job aid or some other materials for future reference.
• A lecture may be appropriate if you need to maintain control of the group and reduce verbal resistance.
• A lecture is appropriate when specific information must be disseminated that affects ethics, legal aspects, safety, and so on.
• A well-prepared, humorous lecture may stimulate a group.
• Guest speakers, who are known for their expertise in a given content area, may be admired for their lecture. This format can backfire, however, if the speaker loses the group.
• You may use a lecture when a group is so large that participative methods would be chaotic. (But sometimes chaos is fun in a large group!)

You may be able to think of other times when a lecture may be appropriate as well.

If you must use a lecturette, make it participative

If you must use a lecturette, have your learners participate in it. Try any of these suggestions for designing a participative lecturette. Most are practical and easy to design for any presentation, and most can be used online:

• Design pop quizzes in the middle.
• Plan to ask questions regarding predictions or recall of information.
• Create a conversation between trainer and participants.
• Intersperse tasks or demonstrations.
• Develop handouts with a keyword outline of the presentation, with room to write.
• Design visuals to go with the presentation so that participants can follow your words visually.
• Stop midstream at various points to ask whether everyone is with you.
• Design a partial story at the beginning and complete the story after the end of the lecturette.
• Find ways to interject humor, such as by creating a cartoon to match the content you present.

Present content if you must, but build in participation.

Presentation variations

I use the term presentation to refer to any method that gives information to the participants with less interaction than many of the other methods. Here are some examples:

• Panel: Participants, managers, customers, or top executives provide a unique opportunity for an intimate discussion or a Q&A session.
• Tour: Visit someplace in the organization where a host guides you through the information you need to know, for example, the corporate library, to demonstrate how to retrieve information. You can take an online tour, too, which is especially effective for onboarding remote workers who wonder about things at headquarters.
• Guided note-taking: Create handouts that have spaces available to add information during a lecturette, watching a role play, or viewing a video.
• Storytelling: Telling an event (true or fictitious) that has a moral or lesson or demonstrates consequences. The punch line leaves the listener inspired, influenced, or improved, without explaining the learning point.
• Debate: Two teams address two different sides of an issue to explore perspectives from both sides.

Experiential learning activities

Experiential Learning Activities (ELAs), sometimes called structured experiences, are in a category of their own. ELAs are activities that are specifically designed for inductive learning through the five-stage cycle associated with them: experiencing, publishing, processing, generalizing, and applying. (You can find details for ELAs in Chapter 10.) ELAs are especially useful in a change-management situation, or when attitudes are an issue.

Demonstrations

Demonstrations typically involve someone showing the participants a process or modeling a procedure, for example:

• Instructor role play: Role play by two instructors to demonstrate a technique or make a point, followed by discussion.
• Field trips: Visit the location where the action takes place. If you’re teaching customer service, visit your call center and listen in on a few live calls to discuss technique.
• Video, DVD: Use clips from training, commercial videos, or sites such as YouTube as a basis to identify issues, solve problems, or consider examples to use as application options. Be sure to follow copyright laws or create your own recordings.
• Magic tricks: Use magic tricks to help you make an analogous point within the training session.
• Coaching: Sometimes conducted outside a training event, coaching can be used as participants practice a particularly difficult skill. Participants coach each other in pairs during role plays or other skill practice. Online participants can coach each other in a paired breakout room.
• Interviews: Participants ask questions of a resource person who attends the training session at a specified time. The purpose of the interview is to obtain another perspective, hear from the expert, or add knowledge. Online participants love a guest; that person doesn’t need to travel.
• Props: Oh, my gosh! So many possibilities! Bring tools that participants can use for the “As a team player, I am most like a ______________” exercise. Bring chunks of two-by-fours for participants to write the skills they have acquired and “build” the final structure. Bring packets of seeds and use as a metaphor for the “seeds of communication.” Well, you get the idea.

Reading

Reading refers to any method pertaining to interacting with the printed word.

• Read ahead: Materials provided to participants to read prior to the session.
• Letters to each other: Participants write letters to each other to provide feedback or as a summary of what each has learned in the session, or as follow-up after the session.
• Story starters: Give participants a partial situation and complete it by having them practice the skills and knowledge they’re learning in the session.

Drama

Drama refers to methods that require the participants or the facilitator to act out a role, for example:

• Skits: A short presentation by small groups to demonstrate skill or knowledge learned.
• Survival problem solving: Usually used as a team-building activity in which a team is placed in a role that represents danger. The team works together to make decisions and uncover their strengths and weaknesses.
• Costumes: Can be used by the trainer to make a point or play a role. Partial costumes — hats, for example — could be analogies for the different roles (hats they wear) that people play on the job. Hats are great online, too, especially for a group that meets regularly.
• Writing a script: Participants can script a role play for other participants based on the content.

Discussions

Discussion methods are types of two-way discussions that occur between participants or the facilitator (or both):

• Buzz groups: Two people “buzz” for one to two minutes about a topic before sharing their ideas with the larger group.
• Round robin: The trainer gets opinions from everyone in the session. Discussion or rebuttal is held until everyone’s ideas have been stated.
• Brainstorming: This is a process for generating a large number of ideas without judgment.
• Nominal group technique: Initially, you use this problem-solving tool to generate ideas in silence, and then weight and prioritize them.
• Online discussion: Use chat for group conversations, whiteboards for team collaboration, polls to start conversations, and breakouts for feedback and practice.
• Fishbowl: You divide the group in two, with half the participants sitting in a circle (the fishbowl) discussing a topic. The other half of the group sits around the perimeter and can coach during the discussion, silently motion to replace someone, or offer feedback at the end.
• Develop a theory: Participants make up a theory related to the knowledge or skills they are learning.

Cases

Cases generally refer to learning methods in which the participants are presented with scenarios requiring analysis and suggestions for improvement. You may want to try some of these methods:

• Case studies: A real or fictional situation is presented to the participants for them to analyze and recommend solutions. If an actual situation was presented, the facilitator usually shares the actual outcome.
• In-baskets: Items are given to participants that replicate problems, messages, and tasks that could actually show up in someone’s Inbox. Participants must make decisions, manage their time, and establish priorities as they address the items.
• Critical incidents: You present a short version of a case study, which focuses on the most vital aspects of a problem situation.
• Sequential case studies: You give participants a portion of a case study. Depending on the decision they make on the first portion, a second, third, and perhaps even a fourth set of data is distributed. All groups may end up in different places.
• Problem-solving clinic: Participants bring real-world problems for the rest of the group to solve.

Art

The art method entails using more creative methods involving drawing, design, sculpting, or other nonverbal events like these:

• Portraits: Participants create portraits of themselves being successful at learning the content of the session or as an opening activity to introduce themselves to the group.
• Cartoons: You use cartoons as energizers or to reinforce knowledge or skills that are being taught. Be sure to abide by copyright laws.
• Posters: Participants create posters to make a point, summarize information, and so on.
• Draw how you feel about _____: Have participants draw how they feel about whatever the topic is. You can reword this to have them draw a logo that represents teamwork, for example.

Playlikes

Playlikes are learning methods that are like dramatizations but less serious and more open ended:

• Role plays: Participants act out roles, attitudes, or behaviors that are not their own to practice skills or apply what they have learned. Frequently an observer provides feedback to those in character.
• Role reversals: Participants assume the role of the person with whom they interact daily, such as their bosses.
• Video feedback: Participants are recorded during a role play, skill demonstration, or presentation. They view their own recording and complete a self-critique. A bonus is to record it on their smartphone so that they can review it as often as they want.
• Outdoor adventure learning: Sometimes called ropes courses; used for problem solving and team building.
• Improv: Short for improvisation, actors create a skit without a script. They glean input and ideas from the audience.
• Simulations: A training environment that closely represents the real environment to allow participants to practice skills.

Games

Games refer to any board, card, television, computer, or physical event that leads to learning or review of material. A game requires a challenge, rules, and feedback resulting in a measurable outcome. Here are some examples:

• Crossword puzzles: Computer software can take a list of terms from the session and arrange clues and words into a crossword puzzle.
• Relays: Teams set up in a relay to compete to be the first to complete a set of instructions. Relays are good to use for a review of concepts to test knowledge acquisition.
• Card games: There are as many variations as there are cards! You can place various pieces of data on cards to solve a problem.
• Computer games: These are good for reinforcing skills back at the workplace after the session.
• Any board-game adaptation: You can adapt many board games such as Trivial Pursuit to the content of the training.
• Any game-show adaptation: You can adapt game shows such as Jeopardy! to the content of the training. Excellent online versions exist for you to use.

Participant directed

The method refers to situations in which participants take the leadership role in the delivery of training to others, or the analysis of their own learning. Here are some examples:

• Social learning: Though it’s usually considered informal and unconscious, social learning can be designed into a training event using social media tools such as wikis, blogs, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and others.
• Skill centers: You set up several areas around the training room to practice skills or test knowledge. Participants move from one area to another, selecting the ones most appropriate for them to master. Online, you can assign breakout rooms, and each has its own whiteboard with information.
• Teaching teams: Participant pairs select a topic from the agenda and teach the rest of the group. For online groups that meet regularly, assign one or two each session.
• Digital storytelling: Participants create a 1–2-minute video to capture examples or viewpoints related to the topic. Digital storytelling is effective for virtual and traditional classrooms.
• Self-analysis: This type of learning usually consists of a series of questions with correct answers to review knowledge. It may also consist of a set of thought-provoking concepts or questions that allow participants to examine their personal attitudes.
• Teach-backs: Participants receive a small portion of content that they study and “teach back” to the rest of the participants. You can conduct teach-backs in small groups or the larger group.
• Journaling: Participants keep a written record of thoughts, feelings, reactions, successes, plans, and action items. Journaling is an excellent online activity between classes.
• Research: You give a challenge in the classroom for participants to track down the correct answer between sessions. You can also use research assignments to have them locate information on the Internet during the session.

Participant events

This type of learning event involves learning methods that have a specific placement in a training session, including:

• Icebreaker: A structured activity usually used at the beginning of a training session to initiate participation and introductions.
• Energizer: A brief activity, exercise, or brain teaser offered to “energize” the group.
• Closer: A group activity used at the end to bring closure to the session, make commitments, review key points, plan application actions, and celebrate success.

As you peruse this list, you can see that with some adaptation, you can also use most of these activities in your virtual ILT. Some, such as videos and reading, can serve as preliminary work. You can use journaling, in-baskets, coaching, and self-analysis as follow-up reinforcement. Most of the rest can, with slight adaptation, be used during the virtual classroom. Think Zoom or Skype for a tour, or consider prepping a couple of learners to complete a role play or a teach-back.

Engaging participants every five minutes in a virtual ILT session seems to be the expectation.

Hey! What about gamification? Gamification uses game-based elements to motivate or engage people or promote learning. Gamification utilizes gaming elements to ensure a change in behavior and the transfer of learning to the workplace.

If you’re looking for more information about gamification, check out one of Karl Kapp’s books, such as Play to Learn: Everything You Need to Know About Designing Effective Learning Games (ATD, 2017), to find just what you need. Also see the “Getting started with gamification” sidebar.

Strategies for different learning needs

To know which type of activity to select, use the three categories of learning (knowledge, skills, attitude) as a guide. There will still be some crossover, but it’s a place to start.

Different types of learning require different strategies. Match the strategy (type of activity) to the learning objective. Keep reading for some examples.

Considerations for selecting activities

Here are some other questions you should ask when selecting activities:

• What is the purpose? Be sure that the design actually accomplishes what the learners need. If they need practice, don’t provide a word-match game or a demonstration.
• How well does the activity assist with accomplishing the learning objective? Sometimes a learning objective is broken down into smaller segments. Be sure that the time you invest in activities represents the most critical of objectives as well as covers the most of each.
• How much time does the activity take? How much time to debrief? This one is especially critical for online groups. If you don’t know how much time, better try it out with a group prior to the session. Don’t skimp on time if the knowledge or skill is important. Also, don’t try to save time by skipping the debrief. Participants leave an activity without a debrief wondering, “What was that all about?” If you don’t have time for the debrief, don’t do the activity. Also consider how rigid the time restraints may be for the activity, and know what you can do if you run short of time.
• Is the time investment worth the amount of learning that will occur? Concepts can be taught in many ways. Activities provide a hands-on opportunity for participants to master knowledge or skills that may be harder to master through discussion. Because activities take more time, it’s important to be certain that the concepts are related to the most important learning objectives.
• Is it fun — or at least stimulating and interesting? All activities don’t need to be grins and giggles, but if they aren’t at least interesting, learners will find something else to do — or think about. You know it’s true with virtual ILT! Admit it: Your mind drifts during virtual events!
• Do all the participants have the minimum skills to contribute and learn from the experience? Or are skill levels uneven among participants? The question speaks for itself. You may not know about everyone in the session; that’s why you’re constantly observing and learning about your group. If you suspect that someone will have difficulty, determine how you can offer support without being obvious. It may come from whom you pair the person with, what you assign the individual, or how you offer nonchalant sideline coaching. Sometimes you can create activities in which those with the higher skill level deliver the content.
• How comfortable does the activity seem? Your needs assessment should provide information about what is culturally acceptable in general. In addition, build up to riskier activities as the group is together longer. For example, role plays tend to be more acceptable later in the training sequence.
• Is the activity appropriate for the size of the group? Some activities that focus on creativity or mental imagery may seem threatening in small groups. On the other hand, some groups may be too large for certain activities, or space may be too limited to allow small groups to spread out to complete the activity. In a virtual classroom, ensure that you leave sufficient time to hear from all groups.
• Does this activity maintain the tone and climate the participants need? If you’re trying to build teamwork, it may not be wise to interject an activity that tears apart what you’ve built. If you’re encouraging participation, you may think twice about an activity that the quieter people may deem threatening.
• Does the activity have enough real-world relevance for this group? If not, you may want to find another, or add the relevance that’s missing.
• How flexible is the activity? Mold the activity so that the participants can easily relate to the situation.
• Will you be able to easily provide clear, succinct directions? The easier, the better. Remember that you may have 20, 30, or more participants in your session. If the directions are complex and you still think the activity is worth it, plan for how you can ensure that people follow the directions. For example, you could have the directions printed so that groups can read them, or you could dispense the directions in small doses.
• Will the learning that occurs be straightforward? If participants end the activity still requiring a lot of explanation, you will frustrate the learners. Better skip it.
• What is the timing and sequencing of the activity? Avoid conducting two similar activities back to back. Think about the time of day, as well. Incorporate activity and movement immediately after lunch. Increase risk as you move through the day.
• How may logistics affect the design? If you need to travel, you may not want to lug lots of props. Conducting a relay may be difficult if the room isn’t large enough. If two trainers are available, you may be able to include demonstrations or role plays. Equipment availability also shapes the activities you select. If your participants haven’t experienced virtual classrooms, placing them in a chat may take more time.
• Will the experience and the debrief provide participants with the skill or knowledge they need to acquire from the activity? Will you be able to easily relate it to the previous as well as the next training module? Finally, how will you evaluate the effectiveness of the activity you chose or designed?

The preceding list may seem like a lot of questions. If you’re new to design, go through each one. Trust me when I say that eventually this will become second nature to you. You will read a learning objective and immediately have an idea of what activity type will work best.

One last word — or a few — about activities

Activities can be fun to design and plan into your training. Remember that balance is the key. To be most successful with activities or games in your session, you must be sure to do the following:

• Have a purpose. Don’t plug a game into a training session just because you have a space. Make it part of the design by linking it to a learning objective. Ensure that you include plenty of practice opportunities.
• Know the activity. During the design stage, try out any activities on a small group to see whether they accomplish the purpose for which you have selected the activity.
• Think variety. As you design the training program, include different types of activities. You’re unlikely, for example, to use more than one case study in a day when you have so many different activities from which to choose and so many learners with different learning preferences. Satisfy visual preferences through color, charts, pictures, and video clips. Satisfy auditory preferences with debates, discussions, and stories. Satisfy kinesthetic preferences through role plays, games, and practice.

• Create a consistent theme. As you design a training program, think of a theme that you could use throughout, or an early event that you could return to, to create consistency. In the “Warming things up with icebreakers” section, earlier in this chapter, I share my T-shirt icebreaker. I continue to use the T-shirts that participants created during the icebreaker throughout the training program. Read on to see how I do that.

  The group is in the team-formation stage, so I use it as a team-building exercise. Throughout the three days, participants write on each other’s T-shirts, completing these statements:

  • Something I learned about you today is… .
  • One thing we could do together is… .
  • Something I’d like to know about you is… .

Finally, I use the T-shirts to bring closure to the session by having participants write on at least two other participants’ shirts with a request to “stay in touch” and add their contact information.

Designing handouts or participant books

Participant handouts should not be just a page full of words. You can ensure that handouts and other printed participant materials are effective if you consider these ideas:

• Know how the handout will function in terms of note- taking, exercise, and as a future resource. Match the text to the visuals you use.
• Use heads and subheads in a variety of type sizes and degrees of boldness.
• Don’t mix too many typefaces.
• Unlike with visuals, experts recommend that you use a serif typeface, to make the letters appear to flow from one to the next.
• Use graphics and sketches.
• Use bullets, dashes, borders, indentations, and margins for ease of reading.
• Number the pages.

Reflecting diversity in learning and development content

Start with these guidelines to ensure that your program content is inclusive and represents diversity:

• To represent diversity:
  • Select images that illustrate diverse people in everyday settings engaging positively.
  • Ensure that clothing and hairstyles are representative and culturally appropriate.
  • Use names, pronouns, and personas that represent diversity.
• To use inclusive language:
  • Make sure that the roles you assign are equitable for all organizational roles: CEO; executive assistant; engineer; accountant; general counsel.
  • Check for phrases or words that may be perceived as exclusionary.
• For multimedia:
  • Use video clips with diverse actors or speakers.
  • Review scenes to ensure that they are culturally appropriate and free of biases and stereotypes.
• When using sources/expertise:
  • Cite diverse authors and thought leaders.
  • Use quotes from diverse individuals.
  • Use organizations and leaders who have a positive reputation for DEI when selecting examples or models of best practices.

Planning for inclusive learning environments

Equally important to the content is to consider how your training will be delivered. The methodology you choose will dictate how you will plan the delivery. Will it be online, in person, or a mix of both? Consider these guidelines as you develop your learning event:

• Instructors and speakers:
  • Select trainers or training teams that reflect diversity.
  • Ensure that panels represent diversity.
  • When moderating a panel, make sure everyone has ample opportunities to speak.
  • Invite guest speakers who are diverse or have a positive reputation related to DEI.
• Training location:
  • Provide substantial classroom space for people with mobility issues to maneuver easily.
  • Ensure visibility for all participants to see.
  • Ensure that the facility is accessible for all needs (for example, is close to public transportation, offers accessible restrooms, and provides easy storage for food items for people with dietary restrictions).
• Activities:
  • Modify activities that require moving around for people with physical mobility challenges.
  • If online, ensure that appropriate equipment is available.
  • Provide adequate breaks for people to take care of their physical needs.
  • Provide a mix of activities to create learning experiences without exhausting participants.
• Instructor interactions:
  • Use consistent greetings with participants to create an inclusive learning space.
  • Give equitable attention to participants.
  • Ensure that your micro-messages (eye contact, physical proximity, nonverbal gestures, facial expressions) indicate respect and inclusion to all.
• Learner participation:
  • Communicate norms up front to ensure commitment to a respectful learning environment.
  • Balance your requests for input from all.
  • Mix up participants during activities to diversify groups.
  • Consider assigned seating or breakout groups to maximize diversity in interactions.

Essential components

As you design participant materials, begin by knowing what content you will include and how participants will use them, such as assigned reading prior to or during the session. You also want to consider materials that are the basis for an exercise, the backdrop for taking notes, or are to be used as a future resource. Here are some guidelines for participant materials:

• Make content easy to read and information quick to find by breaking up the text with heads and subheads in a variety of type sizes and degrees of boldness.
• Use short paragraphs and wide margins, leaving space for taking notes.
• Use bullets, dashes, borders, indentations, and margins to enhance each page.
• Write in a conversational tone.
• Use graphics and sketches, even just lines and boxes, to set off key concepts and to add interest.
• Number the pages.

How about a trainer’s manual?

Your trainer’s manual may consist of anything from your notes written on the participant handouts to a complete manual with references to the training plan, facilitation tips, time use, media and visual list, and masters for the participant materials. A well-designed trainer’s manual

• Uses icons
• Has plenty of room for adding notes
• Identifies everything you need to know at a glance (what visual you’re using, what page participants should be on, what materials you require, and so on)
• Provides you with either a lead-in statement, a transition statement, or both

For now, I suggest that you allow someone else to worry about writing a trainer’s manual. Chapter 9 provides a few ideas about personalizing your manual.

Whew! That’s all, folks! As you can see, the development stage of the Training Cycle requires a lot of work — whether the training takes place in a virtual or face-to-face classroom.

The development of training is a big job, but don’t forget to have fun and to build fun into your design. You can do it. I pass on Henry Ford’s advice: “Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you will prove yourself correct.”