Engage Employees through Meaningful Learning Activities

Your client wants you to design an innovative training program that is fun, interactive, and hands-on. You have a variety of activities to choose from, but the task seems rather daunting. How do you ensure that the activities aren't perceived as a "waste of time" or, more importantly, a "waste of money"?

The use of activities in adult learning programs is not a new concept, but certainly some of the technologies today have taken the basic 'ice breaker' to new heights. Activities can encompass many different elements in a learning program - ice breakers, team games, energizers, simulations, role-playing, to name just a few. Activities have a useful and powerful place in adult learning - the question is - how do we ensure that they are used appropriately?

If during your learning design you intend to build an activity, consider the 5 W's as part of your process:

Who? Pay close attention to who will be participating in the activity and check that it is appropriate for the audience. For example, if a group of engineers is learning new software, a role-playing activity would likely not be appropriate. Instead, consider a computer lab activity, where they can take it for a test drive without risk.

What? Use activities only if they can be tied directly to the learning objectives. Communicating this connection to the audience is particularly beneficial prior to and throughout the activity, as it will comfort the learner and increase trust. Provide useful analogies for critical skill development and ensure that all participants can be involved. For example, if the goal is for the learners to know how to control a crowd in an emergency, adding a role-playing activity or simulation would be appropriate and can clearly be tied back to the objectives.

Where? The space and delivery method of the program can also dictate the best choice of an activity. Environmental considerations, such as classroom size or internet access, will often dictate which activities would be most feasible to use. For example, conducting a group role-play in a small room sprawled with laptop power cords would not be practical, while an online activity would actually utilize the technologies in the classroom.