Training Industry Magazine - May/June 2018 - 43

TEST AND RETEST

Most people dislike tests because they
can be stressful. The real value of testing
is that it encourages the retrieval and
application of information. So, the
question becomes, "How can you make
testing fun?" One way is to gamify the
testing process so that participants
are rewarded when they answer
correctly and gently redirected for
incorrect answers. If you play online
games, you probably experience music,
chimes and encouragement whenever
you do something well. This feedback
activates your brain's reward center.
You feel good about the experience and
want to continue.
When we first developed an online
coaching and reinforcement tool, a
video coach would appear when the
participant answered incorrectly; a
correct answer would only play audio.
When we tested the prototype, we
were surprised to hear that it was an
"unfriendly" experience. We redesigned
the experience so that the coach
appeared on video to praise participants
for correct answers.

USE IT OR LOSE IT

This
final
brain-based
principle
reinforces the need to actively apply
new concepts on the job, for example,
practicing a coaching model you
introduced. Have participants complete
a coaching worksheet to think through
how they might apply the steps of the
model to an on-the-job situation. Then
place participants into online breakout
rooms in groups of three. There each

PRINCIPLES FOR MAXIMUM RETENTION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Prime the Pump: What are you doing
to prepare your participants before
they get to the virtual classroom?
Chunk it Down: How can you ensure
that learning activities leverage the
ideal length of a content segment?
Mix it Up: How can you capitalize on
the brain's need for novelty, contrast,
variety and spacing?

person can practice coaching a peer
while an observer takes notes and offers
feedback. Once every participant has
practiced coaching, bring them back to
the full group to probe for their insights
and observations.

YOUR CHALLENGE IS TO
GET AND KEEP PEOPLE'S
ATTENTION IN THE VIRTUAL
CLASSROOM.
As designers of virtual classroom
experiences, we need to think beyond
the synchronous classroom event,
however, and create opportunities for
participants to apply what they learned,
evaluate their results and report back
to their colleagues. You might add a
social collaboration site like Yammer
to the learning mix. Ask participants to
conduct the coaching conversation with
the actual employee back at work. Give
them a reflection worksheet to evaluate

4
5

Sleep on It: What can you do to
leverage slow-wave sleep to support
the long-term retention of content?
Test and Retest: How can you
incorporate "recall" experiences in
your web training sessions?
Use it or Lose it: What must you
do to ensure that people apply what
they learned before they forget what
they've learned?

how they did and include a post-webinar
assignment to share their reflections
with their colleagues.
As you incorporate these six brain-based
learning principles into your design and
delivery techniques, you'll transform
your virtual classroom. Participants will
learn, encode, recall and apply what
they've learned, gaining maximum
learning retention.

Cynthia Clay is the CEO of NetSpeed Learning
Solutions, the author of Great Webinars:
How to Create Interactive Learning that
is Captivating, Informative, and Fun, and
a passionate advocate of brain-based
learning principles. Email Cynthia.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MA GAZ INE - GIVING LEARNING A BOOST 20 18 I WWW. T RAININGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - May/June 2018