Whats the most beneficial way a class can be taught to be efficient as possible, and so the people being taught retain as much as possible?

2020-06-09T06:17:50-04:00

Response by SFC Michael D. made Jun 9 at 2020 8:04 AM

2020-06-09T08:04:22-04:00

Don't be boring and invole class participation.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jun 9 at 2020 8:39 AM

2020-06-09T08:39:17-04:00

Depends on many factors.
- what is the training requirement and what are you training?
- existing subject knowledge in the training audience
- is this the first time they are seeing the task?
- is this subject conceptual or is it hand on? If it is hands on, it may be more effective to pre-test and use those people as assistants. Demonstrate and explain the task as you go, then show it at full speed. Then have the Training audience members test out on the task themselves.
- can you exercise the task/subject in the conditions it will be executed?
- do you have all the training resources? Facilities, location, equipment, required supplies, additional instructors?
- the training audience receptiveness has the most influence of long term retention. If they find it important or are especially in to it, then they retain it. If they are training hostages with no buy in, they'll do what they have to to "get through it", then forget it.
- one time training is not effective. Repeating the task being trained helps with proficiency and retention. A technique is to include the trained task in related task training as a building block or to put it in context. Example: if you are training operation of a 256 kit in training session one, training session two may be quartering party operations, so you run the individual task doing the collective task or session 2 is unmasking procedures with and without 256.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jun 9 at 2020 12:06 PM

2020-06-09T12:06:34-04:00

People's interest, participation, and learning retention only lasts further than 30 seconds in if they see relevance. That's the connecting the dots piece to doing better, getting the job done easier, making life in the badlands more tolerable. The list goes on. Where the Services fail greatly is in not keeping the relevance piece centered on the endless EEO, SHARP, GMT, etc. stuff that isn't related to pulling triggers better. What's in it for me if I go along with this stuff? Do I really need to be on board with this stuff to get promoted? When the Services lose touch in demonstrating the results of the sand in the gears by not paying attention to larger picture issues, you no longer see how your life is better by pushing forward on these topics as well. Probably the most paid attention to schools I went to were Blasting and SERE (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape). The immediate nature of cause and effect was always up front. As the topics get softer, then you have to up the relevance game more.

Response by SGT Herbert Bollum made Jun 9 at 2020 4:06 PM

2020-06-09T16:06:24-04:00

Hands on can be a big help in retention of material covered, if it works. Class needs to be engaged in the process of learning.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 9 at 2020 8:30 PM

2020-06-09T20:30:38-04:00

Not everyone learns the same way. An even mix of the following goes a long way to retention of info.

Quoted:
What Is the VAK Learning Styles Model?

The VAK Learning Styles Model was developed by psychologists in the 1920s to classify the most common ways that people learn. According to the model, most of us prefer to learn in one of three ways: visual, auditory or kinesthetic (although, in practice, we generally "mix and match" these three styles).

Visual: a visually-dominant learner absorbs and retains information better when it is presented in, for example, pictures, diagrams and charts.

Auditory: an auditory-dominant learner prefers listening to what is being presented. He or she responds best to voices, for example, in a lecture or group discussion. Hearing his own voice repeating something back to a tutor or trainer is also helpful.

Kinesthetic: a kinesthetic-dominant learner prefers a physical experience. She likes a "hands-on" approach and responds well to being able to touch or feel an object or learning prop.

A variation on the acronym, developed by New Zealand-based teacher Neil D. Fleming, is VARK®, or visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic:

Reading/Writing: a reading- or writing-dominant learner uses repetition of words and writing. Clearly, there is an overlap with visual and auditory styles, as words and writing can be both, but, commonly, a person who prefers to learn this way remembers or organizes things best in his mind by taking down notes.

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/vak-learning-styles.htm

VAK Learning Styles: Understanding How Team Members Learn

Understand your team members' preferred method of learning with the VAK Learning Styles model, so that you can engage them in training more effectively.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Jun 10 at 2020 3:51 PM

2020-06-10T15:51:53-04:00

In general, I found that demonstration leading to practice is highly effective. The key is the student getting hands-on experience with the skill or equipment. It's a standard aviation teaching technique.
I've used it to teach students to take off and land aircraft, perform aerobatic maneuvers, fly instrument approaches, and fly formation. Closely related is a lecture, demonstration, and team problem solving exercise. I used this teaching method to help students understand the use of statistics to improve performance as part of a Lean Six Sigma class The exercise was geared to fun while collecting and analyzing performance statistics and making process changes. We used a tool called a "statapult" (see picture). The third technique is "teach the teacher." This requires the student to prepare a presentation on prescribed subject matter, present the class session to his or her peers, answer questions, and then be critiqued by experienced teachers and sometimes the students.