By Katrina Kennedy
The training has been packed with information. You glance at the clock, realizing there’s about 15 minutes before the scheduled conclusion. The trainer is still talking through their bullet points. You are trying to pay attention.
The minutes tick down; four minutes left and you know your parking meter expires a few minutes after class wraps up. The facilitator asks everyone to turn to the last page of their materials to complete the reflection questions.
Two minutes left; 10 on your meter.
The facilitator continues talking as you attempt to read the reflection questions. You can’t focus on the questions long enough to form an answer. People are beginning to pack up. The facilitator is explaining how to get your certificates after class. Time’s up. Your page is blank as you grab your stuff and head toward your car. You have no clear direction for when you return to work.
Like most people, you might think of reflection as something that happens in the final minutes of a learning experience. Maybe you ask everyone for their two takeaways or their highlight of the day. And, admittedly, sometimes you skip the reflection because you just don’t have time for it.
But leaving reflection for the end of a program is a missed opportunity.
Weave Reflection Throughout
Placed intentionally throughout a learning experience, reflection becomes a powerful tool. It’s never overlooked because it’s built into the structure of a learning experience. You stop before a break and ask everyone to write down two things they want to recall. Or you invite everyone to fold a piece of paper to create an I Learned – I Liked – I Will chart. Or you stop for two minutes and ask everyone to just think about what they’ve learned. Those small moments to consider what’s been covered solidify learning.
Learning doesn’t occur while people are listening. It occurs when they think about what they’ve heard. They measure ideas against their own context and decide if they will work. They can ask thoughtful questions in the learning environment because they’ve had time to process the ideas shared.
Take Time for ‘Pre-flection’
The biggest missed opportunity though is skipping ‘pre-flection.’ Yes, pre-flection: Ask people to think about what they want from an experience and you spark motivation, connection, and, yes, learning. Pre-flection helps people identify their personal learning needs, which in turn can increase their motivation to learn. With that increase, there is now a curious, more engaged participant in the learning experience. It’s worth the time invested in pre-flection.
Pre-flection can be as simple as one question:
- What will make this experience worthwhile for you?
- What do you need to leave with today?
- What do you have to contribute today?
These simple questions give you so much more than you might expect.
When people answer one of these questions you, as the facilitator, witness a visible shift in focus. You now know their expectations and what matters most to them. You’ve created a foundation for the remaining learning experience for you and the participant. You can alter and add details, examples, and questions to help them get what they need. Meet their needs and you increase their engagement and the likelihood they transfer skills and behaviors to their workplaces. You have more confidence, energy, and connection as you lead the group. They return your energy with cameras on and meaningful questions.
More Than a Checkbox
Don’t just think of reflection as something that happens as a checkbox activity at the end of an event. Use it as a tool throughout a learning experience. It’s worth the time invested!
A Harvard Business School study found that call-center trainees who spent just 15 minutes reflecting on each day’s lessons performed 23% better on their final test than those who didn’t take the time to reflect. The investment is worth the return.
Back in Training
Let’s return to training. This time we’ve woven reflection throughout.
Imagine the clock shows five minutes left in class as the time on your parking meter disappears. This time you’re reviewing the list of ideas gathered through multiple small reflection moments. You’re not rushing to pick one to implement. You’re calmly reviewing your list as you pack your bag after a successful day of learning. You know what to put in place when you return to work.
Don’t Miss the Evidence-Informed Design Online Conference
Ready to weave the power of reflection into your learning experiences? Join Katrina Kennedy at the Evidence-Informed Design online conference, October 14–15, where she will present “Weave Reflection into Learning to Improve Retention.”
Keynote Nidhi Sachdeva will explore cognitive architecture as a foundation for effective design. In other sessions, you’ll learn to write clearer narration, build reflection and practice into learning, why reducing extraneous load is essential, and how to use feedback effectively. Register now; it’s free if you are a Professional or Enterprise member!
Image credit: DrAfter123
