According to the National Training Laboratories, passive training (lectures, reading, and videos) results in 5 –20 percent retention rates while active training (learning-by-doing, playing games, or participating in activities) can deliver retention rates as high as 90 percent. Despite this significant delta, the majority of trainers fall back on Death by PowerPoint, driving employees to complain about boring and ineffective training.

Knowledge retention is key but active training can deliver much more: motivated learners; critical thinking skills; problem-solving skills; creative thinking skills; collaboration; and interpersonal skills. It’s time for the training industry to adopt active training more regularly.

Effective instructor-led training is not about being the “sage on the stage”–it’s about being the “guide on the side,” leading participants to water instead of blasting them with the fire hose.  

In this session I will compare passive vs. active training techniques, showcase 10 games that trainers can use to engage their attendees, and provide five takeaways for how trainers can easily and affordably deploy games in their classrooms.

In this session, you will learn:

• About active vs. passive learning
• 10 games and activities, and identify when to apply each one to your instructional-led training
• About gamification (points, badges, leaderboards, prizes) and how they can motivate learners
• About data collection and how to apply individual/group trends to future classroom sessions

Target audience:

Developers, designers, managers, senior leaders