THE ELITE INSTRUCTOR

By Brooke Broadbent

You’ve been there. Overhead transparencies are stacked beside a projector. The instructor grabs the top one and thrusts it onto the projector. He focuses on the overhead, reading it verbatim and adding a few personal comments. With military precision he repeats the drill, proceeding to the next overhead -- about 50 times, in all. As participants’ eyes glaze over, he rambles on. He seems to be addressing his projector -- not the group.

You’ve been here, too. The instructor asks, "What does this concept mean to you?" or "Why is this subject important to you?" She energizes the group with simple, open questions that stimulate thought and generate discussion. She ends each segment with "How can you use this information back at work?" Relevant, interactive, engaging -- these are a few of the comments we write in our post-course evaluations.

Both presenters are obviously intelligent. They know their subjects cold. Clearly, both have spent long hours preparing their materials. Trouble is, the first presenter is "teaching-oriented", and the thrust of his talk is to tell the class what he knows. The second presenter is "learning-oriented", and leads the group on the first leg of a journey. She helps her audience identify their personal relationships to the subject -- identify "what's in it for me".

It is difficult to fathom why teaching-oriented training still prevails. Perhaps the explanation lies in models of grade school teachers chiseled into our subconscious. Or maybe instructors are paralyzed by the fear of venturing into unknown territory or of losing control. Perhaps it’s because teaching-oriented training is more predictable than a learning-oriented session. Or because you can cover more material if you "teach" it. Whatever the reason for teaching-oriented training -- and there are some legitimate ones -- the good news is that everyone can learn to conduct learning-oriented sessions.

Is it important? You bet. With an estimated annual expenditure of over $5 billion and some 75 per cent of training being leader-led, close to $4 billion is spent annually on leader-led training sessions. With a learning orientation, we get way more bang for the buck, more skills development, more performance improvement, more productivity -- more benefits for students and their employers. In addition, instructors have the satisfaction of knowing they did a good job.

The elite instructor

Elite instructors are informed, articulate and intense. They appear relaxed and spontaneous because they are thoroughly prepared. They correctly anticipate and prepare for questions that participants inevitably ask. Like stage actors, they rehearse and use the power of their voices and bodies to add emphasis. They turn their nervous energy into a positive force -- training their butterflies to flutter in formation. They adjust to meet learners' levels of knowledge and preferred learning styles.

If exposing learners to a new subject, expert instructors teach basic concepts and vocabulary first. They make strategic decisions about what information to convey and how to do it. Before the session starts they know how they are going to hook their listeners, what examples are best suited to the audience. They start with the known; situations, examples and concepts with which the audience is familiar, and move smoothly into the unknown -- the concepts the audience has to master.

Elite instructors lead learners through new information by clearly framing their presentations with links in and out, by summarizing and helping learners compare new information to what they knew before the presentation. Elite instructors help listeners stay tuned by providing concrete examples, by using variety in the flow of information, by including visual elements to support and emphasize teaching points and by linking teaching points to each other. They summarize segments before launching new topics. Competent presenters know themselves -- their strengths, their weaknesses. If they do not appear naturally enthusiastic they cultivate this part of their instructor persona.

Continuous feedback from the group keeps instructors alert. Like elite athletes they constantly assess how the session is progressing, whether they are meeting their personal objectives and if they are not succeeding, what they should do to get back on track.

Why interactive learning works

There are a few facts about human nature, supported by common sense and research, that explain why interactive learning works. First of all the human brain functions five or six times faster than instructors speak. If an instructor limits messages to facts, participants will start to draw their own conclusions, and perhaps even wander away in daydreams. When the instructor poses question and puts concepts into play, however, participants minds will be engaged in trying to answer and to understand. The "what" and "why" questions help to create this larger framework and keep learners focused. The human brain remembers what it processes.

Another truism about humans is that we are social animals. We perform best when we are nurtured by other humans -- when others acknowledge us and provide positive feedback. Interactive instruction creates the perfect environment for nurturing. Another commonly quoted fact is that humans convey more messages by their non-verbal behaviour (what they do) than by their verbal behaviour (what they say). Interactive instruction, with its emphasis on eye contact, listening and dealing with individuals, generates positive non-verbal communication that engages and encourages learners. Interactive learning also works because, increasingly, people are showing a preference for interaction as a personal style. Asking questions, discussing and using information helps people to retain it.

This doesn’t mean that instructors should ditch all of their overheads immediately. Used in moderation, they help to focus participants' attention. Like a road map, they indicate where we have been and what lies ahead. Overheads can add a visual component to training session. This helps people understand and retain information.

That being said, instructors should step out from behind their overhead projectors and interact with participants. Interaction fosters understanding and retention. I have made the mistakes of using too many overheads in the past. It has not been easy to abandon them. It takes time and patience. Try it. You will enjoy the results.

Brooke Broadbent, MA, CRSP is a technical writer, instructional designer and trainer based in Ottawa, Ont. His latest book is entitled Using the Internet: smarter and faster. He may be reached at brooke@mondenet.com.

Comparing the impact of a different perspective

a) Teaching perspective b) Learning perspective c) How to achieve learning

1. The emphasis of teaching is conveying information in the classroom. b) The emphasis of learning is on equipping participants to continue to learn after they leave the classroom. c) Helping participants link the information they are receiving to how they will use it bridges the gap between the classroom and the real world.

2. The typical outline of teaching is tell ’em what you are going to say, tell ’em, and then tell ‘em what you told them. b) The typical outline of learning is What does this topic mean? What do you you need to know? Now let's practice using what we have been talking about. c) The questions cited here engage the learner, highlight the relevance of the topic and generate motivation within learners.

3. Emphasizes the instructor's golden words. b) Emphasizes participants' replies to questions raised by the instructor. c) When participants respond to questions, the instructor listens intently to gauge learners’ needs and adapts the presentation to fit.

4. Is concerned about the skills used by an instructor to deliver a message. b) Is concerned about the capacity of students to absorb a message from the instructor. c) Instructor asks specific content-based questions to determine whether participants understand or are confused.

5. Conveying ideas means concentrating on your message and the fluidity of your presentation. b) While it is important to speak fluently, the tone and approach are conversational and personal. c) Instructor addresses questions to the group, pauses, looks everyone briefly in the eye, selects a respondent and invites him or her to reply.

6. Emphasis is placed on conveying the instructor's knowledge. b) While it is important to convey information, listeners need to be prepared to receive the information you have. c) Asking participants why they would like to learn the topic and how they would use it helps them to focus on the information.

7. The spotlight is placed on new information. b) New information is placed in the context of what the listener knows. c) Asking listeners to identify what the topic means to them helps listeners build links between what they know and what they are learning.

Back to contents