1) During on site course or training, avoid to let them passive more than 10 minutes. So, if you need to deliver oral information, talk during 10 minutes maximum. Then, ask a question, tell a joke, make them (re)act.
Even staying silent a few seconds plays like a break and helps them to think about and memorize what you’ve just said.
2) Solo activities that requires focus, a quiet environment and time like reading, memorizing, watching and understanding videos, etc. can be achieved at home, or wherever learner feels the best. It means that course hours have to be used for group activities, guidance by the teacher and between learners themselves, discussion, interaction.
This is one of the main aspect of the #flippedclassroom.
3) Share course content via the most digital channels as possible, because each learner has very specific preferences in consuming online content. So, by delivering resources on multiple social media (Facebook group, Twitter hashtags or dedicated account), blog, Reddit thread, phpBB forum or wiki, you ensure to get a wide and immersed audience.
4) Let learners express their feeling, talk, give their mind. But do it really. The position of the teacher who knows everything better than everybody is over. Learners may know better, so let them first provide content, questions, unexpected insights. And when they no longer have anything to say, that they are waiting for your knowledge or guidance, then it is up to you.
5) One of the eight criteria that generate the “flow” according to Mihály Csíkszentmihályi is the “reward”. Rewarding a learner is a very efficient trigger to make sure s/he keeps doing, working, learning, practising.
How to provide reward easily during a course? Feel free to post a comment and you will complete this fifth tip 🙂
Credits for image:
http://eecs-newsletter.mit.edu/articles/2010-spring/csail-computer-science-artificial-intelligence/