Improving Impact with

Accelerated Learning

No "chalk-and-tell" here - we focus on learning, not teaching

Accelerated learning has been around for a long time now, but unfortunately the old styles of "teaching" are still all too prevalent in the training industry. The problems with "teaching", however, are many. For some people who may have had a bad experience at school, it feels all too familiar and learning becomes difficult. For others, who need interactivity to help them apply learning in the workplace, it's too theoretical. For most learners, it's just too far detached from the real world. They absorb facts, techniques and processes (for a while), but they continue with their old ways of working because they're not able to make the connection between what they were taught, and what's needed for their job.

This is where Accelerated Learning comes into its own - it focusses not on what's taught, but on what's learnt, and it uses diverse methods to do so. To maximise the impact of a training programme, it's necessary to concentrate on 3 main areas:

1. Helping participants to get curious and focus their attention on key points in advance
2. Using diverse learning methods during the training course
3. Following up after a learning event to aid retention

preparation

training

reinforcement

Points 1 and 3 take place away from the training room, in order to ensure that what happens on the day has the maximum impact. But that doesn't mean you're on your own - Knowledge Bites provides full guidance and resources to ensure you get maximum ROI from a training course.

Accelerated Learning in the training room (or virtual training room)

The essence of Accelerated Learning is that the trainer stops being a trainer, and becomes a facilitator instead. The role shifts from delivering information, to helping participants discover learning for themselves, yet it doesn't shirk from ensuring best practice is absorbed.

Spoon-feeding training participants does nothing to encourage ownership of their business results. Many participants return to the workplace with unhelpful thoughts.

This might work for the trainer with all her experience, but it won't work for me because I don't have the same skills/personality/experience...

However, when Accelerated Learning techniques are applied, and learners discover their own answers under the guidance of the trainer/facilitator, a different attitude is brought back into the workplace.

This is my own idea and I can't wait to put it into practice!

So what does Accelerated Learning look like in practice?

All Knowledge Bites training courses are built around the principles of Peter Honey and Alan Mumford's work on learning styles. This research describes 4 distinct styles of learning, and what each style type needs to experience in a training programme in order for it to have maximum impact. Honey and Mumford state that effective learning should blend different types of learning to appeal to the diverse range of learners on a typical course.

As a result of our approach, all our courses include a wide variety of formats, structures, and styles, such as:

• Theory (but not too much!)
• Models
• Stories
• Large-group discussion
• Small-group exercises
• Case studies and problem solving
• Feedback from peers
• Competitions
• Reflection
• Action planning

One thing you won't see too much of, is sitting still and facing the front.

As well as tapping into all the different learning styles, this training approach tends to be different to what people have seen before, or what their expectations were before the course. This innovative approach creates more powerful memories, as the training course stands out from others they may have attended.