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Learning That Lasts

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Learning That Lasts

Reflection Activities for Trainers and Designers

ATD (Association for Talent Development),

15 min read
8 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Create activities that help people reflect on, retain, and apply what they’ve learned.

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Editorial Rating

9

getAbstract Rating

  • Applicable
  • Well Structured
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Reflection is a learning superpower. In this helpful guide, experienced trainer Katrina Kennedy explains how strategic pauses during virtual and in-person training sessions enable people to build on their prior knowledge, connect with other participants, retain what they learned, and improve their critical thinking skills. Kennedy provides sample reflection questions and step-by-step instructions for reflection activities, with options for individuals, small or large groups, and online gatherings. She offers both in-depth reflections and ones that take only a few minutes.

Summary

Encourage people to reflect on what they already know.

People learn more effectively when they connect new information with their existing knowledge. Open a learning experience with a few true-or-false questions that pique participants’ curiosity or prompt discussion. Starting with questions about your topic helps people identify their knowledge gaps and become motivated to fill them. Assessing your learners’ prior knowledge also helps you better understand their needs.

Give participants three minutes to write down everything they know about your topic. Have them form small groups and choose five to seven items to post on a whiteboard for the entire group to see. Discuss common themes or misconceptions you discover. Alternatively, open with three to five multiple-choice questions that relate to your learning goals. Use tools such as Kahoot! or Slido to create digital quizzes. Have learners fill in the blanks in a list of statements. For example, provide them with an opening such as “Providing feedback means…” and have them complete the sentence. Have learners share their responses in small groups, on sticky notes on a bulletin board, or in digital tools such as Padlet...

About the Author

Speaker and facilitator Katrina Kennedy has nearly 30 years’ experience in L&D and helps trainers create engaging learning experiences.

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