Comments on: How much of ‘Entertaining’ is advisable in Training? http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training Center for effective learning Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:30:17 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Paul Blake McGouran http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training/comment-page-1/#comment-8498 Paul Blake McGouran Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:44:01 +0000 http://blog.commlabindia.com/?p=294#comment-8498 Humour and entertainment are vital ingredients of my courses, but there most be an important point to them. For example I do a lot of sales training, when I am illustrating how to ask for the business I act out a few scenarios of trying to get, but not quite asking for a date when I was a youth. I then point out things like I told the lady I was going to the cinema - but I never quite invited her. Doing this sort of thing reaally makes the points stick. Humour and entertainment are vital ingredients of my courses, but there most be an important point to them. For example I do a lot of sales training, when I am illustrating how to ask for the business I act out a few scenarios of trying to get, but not quite asking for a date when I was a youth.
I then point out things like I told the lady I was going to the cinema – but I never quite invited her.
Doing this sort of thing reaally makes the points stick.

]]> By: madhu http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training/comment-page-1/#comment-6045 madhu Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:40:43 +0000 http://blog.commlabindia.com/?p=294#comment-6045 I think too much of entertaining in training will actually impede learning. Your reaction level feedback will be great but learners’ level may not be that great! I think too much of entertaining in training will actually impede learning. Your reaction level feedback will be great but learners’ level may not be that great!

]]> By: Rick Weaver http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training/comment-page-1/#comment-1811 Rick Weaver Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:05:38 +0000 http://blog.commlabindia.com/?p=294#comment-1811 Entertainment is not necessarily humor. Think of it as anything that captivates the audience. Drama, video, anecdotes, etc. Entertainment is not necessarily humor. Think of it as anything that captivates the audience. Drama, video, anecdotes, etc.

]]> By: Bryan Zug http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training/comment-page-1/#comment-1719 Bryan Zug Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:14:16 +0000 http://blog.commlabindia.com/?p=294#comment-1719 Like I said over on LinkedIn -- It really is more of a question of attention. Humor is just one form of sustaining attention. There are many others (drama, conflict, contrast, context, simple and immediate application) etc. I really like the findings Baim highlighted in "What the best college teachers do" http://bit.ly/10dXAZ -- the best teachers (marketers, communicators, etc) are RELENTLESS in figuring out how to get through to poeple and they change their strategy when they are not connecting. So it is less about humor, and more about having an agile arsenal of ways to illustrate (shed light on) and connect the points with learners. Like I said over on LinkedIn –

It really is more of a question of attention. Humor is just one form of sustaining attention. There are many others (drama, conflict, contrast, context, simple and immediate application) etc. I really like the findings Baim highlighted in “What the best college teachers do” http://bit.ly/10dXAZ — the best teachers (marketers, communicators, etc) are RELENTLESS in figuring out how to get through to poeple and they change their strategy when they are not connecting.

So it is less about humor, and more about having an agile arsenal of ways to illustrate (shed light on) and connect the points with learners.

]]> By: Rick Weaver http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training/comment-page-1/#comment-1709 Rick Weaver Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:44:20 +0000 http://blog.commlabindia.com/?p=294#comment-1709 "Entertaining" and "Engaging" are partners. Unless the audience is entertained to a degree they will not be engaged. The facilitator needs to be careful to find the proper blend - which is audience specific. Success depends on knowing your stuff - in your heart and mind. If you are held hostage to a PowerPoint or well memorized talk, you will have failure. Keep in tune with the cultures of your audience. They will be engaged based on humor targeted on the culture of their profession, culture of their job classification, generational culture, or union/non-union cultures. In the case of online training this becomes more difficult as many online programs as sold as canned and cannot be customized. In these cases a moderate amount of generic humor is appropriate. However if a client will be running a large number of participants through the online class it would make the program much more successful if it is customized. “Entertaining” and “Engaging” are partners. Unless the audience is entertained to a degree they will not be engaged. The facilitator needs to be careful to find the proper blend – which is audience specific.

Success depends on knowing your stuff – in your heart and mind. If you are held hostage to a PowerPoint or well memorized talk, you will have failure.

Keep in tune with the cultures of your audience. They will be engaged based on humor targeted on the culture of their profession, culture of their job classification, generational culture, or union/non-union cultures.

In the case of online training this becomes more difficult as many online programs as sold as canned and cannot be customized. In these cases a moderate amount of generic humor is appropriate. However if a client will be running a large number of participants through the online class it would make the program much more successful if it is customized.

]]> By: Byron Dunn http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training/comment-page-1/#comment-1706 Byron Dunn Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:22:05 +0000 http://blog.commlabindia.com/?p=294#comment-1706 Ian's point is well made. Humor can bring energy into the learning environment. I also agree that pointless humor can be distracting. It should be used to energize the students and the environment. People cannot learn if they are bored or half asleep. When we teach, we try different approaches to energize the participants. It can be humor or some other activity that brings the energy level up. We refer to these activities as ice breakers. While we use ice breakers at the start of a session to help participants connect with each other, we also use them throughout the day. Many times, we use them when we return from breaks to get the students attention and to help them refocus on the material at hand. Other times we use them to help with transitions from one main point to another. Mid afternoon, after lunch, we will use some activity to help them wake up and refocus. It is not always humor. We will also use some activity that gets them up form their seats and forces some physical movement. These types of activities are somewhat safer in that they do not rely on the instructor’s ability to deliver a punch line. I use humorous personal life stories to reinforce learning points. The students get to laugh at one of my many blunders that helps to drive home a point in our training. I am the subject of the “joke”, so no one gets offended. Stories that elicit an emotional response, be it laughter or sadness, help to bind your point into the students mind and makes it much harder to forget. Much like a musical concert, your instruction needs to have both high energetic notes and low powerful notes with many changes in tempo to make it memorable and captivating. We constantly experiment with different ideas and reflect afterwards on what worked well and what did not work. Like any endeavor, teaching requires continual improvement. We apply the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) system when trying to improve our classes and delivery, including the use of ice breakers. Ian’s point is well made. Humor can bring energy into the learning environment. I also agree that pointless humor can be distracting. It should be used to energize the students and the environment. People cannot learn if they are bored or half asleep.
When we teach, we try different approaches to energize the participants. It can be humor or some other activity that brings the energy level up. We refer to these activities as ice breakers. While we use ice breakers at the start of a session to help participants connect with each other, we also use them throughout the day.
Many times, we use them when we return from breaks to get the students attention and to help them refocus on the material at hand. Other times we use them to help with transitions from one main point to another. Mid afternoon, after lunch, we will use some activity to help them wake up and refocus. It is not always humor. We will also use some activity that gets them up form their seats and forces some physical movement. These types of activities are somewhat safer in that they do not rely on the instructor’s ability to deliver a punch line.
I use humorous personal life stories to reinforce learning points. The students get to laugh at one of my many blunders that helps to drive home a point in our training. I am the subject of the “joke”, so no one gets offended. Stories that elicit an emotional response, be it laughter or sadness, help to bind your point into the students mind and makes it much harder to forget. Much like a musical concert, your instruction needs to have both high energetic notes and low powerful notes with many changes in tempo to make it memorable and captivating.
We constantly experiment with different ideas and reflect afterwards on what worked well and what did not work. Like any endeavor, teaching requires continual improvement. We apply the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) system when trying to improve our classes and delivery, including the use of ice breakers.

]]> By: Tjemme http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training/comment-page-1/#comment-1684 Tjemme Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:10:11 +0000 http://blog.commlabindia.com/?p=294#comment-1684 I used to work in a training organisation. The trainers with the highest grades typically used a lot of humor. Why is this? I agree with much of the previous contributions. Allow me to add a few comments: (*) Learning is hard, tiring (the fun only comes from having learned). Being serious all the time probably means you are going too fast for the students. (*) Humor establishes a bond with the students. It is easier to learn from teachers whom you like. It addresses the human side of learning (asking questions becomes easier). (*) If you can present your subject in a humorous way, it shows your mastery of the subject, shows that you can 'play' with it. Allow me also a critical comment. When trainings are not assessed using measurable SMART content targets, it is easier to get away with humor as a replacement for proper teaching. Of course, SMART content targets aren't everything. Bonding between students can be a major objective. I used to work in a training organisation. The trainers with the highest grades typically used a lot of humor.

Why is this? I agree with much of the previous contributions. Allow me to add a few comments:
(*) Learning is hard, tiring (the fun only comes from having learned). Being serious all the time probably means you are going too fast for the students.
(*) Humor establishes a bond with the students. It is easier to learn from teachers whom you like. It addresses the human side of learning (asking questions becomes easier).
(*) If you can present your subject in a humorous way, it shows your mastery of the subject, shows that you can ‘play’ with it.

Allow me also a critical comment. When trainings are not assessed using measurable SMART content targets, it is easier to get away with humor as a replacement for proper teaching. Of course, SMART content targets aren’t everything. Bonding between students can be a major objective.

]]> By: RK Prasad http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training/comment-page-1/#comment-1683 RK Prasad Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:40:35 +0000 http://blog.commlabindia.com/?p=294#comment-1683 Thanks, folks. Jagan - you have a point about stereotyping. You are right. It may well be my perception. Thanks, folks.
Jagan – you have a point about stereotyping. You are right. It may well be my perception.

]]> By: Jagan Mantha http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training/comment-page-1/#comment-1681 Jagan Mantha Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:11:56 +0000 http://blog.commlabindia.com/?p=294#comment-1681 Ian made an excellent point of constructively using humour to gain attention and converting that attention into focus. This is a great lesson for me personally, as in my serious effort to get humourous (while defying the indian gene, i could be compromising on the focus part. Ian made an excellent point of constructively using humour to gain attention and converting that attention into focus. This is a great lesson for me personally, as in my serious effort to get humourous (while defying the indian gene, i could be compromising on the focus part.

]]> By: Jagan Mantha http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning/entertainment-in-training/comment-page-1/#comment-1680 Jagan Mantha Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:55:41 +0000 http://blog.commlabindia.com/?p=294#comment-1680 This is nice discussion. While I can relate to RK saying that humour and indians being opposite ends of spectrum, it amounts to stereotyping too. Humour is a definite armour for a trainer .. it is definitely better than murmur (english) .. mar mar(hindi). You get murmurs from audience if your class is rather dull and listless. Mar (in Hindi) is death .. could be death due to boredom ;) This is nice discussion. While I can relate to RK saying that humour and indians being opposite ends of spectrum, it amounts to stereotyping too.

Humour is a definite armour for a trainer .. it is definitely better than murmur (english) .. mar mar(hindi). You get murmurs from audience if your class is rather dull and listless. Mar (in Hindi) is death .. could be death due to boredom ;)

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