Creating Active Learning

Trainings that provide information without the necessary application — or what is known as passive learning — tend to produce very poor knowledge retention. Learners typically forget 50% of what they learn within the first day and 90% within a week.

To design trainings using active learning:

Agree upon the desired outcome
Determine the behaviors which produce that outcome
Break those behaviors down into teachable steps
Create activities which allow learners to master and remember the steps
Include enough information to perform those activities

The key is to provide only the minimum amount of information which will allow the learners to perform the activities which teach the steps which make up the behaviors which produce the desired outcome.