We live in the digital age, a time that tests our brains’ ability to concentrate on single sources of information. It’s therefore no surprise that our attention spans are on the wane. Which is why creating and delivering engaging workshops has become a greater challenge than ever before. Fortunately, there are steps to escape the blank stares and contagious yawns of participants.
“In the information era, the very technologies that seize our attention can also be used to focus them,” says Reginald Nxumalo, Director of Consumer Electronics, Samsung South Africa.
Here are five tips to keep an audience riveted:
Are we there yet? Ensure that your learners are aware of the overall objective of the content as well as the expected course targets. Where possible, attendees should state their personal learning goals at the beginning of the workshop. These measures lay the foundation for productive training sessions. Afterall, we’re more likely to go along for the journey when we know the destination.
Location, location, location! You don’t always have the luxury to choose the perfect training room. You should however use your existing environment to its full potential. Are there windows? Let the light and air in. If the room feels lifeless, add colour. Even the addition of a pot plant or two unlocks the potential of the room and opens minds. Ideally, by challenging convention and surprising attendees with tweaks to the layout of your existing space, you can take your training sessions to the next level. The Samsung FL!P is an ideal tool for any environment – not only is it mobile, it’s secure as well, keeping your information and ideas safe.
Are they listening? There is no reason to give a bad presentation. In fact, there is every reason to use tools that turn ordinary workshops into memorable experiences. The Samsung FL!P is an innovative digital flipchart that helps create interactive presentations that capture the imagination. This means both facilitators and learners can work smarter, faster and better. It’s a flipchart on steroids, with a touchscreen that allows you to display course work, graphics and AV material, as well as write and save notes.
Let’s connect! In most sessions you’ll be competing for attention with learners’ phones. If you can’t beat them, join them. Construct your programme like a social media feed – shorter, engaging snippets of information. Make the content relevant and where possible, entertaining. Additionally, taking a short break after an hour or two makes a world of difference. Give your group the chance to walk around, grab refreshments or just chat informally. This allows you go effortlessly from information overload to information upload.
A rewarding experience. Learners are naturally more motivated by recognition. A reward on the horizon motivates every step towards the end of the course. Even small competitions and prizes create inspired students. Often, a little dose of competition can be just the right tonic to gain and maintain the attention of learners.
“The FL!P is an incredibly adaptive product and can be used in just about any environment where information needs to be displayed and discussed. It’s one of the human-driven innovations that Samsung is famous for and something we believe should be in every classroom and every boardroom,” says Nxumalo.
Ultimately, training is as much about entertaining as teaching. Creating a lively setting, interactive experiences and unexpected moments ensures that information is understood, retained and applied.
Mission accomplished.
