4MAT® Train the Trainer Blog

4MAT Train the Trainer: 6 Activities for Interactive Lecture

July 23, 2010

In the 4MAT model for training design, there are four parts of the learning cycle that the trainer leads the learner through. In the second part, Share, the trainer is focused on delivering new knowledge required to deliver desired performance.  Let’s take a look at what is happening in this step:

Part of the 4MAT Cycle	Goal	Learning Climate	Learning Method	You know  it’s effective when:	Trainer’s Role
ShareThe question is “What?”	Learners understand expert information related to the content.	Organized, focused, and reflective with a n opportunity to ask questions.	Lecture and interactive discussion on the content.	Learners are recording, noting and questioning. They are asking clarifying questions and seeking to better understand the bigger ideas.	Presenter

Source:  McCarthy and O’Neill-Blackwell, Hold On, You Lost Me! Use Learning Styles to Create Training that Sticks, ASTD Press, p 25.

How do we, as trainers, create this desired climate? What kind of activities should we use to generate insights and create meaningful dialogue?  Here are 6 Share training activities that work with any content.

1-Group Interviews

Overview:  Learners interview each other on questions related to the information being shared.

2-Questions and Answers

Overview:  To engage learners before or during lecture, learners generate key questions related to the content.

3-Craft a Story vs Report a Story

Overview:  Lecture processing activity which requires learners to develop a story around the information being shared. Learners are divided into two reporting groups: creative story-telling and “just the facts” reporting.

4-Lecture Translator

Overview:  Presenter pauses periodically during lecture and learners translate lecture into their own words to reinforce key concepts. This works particularly well with high-level technical information lecture.

5-Essence

Overview: Participants summarize lecture with the intent of identifying the core concepts being shared.

6. Content Voting

Overview:  Participants generate a list of questions for the session. Participants vote on the questions they are most interested in exploring, related to the topic.

Download the facilitator guide with complete instructions:

Filed under: training design

Tags: 4MAT training design; Share; training activities, 4MAT; 4MAT, 6 Activities for Interactive Lecture, interactive lecture, Jeanine O'Neill-Blackwell