Paperless Face-to-Face Training

Picture your earliest experiences of education and almost certainly you will recall learning to write with pencil and paper – and this habit persists into adulthood. As a learning facilitator I know that most delegates bring notepaper to make notes during their training to refer to later yet I am certain that these notes are rarely referred to again.

Think back to all of the training courses you have attended and you will recall the weighty course manuals you took away, put in a drawer at work and finally threw out when you discovered it still there several months (or even years) later.  Even in paperless office environments a notepad is rarely absent–it is a seemingly difficult habit to break. Yet all the research demonstrates that note-taking is a relatively ineffective learning strategy which mostly serves to exercise the hand-muscles.

Much more useful learning techniques are problem-solving and explaining concepts to others. But both of these methods require engaging with others in shared activities rather than wasting time note-taking. Having recently rolled-out our fully-paperless face-to-face training the question for us in designing courses is how should delegates record and share the outcomes of their group activities to provide the best possible learning experience for all?

The answer has been to provide each delegate with a tablet where ideas from interactive small-group activities are stored and then projected to the whole group during feedback sessions. Each group is then able to explain to everyone their thoughts and ideas on the scenario during plenary presentations, minimising the writing whilst maximising the time available to engage with the task and with the other delegates. At the end of the course delegate’s receive their digital ‘course activities booklet’ to retain for their own personal development and have access to digital microlearning courses to refresh their knowledge and ensure a long-lasting, blended learning experience.

“Lots of interactivity”

“Enjoyed the freedom of paperless learning”

“Great mix of group activities and solo work”

“Learned lots from the group work, video demos and tablet activities”

”Very informative and I feel my skills have really been developed through group and digital work.”

Contact us today to discuss your staff learning and development needs through interactive paperless training.