Change isn’t usually neat and clean. Change can be a very chaotic event. But out of this chaos comes a lot of creativity. A little chaos in the learning process forces students to react and try to regain their balance. If everything is too safe, it’s hard to learn something new.
Having students build their own case studies is a more advanced learning activity because it goes beyond simple analysis to being able to synthesize ideas and facts into something new. Presenting this case study to the class becomes a teaching experience for students.
52. Try Voice Recognition Software
Voice recognition software is getting better and better every day. It allows you to quickly put your thoughts into writing. It helps build text based materials in an easy to read narrative style. Recording information from experts makes the journey to self-study and elearning a lot shorter.
53. Have Fun
Learning doesn’t have to be boring. Adding a little fun keeps morale up and helps students over rough patches. Games, contests, music, video and more help keep students engaged.
54. Build Templates and Standard Formats
If you need to develop a lot of education or training quickly, the first step is to pre-make a lot of decisions that would normally be made at the start of every new program. This means building standard formats and templates for things like, teacher materials, self-study assignments, elearning and more. Believe me, it will save a lot of time if you don’t have to pick type styles and sizes every time you create a document. Also it allows others who are less experienced to quickly build their own courses.
Putting everyone through the same learning process is too fast for some and too slow for others. A good up front assessment can help a teacher customize any learning process. In a workplace where you will have a wide range of capabilities and experiences this is especially critical.
56. Use Case Studies
Analysis is a higher level learning skill. It shows a much higher level of competence than being able to repeat facts or even describe what was read. Case studies require students to analyze what happened and why. Case studies can also incorporate a range of knowledge and experience which again breaks down the topic silos.
I’ve been reading these posts throughout this series and I can’t help but wonder if having 56 ideas might in some way run counter to your goal of learning at light speed. Is there some way to group or categorize them for better reader retention?
Just my $0.02.
I’m glad you’ve been following the list. My next task is to try and find another 40 or so more and write them into a book. At that point, I think you’re right about needed categories and also examples of how they can be used to pick up speed.
At first glance, the theory seems to make a lot of sense. I’ll try to follow the list and see where this leads. Thank you.