Active learning can take many forms, including:

Hands-on activities: such as experiments, workshops, or skill-building exercises.

Collaborative problem-solving: engaging learners in group discussions to tackle challenges together.

Peer-led exploration: encouraging learners to exchange ideas and solutions in discussions with their peers.

Educational games: designed to simplify complex concepts and enhance understanding through play.

Exploring active learning strategies

Trainers should experiment with a wide array of active learning techniques, including case studies, role-playing, group activities/discussions, hands-on activities, and problem-solving exercises. Familiarity with these methods equips trainers to create engaging and inclusive sessions that accommodate varied learning preferences, ensuring all participants remain actively involved.

Promoting inquiry based learning

By fostering inquiry-based learning, trainers encourage participants to question, seek solutions, investigate, and independently explore topics. This approach nurtures curiosity, self-directed learning habits, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, empowering learners to take ownership of their educational journey and achieve a deeper understanding and retention of key concepts.

Facilitating collaborative learning

Trainers should focus on facilitating teamwork-driven experiences, such as cooperative projects, peer-led teaching, and group problem-solving exercises. These activities promote teamwork and knowledge sharing, build interpersonal skills, strengthen communication, and create a culture of collaboration, enhancing the overall learning experience while fostering a sense of community.

Creating real-world connections

Connecting training material to real-life scenarios makes learning more meaningful and practical. Trainers should help participants relate content to their personal experiences, workplace contexts, and everyday challenges. This approach not only increases motivation but also ensures that participants can apply their knowledge and skills effectively in their lives or careers.

Encouraging reflection and metacognition

To deepen learning, trainers should encourage participants to reflect on their experiences, evaluate their progress, and identify areas for growth/goals for improvement. This process of metacognition enhances self-awareness and self-regulation, equipping learners to take charge of their development and continuously improve their skills and understanding and empowering participants to become active agents in their own learning journey.

Linking to prior knowledge

These methods align closely with principles of activating prior knowledge. By connecting new learning with what participants already know, trainers create a foundation for better retention and more meaningful learning experiences.

(Connection with Brick1: Activating prior knowledge)