CIPD - Creative learning methods

Learning, training and development

Revised March 2008

This factsheet gives introductory guidance. It:

comments on the environment in which today’s trainers work
describes how classroom learning can be enhanced by the wise use of a selection of creative methods
gives the results of a rudimentary investigation as to the comparative effectiveness of methods.

The changing face of learning and the trainer’s role

Our Learning and development 2006 survey highlighted fundamental facts about change in today’s learning: ‘Progress towards a more learner-centred style of delivery does appear to be taking place. Four-fifths report that learning and training now incorporates a much wider variety of activities…’

See our annual learning and devlopment surveys

Trainers have an ever-spiralling series of challenges to face in facilitating learning. They also have an exciting selection of techniques and tools to enhance and intensify the experience for the learners in the joint pursuit of learner development.

Trainers need to take on a wide range of roles in different situations, including:

performer (engaging an audience with potentially limited attention span)
facilitator (moving training to learning)
performance coach (work place learning is highly important)
online coach (a ‘help desk for untrained managers’).

A straightforward role has become highly complex. There are some interesting parallels with what is happening in ‘performance’ in the world of theatre where practitioners are ‘in the street’, ‘making it happen at the place’ rather than performing in traditional spaces. Trainers are coming out of our classrooms to be ‘in-place trainers’, coaches and ‘learning consultants’ in ‘learning rooms’.

A new role has emerged, one of change agent, organisational development expert, account manager to the internal clients - a highly fluid environment, a world of ambiguity. Trainers need a highly sophisticated toolkit and criteria for deciding which tools to use in particular situations. They have to learn to learn themselves while encouraging learning in others.

Types of creative method

The methods described in this factsheet fall naturally into two categories. A selection are methods the trainer can learn and implement themselves, such as a more facilitative style of delivery, the implementation of action learning techniques, the inclusion of juggling, etc. Other methods involve the use of additional people with particular competence and experience, such as the use of theatre companies, musicians, chefs, etc.

Techniques for individual trainers

These paragraphs outline ways that a trainer can include tools and techniques to make training more engaging and effective for learners. Some involve natural developments of a trainer’s skill set; others may involve formally developing our own skills.

Facilitative training

Successfully using creative classroom techniques presupposes that the fundamentals are in place. Training sessions are well planned against a clear understanding of learner needs. The environment is appropriate. The basic training approach must normally be that of a facilitator, ‘making learning happen’ for the learners. ‘Learning is by doing’ is the overall mantra. Trainers are experienced and have wisdom in the knowledge domains that are appropriate for the learning. Trainers have the highest level of interactive communication skills, possibly even skilled in the implementation of NLP techniques for example. For more information on NLP, see our NLP at work factsheet.

Go to our factsheet on NLP at work

Humour

An appropriate use of humour can be a real catalyst in the relationship between trainer and learners. As well as relaxing the group, its use establishes a base line of the language and conduct within the training area and it can be used to re-focus attention and change pace. Used wisely it encourages interaction and highlights key parts of a learning event. The most apt uses of humour include:

throw-away remarks to lighten the tone
jokes and stories
humorous inputs, not jokes, rather re-told illustrative material such as quotations and anecdotes
using humour in exercises, particularly to help people break old habits before absorbing new ones.

Visualisation

Visualisation, through learner reflection, challenges old behaviours and processes and encourages people to vividly imagine new ones. It develops confidence when working through issues, seeing things from different perspectives. Personal issues and concerns are addressed listening to an inner voice. Visualisation encourages relaxation and aids thinking and learning in a training session.

Magic

Although reaching high proficiency takes many hours of intense practise, it is possible to learn a few simple traditional magic tricks with, for instance, cards or coins. Their use can provide excellent ice breakers and points of contact. Used at break times they can re-energise the most ‘flat’ of groups. They can make you a trainer they remember, possibly after the learning that took place is already committed, hopefully, to habit – or, hopefully not, the ‘memory dust-bin’!

Juggling

One of the oldest methods of engaging learner groups, juggling still has a powerful role as a training tool. The trainer can introduce a variety of activities that, in addition to developing hand-eye coordination, are used for absorbing a wide range of communication and coaching skills.

Creative working

Amongst the key gifts trainers can impart to learners are abilities to:

think creatively
proactively and constructively challenge and inquire
problem solve.

For all of these, applying techniques of accelerated learning and experiential learning (‘learning by doing’) can assist. Here are a number of examples.

Using colour in slides and in learner materials significantly improves both short and long term retention.
Activate the senses. Scent dramatically raises attention. Music energises the brain. Movement provides sensory triggers to recall.
Use ‘construction kits’ encouraging classroom ‘physical metaphor’ of people’s jobs when the real materials are not available.
Use tests for the learners. People love to know about themselves. Naturally, take care with sharing results- people do not want to be humiliated. Concentrate on what the results mean to individuals and how they can plan any appropriate change.
Have teams complete a variety of exercises around a list of words, some obviously connected with the learning topic, some less so. Teams research the significance of the words, their most important links, their priority against other words in handling situations in the area of learning. Have teams negotiate for words to build the strongest set. Have each team champion their key words or ideas in helping the success of their organisation. This could be by way of a presentation, a ‘playlet’, a modified version of a popular television programme or in the style of a political debate. Success will reflect how hard they have worked in truly understanding the impact of particular words in the process, or skills they are in the classroom to learn. It could also reflect the absorption of planning and communication skills as they seek to influence experts to give up their knowledge (possibly in rival teams!)
Provide boxes of simple materials - highlighters, matchboxes, paper, straws, plastic building blocks, pens, glue, sand, etc, and have learners create models or analogies to illustrate major learning points.
Have learners create their own tests and answers: have other learners ‘sit’ the tests.
Use ‘koosh’ balls. Learners fidget, it helps them engage. Thrown from learner to learner as part of a question/answer exercise - the balls aid concentration and retention. Later in the day have different ‘toys’ for variety.
In work-based learning, have learners use broken equipment and new equipment with faults. Learners investigate the problems and seek to resolve them. This can be an opportunity for humour – award the most humorous, ridiculous, ‘just possible’ explanation for the fault.
Implement business simulations, providing opportunities to practise and discuss the ‘real situations’. Used wisely, business simulations have high learning possibilities as well as the need to implement skills of communication and teamworking. Be aware that such simulations are often computer based and may take much organising.

CIPD members can view our range of training activities, many of which are based on creative techniques.

Go to our training activities

Techniques involving the use of third parties

A variety of the ways classroom learning can be enhanced involves using additional people to assist the trainer; additional people with their own expertise and with experience in learning provision.

The trainer may have a proactive role, highly involved in the learning, such as when using actors in a range of ‘theatre in business’ situations. Sometimes the trainer may have ‘handed over’ the learners to a third party’s care, as in the case of ‘outward bound’ situations – see our factsheet on development outdoors.

Go to our factsheet on outdoor development

But particularly in the former situations, these are all wonderful ‘self learning’ opportunities for the trainers. Watching how actors prepare themselves, handle learner questions and interact with learners can provide excellent learning points.

Theatre in business

Familiar problems with role-plays are minimised with actors used as role-players. For more on role-playing, CIPD members can see see our training activity on role-playing as a learning method.

Go to Role-play as an effective learning tool

Most trainers have experienced tortuous role-plays with diminished potential learning through learners' inability to assume and reproduce the full characteristics of a role. Briefed by the trainer on the characteristics of the role to be displayed, actors repeatedly replicate personalities and behaviours with an endurance and an accuracy far greater than a learner role-player. Some actors have also been trained to give excellent feedback.

The analogy playlet allows a complex business situation to be considered from a new perspective and with greater objectivity. Learners watch actors perform a self-contained play that communicates, through a human analogy, a learning message. The trainer facilitates discussion about parallels with the real-life business situation, allowing the trainer to approach the business situation without the emotions and 'baggage' that the learners might bring to the situation if handled overtly.

Forum theatre begins with a short performance depicting a business situation. The Theatre for Training team researches the client's company to develop a script reflecting its culture and any changes the client wants to implement. Forum theatre raises a dilemma, the facilitator stops the action and learners offer possible methods of resolving the situation. The actors play out suggestions in context, and debate can follow concerning the outcomes. This has several benefits for the trainer:

learners see different solutions to a problem in a safe environment where mistakes are not potentially damaging
actors incorporate nuances of voice and body language and learners observe the resulting impact between people
intrigue and high awareness - useful emotions in an environment of change
a motivational aspect for learners as experts whose ideas are trialled and discussed.

Hot-seating is used extensively in conjunction with role-play, forum theatre and analogy playlets. An actor sits in role and is questioned by learners. The character explains his or her motivations and behaviours to prompt debate with and among the learners. Using the actor in this way as a sounding-board has the benefit of allowing learners, in a safe environment, to discuss their fears and perceptions with someone who has undertaken, albeit in role, something the learners themselves may face.

Magicians

Magicians, in addition to being highly talented entertainers, are experts in empathetic behaviours and language, handling emotional shifts with a group – experts in conveying verbal and non-verbal messages and experts in reading the ‘state’ of their audience towards rapport. Magicians are used as part of a training event to highlight all of these and to make learners more conscious of their interaction with others.

Cooking

Cooking, with a chef facilitating the team-based development of a meal, later eaten by the learners, is a more recent addition to these type of activities.

Drumming

Drumming is a well-established technique for team building and having learners build skills of planning, communicating, teamworking, self analysis and feedback.

Using creative methods

Using a variety of the methods outlined above has shown an increase in the effectiveness of learning in the classroom. The classroom events will certainly be ‘stickier’ in learners’ minds directly after a training event than for a traditional classroom delivery. Timely, well focused, follow-up from the learners’ managers provides the platform for orienting the learning into the workplace.

A few notes of warning!

Implementing these methods does not reduce any of the basics of designing, developing and implementing a learning programme. Indeed, bringing in new techniques, probably with additional people at significant cost, really accentuates the need for full project control.
Never allow the ‘media to overcome the message’. You don’t want learners who remember the hilarious, highly entertaining sessions while retaining none of the planned learning!
Never forget the basic rules about ‘learning by doing rather than seeing and hearing’ and letting people learn for themselves.
All types of technique, media and games lose their value if they are used over and over again..
There always should be consideration of the potential match between the learners and the tools and techniques employed. Learning styles will have an impact on levels of comfort and learning. See our factsheet on Learning styles for more information on this topic.
- Go to our factsheet on Learning styles

In addition to the learning benefits brought about by the wise use of these methods there are additional benefits. Teams that have experienced high impact learning together, sharing new experiences, will almost certainly have bonded more effectively.

Evaluating the learning

Evaluation of learning is always key in any learning process. See our factsheet on evaluating learning and training for more information.

Go to our factsheet on Evaluation of training

Evaluation of specific learning interventions involving more creative methods is no more straightforward than evaluation of any learning programme. A rudimentary investigation was undertaken by discussing the learning methods with trainers who had used them, and obtaining their opinions as scores out of 10. The results appear below, although the author urges a high level of caution about the true meaning of this study. For example, many more trainers had direct experience of theatre in business than the use of cooking. The results are not definitive!

	Effective-ness of learning	Involve-ment of learners	Building team-work	Fun, inspiring for learners	Learning opportunity for trainer
Interactive learning	8	9	7	8	8
Role play with actors	8	7	3	4	7
Analogy playlets	7	5	3	7	8
Forum theatre	9	8	3	7	8
Hot seating	9	8	4	8	8
Drumming	6	9	9	9	6
Cooking	6	8	9	8	6

Creative learning methods