Make Learning Fun! Train the Trainer!

Fun is the forbidden word in learning. Why? We were never taught to associate learning with fun. Learning is supposed to be a serious matter, especially for adults. And as a result, we have several generations under our belt of “serious” learners. Our parents and their parents learned this way, so why shouldn’t we?

Fun in learning may be associated with child’s play. Only children play games, use colors, listen to music, are physically active, and collaborate & interact while they learn. We adults have to sit in an uncomfortable chair and listen to someone droning on for hours, days, and weeks while we desperately look for the light at the end of the tunnel. Is there a better definition of the word “torture”? But that is how adults have to learn, and we are used to it, so we have accepted it as normal.

Fun may also be considered a waste of time, especially in corporate institutions where time is money. Corporate trainers have a truck load of information they need to get across and only so much time to do it. We can’t possibly have fun and “get the job done” at the same time. So information is shoved down our throat in hope that it will “stick”. It’s painful and de-motivating, but it’s how it’s always been done so why would anyone question it? Time is of the essence and fun doesn’t fit into that framework. Getting the job done is the priority.

Do we have a choice?

A dark cloud is hanging over our modern and sophisticated learning institutions, dulling the spirit and passion for learning in those who participate. No wonder corporate trainers have to deal with learning barriers and resistance in the classroom. We were dragged through a dreadful educational experience during most of our childhood and young adulthood, and now we have to face more of the same at work as adults.

Do we have a choice?

Let’s turn the tables a bit and say that fun is good for adults, good for learning, good for the morale, and a good way to spend time. Fun has been removed from most educational institutions, and training conducted within companies for employees has copied the same model. How we learn in schools is how we teach and learn in our professional life as well.

But there is strong evidence that having fun while learning produces better results, increases comprehension and retention of information, boosts morale, and improves team synergy. Yes, we can keep the cake and eat it too. Additionally, fun doesn’t have to be child’s play. It’s a false association. Fun for adults take a different shape. Games yes, colors yes, physical movement yes, music yes, collaboration yes, but in a format that’s comfortable for adults and that’s related to the material.

If you are involved in a training function, it’s highly recommended that you attend a Train the Trainer program that can help you to move beyond the dark age of conventional learning and put some life and joy back into training and learning.

We need a “fun revolution”!

It’s actually happening. Professionals involved in the training field are more and more discovering that fun and learning are NOT like oil and vinegar, but rather very compatible. Fun acts like fuel for learning. It releases hormones in the body that makes us more alert, smarter, more receptive, and more relaxed (tension & stress shuts down learning). Fun also gives us more motivation and helps us to build rapport with others in the learning environment.

Companies are not satisfied with a low ROI on their precious training dollars and are looking for Train the Trainer courses to aid them in the transition from boring to fun (simplistically speaking). They are discovering that the methodology of data dumping doesn’t work anymore, that employees are not walking away from training with the skills and knowledge they need to perform their work effectively. In other words, to stay competitive, they have to change their ways. Unlike most educational systems, for-profit entities are driven by money. And competent employees translate into an increased competitive edge and more profit. It’s a win/win. Money will drive the “fun revolution”. Fun is profitable.

Peter Garnvik is an associate of Training for Excellence, a leading-edge Train the Trainer company that provides innovative programs, workshops, and consulting services internationally. For more information, visit www.wetrain.biz or call 1-800-697-9910.

Article Source: http://www.rightbiz.com

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