Twelve Things for New Trainers to Know
By Kathy Sierra

Just because you've used lots of software doesn't mean you can write code. Just because you've been in lots of buildings doesn't mean you can be an architect. And just because you've logged a million frequent flyer miles doesn't mean you can fly a plane. But if that's all ridiculously obvious, why do some people believe that just because they've taken classes, they can train? The problem isn't thinking that they can do it, the problem is thinking they can do it without having to learn, study, or practice.

I'm amazed (and more than a little disheartened) how many people believe that simply by virtue of their being skilled and knowledgeable in something, they're implicitly qualified to communicate, mentor, teach, or train that thing.

Just as there are plenty of great software developers and programmers without a CompSci degree. People can be self-taught, and do a fabulous job, for a fraction of the cost of a formal education, but they have to be motivated and they have to appreciate why it's important.

The irony is that most people with this attitude would themselves be insulted if the tables were turned--if their students didn't think they needed to learn anything from them... that just going on instinct and winging it would be enough.

So this is my starter list for new trainers and teachers (I won't debate any distinctions between "teaching" and "training"--we're talking about one who designs and/or delivers learning experiences, so I don't care what you call it, what your subject is, or even how old your learners are. The fundamentals of how humans learn are pretty constant, even if the application of those fundamentals can look quite different on the surface).

1) Know the difference between "listening" and "learning".
Listening is passive. It is the lowest, least-efficient, least-effective form of learning. That means lectures are the lowest, least-efficient, least-effective form of learning. Listening alone requires very little brain effort on the learner's part (and that goes for reading lecture-like texts as well), so listening to learn is often like watching someone lift weights in order to get in shape.

2) Know how the brain makes decisions about what to pay attention to, and what to remember.
And here we are back to emotions again. Emotions provide the metadata for a memory. They're the tags that determine how important this memory is, whether it's worth saving, and the bit depth (metaphorically) of the memory. People remember what they feel far more than what they hear or see that's emotionally empty.

3) Know how to apply what you learned in #2. In other words, know how to get your learners to feel.

4) Know the wide variety of learning styles, and how to incorporate as many as possible into your learning experience.
And no, we're not talking about sorting learners into separate categories like "He's a Visual Learner while Jim is an Auditory learner.", or "He learns best through examples." Every sighted person is a "visual learner", and everyone learns through examples. And through step-by-step instructions. And through high-level "forest" views. And through low-level "tree" views. Everyone learns top-down and bottom-up. Everyone learns from pictures, explanations, and examples. This doesn't mean that certain people don't have certain brain-style preferences, but the more styles you load into any learning experience, the better the learning is for everyone--regardless of their individual preferences.

(And while you're at it, know that most adults today do not truly know their own learning styles, or even how to learn. The word "metacognition" doesn't appear in most US educational institutions.)

5) Know the fundamentals of current learning theory!
(Check out the book links at the end of this article.)

6) Know why--and how--good advertising works.
It'll help you figure out #3. Be sure you recognize why this matters.

7) Know why--and how--good stories work.
Consider the learner to be on a kind of hero's journey. If Frodo is your student, and you're Gandalf... learn as much as you can about storytelling and entertainment. Learn what screenwriters and novelists learn. Know what "show don't tell" really means, and understand how to apply it to learning.

Humans spent thousands upon thousands of years developing/evolving the ability to learn through stories. Our brains are tuned for it. Our brains are not tuned for sitting in a classroom listening passively to a lecture of facts, or reading pages of text facts. Somehow we manage to learn in spite of the poor learning delivery most of us get in traditional schools and training programs (and books).

8) Know a little something about "the Socratic method".
Know why it's far more important that you ask the good questions rather than supply all the answers.

9) Know why people often learn more from seeing the wrong thing than they do from seeing the right thing.
Know why the brain spends far less time processing things that meet expectations, than it does on things that don't.

10) Know why it's just as important to study and keep up your teaching skills as it is to keep up your other professional skills.
Yes there ARE professional organizations for trainers, with conferences, journals, and online discussions.

11) Know why using overhead slides to deliver a classroom learning experience can--sometimes (often)--be the worst thing you can do.
(Although yes, in many cases using slides for some select pieces of a course are important, beneficial, and crucial. What we're dissing is the practice where the entire class, start to finish, is driven around some kind of slides or presentation.)

12) Know how -- and why -- good games can keep people involved and engaged for hours.
Learn how to develop activities that lead to a Flow State.

Bibliography

Lessons in Learning, e-Learning, and Training : Perspectives and Guidance for the Enlightened Trainer (Paperback)by Roger C. Schank

Designing World-Class E-Learning : How IBM, GE, Harvard Business School, And Columbia University Are Succeeding At E-Learning (Hardcover) by Roger C. Schank

e-Learning and the Science of Instruction : Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (Hardcover)by Ruth Colvin Clark, Richard E. Mayer

Simulations and the Future of Learning : An Innovative (and Perhaps Revolutionary) Approach to e-Learning (Hardcover)by Clark Aldrich

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (Paperback)by James Paul Gee

Digital Game-Based Learning [DOWNLOAD: ADOBE READER] by Marc Prensky

Chris Crawford on Game Design (Paperback) by Chris Crawford

Mind Hacks (Paperback) by Tom Stafford, Matt Webb

A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age by Daniel Pink

Memory: From Mind to Molecules (Scientific American Library) (Hardcover) by Larry R. Squire, Eric R. Kandel

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee

The Writer's Journey, Second Edition : Mythic Structure for Writers (Paperback) by Christopher Vogler

Cognitive Science Foundations of Instruction (Hardcover) by Mitchell Rabinowitz (Editor)

About the Author
Kathy Sierra has been interested in the brain and artificial intelligence since her days as a game developer (Virgin, Amblin', MGM). She is the co-creator of the bestselling Head First series (finalist for a Jolt Software Development award in 2003, and named to the Amazon Top Ten Editors Choice Computer Books for 2003 and 2004). She is also the founder of one of the largest community web sites in the world, javaranch.com.

Reprinted from the  Training Foundation