101 Ways to Make Learning Active Beyond the Classroom (Active Training Series)

This book is filled with a field tested ideas that are easy to implement. I also like that it's written in an easy to read format - Gotta a training issue? No problem! You'll find just the idea you need to resolve the situation in a instant.

Our boss introduced this book to us via our book-club. Our team presented some of the activities and we all agreed that they will come in handy for the work we do.

Ignore this review! I too, am a contributor so I am totally biased. 101 Ways to Make Learning Active Beyond the Classroom is a trove of practical info for the online learning designer and trainer. The book’s front half lists 200 tips for “making training active and learning successful.” The back half presents 101 ideas for active learning activities, grouped into categories such as social learning, m-learning, blended solutions, using technology in the classroom, learning on a team, mentoring, peer-to-peer coaching, informal learning, on-the-job assignments, and learning beyond the workplace.My contribution on page 142 details how to use LinkedIn to encourage social learning and sharing. My colleague, Dr. Andy Hicken contributed an activity on page 71 that encourages trainers to study the design ingredients of massively open online courses (MOOCs)—their layout, emphasis on peer review, and overall sequencing of activities—and adopt these elements as training best-practicesYes Man...Active Training!101 Ways… is published alongside two more books: Active Training: A Handbook of Techniques, Designs, Case Examples, and Tips, which Elaine Biech co-authored with Mel Silberman, and 101 More Ways to Make Training Active, another collection of tips and activities. Elaine has been very excited about taking over the legendary work of Dr. Silberman. When I spoke last with her she had this to say:"It’s been an honor to be asked to revive the Active Training work that Mel Silberman started. My goal during this project was to continue to acknowledge his work by respecting his voice, expanding his ideas, and engaging others to contribute to the work we both love. One of Mel’s personal guidelines was, “It’s not what you give them; it’s what they take away that counts.” Like Mel, I hope that readers take away ideas and activities that will make their work easier and more creative. I am sure readers will find dozens of ways to develop their learners’ competence, confidence, and commitment to their organizations. Mel would be pleased with the exceptional, easy to implement activities from extraordinary contributors, such as you, Jon." Ouch!...another shameless plug.Elaine’s PicksWhen pressed for her favorite activities in 101 Ways to Make Learning Active Beyond the Classroom, Elaine said, “I love these two activities because they are both easy to implement and they address two of the issues facilitators face: maintaining learner engagement and helping learners remember to transfer what they learned to the workplace.”Increase Interaction using a Whiteboard. Often we get in a rut and do the same things over and over. Joel Lamoreaux’s easy-to-implement ideas for expanding your use of whiteboards add variety and creativity to your learners’ eLearning experiences. Facilitators keep learners engaged with very little investment in time. Smart and simple. What could be easier?The #1 Thing. The true test of our success occurs after the training session is over–whether in a traditional or a virtual classroom. Wendy Gates Corbett uses Twitter to share a strategy to review material. Participants share one key point they learned by posting a tweet. I suggest that you implement her variation also. Just repeat the exercise three days, one week, or two weeks after the training session to refresh learners’ memories once they return to the workplace.These types of books still belong in good old fashion print format and on the bookshelf so they can be easily accessed when looking for an idea starter. And finally, Elaine was very gracious about including me in the opening Acknowledgements so I owed her five stars. It is indeed an honor to be mentioned alongside eLearning pioneers like Clark Quinn, Michael Allen, Bill Horton, Clark Aldrich and others.

I haven't read this book yet, but I'm still happy to give it a 4 star rating. Why? Because of what's covered. From the very beginning Elaine Biech, hit home with me by writing about VUCA, the volatile, uncertain, challenging, and uncertain world in which we trainers try to work or magic. Training technology has changed in ways unimaginable just 15 years ago. And every year, technology takes another leap forward. This book gives you insights into how to cope with the change and leverage technology to take learning beyond the classroom and into the virtual world. Ms Miech covers webinars, gamification, QR codes, meter polling, and much, much more in this book. As I said, I haven't read it yet, but I'll get a copy today. I know a lot of new and experienced trainers who can use this book as well.

Training isn't enough. As the Queen of a training company, this was a hard pill to swallow. But we know realize that training is a limiting word and in general won't impact performance without help beyond the classroom. This book is an important resource to me as we change our mindset and processes to reflect the way performance is really changed for our customers. Thanks Elaine!

You will find MORE than 101 ideas here to keep learning going. Ideas for coaching virtually, virtual learning sessions, leveraging social media and much more. You will love the "10 Tips Lists!" I'm so pleased to contribute to this book along side fabulously talented peers like Jane Bozarth, Michael Allen, Ruth Clark, Jennifer Hofmann, Cindy Huggett, Elliott Masie, Thiagi, Karl Kapp and SO many more! More evidence that Elaine Biech is more than uber talented!

Leave it to Elaine Biech to modernize Mel Silberman's classic book on making training active by spawning THREE updated books! Biech takes the best of Silberman's original ideas and with many contributors, makes sure that they are up to date and totally applicable to today's learning environments. I am particularly pleased to see this addition to the collection; acknowledging the critical need to focus on what happens after training