Tips for Interactive Learning Techniques

🤔 How might you infuse more experiential elements into even the most standard Q&A session? This was my question to myself when wrapping up a facilitation course for a client that included a Q&A session. I wanted to be sure it complemented the other experiential sessions and was aligned with the positive adjectives of how participants had already described the course. First and foremost - here is my issue with Q&As: 👎 They are only focused on knowledge transfer, but not not memory retention (the brain does not absorb like a sponge, it catches what it experiences!) 👎 They tend to favor extroverts willing to ask their questions out loud 👎 Only a small handful of people get their questions answered and they may not be relevant for everyone who attends So, here is how I used elements from my typical #experiencedesign process to make even a one-directional Q&A more interactive and engaging: 1️⃣ ENGAGE FROM THE GET-GO How we start a meeting sets the tone, so I always want to engage everyone on arrival. I opted for music and a connecting question in the chat connected to why we were there - facilitation! 2️⃣ CONNECTION BEFORE CONTENT Yes, people were there to have their questions answered, but I wanted to bring in their own life experience having applied their new found facilitation skills into practice. We kicked off with breakout rooms in small groups to share their own experiences- what had worked well and what was still challenging. This helped drive the questions afterwards. 3️⃣ MAKE THE ENGAGEMENT EXPLICIT Even if it was a Q&A, I wanted to be clear about how THIS one would be run. I set up some guidelines and also gave everyone time to individually think and reflect what questions they wanted to ask. We took time with music playing for the chat to fill up. 4️⃣ COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IS MOST IMPACTFUL Yes, they were hoping to get my insights and answers, however I never want to discredit the wisdom and lived experience in the room. As we walked through the questions, I invited others to also share their top tips and answers. Peer to peer learning is so rich in this way! 5️⃣ CLOSING WITH ACTIONS AND NEVER QUESTIONS The worst way to end any meeting? "Are there any more questions?" Yes, even in a Q & A! Once all questions were answered, I wanted to land the journey by asking everyone to reflect on what new insights or ideas emerged for them from the session and especially what they will act upon and apply forward in their work. Ending with actions helps to close one learning cycle and drive forward future experiences when they put it to the test! The session received great reviews and it got me thinking - we could really apply these principles to most informational sessions that tend to put content before connection (and miss the mark). 🤔 What do you think? Would you take this approach to a Q&A? Let me know in the comments below👇 #ExperienceLearningwithRomy

GAMIFICATION UNLEASHED: When most people think of gamification in eLearning, they picture points, badges, and leaderboards. But the true power of gamification lies in meaningful choices and real consequences? Instead of just adding a game-like layer to an eLearning course, we should think about how we can use gamification to create immersive, decision-driven experiences. Branching scenarios are a prime example. They allow learners to make choices that affect the actual outcome of the scenario—providing a more engaging and personalized learning journey. It’s not just about making learning fun—it’s about creating a realistic simulation where every choice matters. This approach helps learners experience the impact of their decisions in a safe environment, which translates to better understanding and retention. In a recent project, I designed a branching scenario where learners navigated complex decision paths in a simulated environment. Each decision led to different consequences, mirroring real-life outcomes. This not only made the learning process more engaging but also deepened learners' understanding of the material. By focusing on the real-world application of decisions, gamification became a powerful tool for meaningful learning rather than just a decorative element. #Gamification #eLearning #BranchingScenarios

I’ve been teaching at UNLV for 13 years, across many different classes and formats—in-person, online, and hybrid. Course design has always been a priority for me. I think deeply about how to structure each class based on the modality, student level, and class size. For much of that time, I’ve taught ACC 202 – Managerial Accounting, an in-person class with 100+ sophomore business students in three sections each semester. Most students don’t plan to major in accounting—and many start out dreading it. Thank you to Jessica Soria, Ph.D. for the interview (link below) about how I approach teaching ACC 202 and designing large, interactive classes. This interview caused me to reflect on course design decisions I have made in this class. Over the years, I’ve seen major shifts in student behavior and learning styles. In response, I’ve tried to build a course that’s engaging, relevant, and even fun, while driving home a key point: You can’t be an effective manager if you don’t understand accounting and what the numbers mean. Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned teaching ACC 202: (Most applicable to large, lower-division, math-based courses taught in person) 1) Experiment Every Semester Always try new strategies. Gather feedback through surveys. Keep what works—tweak or toss what doesn’t.  2) Know Your Students Use polls, surveys, and office hours to understand how students interact with your course and where they struggle or succeed. Gather a lot of feedback.  3) Make It Interactive I use a flipped classroom: lecture videos at home, in-class group work focused on problem-solving. We bring in current events, short videos, Poll Everywhere, gamified test reviews—and Discord to keep learning collaborative and social outside of class times.  4) Incentivize Excellence Students with a 99% before the final can waive it—if they write a reflection letter. These letters are shared with future classes as inspiration. 5) Focus on Understanding, Not Coverage Hit the key concepts hard. Use vivid, real-world examples. Minimize memorization—students can use notecards on exams to encourage application. 6) Coach and Communicate Students build a plan for their target grade and track their progress. I encourage office hours, send weekly updates, and aim to create a welcoming environment. 7) Be Transparent Align classwork, homework, and exams. Clear expectations make a huge difference—especially for sophomores. 8) Make Attendance Count Poll Everywhere boosts engagement and counts toward participation grades. 9) Celebrate Success A simple email recognizing students who excel on a test builds confidence and motivation. 10) Don’t Take It Personally You won’t win over everyone. Focus on trends in your feedback—not individual criticisms. I’d love to hear from other educators—what strategies have worked best for your large enrollment courses? And students—what helps you stay engaged in big classes? https://lnkd.in/gAb7Ynp6