Talking ain't Training

Which of the two scenarios will you follow when you train for Systems Training
in your office?

In one image, an instructor using a PowerPoint presentation focuses on the overhead,
reading it verbatim and adding a few personal comments. With military precision he repeats
the drill, proceeding to the next overhead -- about 50 times.
As half of the 20 participant's eyes glaze over, the presenter rambles on. He seems to be
addressing his projector -- not us. A book – you would say, give me a book or some good
documentation to read, I would learn as much as I am getting from this.

In the other image, a smiling instructor energizes the group with simple, open questions
that stimulate thought and generate generous discussion.
In opening a topic she asks, "What does this word, (or concept) mean to you?" "Why is this
subject important to you?" She ends segments with "How can you use this information back
at work?" Relevant, interactive, engaging -- these are a few of the comments we write in our
post-course evaluations.

Both presenters are obviously intelligent. They know their subjects cold.
Caring people, they seem driven by a passion to share their knowledge with
us. Clearly, both have spent long hours preparing their materials.
Trouble is -- the first presenter does not reach his audience. Good intentions
are buried under a stack of carefully-worded PowerPoint slides. "Teachingoriented"
is to "tell" the class what the teacher knows.

In the second scenario, "Learning-oriented", the instructor leads learners on
the first leg of a journey. She helps her audience identify their personal
relationship to the subject -- identify "what is in it for me." Or how can I use
this information in my work?