Most of us have had to give a presentation at some point in our lives, whether in school or as an adult. It's a familiar concept; you get up in front of some people, you present some information, usually verbally and potentially with visuals, the end. But when it comes to learning, is this effective?

Making Learning Happen

As a training professional by day, I'm often asking the question: how can I help my learners retain as much information as possible? Most who are not in the field would gather their learners in a room, talk at then for a while, then assume most of what they said stuck.

The truth is we forget nearly half of what's presented to us 24 hours after it happens. A month later, nearly everything is forgotten.

Roll It Back

Ever hear someone say, "don't give me the answer; I'll never remember it that way?"

That's kind of what a facilitator does that a presenter does not. The facilitator leads a discussion in which learners ultimately find their own answers. A presenter spoon-feeds the answers to an audience. They're a lecturer. A facilitator lets the class steer; but they course correct when needed.

It's important to understand the difference between facilitation and presentation as I go into my next set of articles.