Creative Ways to Debrief and Add Reflection to Learning Programs

When you neglect the debriefing and reflection processes in training – your training is at risk of failure.

We all know debriefing and reflection activities are crucial to the learning process, yet they are routinely skipped in face-to-face, eLearning, and virtual sessions. But why?

A debrief is a simple yet powerful tool that lets participants reflect on what happened during a session and why it happened. A proper debrief session takes place soon after a learning activity is completed so the lessons remain fresh in the participant’s mind. By not waiting, we can bridge any gaps in knowledge and performance.

By reflecting on and recognizing the knowledge and skills shared in the session, participants develop insight to their growth and become aware of future learning needs to ensure success. Let’s face it. Debriefing is where the proverbial “rubber meets the road,”  as it allows for reflection jump starts a sense of accountability in the learners.

Activities geared toward reflection through the debriefing process allows learners to process:

• what they just did, or what they just learned,
• the relevancy of the content being delivered,
• so that they can connect it to real work.

Debriefing Connects lessons to learning to action!

Connecting learning to relevant actions demonstrates to adult learners, the “So What” of the learning process. This is very motivating to adult learners, as all they want to do is take any learning and apply it to the job, helping them make a connection that makes the learning stick.

A proper debrief session encourages participants to reflect on themselves by asking deeper questions:

• “How might I use these tools back on the job?”
• “Where might I have missed key learning steps?”
• “When might I take these lessons and improve?

By practicing and reflecting on content, you increase the chances that learners will be successful back on the job when recalling what they’ve learned or when things go wrong.

So the big question on the table is: What are your creative solutions for debriefing and learning reflection? How can we incorporate these ideas into virtual and online learning experiences?

It all starts on March 3rd, and I hope you join us!

#LetsDoThis ~ Shannon

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