Getting Learners Recharged

Whenever boredom or fatigue set in, our brains work less effectively. Wouldn’t it be great if we could simply plug in to recharge our energy the way we do with batteries? Only in science fiction. But scientists do have recommendations for getting our thinking energy back. They say we should take breaks or try out new perspectives or think positively rather than focus on negative thoughts.

What implications does this have for those of us in instructional design training? To keep our learners on task and alert, we need to provide three shifts in the program.

1. Change their pace or position to provide a break. Get up and stretch. Move to a different activity and approach often.  Weave from lecture to small group discussions to writing to simulations frequently depending upon the desired outcome. 
2. Play different roles.  Set up exercises where participants flex their thinking from one point of view to another…from salesperson to customer, for instance.  Or from supporter to saboteur.
3. Focus on the bright spots.  Get team members to list all the ways they can be successful rather than all the ways they might fail. 

Keep your target audience mentally alert by designing opportunities for them to recharge their batteries throughout the program.