Our Spice Rack: Accelerated Learning Techniques & Tips
Accelerated Learning Articles
The Training Oasis, Inc. is pleased to share the accelerated learning techniques and tips that we use to design and facilitate training and workshops for companies all over the world.
Spice of the Month: Accelerated Learning (Archive)
A superb dining experience is the perfect metaphor for great training. Both offer solid content in easily digestable portions with just the right amount of "spice". That was the thinking behind Spice of the Month: Accelerated Learning Ezine.
Our approach has always been light on theory and heavy on practical,"real world" application. This approach will never change as we have never had a CEO ask us about theory.
If you're interested in learning more about accelerated learning theory, be sure to check out our Theoretical Tidbits issue in our archives. However, if you are looking for a heavy dose of theory, Spice of the Month is probably not the best option for you.
I don't think I've ever taken a course where I've seen such tangible results.
Morris Shawn, CEO, Roadpost
Anne has tremendous expertise as a team building specialist and presentation skills coach. I hired Anne to train our in-house trainers in the delivery of training programmes. It was an excellent investment. Not only did she connect with the group immediately, but she also had them fully engaged to the very end. I also personally benefited by sitting through a few of her sessions. I would certainly hire Anne again.
Phillip Brown, Director, Director, Human Resources & Administration at Caribbean Development Bank
Creativity and innovation are Anne's trademarks. Her writing, design, facilitation and accelerated training skills enable her to become involved in many initiatives including writing and designing presentations and speeches for members of the executive team.
Marc C. A. Berwald, Former Director, Education and Development, Bell Mobility
We hired The Training Oasis, Inc. to design a course on Instructional Design....Anne is a very knowledgeable and creative instructional designer. She knows how to address the participants' needs and make technical training more interesting. I have no hesitation in recommending Anne for any future project.
Dunia Wojtarowicz, CGU Group Canada Ltd. (Toronto)
Anne Thornley-Brown of The Training Oasis, Inc. assisted our Educational Services Department with a facelift to the orientation programme. Her contribution was creative, structured and theme oriented. We were very pleased with Anne's suggestions to refresh the programme. Her personality was light and energetic. The presentation material was organized and easy to understand.
Joane Weisbrod, Former Director, Education Services, William Osler Health Center
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Accelerated Learning E-books and Articles
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If you require assistance in placing or accessing your order, please e-mail us with your questions.
Enjoy with our compliments these archived articles with tips and strategies that you can use immediately. Please note: These are presented in their original format.
- NEW: Conference and Training Design: How Accelerated Learning can Transform the Participant Experience
Brand New Format
- Accelerated E-Learning: Simulations
- Our Festive Feast
Updated & Brand New Format
Our Festive Feast, our annual holiday special, is back and better than ever!
We've saved a seat for you to pick up great ideas to add punch and pizzazz to training and corporate events during the festive season.
We are pleased to bring you the best tips, ideas, and strategies from our archives. These are presented in their original format. Purchase only what you need.
Training Strategy
- The Main Course: Demonstrating Your Value to Senior Management
- Accelerated Learning: Overcoming Resistance and Winning Support
Accelerated Learning & R.O.I.
Practice
- Our Dinner Theatre: Spicing up Your Training with Acting Exercises
- Food for Thought: Brainstorming Exercises
- Rave Reviews
Performance
- Transfer of Learning (Coming Soon)
Energizers
Special Reports
- Updated
Breaking Into Training & Development .... Even in a Tough Economy
New HTML & PDF Formats
Training Strategy
When attempting to introduce workplace innovation, winning the support of senior management and designing strategies to overcome resistance are key success factors. The most effective approaches to training will fail if your efforts are sabotaged and you can't demonstrate value to senior management.
US$39.95
The Main Course: Demonstrating Your Value to Senior Management
(HTML Format)
During turbulent economic times, training is often one of the first areas to be cut. We share proven strategies to help you make a bottom line contribution to your organization including:
- 5 ways to pinpoint the issues that are keeping your CEO awake at night
- the 5 most valuable skills for trainers to have during turbulent times
- the 4 magazines that you must read to stay in tune with senior management
- 3 services that your department can offer to make a bottom line contribution
- an outline for an executive summary to help you present information to your executive team that it will perceive as valuable
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$39.95
Accelerated Learning: Overcoming Resistance and Winning Support
(HTML Format)
Need to overcome resistance to accelerated learning in YOUR world? Our strategies aren't based on theory. We've developed and tested them in the school of hard knocks. We''ll show you:
- 6 strategies that you can use to convey the value of accelerated learning to senior management
- 4 ways to get your team leader on your side
- 6 tips for getting the support of your colleague
- 4 ways to ensure that your training assistant does not sabotage your efforts
- the most important step for you to take to ensure that accelerated learning is well received by participants
- 3 places to go for support and assistance
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
Accelerated Learning & R.O.I.
There is a huge misconception that accelerated learning is about fun and games, music, kooshes, and making training fun. While those may be ingredients in ensuring that training is effective for some learners, they are a means to an end. These approaches may not be appropriate for all audiences.
The aim of accelerated learning is to improve the effectiveness of training and development so that participants learn information and acquire new skills easily, retain what they have learned, and transfer their learning to the business environment to contribute to achieving bottom line results.
US$39.95
The Pudding: Proving Accelerated Learning Makes a Difference
(HTML Format)
The results of accelerated learning include:
- reduced costs by cutting training time by 20 - 50% without cutting critical content
- increased retention by 34% or more (double in some cases) through vivid & memorable learning experiences
- easier and less frustrating for participants to master and "digest" complex or theoretical content
- improved skill mastery due to more opportunity for practice
- improved transfer of learning to the job by spending more time on application
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$7.00
The Business Case for Accelerated Learning
(HTML Format)
When you hear the words "accelerated learning", what images pop into your mind? This is what most people picture:
- colouful decorations
- baroque music
- games
It is important to remember that these are only some of the ingredients that can be used to produce accelerated learning. Accelerated learning is possible even if no one plays games and a koosh is no where in sight. Accelerated learning really refers to:
- the RESULTS of interactive, participant centered learning experiences.
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US$17.95
The Bottom Line Impact of Training
(HTML Format)
Training can be a very expensive proposition. If you factor in all direct and indirect costs, training can quickly become a big ticket item. When you consider how much money your company is investing in employee development, it is important to identify strategies for obtaining as high a return as possible on this investment. This issue will point you in the right direction.
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Preparation
Preparation involves getting the facilitator, learner, and learning environment ready so that learning can happen easily and effectively.
US$39.95
Season to Taste: Catering to Diverse Learning Styles
(HTML Format)
How can you avoid boring some audiences? How can you make sure that you don't offend other audiences with conservative tastes? This issue of Spice of the Month focuses on sure-fire strategies for identifying and tailoring your approach to your audience. You'll discover:
- the 2 most important tools that you can use to identify learner preferences
- how to develop a participant profile from scratch
- 3 energizers that you can use with even the most conservative audiences
- how to design and use learning smorgasbords to give participants a range of options and cater to diverse learning styles
- how to use music in your sessions and still accommodate different learning styles
Now, when you order this issue you will also receive a participant profile and learning styles survey that you can customize and use immediately.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$7.00
All About Ambiance
(HTML Format)
How can you create the right climate for learning from the moment the participants walk in the room? We'll share our secrets for using themes, peripherals and props. We'll even give you time saving tips to help you cope with the challenge of minimal or no set up time.
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US$7.00
Sizzling Session Starters: Icebreakers for Accelerated Learning
(HTML Format)
The way you begin a session sets the stage for either a positive or negative learning experience. What's wrong with this picture?
Your session is due to begin at 8:30 and you're expecting 12 participants. You arrive at the training room 30 - 60 minutes before the session. One participant arrives at 8:20 and another comes in 5 minutes later. At 8:30, there are 5 people in the room including you. You uncomfortably say "let's give them another 5 minutes". At 8:34, three more people stroll in. There still are not enough people in the room for you to do your introduction.
- It's okay to be late.
- I'm not going to miss anything important anyway.
- My learning depends on "pearls of wisdom" from the facilitator.
- This is going to be another boring, passive session with a lot of sitting around.
- This is going to be a waste of time.
Start off on the wrong foot and you have to work MUCH harder to keep the participants engaged, energized and interested. Here are some strategies and sizzling session starters to get participants active and involved from the word "go".
- Strategies to avoid the awkwardness and delays while "waiting for people to arrive"
- Full instructions for 5 sure-fire session starters and icebreakers that you can use right away to "spice up" your sessions
- Strategies you can use with conservative and cynical audiences to ensure that your icebreakers aren't dismissed as fluff
- Each an every session starter is effective even if you just have 2 or 3 people in the room at start time
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
Presentation
A range of interactive methods are used to create vivid and memorable learning experiences to ensure retention. The approach should always be customized to fit the preferred learning styles of participants.
US$19.95
Technical Tidbits: Taking the Tedium out of Technical Training
(HTML Format)
Profiled in ASTD's
Few experiences can be more challenging than presenting highly technical or complex information to a non-technical audience. It's time to take some risks and use props, games, game shows and action learning to convey technical content.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$39.95
Conservative Corner
(HTML Format)
Facing a conservative audience can be one of the most frustrating experiences for trainers who embrace accelerated learning. This issue of Spice of the Month is filled with ideas to please even the most conservative palate. You'll pick up session starters, energizers, themes and presentation tips that have been tried and tested with conservative audiences.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$19.95
Tough Crowds: Dealing with Difficult Participants
(HTML Format)
It's a situation that almost every trainer, professional speaker or facilitator encounters from time to time....a tough crowd. It can be your worst nightmare whether you're facing:
- participants who just don't want to be there
- a rowdy crowd that has consumed too much alcohol
- a resistant group that is unwilling to change or try anything new
- individuals who seem to have more interest in coffee breaks, the luncheon buffet, or smoking than the session
So what can you do? There are no foolproof strategies for dealing with tough crowds. In this issue of Spice of the Month, we move beyond the usual theory and offer a number of practical lessons learned in the school of hard knocks. We'll describe steps that you can take before, during and after your sessions to prevent and manage difficult interactions with participants.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$19.95
Popcorn & Pictures
(HTML Format)
Movie clips and training videos can have a strong impact on your participants. They can provide a sizzling start for your sessions, reinforce key learning points and add fun and variety to your breaks. We'll give you tips for legally spicing up your training with movie magic.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$9.95
Accelerated Learning for Virtual Conferences:
Starting off on the Right Foot
(HTML Format)
9/11 ushered in an era of concerns about the safety of airline travel. Fast forward to today and truck attacks and terroist incidents have increased the level of concern. This has resulted in a an increased use in video conferences and virtual learning. Can accelerated learning improve the effectiveness of virtual conferences? Absolutely. In this issue we will give you:
- 4 ideas for using peripherals to appeal to visual learners during virtual conferences
- 5 items that you should include in a pre-course kit to ensure the effectiveness of your session
- 4 strategies for using energizers during virtual conferences including one that is ideal for kinesthetic learners
- Strategies for ensuring interactivity throughout the session
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
Practice
Participants require repitition and practice in order to ensure skill mastery.
US$9.95
Our Dinner Theatre
(HTML Format)
One of the beauties of accelerated learning is that it allows you to bring your whole"self" into the training room. If you're athletic you can use warm up exercises as energizers and draw rich metaphors from the world of sports. If you play an instrument, you can create musical moments for some of your breaks, quiet reading and group work sessions. If you enjoy acting, you can bring improv games and acting exercises right into the training room. Even if you've never done acting, a surefire strategy for"spicing up" your training is to borrow some costumes, props, sets and techniques from the actor's trunk.
Written by our owner, Anne Thornley-Brown who is also a professional actress, this issue of Spice of the Month explores how you can "spice up your training" with acting, improvisational techniques and secrets from the world of theatre (live and movies).
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$9.95
Food for Thought: Brainstorming for Accelerated Learning
(HTML Format)
In this issue, we focus on exercises and strategies that can be used for brainstorming in training sessions and meetings. We explore both logical, linear and "out of the box " approaches for unleashing brain power.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$19.95
Rave Reviews
(HTML Format)
Research has indicated that frequent and effective review is essential for promoting learning and retention. Unfortunately, far too many trainers rely on the outdated lecture method for review sessions. By actively involving participants in review sessions, you will notice a significant increase in what they retain.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
Performance
Application and transfer of learning enable participants to use what they have learned and the skills they have acquired when they have returned to work
- Article and tools coming soon.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
Energizers
US$7.00
The Energizers: A Surefire Recipe for Keeping Participants Awake
(HTML Format)
Keeping participants alert and energized throughout training can be a challenge. There are many steps that facilitator's can take to keep participants engaged even before lunch and through the mid afternoon slump.
Effective training must begin with solid content that meets a specific business need. The steak and the sizzle are both important. One way to think of this is starting with the right raw material. Once content has been determined, it is important to identify any material that is complex, dry or tedious. Use accelerated learning to present this information and it will be easier for participants to master it. In other words, add the spice.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$29.95
Musical Moments: Music for Accelerated Learning
(HTML Format)
- Brand new links.
- New sources of music.
- Now includes suggestions for music videos and DVDs.
- Tips on using music with conservative audiences
Even the most conservative audiences can warm up to music in the training room if you use the right approach. We'll show you how to legally use copyrighted or royalty free music as a session starter, while participants are reading or completing written exercises, for games and simulations, during breaks and more. We also suggest SPECIFIC musical selections that you can use to create your own musical moments.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$29.95
A Cup of Coffee....a Sip of Tea:
Accelerated Learning Activities and Ideas for Breaks
(HTML Format)
Many of today's workplaces are hectic, fast paced environments in which people aren't used to sitting still for very long. It's no wonder that eyes quickly glaze over during training sessions if presentations are too long and there isn't a heavy dose of"energizers". We have already devoted one full issue of Spice of the Month to energizers . In this issue, a featured (free) spice, we look at breaks, one of the most effective energizers.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
Special Reports
US$29.95
Theoretical Tidbits: Accelerated Learning Theory
MEGA ISSUE
(HTML Format)
This issue of Spice of the Month, devoted to the theory behind accelerated learning and the scientific research that backs it up, is a departure from our usual "light on theory and heavy on practical application" approach. Our study of accelerated learning theory is not exhaustive. We hope that the bite sized tidbits we serve and the links we provide will be of value to you. This accelerated learning primer will reveal:
- the 3 key ingredients to produce accelerated learning
- why accelerated learning theory is of NO interest to your CEO
- how accelerated learning developed
- 3 misconceptions about accelerated learning
- 4 ways in which accelerated learning will improve the effectiveness of your training
- 5 ways to stimulate the brain for optimal learning
- why fun and laughter are important during the learning process
- where to go for more information
Updated
Breaking Into Training & Development .... Even in a Tough Economy
HTML & New PDF Format
One of the questions that we get asked most frequently is"How do I become a trainer?" It's understandable. Training and development can be a fulfilling career. It is not without its challenges and with layoffs, cutbacks in training departments and downturn in business for many consulting firms, this is a tough time to be breaking into training. Don't let that discourage you. When Anne Thornley-Brown, our President and founder, first tried to become a full time trainer in the business world it was during the 1984 - 85 recession. Despite the odds, she made the tough transition from a career in the non-profit sector to training, following a career path from professional counsellor to management training specialist to founder to president of an international consulting firm serving clients in Canada, Jamaica, and throughout Asia. So, while it's tough, it can be done.
In this special issue of"Spice of the Month", Anne shares her secrets for breaking into training even during a tough economy. She leaves out the usual platitudes and the strategies that are supposed to work but bear little resemblance to the challenging reality. She gives you a step by step approach as well as access to resources that can help you.
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$19.95
Survival Strategies for Trainers
(HTML Format)
Between tensions between the USA and North Korea, political turmoil, the economic meltdown, 9/11, SARS, tsunamis, the dotcom meltdown, various wars, and fluctuating oil prices, these are turbulent economic times. Many organizations have responded by cutting expenditures that they consider to be discretionary. Training is often one of the first areas to be hit. This issue of Spice of the Month offers tips that training teams and individual trainers can use to manage their careers proactively in a changing market.
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Entrepreneurial & Marketing Strategies
US$49.95
Starting Your Training & Development Business: Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks New HTML & PDF Formats
In this turbulent economy, with huge fluctuations in the economy, it can be particularly challenging to launch a training, consulting or speaking business. In short, it's not for the faint of heart. In this issue of Spice of the Month Accelerated Learning, I tell the story of how I launched The Training Oasis and lessons that I learned about starting, marketing and growing a training and development business. Based on this experience, I will share some of the lessons I learned along the way. These are specific, practical, and actionable. I skilp the usual canned advice and approaches that don't work in the real world. I hope that you find them useful.
- 13 Important Starter Questions
- Proceed with Caution (Test Pilot Before Launch)
- Networking
- Weighing Professional Advice
- Changing Your Perspective
- Re-set Your Course
- Re-Booting: Start Again .... and Again..... and Again
- Re-Charging Your Batteries
- Assembling Your Team and Your Toolkit
- ....and more
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
US$79.95
Marketing Your Training & Development Business: (36 Pages)
Changing Strategies for a Changing Market
MEGA ISSUE New HTML Format & PDF E-book
When it comes to marketing your business in a rapidly changing work environment, conventional wisdom, sometimes doesn't work. In fact, if I had a dollar for every time that I said "But it's supposed to work". I would be a VERY rich woman. One of the realities of promoting your business in a turbulent marketplace is CHANGE. In this issue of Spice of the Month, which you will receive in our updated html format AND as a 36 page PDF E-book, I will share some of the lessons that I have learned THE HARD WAY in the school of hard knocks after running The Training Oasis for 20 years. I will share the strategies that have worked for me as I have grown this business. There are no guarantees and no foolproof strategies. In fact, to be successful, it is essential to stay on top of things, spot trends, and react quickly. I hope that this will save you some false starts and prevent you from going down some blind alleys.
- Busting B2B Marketing Myth
- Revealing B2B Marketing Success Secrets
- The 2 most effective (and by the way least expensive) strategies for marketing your training and development business
- The best tools for staying in touch with your network. insert
- Lead Generation Strategies That are Likely to Pay Off
- Internet Marketing Then and Now
- Internet Marketing Basics Strategies for Staying in Touch with Your Network
- Strategies for Staying in Touch with Your Network The Role of Conventional Marketing Wisdom and Expert Advice
- Strategies to use Sparingly....if at All
- Don't Bother Wasting Your Time
- Why giving free speeches at training conferences and meetings rarely works as a marketing strategy
- The Only Time it Makes Sense to Speak for Free as a Marketing Strategy
- Why you should NEVER waste money on a printed brochure
- The REAL DEAL on association membership - why they probably aren't the best value for independent consultants interested in marketing their business
- Why advertising in online or paper based training directories is not a good investment
- Why you should never believe the hype about B2B Social Media Marketing and blogging for lead generation and business development (it doesn't work)
- The most effective way to use social media
- A spreadsheet to help you analyze your customer base and fine-tune your strategy
- ...and lots more
This mega issue also includes FOUR additional issues with content. In this 36 page e-book, will recieve content that is the equivalent of 5 of our regular spices:
- Marketing 101: Your Marketing Mix - Product (4 Pages)
Developing Your Product or Service Statement and Identifying Your Unique Selling Proposition - Marketing 201: Your Marketing Mix - Person (3 Pages)
Identifying your Target Market...Understanding Your Customer - Marketing 301: Your Marketing Mix - Promotion (17 Pages)
What Actually Works and What Doesn't - BONUS Marketing Public Workshops (4 Pages)
Generating Referrals and Leads
Important: What Happens after You Place Your Order
- Marketing 101: Your Marketing Mix - Product (4 Pages)
- Marketing 201: Your Marketing Mix - Person (3 Pages)
- Busting B2B Marketing Myth
- Revealing B2B Marketing Success Secrets
- The 2 most effective (and by the way least expensive) strategies for marketing your training and development business
- Building a safety net
- Your Product (or Service) Statement
- Your Unique Selling Proposition
- Creating a Customer Profile
B2B Marketing Primer (5 Pages)
New HTML & PDF Formats
Includes:
US$49.95
Marketing 301: Your Marketing Mix - Promotion (17 Pages)
What Actually Works and What Doesn't
New HTML & PDF Formats
- BONUS Marketing Public Workshops (4 Pages)
Generating Referrals and Leads
- Lead Generation Strategies That are Likely to Pay Off Internet Marketing Then and Now Internet Marketing Basics Strategies for Staying in Touch with Your Network
- Strategies for Staying in Touch with Your Network The Role of Conventional Marketing Wisdom and Expert Advice
- Strategies to use Sparingly....if at All
- Don't Bother Wasting Your Time
- Why you Should Never Print a Brochure
- The Only Time it Makes Sense to Speak for Free as a Marketing Strategy
- ...and lots more
Special Spice of the Month Offer
Accelerated Learning Archives
Access all 28 archived spices (issues)
Regular Full Archive Package: $300.00
Special Offer: $175.99
The cost of purchasing all 28 issues individually is $575.00
Placing Your Order
Our archives are currently in their original format, an old version of our site.
We will be updating and re-formatting them over the next few months and you will have access to the new versions.
Before you place your order, so that you will have a clear idea of what format to expect, view Our Featured Spices (free sample issues).
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After You Place Your Order
After you have paid for your order, click on the "return to site" button provided to automatically be transferred to the issue you have ordered.
(Paypal has made some changes and this feature now only works for owners of registered Paypal users.)
Please contact us IMMEDIATELY if you are not transferred to your article after you click on "Return to Site".
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If you require assistance in placing or accessing your order, please e-mail us with your questions.
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Accelerated Learning
Interactive and highly experiential learning and development programmes for managers and professionals.
Train the Trainer
Interactive train the trainer programmes offering maximum practice and coaching. Master experiential learning and accelerated learning techniques.
Instructional Design
We custom design or re-design training to create highly interactive experiential learning. For companies on a budget, we prepare complete training blueprints to support in-house development.
- Cash Flow Game (Toronto)
- The Tea Rroom (Toronto)
- Urban Safari (Toronto)
- Over the Rainbow
We offer full custom design services, training makeovers, and for companies on a budget, complete training blueprints with templates for taining material.
Please note: We are based in Canada. ALL inquiries are handled from Toronto.
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Marketing the Training Function
Theoretical Tidbits: Accelerated Learning Theory
Breaking Into Training & Development
