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?
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.
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.
