In this series of blog posts, we take one training activity, and convert it into three delivery modalities: Instructor-Led Training (ILT), Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT), and Elearning. What does it take to convert ILT to Elearning and VILT? Creativity and a focus on learning objectives!
Are you looking for training activities? Perhaps your training programs have adapted from in-person (ILT) to virtual (VILT), and now you’re swinging back in the direction of in-person again or looking to switch the training to elearning. No matter where your organization currently falls on this pendulum, it can be helpful to have training activities in your back pocket ready to convert to the modality that you need!
The training activity that we are converting today is the classic Four Corners activity when used for adult learning.
Four Corners: ILT
The ILT version of Four Corners will stir up nostalgia from your elementary school days. The Four Corners activity can be used for any size group, and the setup is quick and easy! The only materials required are some paper signs.
Advanced Prep:
- Generate a list of debatable statements related to the material that you covered today. Statements should not have a correct or obvious answer.
- Print or write descriptor signs for each of the four corners of the room.
Presenter Notes:
- Prepare the room by applying one sign to each of the four corners of the room. Signs will read: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree.
- Read one of your prepared statements aloud and ask participants to move to the corner of the room that best represents their opinion of this statement.
- Once participants are in their places, ask for volunteers to justify their position. When doing so they should refer to information that they learned today or facts that they know to be true.
- Encourage participants to switch corners if someone shares an opinion that changes their mind.
- After a volunteer from each corner has justified their stance, you may allow participants to question each other’s evidence.
- Continue by repeating steps 2-5 for each of your prepared statements.
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Convert ILT to VILT
The Four Corners activity isn’t difficult to convert from ILT to VILT, except that it starts as a spacial activity. The VILT version of Four Corners is a great way to engage even the shyest of participants in a non-threatening way.
To facilitate Four Corners virtually, you will need to use a platform that allows participants to annotate/use drawings tools on the screen. This activity is best suited to VILT audiences with less than 100 participants.
Advanced Prep:
- Generate a list of debatable statements related to the material that you covered today. Statements should not have a correct or obvious answer.
- Prepare your slides with statements in the middle and opinions on each of the four corners.
Presenter Notes:
- Display a slide with an opinion in each of the four corners of the slide. Opinions will read: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree.
- Read one of your prepared statements aloud and ask participants to use the annotation feature to mark the opinion that best represents how they feel about the statement.
- Once participants have marked their opinions, ask for volunteers to justify their position by unmuting their audio (one at a time). When doing so they should refer to information that they learned today or facts that they know to be true.
- Encourage participants to erase their annotation and switch if someone shares a position that changes their mind.
- As volunteers from each viewpoint justify their stance, tell participants to use the chat feature to question each other’s evidence, as they feel necessary.
- Continue by repeating steps 2-5 for each of your prepared statements.
Convert ILT to Elearning
When you convert ILT to elearning the biggest loss is the group engagement. That said, you can take some of the interactivity of this activity and convert it to elearning.
Four Corners is an engaging way to jazz up a drag and drop activity in Storyline 360. A Four Corners activity may be used as an anchor activity to draw out participants’ thoughts or disprove common myths. Alternatively, it might be used as a knowledge check activity.
If you’re interested in an incredible free job aid for updating existing elearning modules, check out the Elearning Instructional Design Checklist.
Design: Disprove Common Myths
- Generate a list of debatable statements related to the material. Statements should not have a correct or obvious answer.
- Draft correct and incorrect feedback statements explaining why the statements are myths or facts.
Design: Knowledge Check Design
- Generate a list of statements, items, or photos to be sorted.
- Determine your four categories.
- Draft correct and incorrect feedback statements explaining which category the statement, items, or photo fits into.
