“Our audiences have changed. Are we still reaching them effectively?”

Key Takeaways:

  • There is a need to shift from traditional content delivery to methods that cause learners to internalize and apply what they have learned, fostering long-term impact and retention. Why? The way our “audiences” learn has dramatically changed due to the accessibility of information and digital technology.

  • Both the teacher and the learner share responsibility in the learning process. “The learner is 100% responsible to learn, but we are 100% responsible to cause our learners to learn”. It’s a big perspective shift, when you start seeing your audience as learners. 

  • There’s a difference between engaging, teaching and equipping versus talking and delivering information.

  • According to Bruce Wilkinson, you can typically tell within the first five minutes of observing someone, why someone might be ineffective in their approach to teaching. Which of the 4 “S’s” are you strongest in?

    Key Questions to Assess The Effectiveness of Your Teaching:

    • Did you cover content or cause people to learn? 

    • One directional versus two way dialogue?

    • Do you view people as an audience or learners?

    • Are you speaker or subject centered or learner centric?

🔎 “Preaching Versus Teaching” Application:

👆 Practical Application: What is the difference between PREACHING and TEACHING? Take a moment to quickly sketch the following table out on a piece of paper or journal, and draw the difference between the two (stick figures and arrows are great!)

  • Draw in the top two boxes at the beginning of the video when prompted

  • Draw in the bottom two boxes at the end of the video when prompted

    • Wilkinson, Bruce. The 7 Laws of the Learner. Multnomah Publishers, 1992.