Let Learners Know How To Respond

This technique is a great way to get a response from your learners when you ask a group question.

How often have you asked a group, whether during a webinar or face-to-face training, “Any questions?” or “Does this make sense?” or “Is everyone finished?” and had no response from your learners. Well one reason might be that your learners don’t know how to respond to your question. When the brain is faced with uncertainty higher-order thinking and verbal communication functions may well take a backseat.

From a safety perspective, if your learners don’t know how to respond (or whether in fact you even expect a response), then the easiest thing for our learners to do is nothing, ie no response is safer than an inappropriate response or a response that might make them look bad in front of their peers.

As facilitators we are probably skilled in asking questions, but we often forget to communicate how we would like our learners to respond. When we do communicate our expectations this can lead to learners responding and at the same time feeling safe that a response is needed and that they know the mode they should use to respond.

Response modes should be introduced as soon as possible in your workshops and live virtual training (ideally within the first 5 minutes). This helps set the precedence for the entire training. But what’s the difference between a Non-Specific Response and a Specific Response? Notice the difference between the commonly asked questions below, where the first part is how we often ask the question in a non-specific response way followed by a suggested way to ask the question that requires a specific response from your learners. (The responses here are just by way of an example; ensure that the response mode you choose is appropriate for the learners within the group.)

Examples of Non-Specific Responses verses Clear Expectation Response Modes

Face-to-Face

• Do you have any questions? v If you have a question, please raise your hand.
• Have you finished? v If you’ve finished, please stand up.
• Has everyone found page 16? v Hands up if you have found page 16.
• Are you ready to continue? v Smile if you are ready to continue.
• Did you have a good lunch? v If you had a good lunch stand up and have a stretch.
• Does everyone understand this? v If this makes sense to you, please smile.
• Has everyone got the new handout v If you have the new handout, please wave it in the air.

Live Virtual Training

• Do you have any questions? v If you have a question, please click the ‘raise hand’ emoticon.
• Have you finished? v If you have finished, please type ‘finished’ into chat.
• Has everyone found page 16? v Thumbs-up into your webcam if you’ve found page 16.
• Are you ready to continue? v Click the Smiley Face emoticon if you are ready to continue.
• Does everyone understand this? v If this makes sense please give me wave into your webcam.
• Has everyone got the new handout v If you have the new handout, please type ‘Got It’ in chat.

Because you are giving a specific response mode, learners are more likely to respond to your question. The type of responses listed above are also likely to encourage learner participation and interaction, particularly during a webinar.

For best results, ensure that you rephrase your questions with positive language and with responses appropriate for the background of your learners.