Leaping into learning
Let’s face it — there are some of us who come to a conference early so we can learn even more! There were five wonderful day-long workshops to choose from, each focusing on a different aspect of visual practice.
Lisa Arora and Rachel Smith: GR 101 – An Introduction to Graphic Recording
GR101 is designed to introduce beginning practitioners to graphic recording techniques. The purpose of the session is to give participants a good grounding in the basics, including lettering, layout, icons, listening for key points, and becoming comfortable at the wall. In the 2014 session, we covered those basic skills and gave participants practice time to do graphic recording at small and large scale. A 12-person panel of expert practitioners spent an hour with us near the end of the day to answer questions and share their experiences as well.
We had a great group of participants! They jumped in with both feet and tried everything we asked them to practice. They had lots of questions, and we spent plenty of time in discussion about issues they wanted to understand better. Their comments after the session were very enthusiastic: “Fantastic pace, style, intonation, warm and inviting – LOVED IT!” “I’m hyped! You did a great job at transmitting your passion and making it non-intimidating. Keep it up!” We asked about their key take-aways, and they mentioned the lettering and drawing practice, seeing different styles of graphic recording, learning to accept their own work, and understanding that graphic recording is a developing skill for all of us — even experienced practitioners.
Personally, I learn so much every time we lead this session. I love sharing the craft with new practitioners, and every one of them has something new to show me. Sometimes it’s a new way to draw an old favorite icon; sometimes it’s a new style of lettering; sometimes it’s just a fresh look at the work I do every day. I come away inspired for the field, and with a renewed energy for my own practice.
Rachel
See a short clip introducing this session.
Martin Haussmann and Karina Antons: Visual Storytelling
See a short clip introducing this session.
Ralf Appelt, Anna Lena Schiller and Britta Ullrich: Digital Visual Thinking on the iPad
What better way to show feedback, then digitally? Here’s the workshop flickr album. We also created an embeddable feedback slideshow with statements from some of our participants.
Eva Lotta Lamm: Sketching for Sketchnoting
This was the workshop I’ve been looking forward during the whole preparation process of the EuViz. Since I saw her first posts on the web and then in her books, I wanted to learn more about that topic. And what should I tell you – I am more than happy, that I decided to book this particular workshop offer at the preconference day.
The structuring process — the fact that the combination of visual and text is the most powerfully remembered, and that visuals need text sometimes for them to be well understood. An apple visual might mean Granny Smith, Braeburn, Cox, or it might stand for health, agriculture, sustainability, taste, nutritious, etc. It was good to see, all the kind of styles from different skecthnoters. It was clear, that this is the part that needs the most experience. I really liked, that Eva Lotta shared her evolutional steps with us. So we all knew, that she wasn’t a master from the beginning either – and we all have to chance to become masters with the years. It’s as always – practice makes the master. I used it immediately and it worked! Thanks for that workshop Eva Lotta!
from EuViz-Host Guido Neuland
Jill Greenbaum: Ready, Set, Design!
In Ready, Set, Design! participants took their skills to a new level! They were immersed in learning about learning—applying current research about human learning and instructional design to the tasks in their work environments. RSD was designed for those who had yet to step directly into the process of integrating Accelerated Learning into the instructional design process.
This session’s design used the principles to be learned and lived the process of Accelerated Learning. It required the active participation of all learners. They engaged in learning new concepts and practices, carved out the time to step back and examine what they were doing and why they were doing it, and reflected on what relevance it had to their experience and future work.
The agenda, for our very full day, included:
- Sharing expectations around outcomes
- Describing the attributes of great designers
- Planning to create conducive learning environments
- Exploring the impact of human learning on the development of learning experiences
- Identifying our personal communication styles and their influence on design, development, and delivery of sessions (Use of the Platinum Rule)
- Identifying core elements of the design and development process
- Planning for evaluating results
- Assessing personal progress and growth in new skills development
Learners explored the vision and behaviors of effective designers. They had opportunities to demonstrate their new knowledge and skills throughout the day. Everyone started to plan how to incorporate the new strategies, methods, tools, and tips that they had experienced.
Participants’ Notes from the Check Out Chart
- Good mix of talk and exercise
- Visual resumé
- Fast participating
- Small Group 🙂
- Thanks! Tips!
- Jot down lessons learned throughout the day
- 1+2+3/8 (Jill’s shorthand for: Whole brain Learning, Organizational Styles, Learning Styles, Multiple Intelligences)
- Resources (with a heart around it)
- Brain-based learning
- The Platinum Rule
- Take roles—facilitator style—good exercise
- To put a lot of already known knowledge together
The high energy of the participants and their willingness to dive into new ideas and practices was fantastic! There was never a dull moment. We took full advantage of the gorgeous space and materials to create charts, shift to different activities, and share our learning as a large group, smaller groups and pairs—the learners’ variety of professional experiences and personal responses to the material was stimulating. Everyone shared what they were thinking, their questions, and how they planned to use their new knowledge, skills and attitudes in their work. What a great day!
Jill
‘What you put into it, you’ll get out of it.’, says Jill and starts the workshop. She explains that Accelerated Learning (AL) is about taking advantage of the moment. AL is about how people learn and doesn’t differentiate between children and adults. It’s the same brain. If there is activity that’s suitable for different learning types, learning can be accelerated. But this needs preparation. For this reason Jill incorporates accelerated learning with instructional design. The main topic is delivering tips and tricks for trainers. Also getting ideas for layouts to prepare the training is part of this workshop. This meant action planning and getting ideas for materials and resources throughout the day.
Jill uses many methods and activities to deliver the ideas of AL und ID. After each part we take the meta-perspective to reflect and to harvest for our own work. Did we get the idea?
Occasionally there are micro ideas that make the difference. They are easy to understand and to take away. One of these ideas is to give good directions in training. In general you may say that you do so, but have a look at your practice. Do you write them all down? Also short introductions? Be honest.
The part on instructional design is based on the training transfer circle: Prepare, provide info, practice activities, provide feedback.
Jill’s variation looks like this: opening, learn & do, closing. Because learning is also more successful if you use activities. She divided these steps into smaller parts, to shape the activities in the seminars.
from EuViz-Core-Team-Member Sandra Dirks
See a short clip about this track.
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