If you are facilitating a cohort-based learning experience over several months, you're in luck. You have the opportunity to use learning design and everything we know about how the brain to ensure retention and behavior change.
This isn’t that case for single workshops, or a short series of sessions, but you can still use the reap to reinforce the change and prolong the impact of your sessions over time.
👉 Tip #1: Share a recap and summary
Send a post-workshop email or communication that includes a recap of key concepts, activities, and takeaways from the workshop. This helps reinforce the learning and serves as a reminder of the content covered. Butter automatically creates a shareable recap page with the recording, chat, GIFs, session feedback, links and tools, an AI-generated summary, transcripts, shared notes and more. You also have the option to hide certain fields before sending the recap to your participants.
👉 Tip #2: Share resources and additional materials
Provide participants with supplementary resources such as articles, templates, podcasts, e-books, videos, or online courses related to the workshop topic. This invites them to delve deeper into the subject matter and continue their learning journey.
👉 Tip #3: Host a follow-up session
You can propose a follow-up session, such as a webinar or Q&A session, where participants can return and ask questions, seek clarification, or share their progress since the workshop. These sessions can help reinforce learning, address any challenges or obstacles, and provide additional guidance. You'll also gather insights on how they have applied the learning, and be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the workshop.
👉 Tip #4: Open an async communication channel
You could create a dedicated online forum, group chat, or discussion whiteboard where participants can continue to engage with each other and with you. This platform can serve as a space for asking questions, sharing insights, and seeking continuous support even after the workshop concludes.
🧰 For your toolbox:
📚 Alison Coward shares her 5 tips for better workshop follow-up
📚 This is a useful factsheet about Training follow-up from Stefanie Keller (Ecosan Services Foundation)