At the Training Oasis, Inc., we have used a variety of approaches including props , games , game shows , and action learning to convey technical content. When presenting complex, detailed or technical material there is one method that you should avoid like the plague. Unfortunately, it is also the approach that is used most often to deliver technical training. It's the bore them with lecture and overcrowded overheads approach. The main problem with lectures is that they appeal to only one or two senses.
People quickly forget what they hear.
Even when visual aids such as overheads are used for technical training, they often dull and uninspiring. People remember only about half of what they see AND hear. So, here is our list of practices to avoid like the plague when dealing with technical or complex material. But, time after time, when we have coached trainers and attended training sessions, these fundamentals have been neglected by trainers who have been in the business for years. Even when we have attended conferences, we have been surprised to see how many famous training practitioners ignore these fundamentals on a regular basis.