Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

JANUARY 19, 2017

As a long-time trainer, professor, and teacher, I feel strongly that interactive learning activities – going beyond the death by Powerpoint Lecture – is the key to retention and application for participants. Your room set up can support your instructional activities that engage participants or get in the way.

Lecture 91

Lecture Classroom Experiment Learning 91

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

FEBRUARY 11, 2014

As a trainer and facilitator who works with nonprofit organizations and staffers, you have to be obsessed with learning theory to design and deliver effective instruction, have productive meetings, or embark on your own self-directed learning path. There are also physical theories like brain-based learning and neuroscience.

Learning Theory 138

Learning Theory Learning Brain Exercise 138

Neon CRM

AUGUST 18, 2023

Studies have repeatedly shown that the human brain responds positively to altruism and people are hard-wired to give because it produces feel-good emotions. For templates you can use to set up a welcome series for new donors and tips for donor retention, check out The Fundraiser’s Guide to Welcome Series.

Campaign 98

Campaign Giving Tips Mail 98

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

MARCH 8, 2019

Get together staff for half hour or 60 minutes, and do a “brain dump” of everything they know about their audience. Breaking a large group into small groups for an exercise is also instructional design challenge. This helps with increasing attention spans and retention as well as make the session more fun.

Learning 87

Learning Exercise San Francisco Instruction 87

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

MAY 23, 2013

If I can’t process what I hear by asking questions of the expert or checking in with another participate or sitting quietly and just thinking about what was shared, there is a point that I reach after about 15 minutes – it’s call “My Brain Is Full Up.” Images are better than words for instructional aids.

Content 130

Content Learning Brain PPT 130

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

JULY 19, 2016

I came across a brain scan by Dr. Chuck Hillman from University of Illinois Neurocognitive Kinesiology Laboratory. The sitting brain is really disengaged. Which brain do you think is more open to learning, retaining, and applying the content during a training? Movement is better than sitting.

Training 50

Training Train Brain Exercise 50

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

MAY 17, 2011

The content is important, but it is only half of the instructional design task. His research shows that professional development learning experiences need to be as interactive as possible to boost retention. If you deliver training on webinar platforms, you need to understand how people learn.

Design 107

Design Effective Experiment Learning 107