Hands-on Practice Activities

A hands-on activity is an instructional technique that allows participants to learn by doing. During a hands-on activity participants are directly involved in their learning. Participants get direct practical experience as they apply their learning and learn from their failures. Hands-on learning is appropriate for both physical and mental skills and tasks.

Hands-on learning provides many benefits. Studies have shown that participants, who are given the chance to practice what they have learned, retain 75% of the information presented. The transfer of learning to the workplace is high with hands-on activities because the materials and equipment are the same as what they will be using on the job. Because the learning is relevant and immediate, participants in a hands-on learning environment are highly engaged and motivated. Hands-on learning also supports critical thinking and problem-solving skills as participants are expected to be more self-reliant as they work through the activity.

There are also disadvantages to hands-on learning activities. While the activity demonstration will focus on key skills, you still need to troubleshoot issues and answer a wide range of participant questions. Often, you will find that more than one instructor is needed. The primary instructor presents the demonstration and the other(s) circulate around checking in on participants’ progress and answering questions. Also, hands-on training is sometimes rushed. Participants may find they do not get enough practice opportunities to memorize the steps. If you create a high-quality job aid to guide participants during the training, you can help them recall the correct sequence or procedure when they are back on the job.

For more ideas on how to use job aids to support participant learning, refer to Job Aids.

Instructions

How to conduct an effective hands-on activity:

  1. (Optional) Distribute and describe how to use the job aid designed for the task, technique, or procedure.
  2. Demonstrate how to perform the task, technique, or procedure. Explain what you are doing and pause to demonstrate the steps. Refer to the job aid when appropriate.
  3. Ask participants to turn and describe the process to their partner. This helps participants internalize what they have learned. It also serves as a knowledge check as they can verify their memories of details with their partner.
  4. Ask participants questions about the key points of the demonstration. Answer participant questions.
  5. Monitor and provide guidance as participants practice performing the task, technique, or procedure.
  6. Provide both positive and corrective feedback so participants understand when they did something right and when they made mistakes.
  7. Allow participants to practice until they can perform the action without any errors.

Example

In the NHI “Bridge Inspector Refresher Training” course, participants practice selecting the appropriate codes for structure inventory and appraisal and structure type for the National Bridge Inventory (NBI). For his NHI “Instructor Development Course” training presentation, “Superstructure Type Identification,” Patrick Kane created a job aid for a hands-on activity using a page from the participant workbook. Figure 31 displays the practice coding worksheet Kane created for his training presentation. Figure 32 displays the job aid for used in the NBI coding activity.

Worksheet from Refresher Bridge Inspector Training Course. Title: Coding exercise. Name: (blank) Image of a bridge across a river. Image of the girders from the underside of same bridge. Item 43 with 3 boxes to enter digits for codes. Item 44 with 3 boxes to enter digits for codes. I

Source: Kane (2018).

Figure 31:Practice coding worksheet from “Superstructure Type Identification”
Page header: NHI Course 130053 – Bridge Inspection Refresher, Participants Workbook. Subheading: Item 43 – Structure Type Main, 3 digits Record the description on the inspection form and indicate the type of structure for the main span(s) with a 3-digit code composed of 2 segments. 2 row table Column headings: Segment, Description, Length Row 1: 43A, kind of material and/or design, 1 digit Row 2: 43B, type of design and/or construction, 2 digits The first digit indicates the kind of material and/or design and shall be coded using one of the following codes: 10 row table Column headings: code, description Row 1: 1, concrete Row 2: 2, concrete continuous Row 3: 3, steel Row 4: 4, steel continuous Row 5: 5, prestressed concrete * (asterisk) Row 6: 6, prestressed concrete continuous * (asterisk) Row 7: 7, wood or timber Row 8: 8, masonry Row 9: 9, aluminum, wrought iron, or cast iron Row 10: 0, other Asterisk: post-tensioned concrete should be coded as prestressed concrete. Subheading: Item 43 – structure type, main (cont’d) The second and third digits indicate the predominant type of design and/or type of construction and shall be coded using one of the following codes: 23 row table Column headings: code, description Row 1: 01, slab Row 2: 02, stringer/multi-beam or girder Row 3: 03, girder and floorbeam system Row 4: 04, tee beam Row 5: 05, box beam or girders - multiple Row 6: 06, box beam or girders – single or spread Row 7: 07, frame (except frame culverts) Row 8: 08, orthotropic Row 9: 09, truss - deck Row 10: 10, truss - thru Row 11 : 11, arch - deck Row 12: 12, arch - thru Row 13: 13, suspension Row 14: 14, stayed girder Row 15: 15, movable - lift Row 16: 16, movable - bascule Row 17: 17, movable - swing Row 18 : 18, tunnel Row 19: 19, culvert (includes frame culverts) Row 20 (asterisk): 20, mixed types Row 21 : 21, segmental box girder Row 22 : 22, channel beam Row 23: 00, other Asterisk: Applicable only to approach spans – Item 44 Table Column headings: Examples:, code Row 1: Wood or timber through truss, 710 Row 2: Masonry culvert, 819 Row 3: steel suspension, 313 Row 4: continuous concrete multiple box girders, 205 Row 5: simple span concrete slab, 101 Row 5: tunnel in rock, 018 Page footer: Module 5: Lesson 3-21

Source: NHI (n.d.)

Figure 32: Job aid from “Superstructure Type Identification”

Instructor-Led Training

If the practice activity is complex, you can ask participants to work with a partner or in a table group to complete it. Facilitate the collaboration by providing only one set of documentation so that participants have to get out of their chairs in order to work together.

Web Conference Training

If participants will be working independently, provide a Worked Example or Job Aid to follow. Give participants a way to contact the instructor directly if they have any questions or difficulties while completing the activity.