Maximizing Participant Workbook Elements

Participant workbooks are the physical takeaways that learners get from a course. They should be designed to be both interactive learning tools in the classroom and job aids for use back at the job sites. They should contain much more than just copies of the PowerPoint slides and should include key messages and important phrases or quotes. They should also provide spaces for participants to take notes, write questions and answers, and record their thoughts and summaries.

Interactive features, like note-taking sections, help to support learning. When participants write about their learning, they will consider what they have heard and how it connects to what they already know or have experienced. Then, they need to find the words to express their thinking. Any time you ask participants to identify key points, answer knowledge check questions, or express their opinions in writing, you reinforce their learning and support retention and transfer. After the course, participants can refer to their notes or job aids to refresh their memories.

Some of the common features in a high-quality participant workbook include the following:

• Concept Maps
• Course Outline/Syllabus
• Journaling
• Self-Questioning
• Structured Notes
• Summarizing

Familiarize yourself with the features of the course’s participant workbook. Plan how participants can engage with their workbooks at key times during the lesson. Participants won’t take advantage of all the benefits their participant workbooks provide unless they are directed to do so.